In the temple
Idolatry was pervasive in Paul’s time. (1) An estimated 30,000 statues of gods and goddess existed in the Roman Empire.
In the Greco-Roman world, idol worship intertwined with social life. (2) Participation in an idol-feast was a central element in maintaining relations with neighbors, friends and colleagues.
(3) Eating idol-food and attending idol-feast was also “a significant marker of social status.” The development of the Corinth city leaned heavily on the patronage-client structure. The wealthy patron sponsored the building of theater, shopping malls and the essential facilities.(4) As clients to the powerful and influential patrons, the Corinthian Christians were obliged to do things that were incompatible with their commitment to Jesus Christ. Some of them belonged to cult associations [collegium] which frequently held feasts under the patronage of various gods, both in temples and in private homes. Thus, if such VIP were to invite believers to an idol-feast, any RSVP, “Sorry, we can’t go,” might jeopardize the responder’s livelihood.
A distinctive feature in the cult centers was a place around the temple, usually a garden, for large numbers of people to eat around “sacred tables.” The temples in Corinth had premises with dining facilities.
From the market place
When a worshipper offers meat sacrifices in the temple, the priests would receive a third of the meat portion. Since they did not have refrigerators then, chunks of meat given cannot be kept for long. So, the priests would sell the meats at a cheaper price in the market near the temple. Of course, the consumers would choose to buy meats sold at a very low price, which normally they could not afford.
In an unbeliever’s home
When eating in the homes of relatives, neighbors or friends, Christian guests were often served meats that had been sacrificed to idols.
Christians were a marginal community in Corinth. People who became believers would experience a degree of “status dissonance” when they joined the church. Their dilemma was the tension between their allegiance to Jesus Christ and their loyalty towards family and friends, and being respectable citizens of the society. Many Corinthian Christians were still closely tied to idolatrous practices. *The Christians were faced with the challenge of living out their Christian faith in an idolatrous society.
There were Christians about were adamant about eating idol food even in the temple. They had many reasons to justify eating idol food:
“An Idol is Nothing” – Their knowledge that an idol is nothing (8:4-8)
“We have rights!” – Their rights as individuals (9:4-15; 10:23)
“We are free in Christ” – Their freedom as Christians (9:19-23)
“We are protected by sacraments” – Their security was wrongly anchored in the Sacraments and in being spiritually gifted (10:14-22).
“An Idol is Nothing” (8:4-8)
In 1 Corinthians 8-11:1 the Apostle Paul confronts the Corinthians’ excuses, one issue at a time. In chapter 8, Paul deals with the Corinthians’ issue of knowledge. Here is a summary of Paul’s teaching in chapter 8:
Corinthians must not eat idol-food based on knowledge alone because:
Firstly, love, not knowledge, is the basis for Christian conduct (8:1-8).
(1-3) Knowledge leads to self-deception and pride.
Pride can be destructive to self and to others.
Love reflects a right relationship with God.
Love builds up (the body of Christ – God’s people in the church).
(4-8) Not everyone holds the same view about idols.
Christians who do not have a proper view of idols and idol-food may compromise their sense of right and wrong.
Corinthians: An idol is not an entity; There is only one God (8:4b)
Paul: … but demons also exist (8:4c-5).
Not everybody knows this (7a). Recent converts may be drawn into sin (7b)
Secondly, they must exercise their freedom to eat with the welfare of others in mind.
If they do not consider the welfare of others while eating idol-food they might sin against the people for whom Christ died (8:9-13).
Recent converts might have weak conscience. The conscience’s weakness was due their vulnerability to compromise their Christian conviction. They might try to rationalize their idolatrous conduct based on some superficial knowledge.
We have Rights! (9:4-15; 10:23)
Paul told the Corinthians that as an Apostle, he had the right to be supported [9:3-12a]
(1) Other apostles have exercised this right [3-6]
(2) Even soldiers are entitled to be supported [7]
(3) The Mosaic Law grants him the right to be supported [8-12a]
But Paul relinquished His right to be supported for the sake of the Gospel [9:12b-15]
Similarly, for the sake of the Gospel, the Corinthians should be willing to yield their rights for the good of others. Q: Should we also learn to give up our rights for the sake of the Gospel? We ought to.
We are Free in Christ (9:19-23)
Paul told the Corinthians that he would use his freedom to serve others, even if serving others entails the loss of their freedom.
19 Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.
Corinthians’ False Sense of Security: Baptism & the Lord’s Supper (10:14-22).
