1 Corinthians 10 - Introduction

The sacraments of the Jews are types of ours, and their punishments examples for us. We must flee from idolatry. We must not make the Lord's table the table of devils: and in things indifferent we must have regard for our brethren.

Anno Domini 57.

THE Apostle's design in this chapter cannot be rightly understood, unless we suppose the Corinthians, in their letter, to have put three questions to him concerning meats sacrificed to idols. First, Whether they might innocently go with their heathen acquaintance into the idol's temple, and partake of the feasts on the sacrifices which were eaten there in honour of the idol? Secondly, Whether they might buy and eat meatssoldinthemarkets,which had been sacrificed to idols? Thirdly, Whether, when invited to the houses of the heathens, theymight eat of meats sacrificed to idols, which were set before them as a commonmeal?—To the first of these questions, the apostle answered chap. 8: That their joining the heathens, in their feasts on the sacrifices in the idol's temple, even on the supposition that it was a thing in itself innocent, might be a stumbling-block to their weak brethren, in which case it ought to be avoided; but whether such a practice were a thing innocent or sinful in itself, he did not on that occasion consider. In this chapter, therefore, he resumed the subject, that he might treat of it fully, and answer the other questions proposed to him by the Corinthians relative to that matter.
The false teacher, to free the brethren from their scruples respecting the feasts on the sacrifices in the idol's temple, had I suppose told them, that their knowledge and profession of the gospel rendered them so much the objects of the favour of God, that he would not be displeased with them, if, to gain the favour of the heathens, and to save themselves from persecution, they partook of the heathen feasts in the idol's temple. He added, that whatever influence their eating of these sacrifices might have to pollute them, assuredly their baptism, but especially their eating the Lord's supper, would have a greater influence to sanctify them.

The confutation of these fallacious arguments, the Apostle brought from what happened to the Israelites, the ancient visible people of God. They were led out of Egypt under the cloud, and made to pass through the red sea in a miraculous manner, 1 Corinthians 10:1.—By being in the cloud and in the sea, they were all baptized into the belief that Moses was commissioned by God to deliver them. 1 Corinthians 10:2.—They all ate the same spiritual meat, and drank the same spiritual drink, 1 Corinthians 10:3.—In short, they enjoyed all the external privileges belonging to the people of God in those times. And, therefore, if external privileges could have secured those who possessed such advantages from displeasing God, the Israelites must always have continued the objects of his favour. Nevertheless, they refused to go into Canaan; forwhich sin God was so exceedingly displeased with them, that he destroyed them all in the wilderness, except Caleb and Joshua, 1 Corinthians 10:5. To bring these things home to the Corinthians, the apostletold them, that the sins which brought destruction on persons so high in favour with God in respect to external privileges, are examples to mankind in every age, to prevent them from lusting after the pleasures of the table, as the Israelites lusted after the flesh-pots of Egypt, 1 Corinthians 10:6.—and from becoming idolaters, as many of them became, when, dancing round the altar which Aaron had raised, they worshipped the golden calf in the frantic manner in which the heathens worshipped their idols, 1 Corinthians 10:7.—and from committing fornication, as many of them did with the daughters of Moab, for which twenty-three thousand of them were slain in one day, 1 Corinthians 10:8.—and from tempting Christ by distrusting his care, as the Israelites tempted God by speaking against him and against Moses, for bringing them out of Egypt to die in the wilderness; and for that great sin were destroyed by serpents, 1 Corinthians 10:9.—and from murmuring at the restraints laid on them bythe gospel, and at the sufferings to which they were exposed in their passage to heaven, as the Israelites murmured, on account of the difficulties they had to encounter in taking possession of Canaan, and were destroyed, 1 Corinthians 10:10.—All these things, the Apostle told the Corinthians, happened to the Israelites as examples, and are written for our instruction, that we may avoid courses which proved so destructive to them, 1 Corinthians 10:11.—The fornication of the Israelites with the daughters of Moab, was mentioned to the Corinthians on this occasion with singular propriety, because the Moabitish women tempted the Israelites, by inviting them to partake of the sacrifices of their gods; the very thing which the Apostle was exhorting the Corinthians to avoid.

As the foregoing facts, recorded in the Scriptures, were set before the Corinthians, to shew them how dangerous it is for persons who enjoy great external privileges, to fancythat their sins are not displeasing to God, the Apostle drew this conclusion from the whole: wherefore, let him who thinketh he standeth firm in the favour of God, take heed lest he fall, 1 Corinthians 10:12.—and by taking notice, that the Corinthians were exposed to none but common temptations, he insinuated that there was no reason for their being anxious to gain the favour of the heathens; especially as God, who has promised to assist his people, is faithful, and will not suffer them to be tempted above what they are able to bear; or with the temptation will make a passage for them out of it, 1 Corinthians 10:13.—In short, idolatry having proved so ruinous to the ancient Israelites, the Apostle earnestly exhorted the Corinthians to flee from it, 1 Corinthians 10:14.

