1Cor 10 | BSB | STEP | I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud, and [that] they all passed through the sea.

1 Corinthians 10

Warnings from Israel's Past

1 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud, and [that] they all passed through the sea. 2 They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3 They all ate the same spiritual food 4 and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from [the] spiritual rock that accompanied them, and [that] rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the wilderness. 6 These things took place as examples to keep us from craving evil things as they [did] . 7 Do not be idolaters, as some of them [were] . As it is written: “The people sat down to eat and to drink, and got up to indulge in revelry.” ^{▼▼Or to play; Exodus 32:6} 8 We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them [did] , and in one day twenty-three thousand [of them] died. 9 We should not test Christ, ^{▼▼WH, NE, and Tischendorf test the Lord} as some of them [did] , and were killed by snakes. 10 And do not complain, as some of them [did] , and were killed by the destroying angel. 11 Now these things happened to them [as] examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. 12 So the [one who] thinks he is standing firm should be careful not to fall. 13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God [is] faithful; [He] will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when [you are] tempted, He will also provide an escape, so that you can stand up under [it] .

Flee from Idolatry

14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak to reasonable [people] ; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 Is not the cup of blessing that we bless a participation in the blood of Christ? [And] is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? 17 Because [there is] one loaf, [we who are] many are one body; for we all partake of the one loaf. 18 Consider the people of Israel: Are not those who eat the sacrifices fellow partakers in the altar? 19 Am I suggesting, then, that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 No, [but] [the] sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God. And I do not want you to be participants with demons. 21 You cannot drink [the] cup of [the] Lord and [the] cup of demons [too] ; you cannot partake in [the] table of [the] Lord and [the] table of demons {too} . 22 Are we trying to provoke the Lord {to jealousy} ? Are we stronger than He?

All to God's Glory

23 “Everything is permissible,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible,” but not everything is edifying. 24 No one should seek his own [good] , but [the good] of others. 25 Eat anything sold in [the] meat market without raising questions of conscience, 26 for, “The earth [is] the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.” ^{▼▼Psalm 24:1} 27 If an unbeliever invites you {to a meal} and you want to go, eat anything set before you without raising questions of conscience. 28 But if someone tells you, “This [food] was offered to idols,” {then do} not eat [it] , for the sake of the one who told [you] and for the sake of conscience— ^{▼▼BYZ and TR and for the sake of conscience, for the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof} 29 the other [one’s] [ conscience ] , I mean, not your own. For why {should} my freedom be determined by someone else’s conscience? 30 If I partake [in the meal] with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks? 31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God. 32 Do not become a stumbling block, whether to Jews [or] Greeks [or] the church of God, 33 just as I [try to] please everyone in all [I do] . [For] I am not seeking my [own] good, but [the good] of many, that they may be saved.