1 Corinthians 10

Grace to you, and peace from our Lord Jesus Christ,

In 1 Corinthians 10, Paul gives us a valuable history lesson and some practical teaching on temptation.

The memory passage is
1 Corinthians 10:12-14, 31 (ESV)
¹² Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. ¹³ No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. ¹⁴ Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.
³¹ So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

The outline theme is Correct Resistance to Temptation.

The history lesson in vv 1-11 can be summarized this way; look at Israel and learn from their mistakes. The Corinthian church was repeating the mistakes of the Israelites. The nation of Israel was extremely blessed with God's supernatural guidance, miraculous deliverance, spiritual leadership (through Moses), spiritual food and spiritual drink. And yet, in spite of all of this, they turned away from God and He punished them in the desert. The Corinthian church was being tempted to crave meat and drink, worship idols, participate in sexually immoral activity, question God's plan and question His appointed leaders.

"These things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction" (11). Learn from history so you don't have to repeat it.

"OK", says Paul, "So you think this won't happen to you? Beware. Take heed." Temptation will come, but it is the same temptation (in general) that has been around from the beginning of man. But, God is faithful. And in His sovereignty He guards your life so that the temptation too much for you to overcome. He gives us two things to deal with temptation; the way of escape and endurance. The way of escape is to 'flee' (10:14, 6:18) from temptation. God can not be tempted, nor does He tempt (James 1:13). And He doesn't always remove the temptation. James 1:2-4 teaches that the testing of your faith (through trials and/or temptations) produces endurance and maturity. In Christ, there is always a way of escape from temptation and an abundance of endurance to stand strong in Him.

How do we respond to idolatry? Just like we respond to temptation and sexual immorality; flee. The unity in the body of Christ is damaged when people worship idols. Even being 'participants' in idolatry by eating food offered to demons diminishes our worship and damages our witness. You may be free to eat or drink something based on your convictions, but always be aware of the consciences of others. If you are with someone who has a major issue with what you are eating or drinking, don't do it. Paul's statement in 1 Corinthians 8 is simple; if it causes a brother to stumble, I won't do it. And his conclusion here in v 31 is that everything should be done to the glory of God, 'that they may be saved' (33).

How does this affect my worship?
The ultimate fullness of worship is an entire life that glorifies God. Paul's summary comes out of the direct application to eating and drinking, but he adds the 'whatever you do' to cover all the bases. And let's not overlook the importance of thankfulness (30). The thankful heart is the core of worship expression. If we combine this with Colossians 3:17, we have no loopholes; 'in whatever you eat, drink, say and do; glorify God.' That pretty much covers it.

How does this affect my discipleship?
As part of 'teaching them to observe all that [Jesus] commanded' (Matt 28:20), we should never neglect the study of the past; ours and others'. In this chapter, Paul uses the history of Israel to warn the Corinthian church about the consequences for their actions. We can do the same in our discipleship using our own lives or the lives of other believers. As a father, I hope to teach my children to avoid some of the mistakes I have made in life. The things God has grown me through can be passed on in the course of discipleship (parenting or 'spiritual parenting'). Learn from history so we don't end up repeating it.

Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, glorify God this week!

Ethan