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1 Corinthians 10:1. I do not want to leave you, brethren, ignorant, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea. 1 Corinthians 10:2. And they were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 1 Corinthians 10:3. And everyone ate the same spiritual food. 1 Corinthians 10:4. And they all drank the same spiritual drink: for they drank from the spiritual stone that followed; the stone was Christ. “I don’t want you to be led away, brothers, as our fathers were all under a cloud, and all passed through the sea. And all of Moses was baptized in the cloud and in the sea, and all of them also consumed spiritual food, and all of them also drank spiritual beer.” What happened to them, says the Apostle, is an image of what is happening among us. For the sea was likened to a font, the cloud - to the grace of the Spirit, Moses - to the priest, the rod - to the cross, Israel who crossed the sea - to those being baptized, and the pursuing Egyptians represented the image of demons, while Pharaoh himself served as an image of the devil, because, after crossing the sea, the Israelites were freed from the dominion of the Egyptians, as if in some kind of transformation they had received from heaven manna. And the stone was likened to the Lord’s ribs, because, beyond expectation, it poured out water for them. And the Apostle sets out this more clearly. “Piyahu is from the spiritual stone that follows, and the stone is Christ.” This Apostle wants to say that it was not the stone that served this purpose for them, but God’s grace, which made that stone, beyond all hope, emit streams of water. For if the stone followed them or water followed from the stone, then why would they need water again? 1 Corinthians 10:5. But God was not pleased with many of them, for they were slain in the wilderness. “But God was not pleased with the multitude of them: for they were struck down in the wilderness.” For, except Caleb and Joshua, all those included in the list were destroyed. Having thus shown that although all were honored with good deeds, most of them did not benefit from God’s gifts, but suffered punishment for disobedience, the Apostle added: 1 Corinthians 10:6. And these were images for us, so that we would not be lustful for evil, as they were lustful. 1 Corinthians 10:7. Nor be ye idolaters, as some of them are, of whom it is written: The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. 1 Corinthians 10:8. Let us not commit fornication, as some of them committed fornication, and in one day twenty-three thousand of them perished. 1 Corinthians 10:9. Let us not tempt Christ, as some of them tempted and were killed by snakes. 1 Corinthians 10:10. Do not grumble, as some of them grumbled and were killed by the destroyer. “This image was for us, so that we would not be a lust of the evil, as they also desired. Be neither idolaters as there are none of them: as it is written: When men sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play” (Ex. 32:6). “Let us commit fornication, as none have committed fornication from them, and fall in one day twenty-three thousand. Let us not tempt the Lord, as we were tempted by others and destroyed by serpents. Don’t grumble, as none of them grumbled and died from the Almighty.” The Apostle presented each of the events mentioned as similar to what the Corinthians sinned in. And, firstly, he pointed to evil lust, from which most evils are born; then - to idolatry and gluttony, from which the first arose, because the Corinthians, enslaved to gluttony, held feasts in idol churches. He also mentioned fornication and showed the number of those killed for it, thereby sowing the fear of punishment in the mind of the one who committed fornication. Those who were awarded lesser gifts also grumbled, because they were not awarded all of them. And those who spoke in different tongues tempted the Lord, using this gift in the church more out of curiosity than out of need. 1 Corinthians 10:11. All this happened to them like images; but it is described for the instruction of us who have reached the last centuries. “This whole image has been received silently”; that is, as prototypes, because in them what was happening among us was foreshadowed. “Now they were written for our instruction, in which the ends of the ages have reached.” For it was not for their benefit that God did that these writings were given, because what benefit did the dead gain from the writings? On the contrary, what was meant was the benefit that would flow from it for us. The Apostle beautifully added the word about the end of the age, rousing the Corinthians to the most hasty practice of virtue. 1 Corinthians 10:12. Therefore, let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. “Meanwhile, be sure to stand and be careful, lest you fall”; that is, be careful, you who think that you have knowledge. since the Corinthians also suffered many insults and insults from unbelievers and therefore probably thought highly of themselves, the Apostle added: 1 Corinthians 10:13. No temptation has befallen you other than that of man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but when you are tempted, He will also provide relief, so that you can endure it. “Temptation has not reached you, just human”; that is, small, for this saying is usually used by the divine Apostle to mean small, for example, when he says: “I speak humanly for the weakness of your flesh” (Rom. 6:19), meaning: I speak in proportion to nature. “God is faithful, He will not leave you to be tempted more than you can, but He will also create an abundance with temptation, so that you are able to bear it.” This Apostle taught us not to rely on ourselves, but to ask for God’s help. Having stated all this, he returns to the main subject. 1 Corinthians 10:14. So, my beloved, flee idolatry. “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, flee from idolatry.” The apostle gradually strengthens the accusation and shows that indifferent eating of something sacrificed to idols does not differ in the least from serving idols. 1 Corinthians 10:15. I speak to you as if you are sensible; Judge for yourself what I say. “As I say to the wise.” He pronounces reproof along with praise, trying to make it acceptable with an approving word. “You judge, as I say.” I take you as a judge, because I know your prudence. 1 Corinthians 10:16. The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a communion of the Blood of Christ? Is not the bread that we break a communion of the Body of Christ? 1 Corinthians 10:17. There is one bread, and we, many, are one body; for we all partake of one bread. “Cup of blessing, now we bless, is there not fellowship in the blood of the Lord? The bread we break, is not the fellowship of the body of the Lord? As there is one bread, we are one body and we are many: for we all partake of one bread.” Having been honored with the Sacred Mysteries, do we not enter into communication with the Master Himself, do we not say that this is His Body, His Blood? “We all partake of the one bread.” Then the Apostle confirms this in a different way. 1 Corinthians 10:18. Look at Israel according to the flesh: are they not partakers of the altar who eat the sacrifices? “You see Israel according to the flesh: are not the eating sacrifices of the community of the Altarites?” Look at Israel and know that those who partake of the sacrifices enter into communion with the altar itself, because of one sacrifice they bring part to the altar, and part they eat themselves. The Apostle called the Israelites who were in unbelief Israel according to the flesh, since those who believed were called spiritual Israel. 