1 Corinthians 10 explained: Freedom, Idols and Shared Tables

Israel's gifts in the desert (vv. 1-5)

Paul retells the escape from Egypt, with God's guiding cloud, the sea crossing, manna from heaven and water from a rock, and likens these to Christian baptism and the Lord's Supper. Yet most of that generation died in the desert, and his line 'that rock was Christ' is his own reading that Christ was with Israel even then.

Warnings from their failures (vv. 6-10)

He points to the feast around the golden calf, the sexual sin tied to Moabite idol worship, testing Christ (some ancient copies read 'the Lord'), and complaining, each of which ended in mass deaths in the old stories. The book of Numbers gives 24,000 dead where Paul says 23,000, and scholars usually treat the difference as rounding or a different way of counting.

Overconfidence and temptation (vv. 11-13)

Paul says these stories were written as warnings for people like the Corinthians, on whom, in his view, the climax of the ages has arrived, and he cautions anyone who feels secure. He adds that their tests are ordinary human ones, and that God will not let them be pushed past what they can bear but will give a way through.

One table, not two (vv. 14-22)

Sharing the bread and cup at the Lord's Supper joins believers to Christ and to each other, just as eating Israel's sacrifices joined people to the altar. Idols are nothing in themselves, but Paul says pagan sacrifices go to demons, evil spiritual powers, so eating at temple feasts would split their loyalty.

Freedom with others in mind (vv. 23-30)

'I have the right to do anything' seems to be a Corinthian slogan, and Paul answers that freedom should build others up. Meat sold in markets often came from temple sacrifices, so he says eat it freely because everything belongs to God, but skip it if someone points out its origin and might be troubled.

Everything for God's honor (vv. 31-33)

He sums up that even eating and drinking can honor God. Paul's aim is to avoid tripping up anyone, Jewish, Greek or Christian, and to put others' good ahead of his own.

Key verse: 1 Corinthians 10:31

Where Christians differ

Christians differ on what it means that the shared bread and cup are a 'participation' in Christ's body and blood, with views ranging from Christ being truly present in the bread and wine to a spiritual or symbolic sharing.

Something to think about

Where do you draw the line between your own freedom and the effect your choices have on the people around you?