TEACHING NOTES Introduction In the last few sessions we have been working through 1 Cor. 8-10, which addressing idolatry and food sacrificed to pagan gods. While this is foreign to modern readers in the West, this was a major issue in the early church. In 1 Cor. 10, Paul is going to take us through some Old Testament stories of Israel’s idolatry. As we will see, the consequences of unfaithfulness to God are very dangerous. ‌ Review of the Section on Idolatry ‌ The Problem: Much of the food in Corinth came from pagan temples. This created confusion for Christians who want to avoid participating in idolatry. ‌ 1 Cor. 8: The rights/freedoms to eat anything may lead others to stumble in their faith. ‌ 1 Cor. 9: Paul lists other rights/freedoms that may be given up to benefit others. ‌ 1 Cor. 10: Idolatry is dangerous and deadly. ‌ 1 Corinthians 10:1–5 1 For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers 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, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. ‌ Our fathers = Paul is about to describe stories about Israel in the Old Testament. But notice that Paul includes the Corinthian Gentile believers in the Israelite family of God by referring to Israel as “our fathers.” In other words, Paul believed that the church (both Jew and Gentile Christians) is Israel. This should not be shocking to us, because the New Testament says this repeatedly (Rom. 10:12; 11:11-24; 1 Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:11). ‌ Note: The idea that Israel is a separate people of God from the church is a new idea that began in 1830 with John Darby. Faithful Christians (Jew and Gentile) are the one family of God. ‌ Baptized in the cloud and sea = The sea refers to the Red Sea (Reed Sea) that God split to deliver Israel from Egypt. The cloud refers to the presence of God. So, God saved Israel from slavery to the gods of Egypt, baptized them through the sea, and brought them to His presence on Mount Sinai. Then God brought Israel to the promised land. In the New Testament Jesus delivered us from slavery to sin, satan, and death, brings us into the presence of God by giving us the Holy Spirit, and will bring us into a new creation (our promised land). ‌ Spiritual food and drink = Paul is referring to the many stories in the Torah when God provided food and water to Israel in the wilderness. ‌ The spiritual Rock = In Exodus 17 and Numbers 20, God provided water from a rock for Israel while they were complaining. In Ex. 17:6 God stood on the rock and when Moses struck the rock water began to flow from the rock. ‌ The Rock that followed them = You will not find the Rock following Israel in the Old Testament. But after the Old Testament was finished the Jewish scribes also wrote documents of translation and interpretation of Scripture. The Hebrew Mishnah and the Aramaic Targums are two examples of these documents. Those documents do describe the Rock following Israel. Jewish readers of 1 Corinthians knew exactly where Paul was getting this information. ‌ That Rock was Christ = Notice how Paul interprets the Torah here. Paul understood that the Rock was Christ in the Old Testament. The apostles also taught, and the Jews once all believed, that the visible Angel of the LORD in the Old Testament was the visible Yahweh. ‌ God was not pleased = Although the generations of Israelites who were delivered from Egypt and patiently cared for in the wilderness, they still rebelled at every turn and refused to enter the promised land. They even cried out that they wished they would die in the wilderness. So, God let them have what they wanted. Only the next generation of Israel—with Joshua and Caleb—entered the promised land. ‌ 1 Corinthians 10:6–7 6 Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. 7 Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” ‌ As examples for us = How should we apply the Old Testament as Christians? We read those stories to learn what it means to be faithful or unfaithful to God. The stories of Israel teach us about faithfulness and the consequences of unfaithfulness. They are examples for us. Obviously, this means that we should be reading and studying the Old Testament. ‌ We might not desire evil as they did = The unfaithfulness of Israel was a result of their desire for evil rather than the good will of God. ‌ Sat down to eat and drink = This refers to ritual sacrifice. Sacrifices in both Israelite and pagan worship was a communal meal. An animal would be cooked and then eaten to symbolize communion with the deity. In the story Paul is referencing (Ex. 32), Israel had created a golden calf and worshiped it as their god by making sacrifices and eating together. ‌ Rose up to play = This phrase from Ex. 32:6 is an idiom that means they rose up to engage in a ritual orgy. We must remember that when Israel was delivered from Egypt, it was not only the descendants of Abraham (ethnic Israel) that left Egypt. Exodus 12:38 says that “a mixed multitude went up with them.” Therefore, when the Israelites left Egypt there were Gentiles going with them. The golden calf incident was likely fueled by the worship practice of Egyptians. Pagan worship often included sexual immorality and this is what Israel was doing at the foot of Mount Sinai. And this would not be last time Israel engaged in this kind of idolatry. ‌ 1 Corinthians 10:8–10 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 Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, 10 nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. ‌ Indulge in sexual immorality = Now Paul is speaking of an event in Numbers 25 (also mentioned in Deut. 4:3; Ps. 