Warnings from Israel’s Past
1Now I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors10:1 Ps 44:1; Ac 7:11 were all under the cloud,10:1 Ex 13:21 all passed through the sea,10:1 Ex 14:29
2and all were baptized10:2 Ac 22:16 into Moses10:2 Ps 77:20; Mt 8:4; Heb 3:2 in the cloud and in the sea.
4and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock10:4 Ex 17:6; Nm 20:7–13 that followed them, and that rock was Christ.10:4 Jn 4:14; 6:30–35
6Now these things took place as examples for us, so that we will not desire10:6 Mt 27:23; Jms 4:2 evil things as they did.10:6 Lit they desired10:6 Nm 11:4,33–34; Ps 78:18; 106:14
7Don’t become idolaters10:7 Eph 5:5 as some of them were; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and got up to party.10:7 Or to dance10:7Ex 32:610:7 Ex 32:6
8Let us not commit sexual immorality10:8 1Co 6:18; Rv 2:14,20; 17:2; 18:3,9 as some of them did,10:8 Lit them committed sexual immorality and in a single day twenty-three thousand people died.10:8 Nm 25:1–18; Ps 106:29
9Let us not test Christ as some of them did10:9 Lit them tested and were destroyed by snakes.10:9 Nm 21:6
10And don’t grumble10:10 Jn 6:41; Jd 16 as some of them did,10:10 Lit them grumbled10:10 Nm 16:41–50 and were killed by the destroyer.10:10 Or the destroying angel10:10 Ex 12:23; 2Sm 24:16; 1Ch 21:15; Ps 78:49
Warning against Idolatry
14So then, my dear friends, flee from idolatry.
15I am speaking as to sensible people. Judge for yourselves what I am saying.
16The cup10:16 Mt 26:27; Mk 14:23; Lk 22:17,20; 1Co 11:25–26 of blessing10:16 Mk 6:41; Gl 3:14 that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread10:16 Mt 26:26; Mk 14:22; Lk 22:19; Ac 2:42,46; 20:7 that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ?
17Because there is one bread, we who are many are one10:17 Jn 11:52; Eph 4:4 body, since all of us share the one bread.
18Consider the people of Israel.10:18 Lit Look at Israel according to the flesh Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar?10:18 Gn 8:20; Lv 1:5; Nm 3:26; Dt 12:27; 1Sm 2:28; 1Ch 6:49; Ps 26:6; Ezk 8:15; Heb 7:13
19What am I saying then? That food sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?
20No, but I do say that what they10:20 Other mss read Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons!
21You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot share in the Lord’s table and the table of demons.
Christian Liberty
23“Everything is permissible,”10:23 Other mss add for me but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible,”10:23 Other mss add for me but not everything builds up.
25Eat everything that is sold in the meat market, without raising questions for the sake of conscience,
27If any of the unbelievers invites you over and you want to go, eat everything that is set before you, without raising questions for the sake of conscience.
28But if someone says to you, “This is food from a sacrifice,” do not eat it,10:28 Lk 10:8 out of consideration for the one who told you, and for the sake of conscience.10:28 Other mss add “For the earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it.”
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