Verse 1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
The Greek word translated as “ignorant” is “agnoeo” and it means to be ignorant, not to know, not to understand, to err or sin through mistake, and to be wrong. The Apostle Paul wanted to be sure the Corinthian believers were familiar with and aware of Old Testament history so that they could understand the examples he was about to write to them about. The cloud was the presence of the LORD which lead the Hebrew people through the wilderness and which provided shade for them in the desert environment by day, and then which burst forth in fiery light and heat at night to be a light unto their path and to warm them on cold desert nights.
Application: Remember that the Apostle Paul is writing to Gentiles in the Corinthian church, and not to Jews. Yet he refers to “our fathers”, meaning that the patriarchs and the Hebrew people of old were ancestors of these Gentile believers. How can that be? Because all those who live by faith in Christ Jesus are Abraham’s children or descendants. Once people become saved from sin, death, and Hell, they are by faith Abraham’s children. Physically, Abraham had other children besides Issac who became the fathers of other people, other tribes, and other nations, but the Apostle Paul is speaking about ancestor by faith and not by flesh. It is spiritual and not of the flesh. Galatians 3:7 “Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.” One’s race does not provide the basis for being one of Abraham’s children or one of God’s chosen people. “So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.” Galatians 3:9 Those who do not believe the Gospel message are not children of Abraham regardless of whether they can prove their pedigree genetically to go back to the Hebrew patriarchs.
Verse 2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
Application: Many Christian believers feel and teach that water baptism is optional and that it does not matter much if converted believers receive baptism or not. They believe that it is merely a visible testimony of the believer’s decision to follow Christ Jesus. This is not true. It is commanded. When the Hebrew people left Egypt, God parted the waters of the Red Sea and they walked through the sea bed on dry land while the water was held back supernaturally by God forming walls of water on each side of them. When they were all safely through, God let the waters go and the Egyptian army who was chasing the Hebrews were all drowned. This was a type of baptism of the Hebrew people and was a foreshadowing of baptism in the Church. Jesus had not yet come, so they were baptized unto (a preposition meaning into, unto, to, towards, for, or among) Moses who was a type of Christ and a foreshadowing of the Messiah. “The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;” Deuteronomy 18:15
Verses 3-4 And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
Application: The Hebrew people before coming out of Egypt first painted lamb’s blood on the top and sides of the doors to their houses. They were covered by the blood of the lamb so the death angel passed over them. Likewise, Christian believers today are covered by the blood of Jesus Christ, the final sacrificial Lamb. Then God lead the Hebrews to and through the Red Sea, a type of water baptism. Likewise, Christian believers are to go down in the waters of baptism and rise to newness of life, their sins washed away forever and their beings filled with the Holy Ghost. The Hebrew people were lead by the Holy Ghost in the form of a visible cloud and pillar of fire. Likewise, Christian believers are lead by the Holy Ghost/Spirit dwelling within them. The Hebrew people were physically sustained with bread from Heaven called Manna. Manna represents the Word of God. Likewise, Christian believers are sustained spiritually by the Word of God. The Manna had to be gathered every day with the exception of the Sabbath. The Hebrews were not to gather more Manna than they needed for each day. Likewise, Christian believers need to read the Word every day and not think they can sustain themselves by reading a lot of the Word on one day and then skipping the rest of the week. The Hebrew people were given water from a rock that rolled along after them on their journeys. The rock was a representation and foreshadowing of Jesus Christ who is the Christian believers’ firm foundation upon which is built their faith. The Hebrew people were headed for the land of promise and sojourned in the wilderness for many years before obtaining their final destination. Likewise, Christian believers are headed for the promised land, eternity in Heaven, but are sojourning in this wicked world for many years before obtaining their final destination.
Verse 5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
All the people over 20 years that came out of Egypt with the exception of Joshua and Caleb died in the wilderness and never saw Palestine. God was angry with them. Why? Because they continually rebelled against God refusing to obey commandments as given by God to Moses, they continually complained, and they continually remained ungrateful for their salvation from Egyptian slavery, their deliverance from the enemy, and their traveling mercies and blessings from the LORD. At one point the LORD wanted to destroy them all and start over with Moses and his family, but Moses interceded on their behalf, being a type of Christ who today intercedes on the behalf of His people.
Application: Everything people possess today is from God. The converted Christian believer should start and end each day with a grateful heart, with acknowledgment of the many blessings and mercies from the LORD that are new every morning, and remember to continually praise the LORD throughout the day for all that He does. Through praising the LORD the believer will draw nearer and nearer to Him and His peace will cover the believer no matter what the flesh, the world or the Devil tries to bring against him/her.
Verses 6-7 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. 7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
The Apostle Paul states that the stories of the Hebrew people as recorded in the Old Testament books are there as an example to the Church so that people will refrain from falling into the same temptations and sins that the Hebrew people fell into. They were barely out of Egypt and through the Red Sea, with miracle after miracle having occurred right before their eyes by the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when they forged a golden calf and had a camp party which included idol worship and lewd behaviors. See Genesis chapter 32.
Application: Today within church denominations there is a tendency to ignore the Old Testament Scripture and only preach and teach from the New Testament books. However, all the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, is the Word of God and all of it has value for Christian believers as there are lessons to be learned throughout. The LORD Jesus Christ quoted extensively from the Psalms and from the Prophets, so if He used Old Testament books to preach and teach people, so should Christians today use them. This writer is continually judging current events by the history of Joseph, Egypt and the exodus of the Hebrew people. A careful study of those times will show a direct correlation to the end times in which we are living today. The Old Testament is a study in “human nature”, of sin and its consequences, of the tactics of devils, of the character of God, and of course a study of end time events.
Verse 8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.
The Hebrew men began to have relations with women from Moab and the people began to become involved with worshiping the gods of the people of Moab. See Numbers chapter 25.
Verse 9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.
The Hebrew people murmured against the LORD and against Moses because things were not going their way. See Numbers chapter 21.
Verse 10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.
“The destroyer” in Scripture can refer to Satan. God hates the act of complaining and He can remove His protection from complaining Christian believers and allow evil spirits to afflict them until they repent and realize that an attitude of gratitude is expected from them at all times.
Verse 11-12 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. 12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
So the Apostle Paul states that the events in the Old Testament are for Christian believers to be warned how not to behave. He also cautions against prideful thinking that salvation has come and so nothing can happen to the believer that will affect that salvation.
Application: Notice that the Apostle Paul teaches that the times in which he and the Corinthian church are living are the end times. This concept is one that confuses most people today. The “end times” began with the Gospel; the death, burial, and resurrection of the LORD Jesus Christ. This is why the Apostle Paul taught that when making plans for the future, one should preface it with “if the LORD wills” because no one knows the day or the hour of His return. Because of teachings such as Scofieldism most Christian believers today think that the end times have to come in a prescribed fashion with certain events happening in a certain order, so they are not living their lives as if there is no tomorrow. But the LORD Jesus Christ could have returned at any time in the last 2000 years of Church history and can return tomorrow. Christian believers need to live like the early Church lived, facing each day with the expectation that Jesus will be coming soon.
Verses 13-14 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.
The Greek word translated as “temptation” is “peirasmos” and it means a trial or an enticement to sin. As stated before, mankind has three enemies: the flesh, the world and the Devil. All three of these entities can cause failure in living a righteous life. But when these temptations come against the Christian believer, God will deal with then and help the believer overcome the temptations and live a victorious life. But one of the greatest temptations is idolatry where the believer allows something or someone to take center stage in his/her life. God must always be first.
Verses 15-17 I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say. 16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 17 For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.
The Greek word translated as “wise” is “phronimos” and it means intelligent, wise, or prudent. So the Apostle Paul is complementing the men of the Corinthian church and appealing to their ability to comprehend his words. He asks them to have an opinion after reading this part of his epistle. He then refers to what has come to be called “the LORD’s supper” or “communion”, the act of eating unleavened bread in remembrance of Christ’s body that was broken and battered and of drinking wine or juice in remembrance of Christ’s blood that was shed so that mankind could have remittance of sins. The metaphor is that all Christian believers together make up the “body” of Christ in His Kingdom with Him being the head of the Church. Therefore, there is one way to do the LORD’s supper and all God’s children are partakers in a uniform manner of that act, Jesus in metaphor being the “bread of life” or the one who sustains His children in this life.
Verses 18-19 Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? 19 What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing?
Israel after the flesh is physical Israel, not spiritual Israel. The Apostle Paul is saying that the Jews when eating from the sacrifices presented on the Temple altar are not idolatrous. The altar is not anything but that which receives the offering. It is God receiving and approving of the sacrifice that counts. Therefore idols are nothing, just inanimate objects made by men’s hands that can neither see, hear, speak, nor move. So anything offered to idols is not tainted by this object made of wood, stone or metal.
Verses 20-22 But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. 21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils. 22 Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?
So the Apostle Paul is saying that Christian believers need to understand that the pagan Gentiles when sacrificing to their idols were sacrificing to devils and not to the one true God and that therefore it would be better for the Corinthian Christians to not associate or fellowship with these unbelievers so that no connection to devils could happen which may cause some believers to fall from grace and become confused in their Faith. So they cannot one day partake of the LORD’s supper and then fellowship with those who offer their food to devils or idols before eating it. The LORD God is a jealous God and will not tolerate such behavior.
Verse 23 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.
The Apostle Paul is saying that for the Christian believer there is nothing that is against God’s law in terms of what has been discussed in this chapter. This does not mean that the Christian believer can use this verse in isolation to justify deliberately breaking the speed limit or parking their car in a red zone or robbing a bank. The subject he has been teaching is that idols are nothing and so food offered to idols is not prohibited to the Christian believer as it all comes from the LORD and what mankind does by making sacrifice with it to useless inanimate objects does not taint the food the LORD has created. However, there is a time when using this freedom may not edify others or contribute to the building up of the Kingdom of God.
Verses 24-26 Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth. 25 Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake: 26 For the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof.
The wealth being spoken about in the verse above is not money or material possessions and has been added by the King James translators as indicated by being printed in italics in the KJV Bible. Therefore, there is no Greek equivalent to give a definition. In English it means an abundance of valuable things, and in the context of the verse and the chapter it is referring to spiritual matters such as faith, the Gospel message, and the Word of God. So each Christian is to want to build up others in the Faith and not put themselves first. So whatever food is purchased in the market, eat it and don’t ask anything about whether it has been offered to pagan idols. Everything God has made belongs to Him and is good regardless of what pagan rituals mankind engages in.
Verse 27 If any of them that believe not bid you to a feast, and ye be disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake.
If a Christian believer’s neighbor who is not a Christian invites the believer over for diner and the believer goes to their house, eat what is served and ask no questions. The food cannot hurt the believer if it is part of a pagan religious offering.
Verses 28-33 But if any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that shewed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof: 29 Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other: for why is my liberty judged of another man’s conscience? 30 For if I by grace be a partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks? 31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. 32 Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God: 33 Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved. (1 Corinthians 10)
However, if someone knows that the food has been offered to idols and indicates that this bothers them and they do not think a Christian believer should eat it, then the Apostle Paul is saying, “Don’t eat it because it will offend your Christian brother.” Do that which does not offend other Christians’ beliefs, even though there is liberty in Christ Jesus. An example is if someone believes that the color red is for harlotry and should not be worn by Christians and this is known by other people in the Church, then it would be the right thing to abstain from wearing red even though this belief is not held by other brothers and sisters in the LORD. It is putting others first even if one’s liberty is compromised. Another example is serving pork to someone who identifies as a Jew. They are not believers in Jesus Christ, yet the Christian should respect their beliefs and be gracious towards them even though the Christian is free to eat pork.
Application: This chapter on idols and foods sacrificed to them may seem pointless to Christian believers today, but for the Corinthian church it was a big deal, a major controversy, and it needed to be addressed and dealt with so that the Gospel was not hindered. In summary, the Apostle Paul is teaching that all things that are not sinful are allowed in the life of the Christian, but if that liberty causes others to be offended or to stumble in the Faith, then the Christian is to abstain from exercising their liberty. This writer has used this situation before, but will mention it again. When riding motorcycles with the Christian Motorcycle Association (CMA), it was not uncommon to end up at bars because that is where the unbelieving riders go to socialize and often to pick up women, plain and simple. And since the purpose of CMA was to evangelize the biker world, Christian bikers had to go to where the unbelieving bikers congregated. However, this writer always stayed outside with the bikes as this writer’s personal belief was that it was inappropriate to enter a bar as a believer. Why? Not because this writer was going to drink alcohol or partake of the climate of the bar or because this writer did not have the liberty to enter the building or because this writer was being judgemental of the unbelievers gathered there, but because if other believers drove by and saw this writer exit the bar wearing the CMA colors, their imagination would run in a condemning direction and they would be offended. So this writer stayed outside and removed the CMA jacket so as to not offend others yet at the same time was able to witness to those bikers leaving the bar. This was a personal belief which the other CMA members respected and accepted, which is exactly what the Apostle Paul is teaching in this chapter.