1 Corinthians 10:15
in 1 Corinthians 10I speak to reasonable people; judge for yourselves what I say.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say.
KJV
I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say.
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This verse in 1 Corinthians 10
Commentary
9 notes on this verseHaving called their deed idolatry, he ascribed to them a great crime. Now he softens the severity of his word and makes the guilty themselves the judges (which is characteristic only of one who is undoubtedly confident in the truth of his words), and says: …
This site's exposition
flee from idolatry
on 1 Corinthians 10:14-15
Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry: the whole wilderness argument lands in one command, flee rather than merely avoid, the same verb Paul will use elsewhere for fornication, treating idolatry as a danger to be run from rather than reasoned with at close range. I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say: Paul appeals to the Corinthians' own prized wisdom, the very quality chapter 1 warned against trusting apart from the cross, now enlisted to judge his argument on its merits. The bench notes the shift in tone, from warning to invitation, as Paul turns to lay before them the positive case for why the Lord's table and the idol's table cannot be shared.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"I speak as to wise men: judge ye what I say." Because he hath cried out aloud and heightened the accusation, calling it idolatry; that he might not seem to exasperate them and to make his speech disgusting, in what follows he refers the decision to them, and sets his judges down on their tribunal with an encomium. "For I speak as to wise men," saith he: which is the mark of one very confident of his own rights, that he should make the accused himself the judge of his allegations. Thus also he more elevates the hearer, when he discourses not as commanding nor as laying down the law, but as advising with them and as actually pleading before them. For with the Jews, as more foolishly and childishly disposed, God did not so discourse, nor did He in every instance acquaint them with the reasons of the commands, but merely enjoined them; but here, because we have the privilege of great liberty, we are even admitted to be counsellors. And he discourses as with friends, and says, "I need no other judges, do ye yourselves pass this sentence upon me, I take you for arbiters."
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Is it not a token whereby we professedly hold communion with Christ, whose body was broken, and blood shed, to procure remission of our sins, and the favour of God? And can we be in alliance with Christ, or friendship with God, without being devoted to him? In short, the Lord's supper is a feast on the sacrificed body and blood of our Lord, epulum ex oblatis.
I speak as to wise men,....
He lets them yet know that though they must not eat of things sacrificed to idols as such, and out of any regard to the idol, yet they might buy such flesh in the markets, or eat it at the table of heathen acquaintances, without asking any questions; for that the heathens' abuse of them did not render the creatures of God unfit to be the food of his servants.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
I speak as to wise men ... - I speak to people qualified to understand the subject; and present reasons which will commend themselves to you. The reasons referred to are those which occupy the remainder of the chapter.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Appeal to their own powers of judgment to weigh the force of the argument that follows: namely, that as the partaking of the Lord's Supper involves a partaking of the Lord Himself, and the partaking of the Jewish sacrificial meats involved a partaking of the altar of God, and, as the heathens sacrifice to devils, to partake of an idol feast is to have fellowship with devils.
I speak as to wise men - The Corinthians valued themselves not a little on their wisdom and various gifts; the apostle admits this, and draws an argument from it against themselves. As ye are so wise, surely ye can see the propriety of abominating idolatry of every kind: for an idol is nothing in the world, and can do nothing for you and nothing against you.
The words behind it
7 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ὡς | hos | As | G5613 → | 500 times |
| φρονίμοις | phronimois | to sensible [ones] | G5429 → | |
| λέγω, | lego | I speak, | G3004 → | 1325 times |
| κρίνατε | krinate | do judge | G2919 → | 114 times |
| ὑμεῖς | humeis | for yourselves | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| ὅ | ho | what | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| φημι. | phemi | I say. | G5346 → | 66 times |
ὡςAs
hosG5613 →500 times
φρονίμοιςto sensible [ones]
phronimoisG5429 →
λέγω,I speak,
legoG3004 →1325 times
κρίνατεdo judge
krinateG2919 →114 times
ὑμεῖςfor yourselves
humeisG4771 →2973 times
ὅwhat
hoG3739 →1405 times
φημι.I say.
phemiG5346 →66 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Thessalonians 5:21but test all things. Hold fast to what is good.
it leads to
- 1 John 4:1
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world.
- Romans 12:2
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of…
- Ephesians 5:10
Test and prove what pleases the Lord.
- Luke 12:57
And why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right?
- Acts 17:11
Now the Bereans were more noble-minded than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if these teachings were true.
- 1 John 4:1
Through
1 Corinthians 14:20Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature.
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 13:11
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I set aside childish ways.
- 1 Peter 2:2
Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,
- Romans 16:19
Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice over you. But I want you to be wise about what is good and innocent about what is evil.
- 1 Corinthians 13:11
Where this verse is studied
About 1 Corinthians
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on 1 Corinthians 24; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 1 Corinthians.