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The First Letter to the Corinthians 10

10 Now I want to remind you, fellow believers, that our Jewish ancestors all followed God when he appeared to them in a cloud. They all walked through the Red Sea when God made a dry path for them through the water. 2 It was as if someone baptized all of them so that they belonged to Moses. This happened when they followed the cloud and walked through the Red Sea. 3 All of them together ate the special food that God gave them. 4 All of them together drank the special water that God gave them. This happened when they drank the water that came out of the special rock that God provided and that followed them. That water was something that the Messiah gave. 5 However, most of our Jewish ancestors did not please God. You can tell that this is true because they died while they traveled through the desert places.

6 The things that happened to them illustrate how we should act. Through what happened to them, God warns us to avoid doing what is evil, such as the evil things that they did. 7 You should not worship idols, which is what some of our Jewish ancestors did. You can tell that they worshiped idols, because Moses wrote, “The Israelites started eating and drinking and then worshiped other gods in sexually immoral ways.” 8 We should not have improper sex, which is what some of our Jewish ancestors did. Because they did this, 23,000 of them died during one day. 9 We should not challenge the Lord, which is what some of our Jewish ancestors did. Because they did this, snakes killed them. 10 You should not complain, which is what some of our Jewish ancestors did. Because they did this, a dangerous spiritual being whom God sent killed them.

11 Those things that our ancestors experienced illustrate how we should act. In fact, someone wrote down what happened to them so that we can learn from them, since we are the ones who are experiencing the last days. 12 As those stories illustrate, any people who think that they firmly believe in the Messiah should make sure that they do not fail to follow the Messiah. 13 Other people have experienced the things that tempt you. Further, God will act faithfully. He will not let you experience anything that tempts you if you cannot resist it. Rather, when something tempts you, he will give you what you need to faithfully resist it.

14 Because of that I have said, fellow believers whom I love, intentionally avoid worshiping other gods. 15 I am talking this way because I think that you are reasonable people. You should decide for yourselves whether what I am about to say is right or wrong. 16 When we drink the wine that we bless in the Lord’s Supper, we together connect ourselves with the Messiah’s blood. When we eat the bread, we together connect ourselves with the Messiah’s body. 17 We use one loaf of bread in the Lord’s Supper, and we all together eat pieces of that one loaf. Because we do this, we join ourselves together like we all make up one body.

18 Take the people of Israel as an example. The people who offered something would eat some of what they offered. This means that they connected themselves with the altar, where the priest would present the rest of what they offered to God. 19 I am arguing, therefore, that meat that someone has offered to another god and other gods themselves are not powerful or important. 20 However, you should know that when those who do not worship God offer sacrifices, they are offering them to evil spiritual beings, not to God. I want you to avoid connecting yourselves with evil spiritual beings. 21 You cannot drink wine that belongs to the Lord and also wine that belongs to evil spiritual beings. You cannot eat food that belongs to the Lord and also food that belongs to evil spiritual beings. 22 Those who do both of those things should expect the Lord to act jealously against them. Further, we are certainly less powerful than he is.

23 Some of you say, “I can do anything and not become guilty.” However, I say that some things are not helpful to anybody. Again, some of you say, “I can do anything and not become guilty.” However, I say that some things do not help you grow. 24 Do not work hard to gain what is best for yourselves. Rather, you should work hard to gain what is best for other people. 25 You can eat any food that you buy in the public marketplace. You do not need to find out where it came from so that you know whether it is right or wrong to eat it. 26 You can do this because David wrote, “The earth and everything connected with it belongs to the Lord.” 27 At some point, people who do not believe may ask you to eat with them, and you may decide to do so. When this happens, you can eat all the food that they serve you. You do not need to find out where it came from so that you know whether it is right or wrong to eat it. 28 (However, someone might tell you that a person offered the food to a god. In this situation, you should not eat the food. You should act in this way to benefit the person who told you about the food and because of knowing what is right and wrong. 29 By “knowing what is right and wrong,” I mean what the other person knows, not what you know.) In general, what another person thinks is right or wrong should not keep me from doing what I am able to do. 30 As long as I am grateful to God when I eat any food, no one should speak badly about me because of something for which I thanked God.

31 To summarize, whenever you eat or drink anything, and indeed whenever you do anything, you should always behave so that you and others honor God. 32 Do not behave in ways that discourage Jewish people, non-Jewish people, or fellow believers from trusting the Messiah. 33 I illustrate how to do this with how I live. I always act in ways that everyone around me accepts. I do not work hard to gain what is best for myself. Rather, I work hard to gain what is best for other people. I do this in order that God will save them.

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