‏ 1 Corinthians 10

Summary for 1Cor 10:1-22: 10:1-22  ^a After illustrating from his own life the key principle of giving up one’s rights for the sake of others (ch 9  ^b), Paul turns back to the specific question of eating meat sacrificed to idols (8:1-13  ^c). He warns believers of God’s wrath on those who sin, especially on those who engage in idolatry.
Summary for 1Cor 10:1-11: 10:1-11  ^d Even though the Israelites were God’s people and experienced his salvation and provision (see Exod 13:21-22  ^e; 14:21-29  ^f), they still came under his judgment because of their disobedience.
10:2  ^g all of them were baptized: Paul draws a parallel with the baptized Corinthians.
Summary for 1Cor 10:3-4: 10:3-4  ^h Spiritual food ... spiritual water: God graciously and supernaturally provided food and water in the wilderness, especially for the people of Israel (see Exod 16:4-35  ⁱ; 17:1-7  ^j; Num 20:2-17  ^k). The Corinthians’ situation was analogous.

• The spiritual rock that traveled with them alludes to the rock that Moses struck to get water (Exod 17:1-7  ^l; Num 20:2-17  ^m). Early Jewish tradition understood both occurrences of the miracle to involve the same rock that was traveling with them.

• that rock was Christ: Paul’s interpretation of Israel’s experience provides a parallel between God’s provision in the wilderness and the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor 10:14-18  ⁿ; cp. John 4:14  ^o; 7:37-39  ^p; Rev 22:17  ^q). Both the Israelites and Christians share in the spiritual provisions of Christ; and just as the Israelites were therefore judged for their sins, so Christians will be judged if they sin (1 Cor 10:5-22  ^r).
10:6  ^s evil things: see Num 11:4-6  ^t, 34  ^u.
10:7  ^v Feasting and drinking refers to celebrations in honor of pagan gods; pagan revelry suggests wild partying with drinking and sex.
10:8  ^w See Num 25:1-9  ^x.
10:9  ^y Nor ... put Christ to the test: See Deut 6:16  ^z; Ps 78:18-20  ^aa; Matt 4:7  ^ab.

• Christ: Some manuscripts read the Lord, which probably represents a scribe’s attempt to harmonize with the Old Testament context.
10:10  ^ac See Num 16:13-14  ^ad, 41-49  ^ae.
Summary for 1Cor 10:12-13: 10:12-13  ^af Paul gives the Corinthians a final warning against falling into sin (cp. Rom 11:20-22  ^ag) and reminds them that God is faithful (see 1 Cor 1:9  ^ah; cp. Deut 7:9  ^ai; 1 Pet 4:19  ^aj). God will not allow them to be tempted (or tested; cp. Jas 1:2-4  ^ak) beyond their ability to endure, but will always provide a way out.
Summary for 1Cor 10:14-22: 10:14-22  ^al Paul warns his readers against anything that might be interpreted as idolatry (cp. 1 Jn 5:21  ^am), which includes eating food in honor of a pagan god.
Summary for 1Cor 10:16-18: 10:16-18  ^an Paul affirms the spiritual meaning of sacred meals. In the Lord’s Supper, believers share in the blood and body of Christ (see also 11:17-34  ^ao; Matt 26:26-28  ^ap; Mark 14:22-24  ^aq; Luke 22:19-20  ^ar). Sharing one loaf unites believers as one body in Christ, just as the pagans’ religious meals unite them with the gods they worship (see 1 Cor 10:19-21  ^as).
Summary for 1Cor 10:19-20: 10:19-20  ^at Idols have no reality or life (see 8:4-6  ^au), and sacrifices made to them accomplish nothing. The sacrifices pagans make to idols are actually unknowingly made to demons (see Deut 32:16-17  ^av; Ps 106:37  ^aw; Rev 9:20  ^ax). Those who share in their religious meals are thereby uniting themselves with demons.
10:21  ^ay Believers should avoid participating in religious meals eaten in a pagan temple (see 8:10  ^az), because those united to the Lord (Christ) cannot simultaneously be united to demons (see 2 Cor 6:14-16  ^ba).
10:22  ^bb To ignore Paul’s advice on this matter is to rouse the Lord’s jealousy and judgment, just as Israel did (see 10:6-11  ^bc; Exod 20:5  ^bd; Deut 32:21  ^be).
Summary for 1Cor 10:23-11:1: 10:23–11:1  ^bf Paul closes the discussion begun in 8:1  ^bg with advice about when Christians may eat meat sacrificed to an idol, and when they should not (see study note on 8:1–11:1). His advice reflects the principle of giving up one’s rights out of love (see also 8:13–9:23  ^bh).
Summary for 1Cor 10:23-24: 10:23-24  ^bi You say: The NLT supplies these words—Paul is probably quoting a popular saying among the Corinthians and clarifying it.

