POINT: Guarantee of
privilege or position does not guarantee final blessing or production
10:1
“For” picks up where verse
9:27 ended. Paul had privileges but he
could be disqualified if he didn’t follow the rules.
In 9:27 Paul makes a
distinction between his:
1)
success in the ministry
2)
success in his personal Christian Life
The theme for chapter 8, 9
and 10 is incomplete knowledge or knowledge that is not balanced with
love. Chapter 10 continues the
discussion on knowledge that is bent on self-service.
“do not want you ignorant”
is a formula used when Paul is teaching something new or is giving information
that if it is misunderstood would lead to wrong or even destructive
conclusions. This formula is also used
at:
1)
Romans 1:13 concerning his plan to visit
2)
Romans 11:25 concerning the mystery of
3)
1 Corinthians 10:1 (here) concerning
overconfidence in baptism and the Lord’s supper
4)
2 Corinthians 1:8 concerning the hardships Paul
and his team faced
5)
1 Thessalonians concerning the dead, the
resurrection and the orders of resurrection
10:2-3
OT Examples
1) Under
the cloud (Exodus 13:21-22)
2) Passed
through the sea ( Exodus 14:21-22)
a. These
are the OT Paul uses for Christian baptism
3) Ate
food – Manna (Ex. 16:4, 13)
4) Drank
spiritual drink –water from rock (Ex. 17:1-7)
a. These
are the OT examples Paul uses for the Lord’s supper
b. Notice
how he points out that the Rock was Christ
10:4
“Nevertheless” is a strong
reversal.
The Exodus generation had
every reason to be confident but they still failed because of their failure to
fully understand and the failure to live in line with the truth
10:5
“scattered” is katastrwnnumi
or “katastronnumi” and it means “to strike down like a hurricane.” Translation: “their corpses littered the
dessert”
Their sins:
1) idolaters
(Ex. 32:6)
2) Sexual
immorality (Nu. 25:1-3)
3) Testing
the Lord (Nu. 21:5-6; Ps. 78:18) –try to see how far you can go and God still
allow it or not punish you.
4) Grumble
(Num. 16)
These four sins are a
sample of the many sins of the Exodus generation.
But, the reason they are listed here is that they are four of the sins that the
Corinthians where repeating.
The Corinthians were
involved in idolatry and sexual immorality as already mentioned in First
Corinthians.
They were also trying to
see how far they could live in the world and still be “Christian”. This is testing God.
Finally, they were
grumbling against Paul and his consistent voice that was calling them back to
the apostolic revelation and godly standard.
10:6
“These things happened as
examples” could read “These things happened as a type of us”.
In other words, this could
be saying that what the “fathers” of our faith did in the wilderness is exactly
what we do today.
The pattern or typology is
presented in three levels:
1) Spiritual
Food and Entrance into Baptism
2) Sinful
actions
3) Judgment
The result was that they
did not fulfill God’s plan (entering
|
|
Corinthians
in Church Age |
|
Spiritual
Food and Drink: Manna and
Water from Rock |
Spiritual
Food and Drink: The Bread
and The Cup |
|
Sin: |
Sin: |
|
Judgment: |
Judgment: |
|
Reward: |
Reward: |
10:7
“Do
not be”
isginesqe present
middle imperative. The present
imperative with the negative is often used to stop an action in progress. It would then be translated as “do not
continue” and would mean “stop doing this.”
Notice how Paul simply has to alluded
to these examples and not teach or re-teach the OT stories to an ignorant
crowd. In most modern churches in the
west these stories would have to be taught first before they could be used as
“examples” and “warnings.” How can we
say we follow the Lord when we do not even know his style of language or the
examples he has laid down for us to follow or be warned by.
In this first example Paul chooses a
portion of the golden calf story that includes the part about sitting “down to
eat and drink”. This is exactly what the
Corinthians were arguing for the right to do.
Paul’s issue with them is that they were “eating and drinking” in the
temples while participating in feasts for the pagan gods. Paul could have mentioned any part of the
story which is 35 verses long in Exodus chapter 32. Paul chose the second half of verse 6 to use
as an example for the Corinthians of eating in the presence of an idol.
The result: 3,000 died at the hands of
the Levites (32:28) and more died in the plague (32:35).
“pagan
revelry” paizein “paidzein” means to play, to amuse one’s self, to
dance.
1) in other OT
verses this verb is found in the LXX to refer to cultic dancing:
a. 1 Sam 18:7 –
The woman of
b. 2 Sam. 6:5, 21
– David danced or “celebrate” in NIV
c. 1 Chronicles
13:8 – David danced (“celebrate”)
d. 1 Chronicles
15:29
2) in the Exodus
32 story this also included:
a. shouting
(32:17)
b. singing
(32:18)
c. dancing
(32:19)
3) in the story
of Baal of Peor (Balaam) Numbers 25:1-3 eating before the gods involved sexual
immorality.
10:8
Second, sexual immorality is mentioned.
This was clearly one of the problems of
the Corinthians:
1) 5:1-5
2) 5:10-11
3) 6:9-10
4) 6:12-20
Idol worship that combines eating and
sexual immorality is a consistent theme through out scripture:
1) Numbers 25:1-9
– Baal-Peor included both during idol worship
2) The above
example with the golden calf involved both
3) In 1
Corinthians 6:12-20 Paul refers to the image of the body being the temple and
of it being “joined” to a prostitute.
4) Every mention
of “idol food” in the NT mentions sexual immorality
a. Acts 15:29
b. Rev. 2:14, 20
10:9
Third, “test the Lord”
The reference to being punished by
snakes tells us that Paul is referring to Numbers 21:4-7 where it says
10:10
The fourth sin mentioned refers to the
issue in the wilderness that caused grumbling.
God did not provide the usual food but instead provided manna. The people wanted more than the manna.
This may be similar to the Corinthian’s
grumbling against Paul and his previous letter that forbid them to participate
in the cultic meals in the temple. The
food that they had been provided and the food that they could not have caused
them to grumble against the Lord and Paul just like
10:11
“on
whom the fulfillment of the ages has come” is saying that God’s plan, the
OT and the people of
The “ages” are the successive periods
in human history.
“We”
are that people. We are the people of
the end. When history is fulfilled we
will still be standing with the Lord.
10:12
“So
then” means Paul is getting ready to tie up the illustration of
“you
think you are standing firm” refers back to verses 10:1-5 of Israelites who
thought they were standing firm and they were if they had heard
the word and obeyed.
If they think they are secure from
baptism and communion they had better start looking at what happened to the
examples from
If they are thinking they can continue
with the idolatry and remain in God’s will they had better look at the
examples.
10:13
This verse serves two purposes:
1) a continuation
of the warning
2) a word of
encouragement and hope
The encouragement is that though the
Corinthians face many trials, tests and temptations God will always provide a
way. The problem is reintroduced in
10:14, though. For this promise to take
affect the people must “flee from idolatry.”
In other words, God will provide a way out and strength, but you must
use that strength to flee sin, not continue in it and test God.
Two ways of receiving help from God:
1) You will not
be tested beyond what you can bear.
2) When you are tempted
God will provide a way out.
In 10:14 Paul gives them a clue as to
how to deal with the temptation of idolatry: Flee!!
Alla
poihsei sun tw peirasmw kai thn
ekbasin
tou
dunasqai upenegkein
to be able to endure
Notice that temptations and ways out
come in pairs.
We see this from the Greek word sun (with) and the two articles tw
(one before “temptation” and another before “way out”)
“With” “the temptations” comes “the way
out”