Text: 1Corinthians 10
In the first nine chapters, Paul, who loves the church with God’s own love, has reprimanded, beseeched and instructed the troubled church in Corinth. All of what he wrote, and all that they said and did, reflected their lack of understanding that Christianity is not about outward works, but an inward work in their hearts. He exhorted them that they must be equipped by the Lord, in order to be victorious in running the race toward heaven. Now he continues his exhortation.
If I were going to give this a title, it would be, “The Cup of Demons.”
Verses 1-4
Paul has just exhorted the Corinthians, at the end of Chapter 9, to run the Christian spiritual race in such a way as to win. Now he’s going to remind them of some who lost the race.
Israel had the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. They passed through the Red Sea as if on dry land. By the Spirit, Paul sees Israel’s passing through the sea and the pillar of cloud and of fire as being symbolic of baptism, into the Law of Moses.
And the manna, the bread of heaven that they ate in the desert? That was spiritual food, originating from heaven and given to them by God. Who is the real bread of heaven? Jesus Christ —
John 6:35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst. 36 “But I said to you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe. 37 “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. 38 “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.”
And the rock which followed them in the desert, giving enough water to feed their millions? That was spiritual water. Paul says the rock from which it sprang was Christ, before He was sent to the earth by His Father. He will give living water —
John 4:10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
What blessings God gave to Israel! He led them, performed miracles to deliver them, fed them, and gave them drink! And His presence went before them!
And the believers at Corinth have those same blessings, for Christ does all of these things for them! It is the same today, for those who believe into Him!
But I see that many in today’s church do as the believers in Corinth and Israel did, if they are still infants in Christ and are not filled with the love of God by His Holy Spirit whom He has given us (Romans 5:5). Like Paul, that’s why I’m speaking to you!
Verses 5-6
As unbelievable as it might seem, despite all of those wonderful blessings, Israel spurned the Lord and craved evil things. And the believers at Corinth and many believers today crave evil things!
All of God’s blessings? Not enough! Just as Israel was ungrateful, so are all carnal Christians. I was like that, before I was filled! And just as many of God’s people were laid low then, God will indeed lay many low, even today.
The Lord is faithful to perform all His promises. When you truly see the wickedness of your sinful nature and cry out to your Father in heaven, asking Him to fill you with His Holy Spirit, He will do it! Then you will no longer crave evil things, beloved.
Verses 7-10
“Do not be idolaters.” So what was Israel’s idolatry? A golden calf, sex, drinking and carousing? That was what they outwardly worshiped. But idolatry of self was behind it all, and it is the same with infants in Christ in today’s church. I will borrow from Dr. Dennis Kinlaw’s message on idolatry —
“Idolatry is a system for getting pleasure and security, but not from God. We don’t want a God we can’t touch, though it is through His Son that our hunger and thirst will be met. We want something we can fondle. It doesn’t matter what it is, as long as we can fondle it.
“It can be a person with whom we have an immoral relationship. It can be money. It can be property. It can be food. It can be anything, but in all cases, we love our idol more than we love God.
“Our idol will fail; God will not fail. Our idol represents our selfishness, and selfishness was rampant in the church at Corinth and the church today.”
Oh, how we need to be filled with the Holy Spirit! Oh, how we need the sin nature crucified! Today’s carnal church gives Jesus a bad reputation. We need an extreme makeover, one only God can do!
The Old Testament (OT) shows us how God deals with immorality, even today. If you act immorally (per 1Corinthians 6:9-10), you are in the same category as the 23,000 who died in one day in the wilderness. God hates sin.
Remember the fiery serpents in Numbers 21? God had just given Israel a great victory over a Caananite king, delivering Israelites he’d captured. But once God had given them victory, they immediately complained because of the length of their journey. Do you?
God’s people came against Moses whom God had called to lead them! They complained about no food and water, and loathed the manna God had sent them.
Don’t test God by complaining. He’ll send fiery serpents on you! But He will give you a way of escape — look to the serpent on the pole (a type of Jesus Christ, as He Himself says in John 3:14), and you will be saved!
Then there’s grumbling. There was so much grumbling by Israel in the wilderness, it’s hard to tell which instance Paul is referring to in this passage. But Korah’s rebellion, in Numbers 16, is a good example of grumbling.
Korah and his men said to Moses and Aaron, “The whole congregation is holy! Who do you think you are? Are you exalting yourself above us?” God was not pleased. Moses fell on his face, interceding for them.
Korah and his men were told to assemble before the Lord, and they refused. Moses fell down before the Lord again, because He wanted to consume them instantly. They still rebelled. So the ground split open and swallowed them. Fire came out and consumed Korah’s men who presumed they were holy and burned incense to the Lord.
And what are the believers at Corinth doing? Like Korah, they question Paul’s apostleship, they grumble at what Paul teaches and about his admonishments of them, they claim their whole congregation is holy. But they act in a very unholy manner!
I wonder if, reading Paul’s words, the believers at Corinth felt the ground trembling?
Do you? Can we not learn from the OT examples here?
Verses 11-14
For those who say the OT is not for today, hear Paul’s words — ALL these things were written for our instruction! Remember that the OT was the only Bible the early church had! The NT had not yet been written!
Paul now applies the OT examples directly to the believers at Corinth, just as I apply them to today’s church. The believers at Corinth think they’re holy, but they are sinning. Paul says, Be careful, or you will fall, like Korah. They are tempted, and they say they cannot resist sin. They do not turn from it.
In response, Paul says they are subject to the same, common temptations all Christians experience. God is faithful when they are tempted. He will not allow them to be tempted beyond their ability to resist. He has provided for them a way of escape from the temptation.
What is the way of escape? First, you must flee from temptation. Then, be filled with the Holy Spirit and you will no longer be a slave to sin! Jesus came to set you free from slavery to sin. He whom the Son sets free is free, indeed!
One more admonition about God providing the way of escape (v. 13) — do not use His “escape clause” when you have dug a hole for yourself by sinning. Don’t keep sinning and say, “Oh, well, the Lord will help me escape the mess I’ve gotten myself into by sinning.” That will not work at all.
But cry out, as I did, for mercy, seeing your sorry state, and ask Him to clean you up inside. That’s the way of escape, glory to God! He’ll gladly do it!
Therefore, flee from idolatry! God is not pleased with it, and He will deal with you just as He did Israel in the OT.
Verses 16-21 —
Some of the believers at Corinth are going to the table of idols, per Chapter 8. Paul says they cannot share Christ’s supper and yet, in the next moment, drink the cup of demons. In the Lord’s supper, they are sharing in the body and blood of Christ. But they share in sacrifices to idols, behind which are demons, when they eat at pagan temples!
Idols aren’t anything; they are false. What is sacrificed to them isn’t anything, it is meaningless because it is sacrificed to a false thing. BUT there is a demon behind the sacrifice; unbelievers in Corinth sacrifice their food to demons.
So, again, Corinthian Christians who eat at their temples are sharing in the cup and table of demons. They can’t have it both ways.
There is a spiritual transaction going on when they share the body and blood of Christ. Rest assured that there is a demonic spiritual transaction when they share the table and cup of demons.
What are today’s Christians spiritually eating and drinking? Do we drink in the world, and eat everything it’s serving up? Do we take it all in? Are we not supposed to be in the world, but not of it (John 15:19)?
Do we not sin against the Lord by partaking of the world and thereby becoming part of it?
Verses 22-24
God is a jealous God — He does not desire any to perish, but all to come to repentance. Chasing after false gods leads to death. He zealously desires that we allow Him to change our hearts. And Christ commands it in Acts 1:4-5!
Sin breaks that fellowship (Isaiah 59:1-3). Being filled with the Holy Spirit gives us intimate, 24/7 fellowship with the Father and the Son. It is the way out of sin!
When we have fellowship with demons, His zeal for our souls kicks in. Will we provoke Him by snubbing Him?
