1 Corinthians 10:10-27

¹⁰We should not complain about what God does. Some of them did that, and as a result an angel destroyed them. So God will certainly punish us if we sin like they did.

¹¹All those things that happened to our ancestors long ago are examples for us. Moses wrote those things to warn us who are living at this time which is near the end. We are the people for whom God has done the things that he decided to do in the previous periods of time.

¹²So I say this to all those who confidently think that they will always steadfastly continue to believe what God said and will never disobey what he commanded: Be careful that you (sg) do not sin when you are tempted.

¹³Remember that your desires to sin are the same desires that other people have. But when you are tempted to sin, you can trust God to help you. He will not permit you to be tempted {anything to tempt you} more than you are able to resist. Instead, when you are tempted {things tempt you}, he will also provide a way for you to endure it without sinning.

¹⁴So, I say to you people whom I love, avoid worshipping idols just like you would run away from anything that is dangerous.

¹⁵It is to people who think that they are wise that I write. So, you, as wise people, judge whether what I am writing is true.

¹⁶During the Lord's Supper, after we ask God to bless ◄the wine/the juice► in the cup, we give thanks for it and drink it. By doing that, we certainly are RHQ sharing in what Christ did for us when his blood flowed from his body when he died. During the Lord's Supper, when we break the bread and eat it, we are certainly sharing in MTY what Christ did for us when his body suffered for us on the cross. RHQ

¹⁷Because it is one loaf of bread that we break and eat during the Lord's Supper, it symbolizes that we who are many are one group, because we all eat from the one loaf.

¹⁸Consider what happens when the Israeli people eat the food that the priests sacrifice on the altar outside the Temple. They participate in what the priests do at MTY the altar. RHQ Similarly, if you eat food that non-believers have offered to an idol in a temple, you are participating in their worship of the idol there.

¹⁹By saying that, I do not mean that offering food to an idol makes it anything more than just ordinary food RHQ. I do not mean that an idol is anything more than just an idol.

²⁰No! Instead, I mean that what people sacrifice to idols, they are sacrificing to demons, not to God. So, if you eat food that has been sacrificed to idols, you are participating in worshipping the demons that the idols represent. And I do not want you to participate in worshipping demons!

²¹When you drink the grape juice/wine in MTY the cup at the Lord's Supper, you cannot participate in the blessings that the Lord Jesus brought to us and at the same time drink the wine in the MTY cup that people offer to demons! When you eat at the Lord's table, you cannot participate in the blessings the Lord provided MTY when he died for us and at the same time participate in the things that represent demons by eating food that has been sacrificed to idols

²²If you participate in honoring demons in that way, you will certainly make the Lord very angry RHQ! ◄Remember that you are certainly not stronger than he is./Do you think that you are stronger than he is?► RHQ Certainly not, so you will not escape his punishing you if you honor demons in that way!

²³Some people say, “ God permits believers to do anything.” But I say that not everything that people do benefits those who do it! Yes, some people say, “God permits believers to do all things.” But not everything that people do helps them to become spiritually mature.

²⁴No one should try to benefit only himself. Instead, each person should try to benefit other people spiritually.

²⁵This is what you should do: Eat any food that is sold {that people sell} in the market. Do not ask questions to find out if that food has been offered { someone offered that food} to idols, just because you think it would be wrong to eat such food.

²⁶Remember that the Psalmist wrote, “Everything on the earth belongs to the Lord God because he created it!” So, food that has been offered to idols belongs to the Lord, not to the idols, and you may eat it.

²⁷If a non-believer invites you to a meal, go if you want to, and eat any food that is set {that he sets} before you. Do not ask whether it was offered to idols, just because you think that it would be wrong to eat such food.