• “I am allowed to do anything”: Paul qualifies the assertion of a Christian’s freedom by emphasizing the importance of doing what is most beneficial for others (see 6:12  ^bj; 10:32-33  ^bk; Rom 14:13-15  ^bl, 19-21  ^bm; 15:1-2  ^bn; cp. Phil 2:3-4  ^bo).
Summary for 1Cor 10:27-29: 10:27-29  ^bp When Christians are invited for a meal with an unbeliever, the Christians are free to eat what is set before them unless warned that the meat has been offered to an idol. In that case, the Christian should refrain from eating it out of consideration for the conscience of the other person, who might misinterpret it or be hurt by believing that such eating honors the god to whom the meat has been sacrificed (see 8:7  ^bq, 9-10  ^br; cp. Rom 14:13-15  ^bs, 20-23  ^bt).
Summary for 1Cor 10:29-30: 10:29-30  ^bu These two questions are difficult to understand in light of 10:28-29a  ^bv. By placing 10:28-29a  ^bw in parentheses, the NLT has interpreted these questions as expressing Paul’s own convictions, following on from 10:27  ^bx.
Summary for 1Cor 10:31-33: 10:31-33  ^by Paul concludes his discussion by summarizing the two principles that are to guide Christian behavior in issues like this: (1) Believers are to do everything for the glory of God (see Col 3:17  ^bz; 1 Pet 4:11  ^ca); (2) believers are not to give offense and should avoid doing anything that would harm another person’s Christian faith (cp. 1 Cor 8:9  ^cb, 13  ^cc; 1 Jn 2:10  ^cd). Christians’ behavior is to be guided by what is best for others rather than by personal privilege (cp. Rom 14:13-15  ^ce, 19-21  ^cf; 15:1-2  ^cg). These two basic principles lie at the heart of Paul’s advice on practical Christian living in this letter.

‏ 1 Corinthians 11

11:1  ^ch imitate me: Cp. 4:16  ^ci; Phil 3:17  ^cj.
11:2  ^ck the teachings I passed on to you: This language generally refers to an authoritative tradition of Christian teaching being passed down orally (see also 11:23  ^cl; 15:1-3  ^cm; 2 Thes 2:15  ^cn).
Summary for 1Cor 11:3-16: 11:3-16  ^co Paul now addresses a woman’s use of a head covering. Paul argues that women publicly praying or prophesying should wear a veil as an element of dressing modestly and appropriately in public worship (cp. 1 Tim 2:9  ^cp; 1 Pet 3:3  ^cq). Apparently some in Corinth were rejecting head coverings based on freedom in Christ. Paul’s argument in favor of the custom is based on traditional social conventions, the Genesis account of creation, and the watchful eye of angels. 11:3  ^cr The head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God: The NLT gives the literal reading head, which is a metaphor for either source or authority. The immediate context and Paul’s overall teaching both favor understanding head in this context as meaning authority (see Gen 3:16  ^cs; Eph 5:21-23  ^ct; Col 3:18  ^cu; 1 Pet 3:1  ^cv).
Summary for 1Cor 11:4-6: 11:4-6  ^cw In this passage, head is used in both a literal and a figurative sense. A man who covers his (physical) head when he prays dishonors his (spiritual) head, Christ. A woman who prays or prophesies without a covering on her (physical) head thereby dishonors her (spiritual) head, her husband.

• The spiritual gift of prophesying is the God-given ability to speak a specific word from God, not merely to predict the future (cp. 12:10  ^cx; 14:1-5  ^cy; 1 Thes 5:20  ^cz).

• if she prays or prophesies: Women were allowed to engage in public praying and prophesying in the church (cp. Acts 21:9  ^da).
11:7  ^db man is made in God’s image: See Gen 1:26-27  ^dc.
11:10  ^dd because the angels are watching: Angels are guardians of the created order, appointed to ensure that everything is done according to God’s plan (see Gen 19:1-21  ^de; 22:11-12  ^df; Exod 23:20  ^dg; Num 22:22-23  ^dh; Pss 34:7  ^di; 91:11  ^dj; 103:20-21  ^dk; Heb 1:7  ^dl, 14  ^dm). Believers are to do what is appropriate in the sight of fellow humans and God’s observing angels (cp. 1 Tim 5:21  ^dn).

• should wear a covering on her head to show she is under authority: Or should have authority over her own head.
Summary for 1Cor 11:11-12: 11:11-12  ^do These verses qualify the preceding verses. Believers recognize that God has made men and women mutually dependent on one another.

