@1Co 10:1-33. DANGER OF FELLOWSHIP WITH IDOLATRY ILLUSTRATED IN THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL: SUCH FELLOWSHIP INCOMPATIBLE WITH FELLOWSHIP IN THE LORD'S SUPPER. EVEN LAWFUL THINGS ARE TO BE FORBORNE, SO AS NOT TO HURT WEAK BRETHREN.
1. Moreover--The oldest manuscripts read "for." Thus the connection
with the foregoing chapter is expressed. Ye need to exercise
self-denying watchfulness notwithstanding all your privileges, lest ye
be castaways. For the Israelites with all their privileges were most of
them castaways through want of it.
ignorant--with all your boasted "knowledge."
our fathers--The Jewish Church stands in the relation of parent to the
Christian Church.
all--Arrange as the Greek, "Our fathers were all under the
cloud"; giving the "all" its proper emphasis. Not so much as one of
so great a multitude was detained by force or disease (@Ps 105:37)
[BENGEL]. Five times the "all" is repeated, in the enumeration of the
five favors which God bestowed on Israel (@1Co 10:1-4). Five times,
correspondingly, they sinned (@1Co 10:6-10). In contrast to the "all"
stands "many (rather, 'the most') of them" (@1Co 10:5). All of
them had great privileges, yet most of them were castaways through
lust. Beware you, having greater privileges, of sharing the same doom
through a similar sin. Continuing the reasoning (@1Co 9:24), "They
which run in a race, run all, but one receiveth the prize."
under the cloud--were continually under the defense of the pillar
of cloud, the symbol of the divine presence (@Ex 13:21,22 Ps 105:39;
compare @Isa 4:5).
passed through the sea--by God's miraculous interposition for them
(@Ex 14:29).
2. And--"And so" [BENGEL].
baptized unto Moses--the servant of God and representative of the Old
Testament covenant of the law: as Jesus, the Son of God, is of the
Gospel covenant (@Joh 1:17 Heb 3:5,6). The people were led to believe
in Moses as God's servant by the miracle of the cloud protecting them,
and by their being conducted under him safely through the Red Sea;
therefore they are said to be "baptized unto" him (@Ex 14:31).
"Baptized" is here equivalent to "initiated": it is used in
accommodation to Paul's argument to the Corinthians; they, it is true,
have been "baptized," but so also virtually were the Israelites of old;
if the virtual baptism of the latter availed not to save them from the
doom of lust, neither will the actual baptism of the former save them.
There is a resemblance between the symbols also: for the cloud and sea
consist of water, and as these took the Israelites out of sight, and
then restored them again to view, so the water does to the baptized
[BENGEL].
OLSHAUSEN understands "the cloud" and "the sea" as symbolizing
the Spirit and water respectively (@Joh 3:5 Ac 10:44-47).
Christ is the pillar cloud that screens us from the heat of God's wrath.
Christ as "the light of the world" is our "pillar of fire" to guide us
in the darkness of the world. As the rock when smitten sent forth the
waters, so Christ, having been once for all smitten, sends forth the
waters of the Spirit. As the manna bruised in mills fed Israel, so
Christ, when "it pleased the Lord to bruise Him," has become our
spiritual food. A strong proof of inspiration is given in this fact,
that the historical parts of Scripture, without the consciousness
even of the authors, are covert prophecies of the future.
