1 ¶ Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye
should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all
passed through the sea; 2 And were all
baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
4 And did all drink the same spiritual
drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock
was Christ. 5 But with many of them God
was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
This is a hint that many of the Corinthian Christians had been
Jews. In the beginning Christianity was thought to be merely a sect of first
century Judaism. Paul refers to all our
fathers in a clear reference to the Hebrews who passed through the Red Sea.
Not only is the Red Sea crossing a type of baptism but also the cloud which God
moved in, a clear indication of how not all references to baptism refer to
getting wet.
Exodus 13:21 And the LORD went before them by day in a
pillar of a cloud, to lead them
the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and
night:
Exodus 14:19 And the angel of God, which went before the
camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and
stood behind them:
A reference to Manna is made and to the rock from which the
Hebrews were supernaturally able to drink.
Exodus 17:6 Behold, I will stand before thee there upon
the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt
smite the rock, and there shall
come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight
of the elders of Israel.
Paul here, I believe, by the wisdom given to him by the Holy
Spirit, makes a metaphor as a rock was not literally, actually Christ which
Moses was told to strike. Christ wasn’t physically transformed into a rock or
disguising Himself as a rock. The rock represented Him. There are those that
would say that the rock as actually Christ in a type of disguise, which doesn’t
seem in keeping with the way the Bible is written. Paul uses a great many
metaphors in his arguments from the Christian’s body being a temple, from
Christians being a building, and the church as Christ’s body on earth. All of
these things mean something important but you are not made of stone, nor are
your fellow church members bricks, and Christ is not a disembodied head
floating around in the heavenly realm.
6 ¶ Now these things were our
examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also
lusted. 7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were
some of them; as it is
written, The people sat down to
eat and drink, and rose up to play. 8
Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell
in one day three and twenty thousand. 9
Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were
destroyed of serpents. 10 Neither murmur
ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. 11 Now all these things happened unto them for
ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the
world are come. 12 Wherefore let him
that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 13 There hath no temptation taken you but such
as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be
tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to
escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from
idolatry.
Things that were revealed to us in the past were revealed for a
reason. Brush aside all of the sermons on the events of Exodus mentioned here
and see how the Holy Spirit, through Paul, interprets their meaning. The
warning here is against idolatry, elevating false gods. Paul here also reveals
his personal opinion and hope, like ours, that the end must be coming soon.
The word temptation here
is not a reference to our modern notion of being tempted by something like
gazing at the air-brushed images on the magazine rack in the grocery store or gossiping.
This, in context, is about the traps that are out there that encourage us,
attempt to trick us even, to defile our worship of God. A temptation urges us to worship it rather than God. It is also a
trial, suffering, and grief that causes us to doubt our faith. In fact, it is
anything that damages our faith and trust in God.
A personal disaster and grief, persecution for one’s faith,
elevating something like sex, education, employment, or material possessions
above God, and sin itself are temptations to turn away from the faith.
I recently have seen someone so bound up in their desire to do
what they know God has forbidden that they not only did not repent of their
ways but even began to deny their faith. And yet, they once prayed fervently
and often for loved ones who did not trust and believe in God. Their desire to
sin was a temptation that damaged their faith.
The Hebrews followed God and received a type of baptism but then
afterwards committed idolatry and many were killed as a result. Paul warns the
Corinthians to run from the idol worship which permeated the Graeco-Roman world
of the first century. Many today have made their preferred sin an idol and now
worship it rather than God.
Paul and the Corinthians lived in a world where a Christian’s life
could be threatened with a warning, to renounce Christ or lose your property
and your life. It was a world full of involuntary temptation that presented
itself to you in a forceful way.
Lead us not into temptation…is a plea to protect us from malicious things that
challenge our faith…but deliver us from
evil. The greatest trouble, calamity, or evil is one that draws you to turn
your back on your Creator.
15 ¶ I speak as to wise men;
judge ye what I say. 16 The cup of
blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The
bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 17 For we being many are one bread, and
one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread. 18 Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they
which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? 19 What say I then? that the idol is any thing,
or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing? 20 But I say, that the things which the
Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not
that ye should have fellowship with devils. 21
Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be
partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils. 22 Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we
stronger than he?
Here, Paul draws a parallel between the Lord’s Supper and the
religious feasts of the pagans. The Christian honors the Lord and calls to
remembrance his death, burial, and resurrection. The pagan worships not God,
but devils. We are not to have fellowship with, to worship, or to honor devils.
It is inconsistent and wrong to partake of both.
I’ve read that when Christianity was made into the state religion
of Rome hundreds of years later that people, still pagan in heart, would
sacrifice an animal to a pagan god on the steps of a church building before
entering to attend a service.
23 ¶ All things are lawful for
me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all
things edify not. 24 Let no man seek his
own, but every man
another’s wealth. 25 Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that
eat, asking no question for conscience sake: 26
For the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof. 27 If any of them that believe not bid you to
a feast, and ye be disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat,
asking no question for conscience sake. 28
But if any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols,
eat not for his sake that shewed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth is
the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof: 29 Conscience,
I say, not thine own, but of the other: for why is my liberty judged of another
man’s conscience? 30 For if I by
grace be a partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks?
31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink,
or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. 32 Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor
to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God: 33
Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine
own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.
Paul speaks of Christian liberty here. We are free to do what we
want to do but not all things that we can do are good or set good examples.
Whatever is sold in the market, the
shambles,
is perfectly fine to eat. It all belongs to
God anyway. If a Corinthian is invited to a feast and he is disposed to go he
need not ask if the food was offered to an idol. But, if he is told that
Christian must not eat if he is told that the food was part of a pagan
sacrifice for the sake of the person offering him the food.
Whatever
we eat and drink must be to the glory of God. But, what we do should not give
offence, that is, to causes someone else to stumble, to wound their conscience
toward God.
Matthew 18:7 Woe unto the world because of offences! for
it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!
The Corinthians were told not to do anything that would prevent
someone from coming to Christ, something that would impede the gospel working
in their heart. This included eating at a religious feast where it was obvious
the food was offered to an idol.
Here, also, we have the three divisions of humanity from a
religious perspective. There are Jews, non-Jews or Gentiles, and then there is
the Church, which consists of the saved of both of the former.
We are trying to save people, not to justify their idolatry, or to
use our liberty in a way that blinds them to the truth. Paul has made it clear
that he does not approve of the Corinthian Christian dabbling in both worlds,
that of the church and that of the heathen. Paul has defined the limits of
Christian liberty.
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