Warning Against Idolatry

10 [fn]Now 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 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 and all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they were drinking from the spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.

6 Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they did. 7 So do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” 8 We must not commit fornication as some of them did, and in a single day twenty-three thousand of them died. 9 We must not put [fn]Christ to the test, as some of them did and were killed by serpents. 10 And do not grumble as some of them did and were killed by the destroyer. 11 Now [fn]all these things happened to them as [fn]examples, and they were written down for our instruction, upon whom the end of the ages has come. 12 Therefore whoever thinks he stands must be careful not to fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to man. God is [fn]faithful; he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear, but with the temptation he will also provide the way out so that you can endure it.

14 Therefore, my beloved friends, flee from idolatry. 15 I am speaking as I would to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I am saying. 16 Is not the cup of blessing that we bless the communion of the blood of Christ? Is not the bread that we break the communion of the body of Christ? 17 Because we, who are many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of the one bread. 18 Consider those who belong to Israel according to the flesh: Are they not united by eating the sacrifices of the altar? 19 What am I saying then? That [fn]an idol is anything, or that food sacrificed to an idol is anything? 20 No, I am saying that what the pagans sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. 21 You cannot drink both the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot share in both the table of the Lord and the table of demons. 22 Or are we trying to provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he is?