But the false teacher, it seems, had told the Corinthians, that theirpartaking with the heathens in their feasts on the sacrifices in the idol's temple, was not idolatry in persons who knew that an idol was nothing in the world, because to such it was only a common meal. In what follows, therefore, the Apostle proved, that such an action was a real worshipping of the idol, on whose sacrifice they feasted. And to draw the attention of theCorinthians to what he was going to say, he told them he would speak to them on that subject as to wise men, (an appellation of which the Greeks were exceedingly fond,) and desired them to judge impartially, of what he should say to them, 1 Corinthians 10:15.—Do not we, said he, who are the disciples of Christ, consider our joint drinking of the cup in the Lord's supper, as a symbol of our joint partaking of the benefits procured by the shedding of the blood of Christ? And our joint eating of the loaf in the Lord's supper, as a symbol of our joint partaking of the benefits belonging to the body or church of Christ? 1 Corinthians 10:16.—And because there is one loaf used in the Lord's supper, we the many who partake of it are thereby declared to be one body or society, under the government of one head, and to be animated by the same principles, and to follow the same practices, 1 Corinthians 10:17.—The Jews, likewise, entertain the same sentiments, with respect to those who join in their religious services. Do they not hold, that the persons who eat of the sacrifices offered to the God of Israel, are joint partakers of his altar; that is, join in the worship performed to him on the altar, and partake of the benefits procured by that worship? 1 Corinthians 10:18.—By parity of reason, they who in the idol's temple eat of the sacrifices offered to the idol, are justly considered by the heathens as joining in the worship of their gods, and as declaring their desire, jointly to share with them in the blessings which their gods are supposed to bestow. Nay, they consider them as holding communion with them, both in their principles and practices. This application of the argument, indeed, the Apostle has not made; but in the following verse he supposes his readers to have made it: for he adds, what then do I affirm, namely, when I say that your eating the sacrifices of idols is a joint participation in their worship? Do I affirm that an idol is a God? or that the sacrifices offered to idols, are sacrifices to beings who are gods? 1 Corinthians 10:19.—By no means. But I affirm that the sacrifices which the heathens offer, they offer to demons; that is, to the souls of dead men and to evil spirits, neither of which are gods; since they have no power in the government of the universe, as the heathens fancy. And I would not have you to be joint partakers with the worshippers of demons, either in their principles, their practices, or their expectations, 1 Corinthians 10:20.—Besides, the worship of the true God is incompatible with the worship of demons; for it consists in holy dispositions, and virtuous actions. Whereas the worship of demons consists in vile affections, lewdness, and all manner of debauchery. Therefore, ye cannot consistently partake of the table of the Lord, and of the table of demons, 1 Corinthians 10:21.—Some of you pretend, that ye eat the sacrifices of idols, to shew your belief that an idol is nothing. But I reply, ye thereby provoke the Lord to jealousy, because by the heathens your eating of these sacrifices is considered as an honouring and worshipping of the idol. Now, before ye give the heathens reason to think that you pay to their idols the honour which is due to Christ, ye should know that ye are stronger than Christ, to defend yourselves against his wrath, 1 Corinthians 10:22.

With respect to the questions, whether the meats sacrificed to idols, which were sold in the markets, might be eaten by Christians; and whether they might eat of these meats in the houses of the heathens, when set before them as a common, not as a religious meal, the Apostle observed, first, that although under the Gospel all meats are lawful to every person, all meats are not expedient for every person. And even in cases where they are expedient, the eating of them may not tend to the edification of others, 1 Corinthians 10:23.—Secondly, that in the use of meats, we ought to study not our own advantage only, but the advantage of our neighbour also, 1 Corinthians 10:24.—And having laid down these principles, he desired the Corinthians to eat whatever was sold in the shambles, without inquiring whether they had been sacrificed to idols or not; because they knew that idols have no dominion over the world, but that the earth is the Lord's, and all that it contains, 1 Corinthians 10:25.—And if a heathen invited them to his house, and they were inclined to go, they were to eat whatever was set before them, asking no questions for conscience sake; because by no reasonable construction could that action be considered as a worshipping ofidols, even though the meat they were going to eat, had been sacrificed to an idol, 1 Corinthians 10:27.—But if, on such an occasion, either a heathen, or a Jew, or a weak Christian, should say to them, this is meat sacrificed to an idol, they were to abstain from it, on account of the weak conscience of him who shewed it; because by shewing it, he declared that he considered the eating of that meat as a partaking in the worship of the idol to whom it had been offered, 1 Corinthians 10:28.—If thou reply, why should my liberty be governed by another's opinion? and, seeing God hath allowed me to eat all kinds of meat, why should I be blamed for eating any particular meat, for which I give God thanks? 1 Corinthians 10:29.—My answer is, for the very reason, that by the free gift of God all his good creatures are bestowed on thee, thou art bound in eating and drinking, as in all thy actions, to consult the glory of God, who has commanded thee, even in indifferent actions, to consider what may be good for the edification of others, 1 Corinthians 10:31.—I therefore exhort you, in using your Christian liberty, to become no occasion of stumbling, either to the Jews, or to the Gentiles, or to the church of God, 1 Corinthians 10:32.—This is the rule I myself follow; not seeking my own advantage only, but the advantage of others also, that they may be saved, ver.33.—And ye should become imitators of me in this disinterestedness, even as I also am therein an imitator of Christ, chap. 1 Corinthians 11:1.—By telling the Corinthians that he followed this rule, and that in following it, he imitated the disinterestedness of Christ, he insinuated, that the behaviour of the false teacher was of a different kind. He regarded only his own gratification and profit, and had no regard to the advantage of others.