1 Corinthians 10

Evangelical Heritage Version

A Lesson From Sacred History: Be Careful Not to Fall

10 For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea, ² and they were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. ³ They all ate the same spiritual food ⁴ and all drank the same spiritual drink, 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. He had them die in the wilderness.

⁶ Now these things took place as examples to warn us not to desire evil things the way they did. ⁷ Do not become idolaters like some of them—as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and got up to celebrate wildly.”^{[a] 8} And let us not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell. ⁹ Let us not put Christ to the test, as some of them did, and so were being destroyed by the serpents. ¹⁰ And do not grumble, as some of them grumbled, and were destroyed by the destroyer. ¹¹ All^[b] these things that were happening to them had meaning as examples, and they were written down to warn us, to whom the end of the ages has come.

¹² So let him who thinks he stands be careful that he does not fall. ¹³ No testing has overtaken you except ordinary testing. But God is faithful. He will not allow you to be tested beyond your ability, but when he tests you, he will also bring about the outcome that you are able to bear it.

The Table of the Lord and the Table of Demons

¹⁴ Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. ¹⁵ I speak to you as to sensible people. Judge for yourselves what I am saying. ¹⁶ The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a communion^[c] of the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a communion^[d] of the body of Christ? ¹⁷ Because there is one bread, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.

¹⁸ Consider the people of Israel.^[e] Those who eat the sacrifices are partners of the altar, aren’t they? ¹⁹ So what am I saying? That food from idol sacrifices is anything, or that an idol is anything? ²⁰ No, but I do say this: What the Gentiles sacrifice, “they sacrifice to demons, and not to God,”^[f] and I do not want you to become partners of demons. ²¹ You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and of the table of demons. ²² Or are we trying to provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he is?

Live for the Good of Others and for the Glory of God

²³ “Everything is permitted”^[g]—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permitted”—but not everything builds up. ²⁴ Let no one seek his own good, but that of others. ²⁵ Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without asking questions for the sake of conscience. ²⁶ For “the earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.”^{[h] 27} If one of the unbelievers invites you over and you want to go, eat whatever you are served without asking questions for the sake of conscience. ²⁸ But if someone says to you, “This is from a sacrifice,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who told you and for the sake of conscience.^{[i] 29} I mean the other person’s conscience, not your own. For why is my freedom judged by someone else’s conscience? ³⁰ If I eat the food with thankfulness, why am I criticized for something for which I give thanks?

³¹ So whether you eat or drink, or do anything else, do everything to the glory of God. ³² Do not give offense to Jews, or Greeks, or God’s church, ³³ just as I also try to please all people in all things, by not seeking what is best for me but for the many, so that they may be saved.