1 Corinthians 10:14-11:1

New Testament for Everyone

The table of the Lord and the table of demons

¹⁴ Therefore, my dear people, run away from idolatry. ¹⁵ I’m speaking as to intelligent people: you yourselves must weigh my words. ¹⁶ The cup of blessing which we bless is a sharing in the Messiah’s blood, isn’t it? The bread we break is a sharing in the Messiah’s body, isn’t it? ¹⁷ There is one loaf; well, then, there may be several of us, but we are one body, because we all share the one loaf.

¹⁸ Consider ethnic Israel. Those who eat from the sacrifices share in the altar, don’t they? ¹⁹ So what am I saying? That idol-food is real, or that an idol is a real being? ²⁰ No: but when they offer sacrifices, they offer them to demons, not to God. And I don’t want you to be table-partners with demons. ²¹ You can’t drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You can’t share in the table of the Lord and the table of demons. ²² Surely you don’t want to provoke the Lord to jealousy? We aren’t stronger than him, are we?

Do everything to God’s glory

²³ “Everything is lawful,” but not everything is helpful. “Everything is lawful,” but not everything builds you up. ²⁴ Nobody should seek their own advantage, but the other person’s instead.

²⁵ Eat whatever is sold in the market without making any judgments on the basis of conscience. ²⁶ “The earth and its fullness,” after all, “belong to the Lord.” ²⁷ If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner, and you want to go, eat whatever is put in front of you without making any judgments on the basis of conscience. ²⁸ But if someone says “This was offered in sacrifice,” then don’t eat it—because of the person who told you about it, and because of conscience, ²⁹ by which I don’t mean your own conscience, but your neighbor’s. For why should my freedom be condemned by someone else’s conscience? ³⁰ If I eat my share gratefully, why should someone else speak evil of me because of something I’ve given thanks for?

³¹ So, then, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do everything to God’s glory. ³² Be blameless before Jews and Greeks and the church of God, ³³ just as I try to please everybody in everything, not pursuing my own advantage, but that of the great majority, so that they may be saved.

11 Copy me, just as I’m copying the Messiah.