Warning Against Idolatry

¹For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers,1 that our fathers were all under bthe cloud, and all cpassed through the sea, ²and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, ³and dall ate the same espiritual food, ⁴and fall drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. ⁵Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for gthey were overthrown2 in the wilderness.

⁶Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as hthey did. ⁷iDo not be idolaters jas some of them were; as it is written, k“The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” ⁸lWe must not indulge in sexual immorality mas some of them did, and ntwenty-three thousand fell in a single day. ⁹We must not put Christ3 to the test, oas some of them did and pwere destroyed by serpents, ¹⁰nor grumble, qas some of them did and rwere destroyed by sthe Destroyer. ¹¹Now these things happened to them as an example, but tthey were written down for our instruction, uon whom the end of the ages has come. ¹²Therefore vlet anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. ¹³No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. wGod is faithful, and xhe will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

¹⁴Therefore, my beloved, yflee from idolatry. ¹⁵I speak zas to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. ¹⁶aThe cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? bThe bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? ¹⁷Because there is one bread, we who are many are cone body, for we all partake of the one bread. ¹⁸Consider dthe people of Israel:4 eare not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? ¹⁹What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that fan idol is anything? ²⁰No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice gthey offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. ²¹hYou cannot drink the cup of the Lord and ithe cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and jthe table of demons. ²²kShall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? lAre we stronger than he?

Do All to the Glory of God

²³m“All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. ²⁴nLet no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. ²⁵oEat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience. ²⁶For p“the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof.” ²⁷If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, qeat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience. ²⁸But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience— ²⁹I do not mean ryour conscience, but his. For swhy should my liberty be determined by someone else's conscience? ³⁰If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that tfor which I give thanks?

³¹So, whether you eat or drink, or uwhatever you do, do all to the glory of God. ³²vGive no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to wthe church of God, ³³just as xI try to please everyone in everything I do, ynot seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.