106:28-31) where Israel worshiped Baal of Peor. ‌ 23,000 fell in a day = God did not put up with idolatry in Israel. They had just been delivered from Egypt, saw miraculous signs from God, and yet they repeatedly turned away to worship other gods. So, God disciplined them so they would learn not to worship other gods. God wanted His people to understand that idolatry only leads to destruction and death. ‌ We must not put Christ to the test = While many Christians think that Jesus will not discipline us like Yahweh did in the Old Testament, Paul is clear that Jesus must not be tested like Israel tested Yahweh. In Paul’s theology, Jesus and Yahweh are one and do not have different characteristics. If we as Christians turn away to worship other gods, we are testing Christ and in danger of destruction. ‌ Destroyed by serpents = This refers to Numbers 21 where Israel “spoke against God and against Moses, ‘Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and water, and we loathe this worthless food” (Num. 21:5). In Num. 21:1-3 Israel had just been delivered from the armies of the Canaanite king of Arad and they made a vow to God. Immediately after this deliverance, they start to turn against God again. As a result, God sent “fiery serpents” (Heb. seraphim nahash) to bite the Israelites and many died. Israel repented and God commanded Moses to “make a fiery serpent [Heb. saraph] and set it on pole [Heb. nes - t-shaped flag pole]” (Num. 21:8). Anyone who looked at the shining serpent on the tree was healed. This is the same story Jesus used in His conversation with Nicodemus in John 3:14-15. ‌ Destroyed by the Destroyer = This refers to Numbers 14 where Israel had just decided not to enter the Promised Land, rebelled against God, and grumbled against Moses and Aaron. Israel declared, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness!” (Num. 14:2). Then they decide to choose another leader and remove Moses. God decides to let that generation of Israelites have what they want and they would die in the wilderness. The spies who convinced Israel to rebel were killed “by plague.” Paul says they were killed by “the Destroyer” which was the angel God often sent to bring destruction (Ex. 12:23; 2 Sam. 24:16; 1 Chr. 21:15; Ps. 78:49). ‌ 1 Corinthians 10:11–13 11 Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. 12 Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. ‌ Written down for our instruction = God has preserved these stories in the Old Testament “for our instruction.” These stories are in the Torah, which literally means “instruction.” We cannot act like the rebellious Israelites and expect God to treat us differently. If we rebel, we will also suffer destruction. Paul uses the Greek word nouthesian here, which means “instruction of warning.” ‌ On whom the end of the ages has come = The apostles believed that they were living in the last age (Act 2:17; Rom. 13:11; James 5:3; Heb. 1:1-2; 9:26; 1 John 2:18). The coming of the Messiah to bring in a new covenant signaled the final age of this creation. We have been living in the “last days” for almost 2,000 years. When Christ returns, this creation will end and the new creation will begin. ‌ Take heed lest he fall = In the context of idolatry and immorality, Paul continues to talk about temptation and pride. Some Christians think that there are some sins they would never commit. Paul is speaking those Christians “who thinks that he stands.” He warns them that they had better be careful, because every Christian can fall in any way. ‌ No temptation…not common = Paul says that there is no temptation that is “not common to man”—meaning that any person can be tempted in any way. No Christian is above any kind of temptation. ‌ Tempted beyond your ability = This verse is often used out of context to teach that God will not give us more than we can handle. In other words, God will not give you more suffering than you can handle. However, this passage is not about hardship or suffering but about temptation to sin. ‌ He will provide the way of escape = In every temptation, God provides a way of escape. Therefore, there can be no excuse for our sin. If we say, “the devil made me do it” or “I couldn’t help it” then we are calling God a liar. ‌ 1 Corinthians 10:14–17 14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. 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 participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation 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. ‌ Flee from idolatry = This is the same instruction for sexual immorality in 1 Cor. 6:18, which was followed by warnings of uniting Christ with sin. Paul is going to use the same logic here in the context of idolatry. ‌ I speak as to sensible people = Paul is assuming that the Corinthians will follow the biblical and logical argument he is making against idolatry. When he says, “judge for yourselves what I say” he is asking them to evaluate his argument. ‌ The cup of blessing, the bread = Paul is referring to the Lord’s Supper, which is also called Communion or the Eucharist. Communion was the central ritual in the weekly worship of the church. ‌ A participation in the body and blood of Christ = The Greek word for “participation” here is koinonia, which means “to share together, participate together, to have close mutual association.” Paul is using the language of sacrifice, which was a shared meal in the presence of God. Communion is not merely a symbol of the sacrifice of Christ. It is sharing the presence of Christ together. ‌ We who are many are one body = The Church is called “the body of Christ” in the New Testament (Rom. 12:5; 1 Cor. 6:15; 12:12, 27; Eph. 3:6; 4:12; 5:23; Col. 1:24; 3:15). Each member of the Church is a part of Christ’s body and each member has a role or function to fulfill. ‌ We all partake of the one bread = When churches all over the world take Communion, they are all receiving and participating in the same presence of Christ. In the old covenant, sacrifices were only performed in the temple in Jerusalem. In the new covenant, we can participate in the saving and purifying sacrifice of Christ all over the world. ‌ 1 Corinthians 10:18–19 18 Consider the people of Israel: are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? 19 What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? ‌ Those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar = In the Torah, only the priest was allowed to make sacrifices on the altar. However, the common Israelite who brought the animal participated in the altar by eating part of the meal. ‌ Why do I imply then? = Paul has already argued that idol statues are not actually gods in 1 Cor. 8, although idol statues did represent the evil spirits connected to them. Paul wants the Corinthians to be sure that he is not arguing that man-made statues are God. ‌ 1 Corinthians 10:20-22 20 No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants 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 Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he? ‌ Pagans sacrifice to demons = Paul knew that the Greek Old Testament (the Septuagint) teaches that “all the gods of the nations are demons” (Ps. 95:5). Even the Hebrew version of Ps. 96:5 (the numbering of Psalms is different in the Septuagint) says, “all the gods of the peoples are worthless gods.” Therefore, the pagan gods are real evil spirits who have rebelled against God their Creator and led the nations to worship them as gods. ‌ Do not be participants with demons = Paul doesn’t want Christians to be “participants” (Grk. koinonous - partners, sharers) with demons. To participate in the sacrifices to pagan gods is to enjoin yourself with those gods. You become a partaker of evil spirits and invite them into your life. ‌ You cannot partake of Christ and demons = You cannot worship Christ and demons. Polytheism—worshiping multiple gods simultaneously—is totally incompatible with biblical Christianity. To intentionally eat food sacrificed to idols and eat the Lord’s Supper is to be unfaithful to God (cheating on God). When Israel did this multiple times in the Old Testament, God considered it to be adultery. ‌ Provoke the Lord to jealousy = In the first commandment God said in Exodus 20:3 “You shall have no other gods before me.” In Exodus 34:14 God said, “for you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” While God tolerates the idolatry of unbelievers for now, God will not tolerate idolatry in His own family. God divorced Israel for idolatry. We should not expect a different outcome for those who claim to follow Christ and practice idolatry. ‌ Are we stronger than he? = This is more like a taunt than a question. Paul is saying, “Do you think you can defend yourself against a jealous God?” This is important for modern Christians who think they can believe in Jesus and continue to live however they want. Once you align yourself with Christ, you are now held to a higher standard, and you must not put anything above Christ. In the modern world, idolatry still exists and it still exists in the church. Whenever we put anything above Christ and push Him to the side, we are practicing idolatry. ‌ 1 Corinthians 10:23–26 23 “All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. 24 Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. 25 Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 26 For “the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.” ‌ “All things are lawful” = Just as in 1 Cor. 6:12, Paul quotes from the letter that the Corinthians had sent to him with questions and concerns. In regards to sexual immorality, apparently some in the Corinthian church believed that any sexual practice is “lawful” for them. Apparently, the Corinthians believed that eating food sacrificed to idols was “lawful” for them as well. ‌ Not all things are helpful = The Greek word for “helpful” here is symphero, which means “to be profitable or beneficial.” Certain actions may not be sinful, but they may have no beneficial quality either. ‌ Not all things build up = The Greek word for “build up” here is oikodomeo, which means “to make more stable or strengthen.” As a family of disciples of Jesus, the church is called to build up or strengthen each other. This is why our church is seeking to be a family of disciples helping each other to be more like Christ. ‌ Let no one seek his own good = Christians are called to deny themselves for the sake of others. Selfish people are un-Christ-like people—meaning they are not following Jesus. Jesus taught that the first step of following Jesus is to deny yourself (Luke 9:23). Therefore, the phrase “selfish Christian” is an oxymoron, because it contains two contradictory terms. ‌ Eat whatever is sold in the meat market = Paul is referring to the local market in Corinth, in which much (not all) of the food had come from the sacrifices in the pagan temples. In many cases there was no way to know for sure what food had been sacrificed to idols, unless the selling told the buyer. Paul says there should be no “question of conscience [awareness]” about the market food. ‌ The earth is the Lord’s = The earth and everything belongs to Christ. The food sacrificed to idols ultimately came from God, but it had been offered in worship to the wrong gods. ‌ 1 