3. same spiritual meat--As the Israelites had the water from the rock, which answered to baptism, so they had the manna which corresponded to the other of the two Christian sacraments, the Lord's Supper. Paul plainly implies the importance which was attached to these two sacraments by all Christians in those days: "an inspired protest against those who lower their dignity, or deny their necessity" [ALFORD]. Still he guards against the other extreme of thinking the mere external possession of such privileges will ensure salvation. Moreover, had there been seven sacraments, as Rome teaches, Paul would have alluded to them, whereas he refers to only the two. He does not mean by "the same" that the Israelites and we Christians have the "same" sacrament; but that believing and unbelieving Israelites alike had "the same" spiritual privilege of the manna (compare @1Co 10:17). It was "spiritual meat" or food; because given by the power of God's spirit, not by human labor [GROTIUS and ALFORD] @Ga 4:29, "born after the Spirit," that is, supernaturally. @Ps 78:24, "corn of heaven" (@Ps 105:40). Rather, "spiritual" in its typical signification, Christ, the true Bread of heaven, being signified (@Joh 6:32). Not that the Israelites clearly understood the signification; but believers among them would feel that in the type something more was meant; and their implicit and reverent, though indistinct, faith was counted to them for justification, of which the manna was a kind of sacramental seal. "They are not to be heard which feign that the old fathers did look only for transitory promises" [Article VII, Church of England], as appears from this passage (compare @Heb 4:2).
4. drink--(@Ex 17:6). In @Nu 20:8, "the beasts" also are
mentioned as having drunk. The literal water typified "spiritual drink," and is therefore so called.
spiritual Rock that followed them--rather, "accompanied them."
Not the literal rock (or its water) "followed" them, as
ALFORD explains,
as if Paul sanctioned the Jews' tradition (Rabbi Solomon on @Nu 20:2)
that the rock itself, or at least the stream from it, followed the
Israelites from place to place (compare @De 9:21). But Christ, the
"Spiritual Rock"
(@Ps 78:20,35 De 32:4,15,18,30,31,37 Isa 28:16 1Pe 2:6), accompanied
them (@Ex 33:15). "Followed" implies His attending on them to
minister to them; thus, though mostly going before them, He,
when occasion required it, followed "behind" (@Ex 14:19). He
satisfied all alike as to their bodily thirst whenever they needed it;
as on three occasions is expressly recorded
(@Ex 15:24,25 17:6 Nu 20:8); and this drink for the body symbolized
the spiritual drink from the Spiritual Rock (compare @Joh 4:13,14;
see on 1Co 10:3).
5. But--though they had so many tokens of God's presence.
many of them--rather, "the majority of them"; "the whole part." All
except Joshua and Caleb of the first generation.
not--in the Greek emphatically standing in the beginning of the
sentence: "Not," as one might have naturally expected, "with the more
part of them was," &c.
God--whose judgment alone is valid.
for--the event showed, they had not pleased God.
overthrown--literally, "strewn in heaps."
in the wilderness--far from the land of promise.
6. were--Greek, "came to pass as."
our examples--samples to us of what will befall us, if we also with
all our privileges walk carelessly.
lust--the fountain of all the four other offenses enumerated, and
therefore put first (@Jas 1:14,15; compare @Ps 106:14). A
particular case of lust was that after flesh, when they pined for the
fish, leeks, &c., of Egypt, which they had left (@Nu 11:4,33,34).
These are included in the "evil things," not that they are so in
themselves, but they became so to the Israelites when they lusted after
what God withheld, and were discontented with what God provided.
7. idolaters--A case in point. As the Israelites sat down (a
deliberate act), ate, and drank at the idol feast to the calves
in Horeb, so the Corinthians were in danger of idolatry by a like act,
though not professedly worshipping an idol as the Israelites
(@1Co 8:10,11 10:14,20,21 Ex 32:6). He passes here from the first to
the second person, as they alone (not he also) were in danger of
idolatry, &c. He resumes the first person appropriately at
@1Co 10:16.
some--The multitude follow the lead of some bad men.
play--with lascivious dancing, singing, and drumming round the calf
(compare "rejoiced," @Ac 7:41).
8. fornication--literally, Fornication was generally, as in this case
(@Nu 25:1-18), associated at the idol feasts with spiritual
fornication, that is, idolatry. This all applied to the Corinthians
(@1Co 5:1,9 6:9,15,18 1Co 8:10). Balaam tempted Israel to both sins
with Midian (@Re 2:14). Compare @1Co 8:7,9, "stumbling-block,"
"eat . . . thing offered unto . . . idol."
three and twenty thousand--in @Nu 25:9 "twenty and four thousand."
If this were a real discrepancy, it would militate rather against
inspiration of the subject matter and thought, than against
verbal inspiration. The solution is: Moses in Numbers includes all
who died "in the plague"; Paul, all who died "in one day"; one
thousand more may have fallen the next day [KITTO,
Biblical Cyclopædia]. Or, the real number may have been between
twenty-three thousand and twenty-four thousand, say twenty-three
thousand five hundred, or twenty-three thousand six hundred; when
writing generally where the exact figures were not needed, one writer
might quite veraciously give one of the two round numbers near the exact
one, and the other writer the other [BENGEL]. Whichever be the true way
of reconciling the seeming discrepant statements, at least the ways
given above prove they are not really irreconcilable.
9. tempt Christ--So the oldest versions, IRENÆUS (264), and good manuscripts read. Some of the oldest manuscripts read "Lord"; and one manuscript only "God." If "Lord" be read, it will mean Christ. As "Christ" was referred to in one of the five privileges of Israel (@1Co 10:4), so it is natural that He should be mentioned here in one of the five corresponding sins of that people. In @Nu 21:5 it is "spake against God" (whence probably arose the alteration in the one manuscript, @1Co 10:9, "God," to harmonize it with @Nu 21:5). As either "Christ" or "Lord" is the genuine reading, "Christ" must be "God." Compare "Why do ye tempt the Lord?" (@Ex 17:2,7. Compare @Ro 14:11, with @Isa 45:22,23). Isr ael' s discontented complainings were temptings of Christ especially, the "Angel" of the covenant (@Ex 23:20,21 32:34 Isa 63:9). Though they drank of "that Rock . . . Christ" (@1Co 10:4), they yet complained for want of water (@Ex 17:2,7). Though also eating the same spiritual meat (Christ, "the true manna," "the bread of life"), they yet murmured, "Our soul loatheth this light bread." In this case, being punished by the fiery serpents, they were saved by the brazen serpent, the emblem of Christ (compare @Joh 8:56 Heb 11:26). The Greek for "tempt" means, tempt or try, so as to wear out the long-suffering of Christ (compare @Ps 95:8,9 Nu 14:22). The Corinthians were in danger of provoking God's long-suffering by walking on the verge of idolatry, through overweening confidence in their knowledge.
10. some of them . . . murmured--upon the death of Korah and his
company, who themselves were murmurers (@Nu 16:41,49). Their murmurs
against Moses and Aaron were virtually murmurs against God (compare
@Ex 16:8,10). Paul herein glances at the Corinthian murmurs against
himself, the apostle of Christ.
destroyed--fourteen thousand seven hundred perished.
the destroyer--THE same destroying angel sent by God as in
@Ex 12:23, and @2Sa 24:16.
11. Now . . . these things . . . ensamples--resuming the thread of
@1Co 10:6. The oldest manuscripts read, "by way of example."
the ends of the world--literally, "of the ages"; the New Testament
dispensation in its successive phases (plural, "ends") being the
winding up of all former "ages." No new dispensation shall appear till
Christ comes as Avenger and Judge; till then the "ends," being many,
include various successive periods (compare @Heb 9:26). As we live
in the last dispensation, which is the consummation of all that went
before, our responsibilities are the greater; and the greater is the
guilt, Paul implies, to the Corinthians, which they incur if they fall
short of their privileges.
12. thinketh he standeth--stands and thinks that he stands
[BENGEL];
that is, stands "by faith . . . well pleasing" to God; in contrast to
@1Co 10:5, "with many of them God was not well pleased"
(@Ro 11:20).
fall--from his place in the Church of God (compare @1Co 10:8,
"fell"). Both temporally and spiritually
(@Ro 14:4). Our security, so far as relates to God,
consists in faith; so far as relates to ourselves, it consists in
fear.
13. Consolation to them, under their temptation; it is none but such as
is "common to man," or "such as man can bear," "adapted to man's powers
of endurance" [WAHL].
faithful--(@Ps 125:3 Isa 27:3,8 Re 3:10). "God is faithful" to
the covenant which He made with you in calling you (@1Th 5:24). To
be led into temptation is distinct from running into it, which
would be "tempting God" (@1Co 10:9 Mt 4:7).
way to escape--(@Jer 29:11 2Pe 2:9). The Greek is, "the way of escape"; the appropriate way of
escape in each particular
temptation; not an immediate escape, but one in due time, after patience
has had her perfect work (@Jas 1:2-4,12). He "makes" the way of
escape simultaneously with the temptation which His providence
permissively arranges for His people.
to bear it--Greek, "to bear up under it," or "against it." Not,
He will take it away (@2Co 12:7-9).
14. Resuming the argument, @1Co 10:7 1Co 8:9,10.
flee--Do not tamper with it by doubtful acts, such as eating idol
meats on the plea of Christian liberty. The only safety is in
wholly shunning whatever borders on idolatry (@2Co 6:16,17). The
Holy Spirit herein also presciently warned the Church against the
idolatry, subsequently transferred from the idol feast to the Lord's
Supper itself, in the figment of transubstantiation.
15. Appeal to their own powers of judgment to weigh the force of
the argument that follows: namely, that as the partaking of the Lord's
Supper involves a partaking of the Lord Himself, and the partaking of
the Jewish sacrificial meats involved a partaking of the altar of God,
and, as the heathens sacrifice to devils, to partake of an idol feast is
to have fellowship with devils. We cannot divest ourselves of the
responsibility of "judging" for ourselves. The weakness of private
judgment is not an argument against its use, but its abuse. We should
the more take pains in searching the infallible word, with every aid
within our reach, and above all with humble prayer for the Spirit's
teaching (@Ac 17:11). If Paul, an inspired apostle, not only permits,
but urges, men to judge his sayings by Scripture, much more should
the fallible ministers of the present visible Church do so.
To wise men--refers with a mixture of irony to the Corinthian boast
of "wisdom" (@1Co 4:10 2Co 11:19). Here you have an opportunity of
exercising your "wisdom" in judging "what I say."
16. The cup of blessing--answering to the Jewish "cup of blessing,"
over which thanks were offered in the Passover. It was in doing so that
Christ instituted this part of the Lord's Supper
(@Mt 26:27 Lu 22:17,20).
we bless--"we," not merely ministers, but also the congregation. The
minister "blesses" (that is, consecrates with blessing) the cup, not
by any priestly transmitted authority of his own, but as representative
of the congregation, who virtually through him bless the cup. The
consecration is the corporate act of the whole Church. The act of
joint blessing by him and them (not "the cup" itself, which, as also
"the bread," in the Greek is in the accusative), and the consequent
drinking of it together, constitute the communion, that is, the joint
participation "of the blood of Christ." Compare @1Co 10:18, "They
who eat . . . are partakers" (joint communicants). "Is" in both cases
in this verse is literal, not represents. He who with faith partakes
of the cup and the bread, partakes really but spiritually of the blood
and body of Christ (@Eph 5:30,32), and of the benefits of His
sacrifice on the cross (compare @1Co 10:18). In contrast to this is
to have "fellowship with devils" (@1Co 10:20).
ALFORD explains, "The
cup . . . is the [joint] participation (that is, that whereby the act of
participation takes place) of the blood," &c. It is the seal of our
living union with, and a means of our partaking of, Christ as our
Saviour (@Joh 6:53-57). It is not said, "The cup . . . is
the blood," or "the bread . . . is the body," but "is the
communion [joint-participation] of the blood . . . body." If the
bread be changed into the literal body of Christ, where is the sign of
the sacrament? Romanists eat Christ "in remembrance of Himself." To
drink literal blood would have been an abomination to Jews, which
the first Christians were (@Le 17:11,12). Breaking the bread
was part of the act of consecrating it, for thus was represented the
crucifixion of Christ's body (@1Co 11:24). The distinct
specification of the bread and the wine disproves the Romish doctrine of
concomitancy, and exclusion of the laity from the cup.
