Flee From Idolatry

1 Corinthians 10:14-33

Verse 14........Wherefore, because of the temptation factor.......flee from idolatrous practices!

There is to be no leisurely contemplation of the sin, thinking that one can go so far, and be safe from going further. The only wise course is to have nothing to do with it. ‘They must not try how near they can go, but how far they can fly’ (‘he did not say, simply, depart, but “flee” ’). Paul has just assured them of God’s help in time of temptation. But that does not give them licence to dally needlessly with it. They must flee from it.

I thought of what I heard Donald Trump say back in 2015 or 16 when he was running for president.

He was asked by a reporter, why he didn’t drink alcohol.......the reporter asked if the reason he didn’t drink alcohol was because his brother was an alcoholic and died from cirrhosis of the liver? Because it is possible that alcoholism run in his family?

Trump’s reply was that he figured that if he never drank then that would never be an issue with him.

That is a great answer and if we would apply that to living in this life with a heart for Christ then we would be ok!

Ok, spiritually which is most important!

Verse 15......The Corinthians prided themselves on their wisdom (2 Cor. 11:19); now Paul appeals to it. They are sensible people (phronimos, not sophos as in 1:20ff.), and yourselves is emphatic. Paul does not need to demonstrate the point. They can see it for themselves.

Verse 16..... “The cup of blessing which we bless”.........This would be the 3rd cup in the Passover Feast.......Blessing is no that you will receive a blessing, but is was just a prayer of thanksgiving was said over this cup.

At the Lord’s Supper with the disciples it seems to be the cup used by Jesus to signify His blood.

When we partake of the cup and also of the bread (which signifies Christ’s Body that was broken for us), we come into communion with Christ, His Person and His Work.

The word communion means.......fellowship, close mutual relationship, sharing, participation

A sense of commonality, solidarity!

Verse 17.......Romans 12:5 “So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.”

I believe Ephesians 2:15–16 says it best.........“Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:”

Through the work of Jesus Christ we are all brought unto God as a family, only through His Finished Work.

Verse 18.....Paul takes them on a journey in the past of the children of Israel and the OT sacrifices that was offered...

The expression distinguishes physical Israel from the true Israel, the church (cf. Gal. 6:16). Jews who eat the sacrifices by that very fact participate (the word is cognate with ‘participation’ in v. 16) in the altar. Those who receive the food of sacrifice enter into fellowship with all that the altar stands for.

Leviticus 7:15–18 “And the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten the same day that it is offered; he shall not leave any of it until the morning. But if the sacrifice of his offering be a vow, or a voluntary offering, it shall be eaten the same day that he offereth his sacrifice: and on the morrow also the remainder of it shall be eaten: But the remainder of the flesh of the sacrifice on the third day shall be burnt with fire. And if any of the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings be eaten at all on the third day, it shall not be accepted, neither shall it be imputed unto him that offereth it: it shall be an abomination, and the soul that eateth of it shall bear his iniquity.”

By such action, the people were identifying with the offering and affirming their devotion to God to whom the sacrifice was offered. Paul was, by this, implying how any sacrifices made to an idol was identifying with and participating with that idol. It is completely inconsistent for believers to participate in any such worship.

Verse 19-20......Paul asks a question he is going to answer.......

Are idols or meat offered to idols anything?

The word “No” is added in all the other translations.........It was and is the rhetorical answer to his question because of what begins in verse 20 “but”

The proper way that this should of been translated would be....... “No, but I say.....”

Paul is wanting these Corinthians, who were in a difficult situation to be able to process this and not fall into a situation that would cause temptation in their mind and be like the Israelites that he mentioned at the beginning of the chapter.

Be like the One they identify with, Jesus instead!

The meats sacrificed to idols are nothing, matter of fact there are no gods, these are nothing, those things are not beings, those things are inanimate objects and have no power over a true believer!

However, Paul wants them to know that those influences to worship other gods, have a great satanic influence behind them and if you are participating as we would our communion service, then that influence might just cause us to fall into the lust of our eyes, flesh.....

