1 Corinthians 9:19 - 10:13

Teacher: Rusty Kennedy
​Series: 1 Corinthians (Acts)

Rusty's Notes

Review:

• We left off last week with Paul talking about the food offered to idols being consumed by some.
• Paul and his ministry as an example of the things he has done.
• There will be people with differing opinions and don’t be a stumbling block to them.

 
1 CORINTHIANS 9
19 Although I am free from all and not anyone’s slave, I have made myself a slave to everyone, in order to win more people.

• But his goal is not to please himself but to please God by exercising his call and commission to evangelize, to spread the Word, to preach the good news as widely throughout the known world of his day as he possibly can.[1]

20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win Jews; to those under the law, like one under the law—though I myself am not under the law—to win those under the law.

• 1 Corinthians 11:24 - Five times I received the forty lashes minus one from the Jews.[2]
• Five times he put up with flogging on his back (and perhaps on the back of his legs or arms as well) of this intensity, when all he would’ve needed to do was announce that, in Jewish eyes, he was committing apostasy;
• he was rejecting his Jewish upbringing;
• that serving Jesus was a new religion, like all of the other options in the Graeco-Roman world.
• The synagogue would have had no jurisdiction over him.[3]

21 To those who are without the law, like one without the law—though I am not without God’s law but under the law of Christ—to win those without the law.

• What is the law of Christ?
• To love others
• To serve others
• Walk by the Spirit rather than a list of rules.
• 10 Commandments were for the Jews.

22 To the weak I became weak, in order to win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I may by every possible means save some.

• It is unfortunate that the phrase “all things to all men” has been used and abused by the world and made to mean what Paul did not intend for it to mean.
• Paul was not a chameleon who changed his message and methods with each new situation.
• Nor was Paul a compromiser who adjusted his message to please his audience.
• He was an ambassador, not a politician!
• He did not parade his liberty before the Jews,
• nor did he impose the Law on the Gentiles.[4]

23 Now I do all this because of the gospel, so that I may share in the blessings.

• It takes tact to have contact.[5]
• Imagine if David would have put on Saul’s armor to protect himself?
• He would have lost his freedom to defeat Goliath.
  ​
  
• What does it look like in today’s world to “be all things to all people”?
• Many times it means to “shut your mouth” or “put your device down”.
• Once you fly your colors… you have lost part of your audience.
• Yah, but there are stands that need to be made.
• Any stand greater than someone coming to know Jesus and letting the Spirit lead them?

24 Don’t you know that the runners in a stadium all race, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way to win the prize.

• It’s far easier to be legalistic about everything, to set up a long list of dos and don’ts far beyond anything Scripture explicitly sanctions,
• or to be completely hedonistic about everything—anything goes, do what seems good to you in the moment, go with the flow.[6]
• Zoom out and see the bigger picture.
• It’s not about being the sole winner.
• Live your life as though you have trained well for the race.

25 Now everyone who competes exercises self-control in everything.

• Self-control = Free will
• You always have a choice between your flesh and the Spirit that resides in you.

They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable crown.

• In Greco-Roman times the winner received a wreath to place on their head like a crown.
• The wreaths were typically made of pine (like pine needles), olive branches or celery.
• How long did it take for the celery to wilt?

26 So I do not run like one who runs aimlessly or box like one beating the air.

• Shadow boxing is used as a cardio exercise today.
• I’m sure that Paul had many sparring partners and took many body blows for his beliefs.
• But he learned from them on how to defend himself and to also win.

27 Instead, I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

• Control? Who has control of my body?
• Sometimes my flesh does…
• But I am learning more and more every day to let the Spirit that resides in me to have control.
• Put my device down, my remote…
• Quit dwelling on the things that are temporary but the things that are eternal.
• If I am focused on the eternal… the temporary will take care of itself.
• Zoom out… see the bigger picture.

 
WARNINGS FROM ISRAEL’S PAST
1 CORINTHIANS 10
1 Now I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.