• Everything comes from God (cp. 8:6  ^dp): Both men and women must ultimately submit to God, the head of all.
11:13  ^dq Is it right? This rhetorical question expects the answer “no.”
11:14  ^dr Isn’t it obvious? (literally Doesn’t nature itself teach you?): In Paul’s culture, men would never wear long hair.
11:15  ^ds Paul argues that social conventions regarding hair length express fundamental differences between men and women.

• it has been given to her as a covering: Paul suggests that women’s long hair, covering their head, shows that God intends women to have some type of “covering.”
11:16  ^dt if anyone wants to argue about this: Some in the cosmopolitan Corinthian church did not agree with Paul.

• Paul’s final argument is that the use of a head covering was an established custom of the church. Most contemporary interpreters take this verse to mean that the custom was culturally based.
Summary for 1Cor 11:17-34: 11:17-34  ^du Paul addresses problems in the way the Corinthians were relating to each other and to the Lord while taking the Lord’s Supper. 11:17  ^dv when you meet together: Early Christians met together in someone’s home at least once a week, usually on the Lord’s Day (see 16:2  ^dw).
11:18  ^dx The divisions may be those spoken of in 1:10-12  ^dy (cp. Titus 3:10  ^dz), or (more likely) the result of social discrimination when they shared meals (see 1 Cor 11:21-22  ^ea, 33  ^eb; Acts 6:1  ^ec).
11:19  ^ed As translated, this ironic expression rebukes the Corinthian Christians’ claims to superiority based on distinctions among them. Alternatively, Paul might be saying that though their divisiveness is clearly wrong, it will have the positive result of making clear who among them is truly faithful.
Summary for 1Cor 11:20-22: 11:20-22  ^ee Some people were more concerned about eating their own supper than with the Lord’s Supper.
11:23  ^ef I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself: This is one of the few explicit references in Paul’s letters to traditions handed down from Christ (see also 7:10  ^eg; 9:14  ^eh; cp. 1 Thes 4:15-17  ^ei).

• On the night when he was betrayed: See Mark 14:43-46  ^ej.
11:24  ^ek Jews and early Christians traditionally gave thanks to God for their food before eating (see study note on Mark 14:22-25).

• This is my body: Cp. John 6:32-35  ^el, 48-58  ^em.
11:25  ^en After supper might suggest that the main meal separated the breaking of the bread from the drinking of the cup (see Luke 22:20  ^eo).

• The new covenant is God’s promise to forgive sins because of the sacrificial death of Jesus (cp. Jer 31:31-34  ^ep; 32:40  ^eq; Luke 22:20  ^er; Heb 7:22  ^es; 8:8-10  ^et; 9:15  ^eu; 10:12-18  ^ev; 12:24  ^ew; 13:20  ^ex). The blood of a sacrifice confirmed an agreement or covenant (see Exod 24:8  ^ey; Zech 9:11  ^ez; Heb 9:12  ^fa; 13:20  ^fb; cp. Rom 3:25  ^fc; 5:9  ^fd).
11:26  ^fe In taking the Lord’s Supper, Christians proclaim the saving significance of the Lord’s death to those around them until he comes again (see 1:7-8  ^ff; cp. 1 Thes 1:9-10  ^fg; 3:12  ^fh; 4:13-18  ^fi; 5:23  ^fj).
11:27  ^fk To take the Lord’s Supper without recognizing its significance or with unconfessed sin in one’s life is to take it unworthily (see 11:28-31  ^fl). It is equivalent to sinning against the body and blood of the Lord himself; it treats his sacrificial death as trivial (cp. Heb 10:29  ^fm).
11:28  ^fn Before taking the Lord’s Supper, Christians should confess their sins and consider what the bread and the cup signify (11:26  ^fo).
Summary for 1Cor 11:29-30: 11:29-30  ^fp In light of 11:27  ^fq, the body of Christ is probably to be understood here as a reference to the death of Christ, not to the church, though some interpret it that way.

• Those who eat the bread or drink the cup unworthily thereby invoke God’s judgment upon themselves. Such judgment may be expressed in infirmities, sickness, and even death (cp. Acts 5:5  ^fr, 10  ^fs).
11:31  ^ft Self-judgment (which implies confession of sin and repentance) averts God’s judgment.
11:32  ^fu When God’s people are judged by the Lord and disciplined (cp. Deut 8:5  ^fv; Heb 12:5-11  ^fw), it is for their ultimate good, so that they will not be condemned along with the world (see Eph 2:1-3  ^fx).
11:34  ^fy after I arrive: Paul was planning to visit soon (4:19  ^fz; 16:5-7  ^ga).