1 Cor. 10 "But Don't I Have the Right …?"

Warnings From Israel's History

1 For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. 2 They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3 They all ate the same spiritual food [the manna] 4 and drank the same spiritual drink [water from the rock]; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.
6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 7 Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: "The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry." 8 We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. 9 We should not test Christ, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. 10 And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.
11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. 12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! 13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to us all. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

The transition from the last chapter to this one is Paul's fear expressed in v. 27 that even he—if he isn't careful about the way he lives—might lose out on the prize of Christ's "well done, good and faithful servant" at the end of his life. What? Even Paul? Yes, even Paul!

"But," the Corinthian readers might object, "God never leaves anyone behind whom he has saved!" "Oh?" Paul replies. "How about in the Wilderness Wanderings?" The deserts between Egypt and the Promised Land were the burial grounds of a whole generation of Israelites, who never reached the Promised Land (v. 5). Why? Because, in spite of all the miraculous acts of God to save them out of Egypt, they refused to take seriously their responsibility to live according to the principle of faith and the terms of covenant living laid down at Mt. Sinai. And because of their disobedience "God was displeased with them."

The Greek phrase rendered "was displeased with" is a very strong one in biblical language. It is tantamount to "rejected". It is the opposite of "chose". Paul wants his converts to know that God who graciously chose them in Christ does not tolerate insincere allegiances. That was what the behavior of the Israelites in the desert showed: an insincere or casual allegiance. Read the gospel accounts of Jesus' own ministry and his words to his disciples. He was not interested in lukewarm disciples who just wanted a new experience. Being a believer in Jesus is serious business.

"But Paul! It's hard to resist the temptations all around us here in Corinth," someone says. Paul has an answer: "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to us all. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it" (v. 13). We all like to think our temptations are much more difficult than those faced by others. But Paul assures us, "You really are no different from your brothers and sisters around the world. We all face 'irresistible' temptations. But they aren't really—not when Jesus, who underwent every conceivable one during his lifetime, is with us and in us to give power to overcome!" And just as God limited Satan's actions against Job, so he keeps our tempters from using anything beyond our ability to resist. Furthermore, there will always be a way to escape, if we are willing to look for it. The problem is that most of us in such situations are looking for an excuse to succumb, not for a way to escape!

Isn't this why we pray in the "Lord's Prayer": "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the Evil One"? Those words do not mean we can always avoid temptations. But by God's help we can let him deliver us, and quite possibly by using the "way of escape".

We like to think in macho terms of overcoming the devil: "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:7) But much of the time the best advice is "Flee temptations; pursue righteousness" (1Cor 6:18; 10:14; 1Tim 6:11; 2Tim 2:22) We all know circumstances in which we are particularly vulnerable to temptations. We should flee those circumstances—avoid them at all costs. One of those places, Paul suggests to the Corinthians, is a banquet in a pagan temple to which you may be invited!

Idol Feasts and the Lord's Supper

14 Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf. 18 Consider the people of Israel: Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar? 19 Do I mean then that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord's table and the table of demons. 22 Are we trying to arouse the Lord's jealousy? Are we stronger than he?

Much of the ethical choices we Christians are forced to make can be made on the basis of good common sense, combined of course with facts about our salvation. That is why Paul stresses here that he relies on his readers being "sensible people" (v. 15). Paul here avoids using the Greek word sophos "wise", which had the undesirable connotation of the proud "wisdom" the Corinthian elite were claiming. Instead he uses the everyday "blue collar" term for someone who has his wits about him and uses his head: phronimos. It is a term Jesus also liked to use of disciples who knew how to think in down-to-earth ways about the consequences of actions.

"Just think for a minute!" Paul says. "What does eating the Eucharist imply about our relationship to Jesus? Doesn't it mean we belong to him and are part of his mystical Body? And how about the banquets in pagan temples that your rich friends invite you to? What does eating that sacrificial food imply? Do you not see the contradiction here? Who do you belong to? At whose table should you eat? So flee idolatry in all its forms!"

The Believer's Freedom

23 "I have the right to do anything," you say—but not everything is beneficial. "I have the right to do anything"—but not everything is constructive. 24
25 Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, 26 for, "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it."
27 If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience. 28 But if someone says to you, "This has been offered in sacrifice," then do not eat it, both for the sake of the one who told you and for the sake of conscience. 29 I am referring to the other person's conscience, not yours. For why is my freedom being judged by another's conscience? 30 If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for?
31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32 Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— 33 even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved. No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.

We've been down this road before, haven't we? "I have the right …!" Is this what Christians should be saying to God? Or to the Word of God, the Bible? Is this what we have come to in this "age of protest"? What if Jesus had insisted on his rights in the Garden of Gethsemane, or in Pilate's judgment hall, or at the Cross itself? For as he reminded Peter, “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?”” (Matthew 26:53-54 NIV) In the light of Jesus' self-denying actions to save us from our sins, this objection by the Corinthians sounds so tawdry!

Yet Paul is remarkably kind to them in his recommendation. He merely stresses that they should think in terms of what effect their behavior might have on others, and to do what is most beneficial to all concerned. Verses 31 and 32 are a beautiful and well-phrased summary of the principle that ought to guide the life of every believer in Jesus: "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble [in their faith or commitment], whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved. No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.

If we take anything thought away from today's reading, let it be this. As Jesus did not seek to please himself, but always sought what was best for others, so should we.

ⓒ2008 Harry Hoffner