Verse 21.......a writer wrote about this verse: “ He puts the alternatives in stark contrast. It is impossible for people to be participants in both the Holy Communion and idol feasts if they realize what they are doing. The one necessarily excludes the other. There is no room for compromise. The Lord’s table reminds us that the Lord is the host at the sacrament. By parity of reasoning the table of demons indicates that there may be other hosts.”

Verse 22.....Deuteronomy 32:17 “They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; To gods whom they knew not, To new gods that came newly up, Whom your fathers feared not.”

Exodus 20:5 “Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;”

Exodus 34:14 “For thou shalt worship no other god: for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:”

Deuteronomy 4:24 “For the Lord thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.”

Hebrews 10:31 “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

Verse 23.......Paul goes into the solution.........This seems to be the mode of teaching in the past few chapters.......All things are lawful for Christians, but not all things are profitable.....or helpful, or for our good.

All things do not edify or build up, strengthen.

To strengthen in Christian doctrine/ Following Jesus

Verse 24..........Philippians 2:3–5 “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:”

Doing our own thing is a dangerously easy thing to fall into. Paul speaks of this to remind these Corinthians of the this is the basic definition of true humility.

Christ is the ultimate example of true humility and selflessness!

Therefore if we are in union with Christ that would be the most profound trait within the believer!

Verse 25-26......Do not hesitate to buy anything sold in the market places, Paul reinforces that by quoting Psalm 24:1 “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; The world, and they that dwell therein.”

We saw earlier (on 8:1–6) that it would be difficult if not impossible to know for certain whether a particular piece of meat had or had not been offered to an idol. Paul sees no point in raising the issue: ‘don’t ask fussy questions’ (Barclay). This is in sharp contrast to the Jewish approach. Jews were very scrupulous and made searching inquiries before they would eat meat. Paul’s attitude was revolutionary. He took seriously the truth that an idol is nothing. This refusal to ask questions shows it did not matter to him whether a piece of meat had been offered to an idol or not. He discouraged over-scrupulousness.

The reason being, everything belongs to God!

Verse 27.......Now then, if an unbeliever invites to eat and you want to go......

This seems to suggest and invitation to a private home or somewhere other than a pagan temple......

Again, do not ask about the meat, as to not offend!

Asking about where the meat came from is simply a mute point to a believer, because it has no power and it is nothing but food.

Do not offend....do not hinder an opportunity to minister the Gospel!

Verse 28-29......the situation changes when the discussion becomes about where the meat come from......

Even if you are the guest of the unbeliever and don’t want to offend him, it is better to offend the unbeliever and not eat for the sake of a weaker Christian, who would be offended to eat, since love unto fellow believers is the strongest witness we have.

John 13:34–35 “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

Offending a weaker brother with one’s freedom will cause the offended person to condemn us.

A pagan observer thinks the idol is a god, and thus sees the Christian who eats the meat as sanctioning his idolatry. A weak Christian observer will be in danger of being harmed in the way noted earlier (8:10ff.). Whatever the status of the informer, then, the wise and kindly course for the strong Christian is to abstain from eating. Godet explains the question at the end of the verse: ‘For what advantage can there be in my liberty being condemned …

Verse 30.....We can’t truly offer thanks to God for some food by which we cause another believer to stumble.

Verse 31-32.......Christian liberty, as well as the most common behavior, is to be conducted to the honor of God!

What matters more to God, our participation in the world and worldly? Or our participation, our communion with Him?

Romans 14:17–20 “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence.”

Verse 33-11:1........Verse 1 of chapter 11 most believe belongs to chapter 10.......

As elsewhere, Paul appeals to his own example. He is not guided by personal advantage but consideration for the good of many, specifically their salvation. He calls on his converts to imitate him, but in the very act of saying this he points them away from himself. The reason they should imitate him is that he imitates Christ. His example points them to the Saviour.