Corinthians 10:27–28 27 If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner 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, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience— ‌ If unbelievers invite you to dinner = Notice that Paul expects Christians to be invited to dinner with unbelievers. While the early church lived very differently from the pagans around them, they were not separatists. The early Christians spread the Gospel outside of the church gathering by talking to people in public (preaching) and meeting in the private homes of unbelievers. ‌ Note: At the time of Christ, the Jews would never enter the home of a Gentile for fear of making themselves unclean (see John 18:28). The Jewish apostles were taught by Jesus to go directly to the Gentiles and dine with them in their homes to reach them with the Gospel (Luke 10). ‌ Eat whatever is set before you without question = Hospitality was, and still is, a major part of eastern cultures. If a family invited you for dinner, and you stopped to question them about the meal, it would have been highly offensive. Paul wants the Christians in Corinth not to create offense to unbelievers over food. ‌ But if someone says, “This was offered in sacrifice” = Paul’s instructions show that the mere act of eating food sacrificed to idols is irrelevant. If a Christian unknowingly eats food sacrificed to idols, it has no effect on the Christian spiritually. One cannot be guilty of idolatry by accident. Idolatry is an intentional sin. We cannot accidentally do an idolatry. What matters is how that act impacts others. If nothing was said about the food by the unbelieving host, Paul says the Christian should not ask about it. But if the host tells them that the food came from a pagan sacrifice, the Christian is to respectfully abstain. ‌ For the sake of the one who informed you = Why? Because the respectful refusal to eat food sacrificed to pagan gods tells the unbeliever that you no longer worship the pagan gods. If the Christian knows they are eat food sacrificed to other gods and eats it, it would communicate to the unbeliever that Christians are no different than pagans. ‌ For the sake of conscience = In the next verse Paul clarifies that he is referring not to the conscience of the Christian, but to the conscience of the unbeliever. To knowingly eat food sacrificed to pagan gods would cloud the unbeliever’s understanding of the Gospel. The Greek word for “conscience” here is syneidesin, which means “understanding or awareness.” ‌ 1 Corinthians 10:29–30 29 I do not mean your conscience, but his. For why should my liberty be determined by someone else’s conscience? 30 If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks? ‌ Why should my liberty be determined by another? = Our freedoms in Christ are not determined by someone else’s beliefs or preferences. But we can deny ourselves for the sake of others. In other words, something doesn’t become a sin simply because someone doesn’t like that action. But something good can become a sin when we do it in a way that hurts someone else. ‌ If I partake with thankfulness = The Greek word for “thankfulness” here is charis, which is also the word for “gift” and “grace.” To partake with thankfulness is to acknowledge that the gift of provision came from God. Conversely, food sacrificed to idols is eaten in thankfulness to the pagan gods—which is why Christians did not eat food that they knew was offered to other gods. ‌ 1 Corinthians 10:31–33 31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to 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, that they may be saved. ‌ Do all to the glory of God = No matter what we do, we must be able to do it for the glory of God (Grk. doxa theos - honor, recognition, praise of God). This does not mean that we can do anything we want to the glory of God. Paul is NOT saying that we can sin to the glory of God. Here is a wise question to ask, “Will what I am doing or about to do glorify God?” If the answer is no, then we should not do it. ‌ Give no offense to Jews, Greeks, or the church = Here is the crux of the issue with eating food sacrificed to idols. Christians should try not to do something, even something we are free to do, if we know it will offend others. This does NOT mean that we compromise the truth to appease others. It means that we love our neighbors more than ourselves. ‌ I try to please everyone = Paul does not mean this absolutely, because we know that he often offended Jews and Gentiles. Paul’s statement here must be taken in its context of the dietary issues in early Christianity. ‌ Not seeking my own advantage = Paul is willing to deny himself for the sake of others. Jesus did this for us, and He calls us to do the same. ‌ That they may be saved = Paul motivation is the salvation of all people. For Paul this was the most important priority. So, he lived in such a way to help people hear and accept the Gospel. ‌ 1 Corinthians 11:1 1 Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. ‌ Be imitators of me = Paul is saying that what he has just taught is what he practices. So, he asks the Corinthians to follow his example. ‌ As I am of Christ = Paul is able to say “imitate me” because he is imitating Christ and how He lived. Paul was following Christ’s example of living, so we can follow Paul’s example of living. ‌ Conclusion ‌ Does idolatry exist in our culture? ‌ Does idolatry exist in our church culture? ‌ If an idol is anything put above Christ or put in Christ’s place, are there any idols in your life? If you don’t remove your idols, what are the consequences? ‌ Next Time (May 22): 1 Cor. 11:2-16.