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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. He lists how many gifts the Jews were awarded by God, and declares that even after these gifts many did not please God. He says this in order to prove that just as it did not benefit the Jews to receive abundant gifts, while they themselves did not fulfill their duty, so it will not benefit you that you believed and were rewarded with spiritual sacraments, if you do not present yourself as worthy of the grace of God. “All,” he says, “were under the cloud.” For God spread the cloud as a covering over them, and they passed through the sea (Ex. 13:21, 14:22). 1 Corinthians 10:2. And they were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. That is, together with Moses they were under the shadow of the clouds and crossed the sea together. For when they saw that he was the first to cross, then they themselves boldly went among the waters. It’s similar with us. Christ died and rose first, then we too were baptized, imitating His death through immersion in water and resurrection through ascension from it. "They were baptized into Moses." This means: he preceded them in the form of baptism. For being under the cloud and crossing the sea typified baptism. 1 Corinthians 10:3–4. And everyone ate the same spiritual food; and everyone drank the same spiritual drink. Just as we, upon receiving baptism, eat the Body of the Lord, so the Israelites, after crossing the sea, ate manna (Ex. 16:4, 15); and as we drink the Blood of the Lord, so they drank water from a solid stone (Exodus 17:6). He calls manna and water “spiritual” because, although they were sensual, they did not occur according to the law of nature, but according to the goodness of the Spirit, and nourished the body and soul, and led to faith. 1 Corinthians 10:4. For they drank from the spiritual subsequent stone; the stone was Christ. As for food, no confirmation was required; for its extraordinary nature is self-evident. But regarding drinking, confirmation was needed, because only the method of producing it was unusual. That is why he says: it was not the nature of the stone that gave the water (otherwise it would have emitted it before), but it was another stone that accomplished everything, namely Christ. The word “following” expressed the idea that Christ was present in them everywhere and performed all miracles. 1 Corinthians 10:5. But God was not pleased with many of them, for they were slain in the wilderness. Although God showed them many signs of love and honored them with many blessings, in most of them he did not find what was pleasing to Himself, “he did not please.” For not all were rejected, but many were rejected. The word “not about many” expresses the idea that their multiplicity did not benefit them at all when they, for their part, did not show deeds of love for their Benefactor. The word “they were struck” indicates their sudden death and the executions sent down from God. 1 Corinthians 10:6. And these were images for us, so that we would not be lustful for evil, as they were lustful. Both the benefits and the punishments of the Jews were images. Shows that Christian sinners will not only be punished, but much more than the Jews, since these blessings were images, and those blessings are the truth, and both in gifts the advantage is on the side of Christians, and in punishments. In the words “lusting after evil” he speaks generally of all evil, for all evil comes from lust (James 1:14.15); then he exposes some types of evil. Why were they lustful? they demanded garlic, meat, special gods, just as the apostle himself further points out their idolatry. 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. First, it concerns those who ate in the churches, and shows that just as the Israelites, out of gluttony, fell into idolatry (for, having formed choirs around the calf, they played before it), so you, through gluttony eating what was sacrificed to idols, are in danger of becoming idolaters. Where, therefore, is your imaginary perfection when you are close to idolatry? 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. Again he mentioned fornication in order to make his word more effective through constant reproof. This sin is also born from gluttony. When did twenty-three thousand die? When, on the advice of Balaam, the women of Midian appeared with the militia, they lured young men to themselves, and through fornication persuaded them to sacrifice to Baal-Peor, and the people who were in the militia perished (Num. 25: 1-9). 1 Corinthians 10:9. Let us not tempt Christ, as some of them tempted and were killed by snakes. It hints that the Corinthians, by demanding signs, are tempting Christ. 1 Corinthians 10:10. Do not grumble, as some of them grumbled and were killed by the destroyer. That is, from some damaging force (Numbers 14:37). This hints to them that in the midst of the trial they had no generosity, but grumbled and said: when will happiness come? when will the disasters pass? 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. He frightens them both when he says that this is described to instruct us, that we too should expect punishments, and the more terrible, the greater the talents we have been awarded, and when he presents them with the end of the century, and declares that you will be embraced by torments that are not temporary, but endless after death. For this judgment is already at the door, because the ages of this world are ending. 1 Corinthians 10:12. Therefore, let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. Again he alludes to those who were much puffed up in their knowledge. Although you think that you are standing, be careful not to fall. For your very confidence that you are worth shows that you are not worth. You think so, but in reality you are not worth it. But even if you stand, you can easily fall with pride. 