1 Corinthians

The Danger of Idolatry

Let me remind you, brothers and sisters, about our ancestors. All of them were under the cloud, and all crossed the sea.

All experienced the baptism into the land and the sea to follow Moses;

and all of them ate from the same spiritual manna;

and all of them drank from the same spiritual drink. For you know that they drank from a spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ.

However, most of them did not please God, and the desert was filled with their bodies.

All of this happened as an example for us so that we might not become people with evil desires like they did.

Do not follow idols as some of them did, and Scripture says:

The people sat down

to eat and drink

and rose up to play.

Let us not fall into sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day, twenty-three thousand of them died.

And let us not tempt the Lord, as some of them did, and were killed by serpents;

nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the angel of death.

These events happened as examples for them and were written as warnings for us as the last days approach.

Therefore, if you think you are standing firm, be careful so you don’t fall.

No trial greater than human endurance has overcome you. God is faithful and will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear. He will provide, along with the temptation, the strength to escape and resist.

Idolatrous Meals and Christian Freedom

Therefore, dear friends, avoid worshiping idols.

I speak to you as intelligent people; judge what I say.

Is the cup of blessing that we bless not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ?

Since there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all share that one bread.

Consider the Israelites. For them, eating the sacrifice means entering into communion with its altar.

What does all this mean? Is it that the meat is truly dedicated to the idol, or that the idol is a being?

However, when pagans make offerings, those sacrifices are made to demons, not to God. I do not want you to have fellowship with demons.

You cannot drink from the cup of the Lord and from the cup of demons at the same time. You cannot partake of the Lord’s table and the table of demons.

Or are we provoking the Lord to jealous anger? Are we stronger than he is?

Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible for me, but not everything edifies.

Let no one seek their own interests, but those of others.

Eat whatever is sold in the market without raising questions of conscience.

For the earth and everything in it belong to the Lord.

If an unbeliever invites you, go ahead and eat whatever is set before you without concern.

But if someone warns you that the meat is from idols’ offerings, do not eat it out of respect for their conscience and yours.

I am not referring to your own conscience, but theirs, for it is better that they and their conscience misunderstand my freedom.

Should I be criticized for doing what is good? I thank God for the opportunity.

So, whether you eat or drink or do anything else, do everything for God’s glory.

Avoid offending Jews, Greeks, or God’s church.

Just as I try to please everyone in all things, I do not seek my own benefit but that of many, so that they may be saved.