1 Corinthians 10:19. What am I saying? Is it that an idol is something, or that something sacrificed to idols means something? 1 Corinthians 10:20. No, but what the pagans, when making sacrifices, offer to demons, and not to God. But I don't want you to be in communication with demons. “What the hell am I saying? What is an idol? Or what is sacrificed to idols? But even when the pagans eat, they eat demons, not God!” But let no one think that I am saying that something sacrificed to idols has any power and, by its nature, can defile the eater. I do not mean this, but that those who serve this superstition make sacrifices to demons. “I don’t want to be a demon with you and your companions.” Then the Apostle inspires greater fear. 1 Corinthians 10:21. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; You cannot be participants in the table of the Lord and in the table of demons. “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons!” For the Corinthians also ate drink offerings from idols. “You cannot partake of the Lord’s table and the table of demons.” Is it possible for us to enter into communication with the Lord, eating His Honorable Body and Blood, and also with demons, eating food sacrificed to idols? 1 Corinthians 10:22. Do we really decide to irritate the Lord? Are we stronger than Him? “Or do we provoke the Lord? Is food stronger than Him?” The Apostle used the word “irritate” to mean wounded; He also reminded the Corinthians of God’s word spoken to Israel: “They provoked Me not because of God, but angered Me with their idols” (Deut. 32:21). 1 Corinthians 10:23. Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is beneficial; everything is permissible for me, but not everything edifies. “The whole point is to fly” (this should be read as a question, then as an answer). “But not all is good! The whole point is to fly” (and this is the same). “But not all are edified.” It is permissible for you, according to the knowledge that you ascribe to yourself, to do everything; but it is not good for you to harm others. What you do does not edify them. Let us assume that you are perfect; but we must also take care of the weak. For this the Apostle added: 1 Corinthians 10:24. No one seeks his own, but each one seeks the benefit of the other. “No one seeks his own, but everyone seeks his neighbor.” But since the Apostle completely forbade the eating of things sacrificed to idols, and at that time the cities were full of such meats and, probably, some, out of respect for the Apostolic law, would not have bought them at all, and others, out of gluttony, would have neglected the law, then, out of necessity and regarding this, he legalizes what should have been. 1 Corinthians 10:25. Eat everything that is sold at the market without any research, for peace of conscience. 1 Corinthians 10:26. For the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness of it. “Eat everything that is sold in the marketplace, without hesitation, for your conscience: for the earth is the Lord’s and its fulfillment.” Everything is God’s creation, everything is brought into existence by God. Therefore, buy without fear, without asking whether it is sacrificed to idols or not. For this means what is said: “doubting nothing.” 1 Corinthians 10:27. If one of the infidels calls you and you want to go, then eat everything that is offered to you without any investigation, for peace of conscience. “If someone calls you from the unbelievers, and you want to go, eat everything that is offered to you, without hesitation, for your conscience.” The apostle did not command or forbid the one called to go, but he left it to the authority of the one called what to do, because it would be impossible to catch the infidels by stopping the message. 1 Corinthians 10:28. But if someone tells you, “This is sacrificed to idols,” then do not eat for the sake of the one who told you, and for the sake of your conscience. For the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness of it. “If someone says to you: This is sacrificed to idols: do not eat for it the one who told it, and conscience: For the earth is the Lord’s and its fulfillment.” He added the same thing about eating and not eating, teaching that those who eat should know that everything is God’s creation, and those who do not eat should also be confident of the same. 1 Corinthians 10:29. I don’t mean my own conscience, but another’s: for why should my freedom be judged by someone else’s conscience? “I speak not my own conscience, but that of another.” You know that “the earth and its fulfillment are the Lord’s”, and you despise the weakness of idols; and he, enslaved to delusion, suffers harm from this, thinking that you partake of meats sacrificed to idols. This is shown by the following words: “Why is my freedom judged by another conscience?” The Apostle calls the grace of faith freedom. For this is also taught in what is said below. 1 Corinthians 10:30. If I take food with thanksgiving, then why blame me for what I give thanks for? “If I partake of grace, why do I accept blasphemy, for which do I give thanks?” That is, it is unfair for another to suffer harm because of my perfection. 1 Corinthians 10:31. So, whether you eat, drink, or whatever you do, do everything to the glory of God. “Whether you eat, or drink, or do anything else, do everything for the glory of God.” It is wonderful that the Apostle puts all this together - sitting, walking, talking, regretting, and instructing - in order to set one goal for himself in everything - God’s glory. This is what the Lord commanded: “Let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). That's what it says here too. 1 Corinthians 10:32. Do not give any temptation to the Jews, nor to the Greeks, nor to the church of God. “Be Jews and Greeks and the Church of God without offense.” Let there be no reason for temptation either for those who do not believe or for those who have already believed. 1 Corinthians 10:33. Just as I please everyone in everything, seeking not my own benefit, but the benefit of many, so that they may be saved. “As I am, I please everyone in everything.” True, this is also characteristic of flatterers, but it is not the same as what is said below. “Seek not your own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.” Flatterers do not seek someone else’s benefit, but seek their own, or better yet, they do not seek their own, because they harm themselves more than others. But the divine Apostle did not seek his own, but had in mind the salvation of others, through them increasing his indestructible wealth. You might be interested in: