1 Corinthians Chapter 10 Breakdown

1 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.

Exodus 14:19

And the Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them.

Exodus 14:16

But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.

Paul begins this portion of the letter by referring back to those Moses freed from Egypt. He says, it was Christ who was with their fathers when they came out of Egypt. Christ was the Angel of God. Paul is saying, it was always Christ who was there. Christ was, is, and will be God. 

5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.

Numbers 14:22-23

because all these men who have seen My glory and the signs which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have put Me to the test now these ten times, and have not heeded My voice, they certainly shall not see the land of which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who rejected Me see it.

Most of the people in the desert did not please God. They did not have faith in the Word of God, even after having witnessed His signs. Because they lacked faith, they died in the desert (Num. 14:35).

6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.

Because these men in the desert lusted after evil things they were cast out of the Promised Land. We need to let them be our example in order not to do the same thing and suffer the same results.

7 And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.”

Exodus 32:6

And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.

Do not chase after idols, similarly to some of the men in the desert. Paul then quotes from Exodus, he uses Torah an awful lot for people to preach he doesn’t teach it.

8 Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer.

Numbers 25:1, 9

Now Israel remained in Shittim, and the people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab.

And those who died in the plague were twenty-four thousand.

Numbers 21:4-6

Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way. And the people spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.” So the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died.

Exodus 23:20-21

“Behold, I send an Angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. Beware of Him and obey His voice; do not provoke Him, for He will not pardon your transgressions; for My name is in Him.

Do not, sell your body to another’s lust nor engage in “unlawful” sexual acts. This unlawful is referring to Torah Law. WE can see, it was faith these men lacked. Paul is quoting from the Law, Torah. These people were breaking His given law and had no faith in His promise. Paul is directly stating Christ was the Angel sent to these people. We can see the Angel is both Christ and YHWH. Faith has always played the main role of Salvation.

11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.

All of the things just mentioned were done as an example for believers, written as a warning to us, that is the people at the ends of the ages, or in other words, for people during the last days.

12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.

The man who believes he stands firm should take heed to these warnings, because he just may fall.

13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

The only things believers have to expect in terms of temptation is the same things every man is tempted by. God, though will not allow any of His people to be tempted by anything they cannot bear. With the temptation, God will give a way to escape said temptation.

14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.

Do not allow the temptation of this world lead you into idolatry.

15 I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say.

Paul is speaking to intelligent people and says they should judge for themselves what he is saying.

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?

Luke 22:19-20

And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”  Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.

Paul refers here to the Passover meal and its relationship to Christ.

17 For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.

All believers make up one body of Christ because they all eat of the bread of Christ.

18 Observe Israel after the flesh: Are not those who eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?

Exodus 32:4-5

And he received the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf. Then they said, “This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!”

Look at Israel according to their flesh, if they ate the sacrifices, does that make them associated with the altar? While Moses was on the Mountain, Israel made a golden calf idol. They burnt sacrifices to it and called it YHWH, God of Israel.

19 What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything?

Now, Paul is not saying the idol itself is really the issue. It is the faith and belief, or lack thereof, of Israel that was the real problem. They acted as the pagans did, according to their flesh.

20 Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons.

Now, Paul explains it this way, when pagans make sacrifices, they do so to demons and not God. Paul desires all believers today to avoid fellowship with demons.

21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons.

You cannot have it both ways. The line in the sand has been drawn, you must choose to partake in the cup of Christ, or the cup of Demons.

22 Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?

Now, Paul again mocks these men saying maybe we should incite God to be jealous, because maybe we are stronger than He is.

23 All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify.

Again Paul uses this statement that all things are lawful, but not all things will bring together the body of Christ. Basically he is saying that you can do these things, but they will not bring believers together because they do not teach the Word of God. In fact, when taking into consideration the Torah verses Paul was quoting, it seems they do exactly the opposite of bringing together, and rather divides the believers.

24 Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being.

To ensure the avoiding of idol worship, causing men to provoke God, each man should not be worried about themselves, but focus on others.  

25 Eat whatever is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience’ sake; for “the earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness.”

Psalm 24:1

The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein.

Paul refers back to the eating of animals sold in the market that may be sacrificed to idols. He says go ahead and eat it without asking questions because it could trouble someone’s conscience. But, the idol is nothing so there is no reason to worry about it being sacrificed to an idol. The bigger issue with eating meat sacrificed to idols is taking part in the rituals that accompany it.

27 If any of those who do not believe invites you to dinner, and you desire to go, eat whatever is set before you, asking no question for conscience’ sake.

If you are invited to dinner with a non-believer, you can go and eat whatever they give you without being worried about it being sacrificed to an idol. This is not saying go ahead and eat unclean. Paul is referring only to meat that had been sacrificed to idols.  

28 But if anyone says to you, “This was offered to idols,” do not eat it for the sake of the one who told you, and for conscience’ sake; for “the earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness.”

Acts 15:29

that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well.

Exodus 34:15

lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they play the harlot with their gods and make sacrifice to their gods, and one of them invites you and you eat of his sacrifice

Now, he says if you are told it was offered to an idol, do not eat it. This would cause the one with a weak conscience to stumble in his walk with God. Therefore, we can understand there is a law about eating meat sacrificed to idols according to Acts. But, in Torah we can see the eating is related to participating in the sacrifice itself. Again, this is the bigger issue.

29 “Conscience,” I say, not your own, but that of the other. For why is my liberty judged by another man’s conscience?

Its about the conscience of a brother we should avoid eating the meat from an animal sacrificed to an idol. Your freedom ends when it intrudes on another’s conscience.

30 But if I partake with thanks, why am I evil spoken of for the food over which I give thanks?

If you do eat the meat sacrificed to idols, and give thanks over it, you should not be counted as evil in the eyes of God.

31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

That being said, in everything you eat, drink, or do, always give all the glory to God.

32 Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God, just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.

Do not offend anyone in terms of their conscience, and do things to please and help all men. Do not seek your own profit, but do what you can to bring others to God, so they may be saved.