1 Corinthians 10:14-18
Ps Paul Cheng
~7 min read
In our previous message, we had considered that our temptation is not unique and it is the common experience of every man. But we do not have to sin because God will provide a way of escape, and we can have victory over temptation. Oftentimes, the way to have victory is not without but through the temptation, as God is faithful and He will help us to bear it.
But just in case, anyone thinks, “Well, if God is faithful, He will provide a way for me to escape. And that way is through the temptation, then I am going to purposely put myself in the path of temptation, and see how God is going to help me to be victorious.” That is foolishness!
Instead of placing oneself in the path of temptation and sin, one should flee. Therefore, Paul said, Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry (1 Corinthians 10:14). The phrase flee from means if one is tempted to do it, do not do it, if one is already in it, get out of it, if one has not gotten into it, stay as far away as possible from it!
Some of the Corinthians might question, “If idols are nothing, and false gods do not exist, so what is the big deal? Why must we flee from idolatry?” Well, Paul lovingly explained to them the reasons, my beloved brethren.
I. Idolatry is inconsistent with our beliefs
I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say (v.15)
As believers, the Corinthians had the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Scriptures, therefore they had the ability to be wise men - wise men who had the fear of the Lord which was the beginning of wisdom. When Paul said, judge ye what I say, he did not mean, “Maybe it is right, or maybe it is wrong, you can decide for yourself.” Basically, he was saying, “If you have the fear of God in your heart and spiritual wisdom, you will be able to judge what I say is true and right.”
A lesson we can learn from here is that as parents, Sunday school and Bible teachers, when we teach the Bible, we do not give the impression that there is an option or choice, and one can decide for himself. We must be emphatic and authoritative, “This is what the Bible says! You judge what I say! If this is what the Bible says, then you must obey and follow!”
Next, Paul gave an illustration of the Lord’s Supper. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? (v.16)
The significance of the Lord’s Table would be discussed in the next chapter. Here, it was not in Paul’s mind to explain the significance, and he was simply using the Lord’s Table to illustrate the point that they must flee from idolatry.
When Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper, He said, “Do this as often as you can, in remembrance of Me.” So, every time we partake of the Lord’s Supper, it is to remember. But it is not just a commemoration, for it is a spiritual exercise because there is a blessing that comes with it when we do it in a godly manner, and there is a warning that comes with it when we do it unworthily. That was why some of the people were weak, sickly and some even died (c.f. 1 Corinthians 11:30). It is called the cup of blessing, as John Calvin said, “Every time you partake of the Lord’s Supper worthily, there is a spiritual blessing that words cannot express.”
Whenever we conduct the Lord’s Supper, the minister will take the bread and say, “Jesus said, take, eat, this is my body, which is broken for you, this do in remembrance of me.” And then the minister will take the cup and say, “This cup is the new testament in my blood which is shed for the remission of sin, this do ye, as often as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.” Do you realize that was essentially a re-enactment, a picture to remind us of our Lord Jesus Christ? Every time we do that, we are remembering this picture of His death, how His body was crucified on that cross and His blood was shed to save us from our sins (He died and He was risen from the dead), and we are looking forward to His soon return.
By way of illustration, when we have a picture of someone we love, the picture is not the same as that person, but it does represent that person. And whenever we look at the picture, we have this feeling of love, care, affection and the desire to be with the person, and we remember the experiences we have had with the person. Those feelings and experiences are real. But it is possible to have that kind of feeling only when we know the person. When we know, trust and believe in the person, then we can identify with the person. We cannot have feelings and experiences with someone we do not know, like a total stranger.
It is the same way when we partake of the Lord’s Supper. That is why only believers who are baptised (who understand the significance of it) are allowed to partake of the elements. Notice the word communion of the body and blood of Christ. This word communion (koinonia) can be translated as fellowship, or participation, or sharing.
For example, Romans 15:26 says, For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem. The same word “koinonia” was translated as contribution. When you believe and trust in something and when you identify yourself with something, you direct your money or support toward the cause. Just as some of you have contributed toward the needs of the Myanmar churches to help those brethren who were affected with the sickness of elephant flu recently and support their gospel work. Why do you do that? Because you know them, trust and believe in what they are doing (the gospel cause), identify with them as fellow believers, therefore you contribute (koinonia) to their needs.
Likewise, we come together and observe the Lord’s Table, because we know, trust, believe and identify with Christ, essentially with His life, death and resurrection. Thus, we have fellowship and communion with Him. That is why sometimes the Lord’s Table is called the holy communion, which means, holy fellowship, holy sharing, holy participation in the body and blood of Christ.
For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread (v.17).
Because we are one with Christ, we are one with each other. We can fellowship with one another because of what Jesus Christ had done. As we come into fellowship with Christ through the communion, we come into fellowship with each other in a unique and deep way. All believers stand on the same ground at the foot of the cross, we come equally as forgiven sinners who have eternal life through Jesus Christ.
Paul went on to give another illustration, Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? (v.18)
The phrase Israel after the flesh was a reference to the unsaved Israelites who craved for the evil desires of the flesh, and they were engaged in the false worship of idols. There were many occasions when Israel went after other gods. And when they ate of those sacrifices offered on the altars of those gods, they were partaking, fellowshipping, sharing, communing with the pagans of those false gods.
In other words, Paul was saying, “Whenever you go into a pagan religious worship where there is a meat offered to the deity, and you sit down and eat that meat, you are identifying yourself with it, and you are fellowshipping with the pagans who believe in it.”
Why would a Christian go into a temple and there is a worship going on, and eat the meat offered to an idol, it is totally wrong, and inconsistent with what you believe in! (c.f. 2 Corinthians 6:14-18) What do we have in common with an unbeliever? In a physical sense, we have everything in common; we are both human beings, we eat the same food, we drive the same car, we live in the same neighbourhood, etc. But in a spiritual sense, we have nothing in common; because of who and what we believe in, we do not identify with them in the same thing, we do not fellowship, share, commune or partake in the same thing!
Why would the Christians claim one thing, by observing the Lord’s Table, and then turn around and do another thing, by fellowshipping in the idol’s temple, eating the meat offered to the false gods. It is totally inconsistent with our beliefs!
Today, we may not participate in the worship of idols or partake of the sacrifices offered to them, by God’s grace. But what about fellowshipping (koinonia) with the unbelievers in the spiritual sense where we compromise who and what we believe in? Like joining their wild parties, engaging in their sinful conversation, sharing their worldly values and philosophies, identifying with their ungodly behaviours and lifestyles, etc. We must apply biblical separation to keep ourselves holy!
(To be continued in the next pastoral chat)
1 CORINTHIANS 10The Danger Of Overconfidence — Lesson From HistoryThe Danger Of Overconfidence — Lesson From History1 Corinthians 10:1-5
Encouragement in Times of Temptation (Part 2)Encouragement in Times of Temptation (Part 2)1 Corinthians 10:13
Encouragement In Times Of Temptation (Part 1)Encouragement In Times Of Temptation (Part 1)1 Corinthians 10:13
Flee From Idolatry (Part 1)Flee From Idolatry (Part 1)1 Corinthians 10:14-18
Flee From Idolatry (Part 2)Flee From Idolatry (Part 2)1 Corinthians 10:19-22
All things are lawful, but all things are not expedientAll things are lawful, but all things are not expedient1 Corinthians 10:23-33