THE EXAMPLE OF THE ISRAELITES AT THE EXODUS AND IN THE WILDERNESS (10:1) The illustration is now given from the account of the Exodus and what followed of the fact that not all attain the prize. Outwardly they may appear to be the people of God, but they are soon revealed as not being so. All took... [ Continue Reading ]
'Howbeit with most of them God was not well pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.' The spiritual benefits of the Israelites proved to be of no efficacy to them when it came to the sins of idolatry and sexual misbehaviour, both prominent in idol temples. They failed, displeased God an... [ Continue Reading ]
'Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.' So these things were examples for us, given as a lesson so as to prevent us from doing the same, that is, preventing us from setting our minds on evil things, idolatry, fornication, trying... [ Continue Reading ]
'Nor be you idolaters, as were some of them. As it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.' Reference here is to worship of the molten calf and its accompanying immoral rites (Exodus 32:6), again paralleling entering idol temples, and the danger of participation in th... [ Continue Reading ]
'Nor let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.' Here the sin of sexual immorality is more clearly spelled out. If the reference is to Numbers 25:1 it also includes being influenced by idolatry, and eating in the presence of idols. But 'us'... [ Continue Reading ]
'Nor let us make trial of the Lord, as some of them made trial, and perished ('were perishing') by the snakes.' Again they tested the Lord by looking back and comparing their present state with the past (Numbers 21:4 compare Psalms 78:18), an ever present danger in times of trial. The result for th... [ Continue Reading ]
'Nor murmur you, as some of them murmured, and perished by the destroyer.' The final example is of their dissatisfied murmurings. Examples of this accompanied by judgment are found in Numbers 11:1; Numbers 14:1; Numbers 16:41 but they 'murmured' on numerous occasions. The change to 'you' might seem... [ Continue Reading ]
'Now these things happened to them by way of example, and they were written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the ages are come.' He stresses again that 'these things' (compare 1 Corinthians 10:6) happened 'by way of example' as an admonition to all who would follow. The imperfect, strictly '... [ Continue Reading ]
'For this reason let him who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.' So from all this the general principle arises that we should beware of complacency. We may feel that we are of such stature spiritually that we cannot fall, even that we 'have knowledge' (1 Corinthians 8:1), have been baptis... [ Continue Reading ]
'There has no temptation taken you but such as man can bear, but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able, but will with the temptation make also the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.' Paul now intervenes in his catalogue of exhortation (1 Corint... [ Continue Reading ]
'For this reason, my beloved, flee from idolatry.' All temptation must be faced in the right way. The way of escape from idolatry is to flee from it. This is significant. It is saying that they are not to say, 'God can give us strength to fight the evil influence of idolatry if we participate in th... [ Continue Reading ]
'I speak as to wise men. You judge what I say.' He pleads now that they will think about the question. They put themselves forward as wise men, so let them use their intelligence and consider what is involved by comparing the situation with their own religious ceremonies. His argument will be that... [ Continue Reading ]
'The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a communion of the body of Christ? Seeing that we, who are many, are one bread, one body, for we are all partake of the one bread.' Let them consider. When they partake of the cup o... [ Continue Reading ]
'Behold Israel after the flesh, do not those who eat the sacrifices have communion with the altar?' His second example is the oneness with the altar, and all that it meant, of those in physical Israel who ate of the sacrifices offered on that altar. This was important because it paralleled exactly t... [ Continue Reading ]
'What do I say then? That a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? But I say, that the things which they sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God. And I do not wish that you should be sharers in common with demons.' He firmly insists that he is not by this say... [ Continue Reading ]
You cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord, and of the table of demons.' That being so they only have to think about it. How can they at the same time drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons? How can they eat that which comes fro... [ Continue Reading ]
'Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?' By not fleeing from idolatry they are provoking the Lord to jealously (the symmetry of the passage connects the two statements). He thus compares the act of eating in pagan temples with lovers seeking to make their partner jealous by... [ Continue Reading ]
'All things are lawful, but not all things are expedient. All things are lawful, but not all things edify.' Again he takes up their own challenge that 'all things are lawful to us' (compare 1 Corinthians 6:12). Quite right, he says, but they are not necessarily expedient, not necessarily for the be... [ Continue Reading ]
'Let no man seek his own, but each his neighbour's good.' A much better catch phrase, suggests Paul, is, 'let no man seek his own but each his neighbour's'. In other words a man should not be always thinking of himself and his own freedom and his rights to this or that, but should be thinking of wh... [ Continue Reading ]
'Whatever is sold in the shambles (meat market), eat, asking no question for conscience' sake, for the earth is the Lord's, and its fullness.' But having forbidden the eating of sacrificial meat in temples he now turns to the question of meat sold externally by temples to the meat markets, some of... [ Continue Reading ]
'If one of those who do not believe bids you to a feast, and you are disposed to go. whatever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience' sake.' The same principle applies when they are invited to go to a pagan friend's house or banquet. There is no reason not to go if they wish to.... [ Continue Reading ]
'But if any man say to you, "This has been offered in sacrifice in a temple (hierothyton)," do not eat, for his sake who revealed it, and for conscience sake. Conscience, I say, not your own, but the other's.' Thus if someone deliberately draws their attention to the fact that the meat has been off... [ Continue Reading ]
This may offend some who want to know why their freedom should be bound by someone else's conscience. Why, if they eat the meat with gratitude to God, or do so because they enjoy the grace of God revealed in their status before Him, should they be criticised for eating what they have given thanks fo... [ Continue Reading ]
'Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.' Paul's reply is specific and clear. He points to the positive aspect, the need to do all to the glory of God. His reply is that they must ensure that, whatever they do, even in the eating of meat, they do it to t... [ Continue Reading ]
'Give no occasions of stumbling, either to Jews, or to Greeks, or to the church of God, even as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of the many, that they may be saved.' For what should be their first concern is to give no occasion for tripping up or stumb... [ Continue Reading ]