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. With the words “whoever thinks he is standing, beware lest he fall” frightened them. Meanwhile, there were those who had already endured many temptations. So that such people don’t say: “Why are you intimidating us? we have endured many temptations and have not sinned,” he says: only a small and moderate temptation has befallen you, for small things are everywhere called human. Then he consoles them again, convincing them to look to God, who is faithful, that is, true and will not lie. For He promised: “Come... you who labor..., and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). So, He will not allow you to be tempted beyond your strength, but He will cause temptation to overtake you in proportion to your strength. Even every temptation will be beyond your strength, if He does not help and does not create relief from temptation, “with temptation,” that is, relief is quick and simultaneous with the temptation coming to you, so that with quick relief it will become bearable for you. For he said: “He will also give relief, so that you can bear it,” that is, the temptation will seem easy and feasible to you. 1 Corinthians 10:14. So, my beloved, flee idolatry. Since he reproached them sufficiently, he now makes amends for it, calling them lovers. However, he forbids them to eat things sacrificed to idols not only because it is harmful to the brethren, but he condemns this act in itself, calling it idolatry, and demanding immediate removal from it, for he says: “run away.” 1 Corinthians 10:15. I speak to you as if you are sensible; Judge for yourself what I say. Calling their case idolatry, he attributed to them a great crime. Now he softens the severity of his words and makes the guilty themselves judges (which is characteristic only of those who are undoubtedly confident in the truth of their words), and says: I do not need other judges; You, being smart, judge for yourself. 1 Corinthians 10:16. The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a communion of the Blood of Christ? Blessings, that is, thanksgiving. For, holding the cup in our hands, we bless and thank the One who shed His Blood for us and honored us with unspeakable blessings. He did not say “participation” (μετοχ), but “communion” (κοινωνία), in order to express something more, namely the closest unity. His words have the following meaning: what is in the Chalice is the very thing that flowed from the side of Christ, and when we accept it, we enter into communion, that is, union with Christ. Are you not ashamed, Corinthians, to run to the cup of an idol from the very Cup that delivered you from idols?! 1 Corinthians 10:16. Is not the bread that we break a communion of the Body of Christ? What the Lord did not endure on the cross (for His bone was not broken: (John 19:33-36), He endures now, being broken for us. For He says: “Which we break.” The words “communion of the Body of Christ” mean: just as that Body is united with Christ, so through this Bread we are united with Him. 1 Corinthians 10:17. There is one bread, and we are many, one body. Before this he said: “communion of the Body.” But he who has communication with someone is not one and the same with him, but different. Now he declares more and says that we are the body itself. For what is this bread? Body of Christ. What do those who partake of it become? The body of Christ, not many bodies, but one body. For just as bread from many grains becomes one, so we, despite our plurality, become one body of Christ. 1 Corinthians 10:17. For we all partake of one bread. That's why it makes one. How can we not preserve love and therefore not be in unity? God gives us His Body for this purpose, to unite us both with Himself and with each other. Since the original nature of the flesh was damaged by sin and lost life, He gave us His sinless and life-giving flesh, but similar to ours, so that we, by partaking of it, would be fused with it and live, if possible, without sin. 1 Corinthians 10:18. Look at Israel according to the flesh: are they not partakers of the altar who eat the sacrifices? From the simplest example, learn that what you do is communication with idols. He said: “Israel according to the flesh,” because Christians are according to the spirit. Note also this: he did not say about the Jews that they were fellow members of God, but that they were participants in the altar. For what was dedicated to God was placed on the altar and burned. But he expressed himself differently about the Body of Christ: there is communion of the Body of Christ; for we become not partakers of the altar, but partakers of Christ Himself. Fearing that the listeners would not come to the conclusion that just as God, who accepts sacrifice from the Jews, could harm, so the idols who accept sacrifice from the pagans can harm those who do not offer sacrifices, he added the following. 1 Corinthians 10:19. What am I saying? Is it that an idol is something, or that something sacrificed to idols means something? I turn you away from idols not because they have the power to do harm or good, for they are absolutely nothing, but because the sacrifice made to them does not go to your Master. Therefore he continues. 1 Corinthians 10:20. No, but what the pagans, when making sacrifices, offer to demons, and not to God. So, do not resort to the enemies of your Lord. For if you were to leave the royal meal and move on to the meal of the condemned, then, without a doubt, you would sin, not because it harmed you or benefited you, but because your act would seem to be an insult to the royal meal. 1 Corinthians 10:20. But I don't want you to be in communication with demons. For if those who partake of the mystical meal become communions with Christ, then those who participate in the demonic meal, obviously, are in communion with demons. 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. In the form of an admonition, he said: I “don’t want you to be in communication with demons.” So that this admonition is not left unattended, now the same thought is expressed in a negative form: “you cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons.” The names alone prove that it is necessary to abstain from things sacrificed to idols. 1 Corinthians 10:22. Do we really decide to irritate the Lord? Are we stronger than Him? He says this as a reproach to them. Do we really have to test and irritate God, can He punish us when we go over to the side of His enemies? Then, in order to show the absurdity of their behavior, he says: “Are we stronger than Him?” - recalling this very sharp saying: “They provoked Me not with God, they grieved Me with their vain things” (Deut. 32:21). 1 Corinthians 10:23. Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is beneficial. Lest anyone object: “I eat with a clear conscience and therefore have the right to do so,” he says; no, everything is permissible for you, since God created you free; but to eat something sacrificed to idols is not entirely good for you. For by constantly participating in idols’ meals, you will step by step gain favor with the idols themselves. 1 Corinthians 10:23. Everything is permissible for me, but not everything edifies. Your behavior, as I said before, is not useful either for you or for your brother. For it does not edify him, but rather upsets him and perverts his faith. If there is no benefit to you or your brother, then why should you do this? 1 Corinthians 10:24. No one seeks his own, but each one seeks the benefit of the other. Not only keep in mind whether you eat with a clear conscience, but also whether your action edifies your brother. In many places in his messages he makes this the most necessary thing. He does not generally forbid seeking his own benefit, but only when it is harmful for his brother. For in this case we must put his benefit above our own and choose it. 1 Corinthians 10:25. Eat everything that is sold at the market without any research, for peace of conscience. He confirmed with many arguments that they should refrain from sacrificing to idols. So that they do not again become picky beyond what they should, and do not refuse what is being sold at the auction for fear that it might be something sacrificed to idols, he says: eat everything that is sold, without researching those who are selling, without asking whether it is something sacrificed to idols, as if your conscience is pricking you and you want to clear it. Or this: so that your conscience does not prick you, do not ask, because during the investigation you may find out that what you are considering buying is sacrificed to idols, and your conscience will be worried. 1 Corinthians 10:26. For the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness of it. The Lord's, not the demons'. If the earth is the Lord’s, then the fruits, trees, and animals are the Lord’s, and if everything is the Lord’s, then by nature there is nothing unclean, but everything depends on each person’s thoughts. 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. Well said: “you want”; for he himself did not want to advise or advise against. Do not investigate at all, so as not to show you fear of idols through excessive care, and in order to keep your conscience clear and unperturbed. 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. I command you to refrain not because what was sacrificed to idols is harmful, but for the sake of the one who declared that it was sacrificed to idols, so that he does not suffer harm and does not think that Christians should not turn away from objects made to idols. And this is not why I teach to abstain from things sacrificed to idols, as if they were unclean and completely alien to our Lord: this is clear from the fact that “the earth is the Lord’s, and what fills it,” that is, everything that is contained in it. Or this: refrain from this food, for the whole earth is the Lord, and you can be satisfied with something else, for everything is open to you. 1 Corinthians 10:29. I don’t mean my own conscience, but someone else’s. That is, a pagan. For he, perhaps, as I said, will be tempted, or will consider you a glutton, or will think that you, like him, accept idols. And lest anyone say: “Why should you care about the one who announced? for you before this (1 Cor. 5:12) said: “Why should I judge outsiders?” - they say I care not about him, but about you, so that you are not subject to condemnation. That's why I added the following. 1 Corinthians 10:29. For why should my freedom be judged by someone else’s conscience? Freedom calls indiscriminateness and unrestraint a prohibition. I, he says, will eat freely and indiscriminately, but the pagan will condemn me and say: the faith of Christians is vain, they say that they abhor idols, and yet they willingly eat what is sacrificed to them. 1 Corinthians 10:30. If I take food with thanksgiving, then why blame me for what I give thanks for? For my part, he says, I freely use God’s creations, by the grace of God, which has so established and strengthened me that I do not observe anything. But the pagan will slander me, saying that out of hypocrisy I shun idols, and out of gluttony I eat what is sacrificed to them. The words “for which I thank” mean: I, for my part, thank God that He has placed me so highly, even above Jewish humility, that I find no harm in anything; but, as I said, the pagan is tempted and slandered. 1 Corinthians 10:31. So, whether you eat, drink, or whatever you do, do everything to the glory of God. He says, do everything to the glory of God: for by your real deeds God is not glorified, but rather blasphemed. Someone eats and drinks for the glory of God when he does not tempt anyone by doing so; he does this not out of gluttony or lust, but in order to adapt his body to the practice of virtue; in general, someone does every deed for the glory of God when he does not harm anyone else through temptation, nor himself, such as, for example, someone who acts out of man-pleasing or some passionate thought. 1 Corinthians 10:32. Do not give any temptation to the Jews, nor to the Greeks, nor to the church of God. That is, do not give anyone any reason to slander. And this will happen when we do not seduce either Jew or Gentile, much less the brothers, for they are the “church of God.” Take note. He said the most important thing at the end: Christians must attract others to the faith, and not even persecute their brothers; By them he means all those who were tempted by eating things sacrificed to idols. 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. Since he exposed them as guilty of causing harm to pagans and Jews and commanded them a great deed, then, in order to show the convenience of this deed, he sets himself up as an example. And how he did not seek his own benefit is evident from many things that were said before, for example: “I was everything to everyone” (1 Cor. 9:22), especially from the fact that he himself would like to be excommunicated for his brothers (Rom. 9:3). You might be interested in: