Warnings from Israel’s Past

1Now I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestorsa were all under the cloud,b all passed through the sea,c 2and all were baptizeda into Mosesb in the cloud and in the sea. 3They all ate the same spiritual food,a 4and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rocka that followed them, and that rock was Christ.b 5Nevertheless God was not pleased with most of them, since they were struck down in the wilderness.a

6Now these things took place as examples for us, so that we will not desirea evil things as they did.a b 7Don’t become idolatersa as some of them were; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and got up to party.a b c 8Let us not commit sexual immoralitya as some of them did,A and in a single day twenty-three thousand people died.b 9Let us not test Christ as some of them didA and were destroyed by snakes.a 10And don’t grumblea as some of them did,a b and were killed by the destroyer.B c 11These things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our instruction,a on whom the ends of the agesa b have come.c 12So, whoever thinks he stands must be careful not to fall.a 13No temptation has come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful;a he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation he will also provide the way outb so that you may be able to bear it.

Warning against Idolatry

14So then, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. 15I am speaking as to sensible people. Judge for yourselves what I am saying. 16The cupa of blessingb that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The breadc that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ? 17Because there is one bread, we who are many are onea body, since all of us share the one bread. 18Consider the people of Israel.A Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar?a 19What am I saying then? That food sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20No, but I do say that what theyA sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants 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?a

Christian Liberty

23“Everything is permissible,”A but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible,”B but not everything builds up. 24No one is to seek his own good, but the good of the other person.a

25Eat everything that is sold in the meat market, without raising questions for the sake of conscience, 26since the earth is the Lord’s,a and all that is in it.b c 27If any of the unbelievers invites you over and you want to go, eat everything that is set before you, without raising questions for the sake of conscience. 28But if someone says to you, “This is food from a sacrifice,” do not eat it,a out of consideration for the one who told you, and for the sake of conscience.A 29I do not mean your own conscience, but the other person’s. For why is my freedom judgeda by another person’s conscience? 30If I partake with thanksgiving,a why am I criticized because of something for which I give thanks?

31So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.a 32Give no offensea to Jews or Greeks or the church of God, 33just as I also try to please everyone in everything, not seeking my own benefit, but the benefit of many,a so that they may be saved.