1 I don't want you to forget that all of our ancestors were led by a cloud, and they all walked through the middle of the sea on dry land.
2 And they were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
3 And they all ate the same spiritual food;
4 And they all drank the same spiritual water, because they drank from the spiritual Rock that traveled with them. That Rock was The Anointed One.
5 But He wasn't happy with many of them, because He spread their bodies all over the wilderness.
4 And they all drank the same spiritual water, because they drank from the spiritual Rock that traveled with them. That Rock was The Anointed One.
5 But He wasn't happy with many of them, because He spread their bodies all over the wilderness.
6 Now these things took place to be examples for us, to keep us from craving evil like they did.
7 And don't worship idols like some of them did. It is written, "The people sat down to eat and get drunk, then got up to dance and sing."
8 And don't miss use sex, like some of them did, when 23,000 of them died in one day.
9 Or tempt The Anointed One, like some of them did, and then were destroyed by snakes.
10 Or complain like some of them did who were then destroyed by the angel of death.
11 Now all these things happened to them for examples to us. They were written to warn us who live at the end of the world.
Paul believed Christ's final return would be in his life time. Though he did not get this right, he did live in the end of the Jewish Nation- his "world." Very shortly after this was written (less than 40 years) the Romans would march through Judea destroying the land. They would lay siege to Jerusalem, eventually taking 100,000 individuals as slaves and killing at least as many. This destroyed the world as the Apostles knew it. Life for them would never be the same, and the Jewish nation would never be brought back to life. God executed her for her unfaithfulness to Him.
12 So let whoever thinks they are standing be careful that they don't fall.
13 You have not had any temptations except those that everyone has. But God is faithful and won't allow you to be tempted more than you are able to resist, but will provide a way to escape your temptation when it comes.
15 You are wise people. Decide for yourselves if what I am saying is true.
16 Isn't the portion of praise which God gave to us- that we bless- how we participate in the blood of the Anointed One? And isn't the bread that we break a participation in the body (Church) of the Anointed One?
...and isn't our very "bread" (sustenance) to be part of the body of Christ?
7 And don't worship idols like some of them did. It is written, "The people sat down to eat and get drunk, then got up to dance and sing."
8 And don't miss use sex, like some of them did, when 23,000 of them died in one day.
9 Or tempt The Anointed One, like some of them did, and then were destroyed by snakes.
10 Or complain like some of them did who were then destroyed by the angel of death.
11 Now all these things happened to them for examples to us. They were written to warn us who live at the end of the world.
Paul believed Christ's final return would be in his life time. Though he did not get this right, he did live in the end of the Jewish Nation- his "world." Very shortly after this was written (less than 40 years) the Romans would march through Judea destroying the land. They would lay siege to Jerusalem, eventually taking 100,000 individuals as slaves and killing at least as many. This destroyed the world as the Apostles knew it. Life for them would never be the same, and the Jewish nation would never be brought back to life. God executed her for her unfaithfulness to Him.
12 So let whoever thinks they are standing be careful that they don't fall.
13 You have not had any temptations except those that everyone has. But God is faithful and won't allow you to be tempted more than you are able to resist, but will provide a way to escape your temptation when it comes.
Flee from Idolatry
14 And so, my dearly beloved, run away from the worship of idols.15 You are wise people. Decide for yourselves if what I am saying is true.
16 Isn't the portion of praise which God gave to us- that we bless- how we participate in the blood of the Anointed One? And isn't the bread that we break a participation in the body (Church) of the Anointed One?
17 Because, even though we are many different people, we are one bread, one body, because we take a part in that One Bread.
18 Aren't the priests of Israel united by gathering around the altar and eating the sacrifices?
19 So, what am I saying then? Am I saying that offering things to idols has any importance? Am I saying that the idols have some sort of power?
20 Not at all. I am saying that when the non-Christians make these sacrifices to idols they are making them to devils, not the true God, and I don't want you to have anything to do with devils.
21 You can't drink from the Master's cup at the same time you drink from demon's cups. You can't eat at the Master's table when you are eating at a table belonging to demons.
You can't feast with God and Satan at the same time.
22 Are we trying to make the Master jealous? Are we stronger than He is?
Do All to the God's Glory
23 Some of you say, "We can do whatever we want to!" True. But I tell you not everything is good or helpful.24 Each of you should look out for what is best for others, not for yourselves.
25 So, go ahead and eat whatever is sold in the markets and don't let it affect your conscience.
26 Because the earth and all that is in it belongs to the Master.
27 If an unbeliever invites you over to eat go ahead and go if you want to. Don't ask any questions about the food they serve.
28 But if they tell you the food was offered to an idol, don't eat it for your own conscience sake and for theirs, because the earth and all that is in it belongs to the Master.
29 Your conscience may not be affected, but the other person's might be.
"Why should my liberty be be limited by someone else's opinion?
30 If I can thank God for the food and enjoy it, why should I be condemned for eating it?"
This looks to me like Paul is quoting a question someone asked him. Since punctuation was not invented until 1700 years after he wrote this, it's really hard to tell for sure, but it makes the scripture make more sense.
31 Whether you decide to eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do everything to bring glory to God.
32 Don't cause others to stumble into sin, whether Jew or Gentile or member of the church of God.
33 Just follow my example. I try to please everyone in everything I do, not focusing on my own benefit, but their's so they might be saved.
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