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Thursday · Week 9
The Epistles & Revelation

1 Corinthians 8-10

Week 9 · about 12 min
  1. Fri: Ezekiel 19-20
  2. Sat: Job 32-35
  3. Sun: Genesis 42-45

Paul answers a question about eating meat offered to idols and uses his own life as an example.

Free to Give Up Your Rights

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

1 Corinthians 10:13 (KJV)

In Corinth, a lot of the meat sold in the market had been offered to idols first. Some believers said idols are nothing, so who cares. Paul agrees that idols are nothing, but he adds, “knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.” If his eating hurts a weaker believer, he’ll give up meat. In chapter 9 he says he had every right to be paid for preaching and chose not to use it: “I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.” Chapter 10 points to Israel in the wilderness. They all had the same blessings, and many still fell. “Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” Then comes the promise of a way to escape.

Reflect: Which of your rights would you give up so someone else could see Jesus?

I Corinthians 8

1And concerning the things sacrificed to idols, we have known that we all have knowledge: knowledge puffeth up, but love buildeth up;

2and if any one doth think to know anything, he hath not yet known anything according as it behoveth him to know;

3and if any one doth love God, this one hath been known by Him.

4Concerning the eating then of the things sacrificed to idols, we have known that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God except one;

5for even if there are those called gods, whether in heaven, whether upon earth -- as there are gods many and lords many --

6yet to us is one God, the Father, of whom are the all things, and we to Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are the all things, and we through Him;

7but not in all men is the knowledge, and certain with conscience of the idol, till now, as a thing sacrificed to an idol do eat it, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.

8But victuals do not commend us to God, for neither if we may eat are we in advance; nor if we may not eat, are we behind;

9but see, lest this privilege of yours may become a stumbling-block to the infirm,

10for if any one may see thee that hast knowledge in an idol's temple reclining at meat -- shall not his conscience -- he being infirm -- be emboldened to eat the things sacrificed to idols,

11and the brother who is infirm shall perish by thy knowledge, because of whom Christ died?

12and thus sinning in regard to the brethren, and smiting their weak conscience -- in regard to Christ ye sin;

13wherefore, if victuals cause my brother to stumble, I may eat no flesh -- to the age -- that my brother I may not cause to stumble.

I Corinthians 9

1Am not I an apostle? am not I free? Jesus Christ our Lord have I not seen? my work are not ye in the Lord?

2if to others I am not an apostle -- yet doubtless to you I am; for the seal of my apostleship are ye in the Lord.

3My defence to those who examine me in this;

4have we not authority to eat and to drink?

5have we not authority a sister -- a wife -- to lead about, as also the other apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?

6or only I and Barnabas, have we not authority -- not to work?

7who doth serve as a soldier at his own charges at any time? who doth plant a vineyard, and of its fruit doth not eat? or who doth feed a flock, and of the milk of the flock doth not eat?

8According to man do I speak these things? or doth not also the law say these things?

9for in the law of Moses it hath been written, ‘thou shalt not muzzle an ox treading out corn;' for the oxen doth God care?

10or because of us by all means doth He say it? yes, because of us it was written, because in hope ought the plower to plow, and he who is treading ought of his hope to partake in hope.

11If we to you the spiritual things did sow -- great is it if we your fleshly things do reap?

12if others do partake of the authority over you -- not we more? but we did not use this authority, but all things we bear, that we may give no hindrance to the good news of the Christ.

13Have ye not known that those working about the things of the temple -- of the temple do eat, and those waiting at the altar -- with the altar are partakers?

14so also did the Lord direct to those proclaiming the good news: of the good news to live.

15And I have used none of these things; neither did I write these things that it may be so done in my case, for it is good for me rather to die, than that any one may make my glorying void;

16for if I may proclaim good news, it is no glorying for me, for necessity is laid upon me, and wo is to me if I may not proclaim good news;

17for if willing I do this, I have a reward; and if unwillingly -- with a stewardship I have been entrusted!

18What, then, is my reward? -- that proclaiming good news, without charge I shall make the good news of the Christ, not to abuse my authority in the good news;

19for being free from all men, to all men I made myself servant, that the more I might gain;

20and I became to the Jews as a Jew, that Jews I might gain; to those under law as under law, that those under law I might gain;

21to those without law, as without law -- (not being without law to God, but within law to Christ) -- that I might gain those without law;

22I became to the infirm as infirm, that the infirm I might gain; to all men I have become all things, that by all means I may save some.

23And this I do because of the good news, that a fellow-partaker of it I may become;

24have ye not known that those running in a race -- all indeed run, but one doth receive the prize? so run ye, that ye may obtain;

25and every one who is striving, is in all things temperate; these, indeed, then, that a corruptible crown they may receive, but we an incorruptible;

26I, therefore, thus run, not as uncertainly, thus I fight, as not beating air;

27but I chastise my body, and bring it into servitude, lest by any means, having preached to others -- I myself may become disapproved.

I Corinthians 10

1And I do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea,

2and all to Moses were baptized in the cloud, and in the sea;

3and all the same spiritual food did eat,

4and all the same spiritual drink did drink, for they were drinking of a spiritual rock following them, and the rock was the Christ;

5but in the most of them God was not well pleased, for they were strewn in the wilderness,

6and those things became types of us, for our not passionately desiring evil things, as also these did desire.

7Neither become ye idolaters, as certain of them, as it hath been written, ‘The people sat down to eat and to drink, and stood up to play;'

8neither may we commit whoredom, as certain of them did commit whoredom, and there fell in one day twenty-three thousand;

9neither may we tempt the Christ, as also certain of them did tempt, and by the serpents did perish;

10neither murmur ye, as also some of them did murmur, and did perish by the destroyer.

11And all these things as types did happen to those persons, and they were written for our admonition, to whom the end of the ages did come,

12so that he who is thinking to stand -- let him observe, lest he fall.

13No temptation hath taken you -- except human; and God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above what ye are able, but He will make, with the temptation, also the outlet, for your being able to bear it.

14Wherefore, my beloved, flee from the idolatry;

15as to wise men I speak -- judge ye what I say:

16The cup of the blessing that we bless -- is it not the fellowship of the blood of the Christ? the bread that we break -- is it not the fellowship of the body of the Christ?

17because one bread, one body, are we the many -- for we all of the one bread do partake.

18See Israel according to the flesh! are not those eating the sacrifices in the fellowship of the altar?

19what then do I say? that an idol is anything? or that a sacrifice offered to an idol is anything? --

20no, but that the things that the nations sacrifice -- they sacrifice to demons and not to God; and I do not wish you to come into the fellowship of the demons.

21Ye are not able the cup of the Lord to drink, and the cup of demons; ye are not able of the table of the Lord to partake, and of the table of demons;

22do we arouse the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than He?

23All things to me are lawful, but all things are not profitable; all things to me are lawful, but all things do not build up;

24let no one seek his own -- but each another's.

25Whatever in the meat-market is sold eat ye, not inquiring, because of the conscience,

26for the Lord's is the earth, and its fulness;

27and if any one of the unbelieving do call you, and ye wish to go, all that is set before you eat, nothing inquiring, because of the conscience;

28and if any one may say to you, ‘This is a thing sacrificed to an idol,' -- do not eat, because of that one who shewed it, and of the conscience, for the Lord's is the earth and its fulness:

29and conscience, I say, not of thyself, but of the other, for why is it that my liberty is judged by another's conscience?

30and if I thankfully do partake, why am I evil spoken of, for that for which I give thanks?

31Whether, then, ye eat, or drink, or do anything, do all to the glory of God;

32become offenceless, both to Jews and Greeks, and to the assembly of God;

33as I also in all things do please all, not seeking my own profit, but that of many -- that they may be saved.

Young’s Literal Translation (YLT). Public domain.