Warnings from Israel’s Past

1Now I want you to know, •brothers, that our fathersa were all under the cloud,b all passed through the sea,c 2and all were baptizedd into Mosese in the cloud and in the sea. 3They all ate the same spiritual food,f 4and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from a spiritual rockg that followed them, and that rock was Christ.h 5But God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the wilderness.i

6Now these things became examples for us, so that we will not desirej evil things as they did.k, l 7Don’t become idolatersm as some of them were; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and got up to play.n, o, p 8Let us not commit sexual immoralityq as some of them did,r and in a single day 23,000 people fell dead.s 9Let us not test Christ as some of them didt and were destroyed by snakes.u 10Nor should we complainv as some of them did,w, x and were killed by the destroyer.y, z 11Now these things happened to them as examples, and they were written as a warning to us,aa on whom the ends of the agesab have come.ac 12So, whoever thinks he stands must be careful not to fall.ad 13No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to humanity. God is faithful,ae and He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation He will also provide a way of escapeaf so that you are able to bear it.

Warning against Idolatry

14Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. 15I am speaking as to wise people. Judge for yourselves what I say. 16The cupag of blessingah that we give thanks for, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The breadai that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ? 17Because there is one bread, we who are many are oneaj body, for all of us share that one bread. 18Look at the people of Israel.ak Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in what is offered on the altar?al 19What am I saying then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20No, but I do say that what theyam sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God. I do not want you to participate with demons! 21You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot share in the Lord’s table and the table of demons. 22Or are we provoking the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?an

Christian Liberty

23“Everything is permissible,”ao, ap but not everything is helpful. “Everything is permissible,”aq but not everything builds up. 24No one should seek his own good, but the good of the other person.ar

25Eat everything that is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience’ sake, 26for the earth is the Lord’s,as and all that is in it.at, au 27If one of the unbelievers invites you over and you want to go, eat everything that is set before you, without raising questions of conscience. 28But if someone says to you, “This is food offered to an idol,” do not eat it,av out of consideration for the one who told you, and for conscience’ sake.aw 29I do not mean your own conscience, but the other person’s. For why is my freedom judgedax by another person’s conscience? 30If I partake with thanks,ay why am I slandered because of something I give thanks for?

31Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for God’s glory.az 32Give no offenseba to the Jews or the Greeks or the church of God, 33just as I also try to please all people in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many,bb so that they may be saved.