1 Corinthianschapter 10
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Speaks with:1 Corinthians 8×61 Corinthians 10×5Romans 14×4Hebrews 3×3Psalms 106×31 Corinthians 6×3
Summary
Chapter summary
Israel in the wilderness. All drank of the spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. But with many of them God was not well pleased. Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able. Flee from idolatry. The cup of blessing, the communion of the blood of Christ. Whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. JFB reads the chapter as Israel-typology applied to Christian conduct.
Context
Epistle · Paul — 1 Corinthians overview
- A. 1–13 Israel in the Wilderness: A Warning Written for Us
- B. 14–22 You Cannot Drink the Lord's Cup and the Demons'
- C. 23–33 Buy What's in the Market, but Seek the Other Man's Good
The outline
A.Israel in the Wilderness: A Warning Written for Usvv. 1 to 13
Read vv. 1 to 13 →B.You Cannot Drink the Lord's Cup and the Demons'vv. 14 to 22
Read vv. 14 to 22 →C.Buy What's in the Market, but Seek the Other Man's Goodvv. 23 to 33
Read vv. 23 to 33 →
The world behind this chapter
1 Corinthians 10The history
The wilderness examples all come from Exodus and Numbers: the cloud, the sea, the manna, the golden calf, the plague. Paul's point is that the whole generation had the signs and still fell, so possessing sacraments is no guarantee of standing.
The macellum was the covered meat market, and one has been identified at Corinth. Meat sold there had various origins, some of it temple surplus, and a buyer usually could not tell. Paul's rule is practical: buy what is sold and ask no questions for conscience' sake.
The same applies to a dinner invitation at an unbeliever's private home — eat what is set before you. The line is crossed only when someone points out that the food is sacrificial, because then the meal has been publicly defined as an act of worship and the issue is no longer the meat but the declaration.
Behind the flexibility sits a hard limit. Sharing the cup and bread of the Lord is a real participation, and so is sharing a table dedicated to something else. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons.
What it meant to them
The first hearers got both halves of a difficult balance: enormous freedom about ordinary food, and an absolute boundary at organized idolatry.
They were also given a promise for temptation — that God is faithful and will provide the way out — and a rule of thumb wide enough for anything: whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God, giving no offence to Jews, Greeks, or the church.
Sources cited
- Bruce W. Winter, After Paul Left Corinth
- Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament
The text of this chapter
This page carries no textual note on 1 Corinthians 10. Where this site has examined a place the manuscripts differ, the examination is in the manuscripts room. Every place this site examines →
Connections from this chapter
v. 10 · A picture of Christ
Paul reads the whole murmuring cycle as typoi/warning for the church ('neither murmur ye'); frames why the wilderness episode matters typologically.
Numbers 11:4→Meanwhile, the rabble among them had a strong craving for other food, and again the Israelites wept and said, “Who will feed us meat?
ASV
v. 13 · Written to them
No temptation but common to man: way of escape
topics/temptation→MannaFest topical index
v. 31 · Written to them
Whether ye eat or drink, do all to glory of God
topics/purpose→MannaFest topical index
This page draws on Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory; John Calvin, Commentaries; John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the New Testament and Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary.