1 Corinthians 10

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Paul uses the experiences of ancient Israel in the wilderness as a cautionary tale, demonstrating how spiritual privileges do not guarantee salvation if accompanied by sin. He warns against lust, idolatry, fornication, tempting Christ, and murmuring, emphasizing that these events serve as examples for believers. The chapter concludes by urging believers to flee idolatry, exercise Christian liberty responsibly for the edification of others, and do all things to the glory of God, giving no offense.

Warnings from Israel's History 1–13

¶ 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;

And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;

And did all eat the same spiritual meat;

And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

¶ Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

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.

Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.

Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.

Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.

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.

Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

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.

Flee from Idolatry and Demonic Tables 14–22

Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.

¶ I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say.

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?

For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.

Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?

What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing?

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.

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.

Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?

Christian Liberty and Edification 23–33

¶ All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.

Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth.

Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake:

For the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof.

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.

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:

Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other: for why is my liberty judged of another man's conscience?

For if I by grace be a partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks?

Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:

Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain

Study Notes for 1 Corinthians 10

Verse 1

all our fathers were under the cloud — Paul calls Israel's ancestors 'our fathers' in writing to the church. The cloud is the one of which 'He spread a cloud for a covering' (Ps 105:39), and the sea the one where 'the waters were a wall unto them' (Ex 14:29). 'All' (pas) is repeated: none lacked the privilege.

Verse 2

baptized unto Moses — Baptizo, to immerse, with eis, 'into', marking allegiance, as in 'baptized into Jesus Christ' (Rom 6:3). Passing under the cloud and through the sea bound Israel to Moses as leader: the people 'believed the LORD, and his servant Moses' (Ex 14:31).

Verse 4

that Rock was Christ — Petra, a mass of rock: water came from it at Horeb (Ex 17:6) and again when Moses 'smote the rock twice' (Num 20:11). 'Spiritual' (pneumatikos) marks the drink as given by God. Christ's own call, 'If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink' (John 7:37), answers it.

Verse 5

not well pleased — Eudokeo, to think well of, approve; 'many' (pleion) is the greater part. 'Overthrown' (katastronnymi) is to strew down: their bodies fell 'in the wilderness' (Heb 3:17), under the sentence of Num 14:35. The privileges of vv.1–4 did not exempt them.

Verse 6

examples — Typos, the mark of a blow, hence a pattern or model; it returns as 'ensamples' in v.11. The first pattern is craving: 'lust after evil things' (epithymetes, a craver; 'lusted' is epithymeo) recalls Num 11:4, where the people 'fell a lusting', and the place named for 'the people that lusted' (Num 11:34).

Verse 7

sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play — Quoted from Ex 32:6, after the molten calf (Ex 32:8). Paizo, to sport, covers the revelry that followed the sacrifices. The warning fits Corinth, where a believer might 'sit at meat in the idol's temple' (1 Cor 8:10).

Verse 8

three and twenty thousand — The sin at Peor began when 'the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab' (Num 25:1); porneuo is to commit sexual immorality. Num 25:9 gives the whole plague as 'twenty and four thousand'; Paul's figure counts those who fell 'in one day'. Rev 2:14 recalls the same snare.

Verse 9

tempt Christ — Ekpeirazo, to test thoroughly. At the serpents the people 'spake against God, and against Moses' (Num 21:5), and 'the LORD sent fiery serpents' (Num 21:6). Paul names the one tested as Christ, consistent with 'that Rock was Christ' (v.4); compare 'they tempted God in their heart' (Ps 78:18).

Verse 10

murmur ye — Gongyzo, to grumble. After Korah's rebellion 'all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the LORD' (Num 16:41), and a plague followed. Olothreutes, 'the destroyer', is the agent of judgment, as 'the angel that destroyed the people' (2 Sam 24:16).

Verse 11

the ends of the world — Telos, end, with aion, age: the ages reach their goal in the believers' time. 'Ensamples' is typos again (v.6); 'admonition' (nouthesia) is a warning. The same purpose is stated in Rom 15:4: 'whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning'.

Verse 12

thinketh he standeth — Histemi, to stand, set against pipto, to fall, the verb used of the 23,000 who 'fell' (v.8). The Corinthians prided themselves on knowledge (1 Cor 8:1–2). Compare 'thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear' (Rom 11:20) and 'Pride goeth before destruction' (Prov 16:18).

Verse 13

a way to escape — Ekbasis, a way out. 'Temptation' (peirasmos) is of the same family as 'tempt' (peirazo) in v.9; 'common to man' (anthropinos) is what is human. The promise rests on 'God is faithful' (pistos), as in 'Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it' (1 Thess 5:24).

Verse 14

flee from idolatry — Pheugo, to run away, the verb of 'Flee fornication' (1 Cor 6:18). 'Wherefore' draws the conclusion from the wilderness examples; 'dearly beloved' (agapetos) softens the command. The reasoning on the Lord's table begins in v.16; compare 'keep yourselves from idols' (1 John 5:21).