He is God, and I am not! And if I am filled with His Spirit, my only desire is what He desires. Everything else is dung to me (Philippians 3:8)! His love has been poured out to overflowing in my heart (Romans 5:5).
Is it that way for you, too?
Paul goes back to the “all things” sing-song that the believers at Corinth are being taught by false teachers. Beware, Corinthians! Beware, today’s church! Get a heart transplant, get filled with the Spirit so your selfishness is removed and replaced with God’s self-giving, selfless love!
Then you will no longer be interested in “what’s in it for you.” You will no longer say, “I have my rights; I can do whatever I want.” You will say, “Your will be done, Father.”
Then God’s desires will be your desires. And then, your neighbor will see Christ in you and come to faith. That is what Christianity is all about, beloved!
And then, per Verse 24, you will not seek your own good, but that of the other. That is the original Greek-to-English. You will be selfless!
It is just as he exhorts the church at Philippi in Philippians 2:4, but words have been added to that passage, ones that are not in the original Greek. There is no “merely,” and no “also!” It is, “Do not look out for your own personal interests, but for the interests of others.”
Verses 25-30
Now Paul turns to a question from the believers at Corinth. Is it acceptable to eat meat which is leftover from sacrifices to idols and sold in the meat market?
Well, God created it; the meat in itself is fine to eat. If you’re in the marketplace, buy whatever is there, without asking where it came from.
And when you go to an unbeliever’s house, don’t question where the meat came from. But if they announce that it was sacrificed to idols, don’t eat it, for the sake of their conscience (their sense of right and wrong).
Your conscience tells you that if it is not eaten in a worshipful way, and you are not eating it in the temple where you might cause your brother to stumble (per 1Corinthians 8:9), it is fine to eat it. You ask the Lord to bless it when you eat it, and He does. His blessing cleanses it.
The unbeliever, though, does not know the Lord. So if you eat it, you give your tacit approval to what he’s doing. But if, instead, you reveal his heart to him when you refuse to eat it, he may be saved.
Verses 31-33
Whatever you do, do it to the glory of God. What a great word! Is the conduct of the believers at Corinth God-glorifying? It seems they’re always giving Jesus a bad name, doesn’t it?
How about you? Do you do EVERYTHING to the glory of God? Maybe you believe you glorify God by going to church. Or maybe you believe you glorify God by attending Bible study, or when you are singing in the choir. That’s what I used to believe.
But if you are like I was, when you’re not doing church things, you do your own thing, and God is not at all glorified by what you are doing. You seek your own pleasure and everyone around you can see your self-centeredness. It was the same for me, before the Lord filled me with His Spirit!
Paul says glorify God in EVERYTHING. But if you are not filled with His Spirit, you cannot glorify God. Your carnal actions will betray you. Be filled, and He will make you selfless and self-giving, like Jesus! That is Christianity, beloved!
Giving no offense to Jews or pagans or the church of God means this — you are free to eat food sacrificed to idols, but there is a legitimate limitation of your freedom. You are not to “purposefully take a path that leads to the detriment of another . . . Do not behave in such a way as to prevent someone from hearing the gospel, or alienate someone who is already a believer.” per Gordon Fee, in the New International Commentary on the New Testament. Don’t cause offense to the gospel!
Pleasing all men in all things must not be taken out of context. Believers are to please in this way — by being selfless, by walking as Jesus walked, by being like Him in this world, and thereby, being Christ’s ambassador (2Corinthians 5:20, Ephesians 6:20). These things can only be done when you are filled with the Holy Spirit — I know from my own time of infancy in Christ!
And what is the end purpose of this “pleasing?” that they may be saved! Be filled as Paul was, and you will do it. And you will be blessed to have a front-row seat to see the salvation of souls!
Try yourself up against this teaching. Your father in heaven is ready to respond, if you will cry out. May you have ears to hear what the Lord is saying today.
Amen, Lord Jesus! So be it. I pray!
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