Next, Paul shall deal with the Corinthians’ false sense of security. Their security was wrongly anchored on Christian Sacraments. Paul cites the example of the OT people of God — the Israelites:
1 Corinthians 10:1
For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea.
2 They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.
3 They all ate the same spiritual food
4 and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them,
and that rock was Christ.
OT Israelites Corinthian Christians
Baptized into Moses
[Mosaic community] Baptized into Christ
[Messianic community]
Ate the same spiritual food [Manna] Ate of one loaf of Bread
Drank the same spiritual drink Drank of the one Cup
The LORD’s Presence was with the OT & NT People of God
When those Israelites willfully participated in idol-worship and pagan revelry, they died as the result of the LORD’s judgment.
5 Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert.
6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did.
These are the evils things committed by the Israelites:
[1] Idolatry; [2] Sexual immorality; [3] Testing the LORD; and [4] Grumbling.
From the terrifying experience of the OT People of God, Paul issues four warning to the Corinthians:
[1] Do not be idolaters (10:7); [2] Do not engage in sexual immorality (10:8); [3] Do not test the LORD (10:9); and [4] Do not grumble against the LORD’s goodness (10:10).
1. Do not be idolaters (10:7)
7 Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry.”
At the plain of Moab the Israelites indulged in the worship of Baal of Peor (Numbers 25:1-3).
2. Do not engage in sexual immorality (10:8)
8 We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did– and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died.
Paul alluded to the incident recorded in Numbers 25 where the Israelites were lured by the Moabite “Girls’ Generation” pop-group to engage in the worship of Baal of Peor (Num. 25:1-3).
Pagan worship often degenerated into a sexual debauchery. Sexual revelry was often part of pagan worship. There is a sensual [natural] association between idolatry and sexual immorality
The warning against idolatry was very relevant to conditions in Corinth. The idol-feasts were held in the dining rooms. At about 8.00pm, the wives would take the children home, and the men stayed behind for sex party in the dining rooms. Sacred prostitutes were found at many shrines, and Corinth had temple with Shrine prostitutes.
3. Do not test the LORD (10:9)
9 We should not test the Lord, as some of them did– and were killed by snakes.
Israel’s testing the LORD in times of dire need showed a mindset of unbelief and rebellion. They treated the God who saved them with contempt. They questioned God’s goodness and were ready to reject Him for food and water. To reject God for material gains is the very essence of idolatry. Paul’s references of the OT, “Do not test the LORD!” exhorted the Corinthians to trust and to obey their invisible God when pressured by idolaters to compromise their faith. The idea of “testing” God is to see how far one can go; and also to test how loving the LORD can be. Unfortunately, many Christians today have negated God’s attributes of Holiness, when they proclaimed the Love of God. But when they read about God’s judgment in the OT, they lose faith and tell others “God is bad.”
4. Do not grumble against the LORD’s prohibitions (10:10)
10 And do not grumble, as some of them did– and were killed by the destroying angel.
The Israelites in the wilderness had a long history of grumbling.
One ridiculous incident of grumbling is seen in Numbers 11:4-6:
4 The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, “If only we had meat to eat! 5 We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost– also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. 6 But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!”
They grumbled not because God had ill-treated them. They grumbled because they were ungrateful. Instead of saying “Thank you, LORD!” They filed many unreasonable complaints against God.
As Paul exhorts the Corinthians, “Do not attend idol-feast”; “Do not attend sex parties at the temple”; he could imagine the Corinthians grumbling. “Aiyah! Being a Christian, here cannot go; there cannot go; and this cannot do; that also cannot do – so boring! Better to be dead than alive!”
So, Paul tells them, “Don’t you test the LORD!” “Do not grumble like the Israelites”
Then God sent plagues and consuming fire to wipe out those ungrateful complaint-kings and complaint-queens. Angels were the agents who carried out God’s judgment.
The Apostle Paul warned church-goers who anchored their faith on a wrong foundation.
12 So, if you think you are standing firm,
be careful that you don’t fall!
Be careful if you think that you are “protected” because of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. The Sacraments do not have magical power to save.
Jesus Christ is the solid ground of our faith. Salvation is not the result of our participation in sacred rituals. Salvation is a gift that transpired from our relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
In verse 7, Paul cautions the Corinthians “Do not be idolaters” now in verse 14, he seriously warned the Corinthians to flee from idolatry.
14 Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry.
The concept of idolatry is expressed in three inter-related forms:
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