Verse 16

the communion of the blood of Christ — Koinonia, partnership, shared participation. 'Cup of blessing' (eulogia, eulogeo) names the cup over which thanks is spoken at the supper Christ instituted (Matt 26:26–28; 1 Cor 11:23). The cup comes first, then the bread 'which we break' (klao).

Verse 17

one bread, and one body — Artos is a loaf; the many are one body because all share (metecho) the one loaf. The same teaching is given in 'we, being many, are one body in Christ' (Rom 12:5) and 'as the body is one, and hath many members' (1 Cor 12:12).

Verse 18

Israel after the flesh — Sarx, flesh, here Israel by natural descent, as against 'the Israel of God' (Gal 6:16). Under the law the priests ate from the offerings (Lev 7:6); those who eat (esthio) are koinonos, partners with the altar (thysiasterion). Paul argues from Israel's practice to the Lord's table.

Verse 19

What say I then? — Paul guards against misreading vv.16–18. He had said 'an idol is nothing in the world' (1 Cor 8:4), and the question repeats it: neither the eidolon, the idol, nor the eidolothyton, the meat sacrificed to it, is 'any thing'. The danger named in v.20 is another matter.

Verse 20

sacrifice to devils — Daimonion, a demon, the KJV's 'devils'. The words are Moses' of Israel: 'They sacrificed unto devils, not to God' (Deut 32:17; compare Ps 106:37). 'Fellowship' is koinonos, partner, the family of koinonia in v.16: a sacrifice makes partners of those who share it.

Verse 21

the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils — Trapeza, table: the Lord's table and the 'table of devils' are rival feasts. Isa 65:11 charges Israel with those who 'prepare a table for that troop'; compare 'what concord hath Christ with Belial?' (2 Cor 6:15). 'Ye cannot' (dynamai) states an impossibility.

Verse 22

provoke the Lord to jealousy — Parazeloo, to stir to jealousy, the verb of Deut 32:21, 'They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God', and of 'They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods' (Deut 32:16). The question 'are we stronger than he?' recalls the judgments of vv.5–10.

Verse 23

all things are lawful — Exesti, it is permitted: the maxim of 1 Cor 6:12, 'All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient'. Two tests follow: sympheró, what is of benefit, and oikodomeo, what builds up, as in 'things wherewith one may edify another' (Rom 14:19).

Verse 24

Let no man seek his own — 'Wealth' is the KJV's older word for welfare; the Greek has only 'the other's'. The rule is the same as 'Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others' (Phil 2:4), and Paul sets his own conduct beside it in v.33.

Verse 25

the shambles — Makellon, from the Latin macellum, the meat market; much of its meat had come from temple sacrifices. 'Asking no question' (anakrino, to examine) 'for conscience sake' (syneidesis) sets aside inquiry. Compare 'every creature of God is good' (1 Tim 4:4) and Rom 14:14.

Verse 26

the earth is the Lord's — Quoted from Ps 24:1, 'The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof'. Pleroma, fulness, is all that fills the earth. Because everything belongs to him, as Ps 50:12 also says, food passing through a heathen market remains his gift.

Verse 27

bid you to a feast — Apistos, an unbeliever; kaleo, to invite. Going is left to the believer: 'ye be disposed' (thelo, are willing). The rule matches that of the market (v.25), and Christ's own instruction, 'eat such things as are set before you' (Luke 10:8; paratithemi).

Verse 28

for his sake that shewed it — Menyo, to disclose. Once someone says the meat is 'offered in sacrifice unto idols' (eidolothyton), eating would tell him that the believer shares in it. The reason is repeated from v.26. Compare 'if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh' (1 Cor 8:13).

Verse 29

why is my liberty judged — Eleutheria, freedom; krino, to judge. 'Conscience' belongs to 'the other' (heteros), not to Paul. The questions defend his liberty against being condemned over a gift received with thanks; it is the liberty that must not 'become a stumblingblock to them that are weak' (1 Cor 8:9).

Verse 31

do all to the glory of God — Doxa, glory. Eating and drinking, the subject of chs 8–10, are made the test of everything. The parallel is 'whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God' (Col 3:17).

Verse 32

Give none offence — Aproskopos, not causing a stumble. Three groups are named: Jews, Gentiles (Hellen, Greeks) and 'the church of God' (ekklesia, as in Acts 20:28). The same aim is in 'Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed' (2 Cor 6:3).

Verse 33

Even as I please all men — Areskó, to be agreeable. Paul offers his own conduct, as in 'yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more' (1 Cor 9:19). 'Profit' is sympheró, the word of 'expedient' in v.23; the aim is 'that they may be saved' (sozo).

1 Corinthians 10

Warnings from Israel's History 1–13

Flee from Idolatry and Demonic Tables 14–22

Christian Liberty and Edification 23–33

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