1 Corinthians 10

This chapter concludes the discussion of food offered to idols that began in 1 Corinthians 8. At the end of chapter 9, Paul says that he keeps his body under and brings it into subjection; in this chapter he continues his warning by citing the example of Israel in the wilderness.

Outline

• Verses 1–5: The fathers were all under the cloud, all passed through the sea, and "were all baptized unto Moses." They all ate the same spiritual meat and drank the same spiritual drink. Paul says that the Rock that followed them was Christ. Yet many of them perished in the wilderness.
• Verses 6–10: Paul says that these things serve as examples and lists four in turn: idolatry; fornication, for which twenty-three thousand fell in one day; tempting the Lord, for which some were destroyed by serpents; and murmuring, for which some were destroyed by the destroyer.
• Verses 11–13: These things were written for the admonition of those "upon whom the ends of the world are come." Paul warns, "let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall," and says that God will with the temptation also make a way to escape.
• Verses 14–22: Paul commands believers to flee from idolatry. Because the cup of blessing and the bread that is broken are a communion of the blood and body of Christ, one cannot drink both the cup of the Lord and the cup of devils.
• Verses 23–30: All things are lawful, but not all things are expedient. Believers may eat whatever is sold in the market and whatever an unbeliever serves, asking no questions. But if someone points out that the food has been offered in sacrifice, they should not eat it, for the sake of that person's conscience.
• Verses 31–33: Whatever one does should be done to the glory of God; believers are to give no offense and to seek the profit of many.

Key Verses

• 1 Corinthians 10:13 "will with the temptation also make a way to escape" — a confession of God's faithfulness even in the midst of temptation.
• 1 Corinthians 10:16 "is it not the communion of the body of Christ?" — used as a principal basis for understanding the Lord's Supper.
• 1 Corinthians 10:31 "do all to the glory of God" — cited as a principle that connects the whole of daily life with faith.

People and Places

• Moses: Leader of the Exodus. The fathers are said to have been "baptized unto Moses."
• The fathers: The Israelites of the Exodus generation. Their passage through the sea relates to the crossing of the Red Sea, and their life in the wilderness to the forty years in the wilderness.
• The Rock: The rock that brought forth water in the wilderness. Paul interprets this Rock as Christ.

Points for Reflection

• Verses 6–10 are generally understood to refer to events such as the golden calf incident (Exodus 32), Numbers 25, and the brazen serpent episode (Numbers 21). Numbers 25:9 gives the number of the dead as twenty-four thousand, which differs from the twenty-three thousand in verse 8. Various explanations have been offered, including one that distinguishes between those who died in a single day and the total number.
• Some interpreters connect "the Rock that followed them" with a Jewish tradition that a rock followed Israel through the wilderness. The text itself, however, does not directly mention that tradition.
• The word "temptation" in verse 13 (Greek peirasmos) can mean both enticement and trial.
• The "communion" of verses 16–17 (koinonia, "sharing together") is understood differently across traditions. The Catholic Church understands it in terms of transubstantiation, and Lutherans in terms of the real presence of Christ's body and blood. Presbyterians and other Reformed churches understand it as a spiritual presence through the Holy Spirit, while the Zwinglian tradition, Baptists, and others emphasize remembrance and fellowship. These views are treated in more detail in the article Eucharistic controversy.
• The Lord's Supper is taken up again in 1 Corinthians 11. Verses 23–33, together with Romans 14, address Christian liberty and the conscience of one's neighbor.

In the Korean Church

Verse 13 is widely memorized and frequently used in sermons that comfort those facing hardship. Verses 16–17 are sometimes read alongside passages from chapter 11 in Communion services. Verses 23–33 are often cited in discussions of whether Christians may eat food offered in ancestral rites and how to regard alcohol and tobacco.