• In reference to their ancestors escaping from Egypt under Moses leadership and passed through the Red Sea.
• Baptized = Immersion – But also means to identify with.
• When we baptize at Leavener… we baptize in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit so as everyone knows who you are identifying with.

3 They all ate the same spiritual food, (manna from heaven) 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ. (water poured out from an actual rock when struck from Moses rod – Numbers 20:11) 5 Nevertheless God was not pleased with most of them, since they were struck down in the wilderness.

•  One generation of Jews died in the wilderness except Joshua and Caleb.

6 Now these things took place as examples for us, so that we will not desire evil things as they did.,

• Paul urges the Corinthians not to follow the Israelites’ example of complaining about provisions given by the rock (Christ).[7]

7 Don’t become idolaters as some of them were; (Exodus 32 – worshipping the golden calf) as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and got up to party.,, 8 Let us not commit sexual immorality as some of them did, (Moabite women seduced both men and women in the wilderness near the end of the 40 years – Numbers 25) and in a single day twenty-three thousand people died. 9 Let us not test Christ as some of them did and were destroyed by snakes. (They were tempting God and He sent judgment in Numbers 21) 10 And don’t grumble as some of them did, (Numbers 14 & 16) and were killed by the destroyer. (angel)

• Why choose this array of examples of Old Testament sin and rebellion?
• What does that have to do with the Corinthians they thought?

11 These things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our instruction, on whom the ends of the ages, have come.

• They all have something to do with idolatry, of not putting the God, Yahweh of Israel, first in the lives of the children of Israel.
• And strikingly, they all have something to do with aspects of Graeco-Roman pagan worship in the pagan temples in Corinth and the other major cities of the empire.[8]

12 So, whoever thinks he stands must be careful not to fall. 13 No temptation has come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful; he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to bear it. [9]

• This passage has always been misconstrued to say that “God won’t give you more than you can handle.”
• That is not what it is saying at all.
• First, it says, “There is nothing new in satan’s game”
• Whatever temptation you are currently dealing with… nothing new… that is why he went back to the age of Moses and listed things.
• As believers in Jesus and with the Spirit of God now residing in you… there is no temptation that can’t be overcome.
• You will always have a way out by choosing to walk by the Spirit… rather than your flesh.
• The sin is not the action… but the choice to follow your flesh.
• The temptation, the test, the trial—all of which come from the same Greek roots—may not go away.
• That is never promised in the Scripture as a generalization for all situations.
• But what is promised is, if we turn to God, we will be able to endure it;
• we do not have to fail the test, give in to the temptation, or be overcome by the trial.[10]

 
Hebrews 3:7-11 - Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says:
Today, if you hear his voice,
8 do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,
on the day of testing in the wilderness,
9 where your ancestors tested me, tried me,
and saw my works 10 for forty years.
Therefore, I was provoked to anger with that generation and said, “They always go astray in their hearts, and they have not known my ways.”
11 So I swore in my anger,
“They will not enter my rest.” [11]

• The difference between the Old Covenant believers and the New Covenant believers is that God has given us the ability to rest from our own works.
• We can continue to do things in our own strength as they did in the wilderness… or we can learn the lesson and surrender to the Spirit in each of us.
• Give it a try this week… rest… trust… put down the device… put down the remote.

Set your eyes on things above… listen for the Spirit… you are in for an adventure!!!

[1] Blomberg, C. L. (2017). NT334 Book Study: Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[2] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (2 Co 11:24). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[3] Blomberg, C. L. (2017). NT334 Book Study: Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[4] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 601). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[5] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 601). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[6] Blomberg, C. L. (2017). NT334 Book Study: Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[7] Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., … Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (1 Co 10:4). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[8] Blomberg, C. L. (2017). NT334 Book Study: Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[9] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (1 Co 9:19–10:13). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[10] Blomberg, C. L. (2017). NT334 Book Study: Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[11] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Heb 3:7–11). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.