17. one bread--rather, "loaf." One loaf alone seems to have been used
in each celebration.
and one body--Omit "and"; "one loaf [that is], one body." "We,
the many (namely, believers assembled; so the Greek), are one
bread (by our partaking of the same loaf, which becomes assimilated to
the substance of all our bodies; and so we become), one body"
(with Christ, and so with one another).
we . . . all--Greek, "the whole of us."
18. Israel after the flesh--the literal, as distinguished from the
spiritual, Israel (@Ro 2:29 4:1 9:3 Ga 4:29).
partakers of the altar--and so of God, whose is the altar; they
have fellowship in God and His worship, of which the altar is the
symbol.
19, 20. What say I then?--The inference might be drawn from the analogies of the Lord's Supper and Jewish sacrifices, that an idol is really what the heathen thought it to be, a god, and that in eating idol-meats they had fellowship with the god. This verse guards against such an inference: "What would I say then? that a thing sacrificed to an idol is any real thing (in the sense that the heathen regard it), or that an idol is any real thing?" (The oldest manuscripts read the words in this order. Supply "Nay") "But [I say] that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils (demons)." Paul here introduces a new fact. It is true that, as I said, an idol has no reality in the sense that the heathen regard it, but it has a reality in another sense; heathendom being under Satan's dominion as "prince of this world," he and his demons are in fact the powers worshipped by the heathen, whether they are or are not conscious of it (@De 32:17 Le 17:7 2Ch 11:15 Ps 106:37 Re 9:20). "Devil" is in the Greek restricted to Satan; "demons" is the term applied to his subordinate evil spirits. Fear, rather than love, is the motive of heathen worship (compare the English word "panic," from PAN, whose human form with horns and cloven hoofs gave rise to the vulgar representations of Satan which prevail now); just as fear is the spirit of Satan and his demons (@Jas 2:19).
20. I would not that ye . . . have fellowship with devils--by partaking of idol feasts (@1Co 8:10).
21. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord--really and spiritually; though
ye may outwardly (@1Ki 18:21).
cup of devils--in contrast to the cup of the Lord. At idol feasts
libations were usually made from the cup to the idol first, and then the
guests drank; so that in drinking they had fellowship with the idol.
the Lord's table--The Lord's Supper is a feast on a table, not a
sacrifice on an altar. Our only altar is the cross, our only sacrifice
that of Christ once for all. The Lord's Supper stands, however, in the
same relation, analogically, to Christ's sacrifice, as the Jews'
sacrificial feasts did to their sacrifices (compare @Mal 1:7,
"altar . . . table of the Lord"), and the heathen idol feasts to their
idolatrous sacrifices (@Isa 65:11). The heathen sacrifices were
offered to idol nonentities, behind which Satan lurked. The Jews'
sacrifice was but a shadow of the substance which was to come. Our one
sacrifice of Christ is the only substantial reality; therefore, while
the partaker of the Jew's sacrificial feast partook rather "of the
altar" (@1Co 10:18) than of
GOD manifested fully, and the heathen
idol-feaster had fellowship really with demons, the communicant in the
Lord's Supper has in it a real communion of, or fellowship in, the body
of Christ once sacrificed, and now exalted as the Head of redeemed
humanity.
22. Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy?--by dividing our fellowship
between Him and idols (@Eze 20:39). Is it our wish to provoke Him to
assert His power? @De 32:21 is before the apostle's mind
[ALFORD],
(@Ex 20:5).
are we stronger?--that we can risk a contest with Him.
23. All things are lawful for me, &c.--Recurring to the Corinthian
plea (@1Co 6:12), he repeats his qualification of it. The oldest
manuscripts omit both times "for me."
edify not--tend not to build up the spiritual temple, the Church,
in faith and love. Paul does not appeal to the apostolic decision
(@Ac 15:1-29), which seems to have been not so much regarded outside
of Palestine, but rather to the broad principle of true Christian
freedom, which does not allow us to be governed by external things, as
though, because we can use them, we must use them (@1Co 6:12).
