Warnings from Israel’s History
I do
not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters,a
that our ancestors were all under the cloud, and all passed through the
sea, 2
and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,
3 and all ate the
same spiritual food, 4
and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank
from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ.
5
Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, and they were struck
down in the wilderness.
6 Now these things
occurred as examples for us, so that we might not desire evil as they did.
7 Do not
become idolaters as some of them did; as it is written, “The people sat
down to eat and drink, and they rose up to play.”
8 We must not indulge
in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell
in a single day. 9
We must not put Christb
to the test, as some of them did, and were destroyed by serpents.
10 And do not
complain as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer.
11 These things
happened to them to serve as an example, and they were written down to
instruct us, on whom the ends of the ages have come.
12 So if you think
you are standing, watch out that you do not fall.
13 No testing has
overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will
not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will
also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.
14 Therefore, my dear
friends,c
flee from the worship of idols. 15
I speak as to sensible people; judge for
yourselves what I say. 16
The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a sharing
in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a sharing in
the body of Christ? 17
Because there is one bread, we who are many are one
body, for we all partake of the one bread.
18 Consider the people of Israel;d
are not those who eat the sacrifices partners in the altar?
19 What do I imply
then? That food sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is
anything? 20
No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice, they sacrifice
to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be partners with demons.
21 You
cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake
of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.
22 Or are we
provoking the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?
Do All to the Glory of God
(Cp Ps 24.1)
23 “All things are
lawful,” but not all things are beneficial. “All things are lawful,” but
not all things build up. 24
Do not seek your own advantage, but that of the other.
25 Eat
whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the
ground of conscience, 26
for “the earth and its fullness are the Lord’s.”
27 If an
unbeliever invites you to a meal and you are disposed to go, eat whatever
is set before you without raising any question on the ground of
conscience. 28
But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in
sacrifice,” then do not eat it, out of consideration for the one who
informed you, and for the sake of conscience—
29 I mean the other’s
conscience, not your own. For why should my liberty be subject to the
judgment of someone else’s conscience? 30
If I partake with thankfulness, why should
I be denounced because of that for which I give thanks?
31 So, whether
you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.
32 Give
no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God,
33 just as I try to
please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that
of many, so that they may be saved.