1 Corinthians 10:1,2

The phrase οὐ θέλω ὑμᾶς ἀγνοεῖν (see parls.) calls attention to something not altogether within the range of the reader's knowledge (contrast οὐκ οἴδατε; 1 Corinthians 9:24, etc.); γὰρ attaches the paragraph, by way of enforcement, to the foregoing ἀδόκιμος. “Our fathers” is not written inadvertently to Gentile “brethren,” out of P.'s “national consciousness” (Mr [1410]); the phrase identifies the N.T. Church with “Israel” (cf. Romans 4:1-2 ff., Romans 11:17 f., Galatians 3:7; Galatians 3:29; Philippians 3:3; also Clem. ad Cor. 4); the fate of the fathers admonishes the children (Psalms 78:8; Psalms 95:9, etc.; Matthew 23:29 ff., Hebrews 3:4.). The point of the warning lies in the five-times repeated πάντες : “ All our fathers escaped by miracle from the house of bondage; all received the tokens of the Mosaic covenant; all participated under its forms in Christ; and yet most of them perished! (1 Corinthians 10:5); cf. the πάντες μέν … εἶς δὲ of 1 Corinthians 9:24, and note. For ὑπὸ τὴν νεφέλην, διὰ τῆς θαλάσσης, cf. Psalms 105:39; Psalms 106:11; also Wis 10:17; Wis 19:7. “The cloud” shading and guiding the Israelites from above, and “the sea” making a path for them through its midst and drowning their enemies behind them, were glorious signs to “our fathers” of God's salvation; together they formed a λοῦτρον παλινγενεσίας (Titus 3:5), inaugurating the national covenant life; as it trode the miraculous path between upper and nether waters, Israel was born into its Divine estate. Thus “they all received their baptism unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea,” since in this act they committed themselves to the guidance ofMoses, entering through him into acknowledged fellowship with God; even so the Cor [1411] in the use of the same symbolic element had been “baptized unto Christ” (cf. Romans 6:3 f., Galatians 3:27). For the parl [1412] between Moses and Christ, see Hebrews 3. Paul sees a baptism in the waters of the Exodus, as Peter in the waters of the Deluge (1 Peter 3:20 f.). ἐβαπτίσαντο, mid [1413] voice (see parls.), implies consent of the subjects “had themselves baptised” (cf. ἀπελούσασθε, 1 Corinthians 6:11) aggravating their apostasy.

[1410] Meyer's Critical and Exegetical Commentary (Eng. Trans.).

[1411] Corinth, Corinthian or Corinthians.

[1412] parallel.

[1413] middle voice.