Their use or non-use is to be regulated by regard to edification.
24. (@1Co 10:33 1Co 13:5 Ro 15:1,2).
25. shambles--butchers' stalls; the flesh market.
asking no question--whether it has been offered to an idol or not.
for conscience' sake--If on asking you should hear it had been offered
to idols, a scruple would arise in your conscience which was needless,
and never would have arisen had you asked no questions.
26. The ground on which such eating without questioning is justified is, the earth and all its contents ("the fulness thereof," @Ps 20:1 50:12), including all meats, belong to the Lord, and are appointed for our use; and where conscience suggests no scruple, all are to be eaten (@Ro 14:14,20 1Ti 4:4,5; compare @Ac 10:15).
27. ye be disposed to go--tacitly implying, they would be as well not
to go, but yet not forbidding them to go (@1Co 10:9)
[GROTIUS]. The
feast is not an idol feast, but a general entertainment, at which,
however, there might be meat that had been offered to an idol.
for conscience'
sake--(See on 1Co 10:25).
28. if any man--a weak Christian at table, wishing to warn his brother.
offered in sacrifice unto idols--The oldest manuscripts omit "unto
idols." At a heathen's table the expression, offensive to him, would
naturally be avoided.
for conscience' sake--not to cause a stumbling-block to the conscience
of thy weak brother (@1Co 8:10-12).
for the earth is the Lord's, &c.--not in the oldest manuscripts.
29. Conscience . . . of the other--the weak brother introduced in
@1Co 10:28.
for why is my liberty judged off another man's conscience?--Paul passes
to the first person, to teach his converts by putting himself as it were
in their position. The Greek terms for "the other" and "another" are
distinct. "The other" is
the one with whom Paul's and his Corinthian converts' concern is;
"another" is
any other with whom he and they have no concern. If
a guest know the meat to be idol meat while I know it not, I have
"liberty" to eat without being condemned by his "conscience"
[GROTIUS].
Thus the "for," &c. is an argument for @1Co 10:27, "Eat, asking no
questions." Or, Why should I give occasion by the rash use of my liberty
that another should condemn it
[ESTIUS], or that my liberty should cause
the destruction of my weak brother?"
[MENOCHIUS]. Or, the words are
those of the Corinthian objector (perhaps used in their letter, and so
quoted by Paul), "Why is my liberty judged by another's conscience?" Why
should not I be judged only by my own, and have liberty to do whatever
it sanctions? Paul replies in @1Co 10:31, Your doing so ought
always to be limited by regard to what most tends "to the glory of God"
[VATABLUS,
CONYBEARE and
HOWSON]. The first explanation is simplest;
the "for," &c. in it refers to "not thine own" (that is, "not my own,"
in Paul's change to the first person); I am to abstain only in the
case of liability to offend another's conscience; in cases where
my own has no scruple, I am not bound, in God's judgment, by any
other conscience than my own.
30. For--The oldest manuscripts omit "For."
by grace--rather, "thankfully" [ALFORD].
I . . . be partaker--I partake of the food set before me.
evil spoken of--by him who does not use his liberty, but will eat
nothing without scrupulosity and questioning whence the meat comes.
give thanks--which consecrates all the Christian's acts
(@Ro 14:6 1Ti 4:3,4).
31. Contrast @Zec 7:6; the picture of worldly men. The godly may
"eat and drink," and it shall be well with him (@Jer 22:15,16).
to the glory of God--(@Col 3:17 1Pe 4:11)--which involves our
having regard to the edification of our neighbor.
32. Give none offence--in things indifferent (@1Co 8:13 Ro 14:13 2Co 6:3); for in all essential things affecting Christian doctrine and practice, even in the smallest detail, we must not swerve from principle, whatever offense may be the result (@1Co 1:23). Giving offense is unnecessary, if our own spirit cause it; necessary, if it be caused by the truth.
33. I please--I try to please (@1Co 9:19,22 Ro 15:2).
not seeking mine own--(@1Co 10:24).
many--rather as Greek, "THE many."