I corinthians 10:14 - 11:1

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

Rusty's Notes

Review:

• We left off with 1 Corinthians 10:13 - 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.[1]
• I explained the distortion of God will not give you more than you can bear.
• The evil one is responsible for evil things that happen in a fallen world.
• What I did not say was that in this life… you will have more than you can bear.
• It is then… when God comes in because you have to become dependent upon Him to get you through the crisis.

 
WARNING AGAINST IDOLATRY
1 CORINTHIANS 10
14 So then, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. 15 I am speaking as to sensible people. Judge for yourselves what I am saying. 16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, since all of us share the one bread.

• Paul goes back to the argument of are the Christians able to eat the meat that was sacrificed to the idols/gods.
• Paul is saying, “Idolatry is the distraction.”
• Zoom out… think about it. What is true in this world?
• There is only one truth… why are we even arguing about what is true and what is fake?
• That stuff doesn’t even matter in your own spiritual world.
• Don’t forget that we are all about Jesus.
• We are in this together because of our faith in Jesus.
• We eat from the same loaf of bread and drink from the same cup (except during a pandemic) and that is Jesus Christ.
• We can see Paul’s main point: There is a union that occurs.
• We are united with Christ in a special, even if undefined, way through the sacrament or the ordinance, and we are unified as participants in the ritual with all those who commune with us, as symbolized by what, in the earliest stages of church history, was a single loaf and a common cup from which people ate and drank.[2]

18 Consider the people of Israel. Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar? 19 What am I saying then? That food sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 No, but I do say that what they sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons!

• Can you not separate the eating of meat and drink from the worshipping of demons?
• Run from what is evil.
• Run from the appearance of evil.
• Stay focused on what you know is true.
• If you are hungry and need food… eat! But don’t worship the demons.

21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot share in the Lord’s table and the table of demons. 22 Or are we provoking the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?

• Paul is encouraging them to recognize the spiritual side of things.
• You can justify doing evil things because you make light of the spiritual world.
• Paul is saying, it doesn’t matter what you do. It matters that you recognize the two opposing sides: good vs evil… God vs the evil one.
• Spiritual warfare is raging.

 
CHRISTIAN LIBERTY
23 “Everything is permissible,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible,” but not everything builds up.

• The Corinthian slogan quoted back 1 Corinthians 6:12-13.

24 No one is to seek his own good, but the good of the other person.

• It’s not straightforward how we are to behave in every setting, especially when we are in a group, and we are being scrutinized, and what may give us an advantage for the sake of the gospel with one person is viewed as a drawback by someone else.[3]
• Discernment… if you have to think about it… pause… seek wisdom.

25 Eat everything that is sold in the meat market, without raising questions for the sake of conscience, 26 since the earth is the Lord’s, and all that is in it.,

• Quoting Psalm 24:1
• Nothing spiritual happens to food itself just because a pagan priest prayed and said, “Isis,” “Osiris,” Apollo”—whoever the individual was—“may you be pleased with this offering.”[4]

27 If any of the unbelievers invites you over and you want to go, eat everything that is set before you, without raising questions for the sake of conscience.

• Don’t create more legalism
• Freedom is the keyword Paul is trying communicate.
• What would expect from an unbeliever? For them to act the same way you do?

28 But if someone says to you, “This is food from a sacrifice,” do not eat it, out of consideration for the one who told you, and for the sake of conscience. 29 I do not mean your own conscience, but the other person’s. For why is my freedom judged by another person’s conscience? 30 If I partake with thanksgiving, why am I criticized because of something for which I give thanks?

• Paul is asking them to consider, why is the person telling you about the tainted food? Because they may have a conscience about it.
• Then don’t do it as not to confuse them.
• Measure the room. Use your wisdom.
• Sometimes you will blow it.

31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God. 32 Give no offense to Jews or Greeks or the church of God, 33 just as I also try to please everyone in everything, not seeking my own benefit, but the benefit of many, so that they may be saved.

• Paul summarizes chapters 8-10 with 3 statements:
• 1) God’s glory is your #1 priority… Not your opinion or anyone else’s opinion.
• 2) Be conscious of the non-believers and even the believers who are weak so as not to lead them to sin.

 
1 CORINTHIANS 11
1 Imitate me, as I also imitate Christ.[5]

• 3) As I follow Jesus, use me as an example.

 
The Lord’s supper – this is what they did when they ate together… so we shall today.

[1] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (1 Co 10:13). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[2] Blomberg, C. L. (2017). NT334 Book Study: Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[3] Blomberg, C. L. (2017). NT334 Book Study: Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[4] Blomberg, C. L. (2017). NT334 Book Study: Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[5] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (1 Co 10:14–11:1). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.