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Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents
8:1-11:1 Food Offered to Idols. Because pagan temples offered parts of animals in sacrifice to the gods, they also often functioned as butcher shops and banqueting halls. Sometimes meals for trade guilds, clubs, and private dinner parties were held in a temple dining room. Often meat from a temple was sold to the public in the marketplace. This section of 1 Corinthians gives clear guidance about the use of such food. Paul first urges the Corinthians not to eat in pagan temples (8:10) because it might lead to the destruction of a weaker brother or sister (ch. 8). He then offers himself as an example of giving up something one is convinced is a right for the spiritual edification of others (ch. 9). He urges the Corinthians not to eat in pagan temples because doing so is idolatry (10:1-22). Finally, he says that eating meat purchased in the marketplace (which may have come from a pagan temple) is not wrong unless it hinders the advancement of the gospel (10:23-11:1).
8:1 food offered to idols. In Greek, this phrase is one word (eidōlothytos, lit., "something offered to an idol"). Paul is talking about food, however, because he uses the word for "food" (Gk. brōsis) in v. 4. Since only part of an animal was used in sacrifices to pagan gods, much of the animal could still be eaten. Paul speaks later in this chapter of eating such food in a banqueting hall attached to a temple and therefore in an explicitly religious setting (v. 10). Pre-Pauline evidence of such temple banquets at Corinth is found at the Sanctuary of Asklepios and at the Sanctuary of Demeter and Kore, and such feasting likely continued during Paul's day. "all of us possess knowledge." Quotation marks have been supplied to indicate that this statement probably originated with the Corinthians and that Paul is responding to it (cf. 1:12; 3:4; 6:12, 13; 7:1; 8:4; 10:23). What the Corinthians "know" is explained in 8:4. puffs up. Once again, Corinthian arrogance is seen as a problem (see also 3:21; 4:6, 8, 18-19).
8:3 known by God. God knows those who belong to him (13:12; John 10:14; Gal. 4:9; 2 Tim. 2:19), and there is a close bond between belonging to God and sharing love for God and neighbor (1 John 3:16; 4:20).
8:4-6 Paul agrees with what the Corinthians know, that idols do not represent real "gods" and "lords." There is only one God, and since he is the creator of the animals that pagan priests offer to nonexistent gods, no problem should be attached to the consumption of the meat itself (see also 10:19-20, 25-26). Paul will later distinguish between eating at a temple dinner (which, as a religious event, is idolatry) and eating meat bought in the marketplace. So far in this passage he is concerned only with the food itself, not the setting in which it is eaten.
8:7 The pagans of Paul's day feared what the gods might do to those who neglected to worship them. Some of the Christians in Corinth probably found it a constant struggle to place their trust solely in Christ instead of trying to placate the gods they used to worship.
8:8 Those who had the supposedly superior "knowledge" (vv. 1, 4) that permitted them to participate in dinners held at pagan temples may have thought that this knowledge gave them special standing with God.
8:9 this right of yours. Paul is speaking from the Corinthians' perspective. He will later deny that anyone in the Corinthian church has the right to eat meals in pagan temples. To do this is to practice idolatry and so to open oneself to the influence of demons (10:7, 14, 20-22). Even if they had the right to eat in temples they should refrain from using this right out of concern for the spiritual well-being of the person whose conscience is weak (8:7). stumbling block. See Rom. 14:13, 20.
8:10-11 eating in an idol's temple. See notes on 8:1-11:1; 8:1. Paul elsewhere uses destroyed (Gk. apollymi) to mean eternal destruction (Rom. 2:12; 1 Cor. 1:18; 15:18; 2 Cor. 2:15; 4:3; 2 Thess. 2:10), and some interpreters take Paul's use of the term here in the same sense. Others see this as a reference to the moral harm done to the weaker brother (his conscience "is defiled," 1 Cor. 8:7).
9:1 Am I not free? Paul offers his own willingness to give up his rights for the spiritual benefit of the Corinthians as an example that those with superior "knowledge" (8:1-2) should follow (see 10:23-11:1).
9:2 seal. Seals in the ancient Near East were used to guarantee the quality and authenticity of a document (such as a letter) or product (such as wine); see note on John 6:27. The change that Paul's preaching of the gospel effected in the hearts of the Corinthians shows that his apostleship is genuine. See also 2 Cor. 1:21-22; 3:3.
9:4-5 right. Paul used the same word (Gk. exousia) in 8:8 for the supposed "right" of Corinthians with superior "knowledge" to eat meals in pagan temples. As an apostle whose primary vocation was proclaiming the gospel and establishing churches, Paul had the right to receive material support from those churches (see Matt. 10:9-10; Luke 10:7; 1 Thess. 2:6-7; 2 Thess. 3:9; 1 Tim. 5:17-18) and to travel with a wife (if he were married). to take along a believing wife. Paul was not married but he had a high regard for marriage among ministers of the gospel (see 1 Tim. 3:2; 4:3; Titus 1:6). None of the brothers of the Lord followed him prior to his resurrection (John 7:5). The risen Lord appeared, however, to his brother James (1 Cor. 15:7; cf. Matt. 13:55; Mark 6:3; Gal. 1:19), who later became the leading figure in the Jerusalem church (Acts 12:17; 15:13; 21:18; Gal. 2:9, 12). Jesus also had a brother named "Judas" (Matt. 13:55; Mark 6:3), and this is probably the same person who authored the Letter of Jude (or Judas) and calls himself "the brother of James" (Jude 1).
9:6 Barnabas was a Jewish Christian from the priestly tribe of Levi, a native of the island of Cyprus, and an early member of the Jerusalem church (Acts 4:36). He and Paul joined forces on Paul's first missionary journey (Acts 13:1-14:28).
9:7 With three examples from everyday life, Paul observes the commonsense principle that those who work hard should benefit from their labor.
9:8-9 The gospel has brought important changes in the application of the Mosaic Law to the lives of God's people (7:19; see also the articles on Biblical Ethics), but it remains God's Word and therefore continues to instruct Christians about God's character and scale of values.
9:12a others. Probably a reference to those listed in v. 5 who had traveled through Corinth and received material support from the Corinthians while ministering there.
9:15 I have made no use. Paul occasionally did receive material support from churches for his proclamation of the gospel (2 Cor. 11:8; Phil. 2:25; 4:14-18), but he appears never to have received such support from the Christians in the immediate geographical location in which he was working at any given time (2 Cor. 11:7-8). boasting. Paul uses this word not in its usual sense of pride that steals glory from God (see 1 Cor. 1:29) but rather as expressing a rightful sense of joy and fulfillment in what God has done through him (e.g., see Acts 14:27; Rom. 15:17-19; 2 Cor. 1:14; 10:7-8; Gal. 6:4; Phil. 2:16; 2 Tim. 4:7-8).
9:17 stewardship. This term (Gk. oikonomia) refers to the responsibility of managing a household. Paul uses it metaphorically to say that God has entrusted him with a responsibility to which he must be faithful, whether he benefits from it materially or not. That responsibility is to proclaim the gospel and share its blessings (v. 23). (See also Eph. 3:2, 9.)
9:18 free of charge. Paul preached the gospel in urban centers where itinerant orators were a common sight. Some of them openly used their rhetorical skills to seek fame and fortune. Other more philosophically inclined teachers proclaimed self-discipline and verbally despised the world but sometimes actually pocketed large sums from their followers as they moved from town to town. Paul seeks to distinguish himself from such preachers (cf. 1 Thess. 2:3-5, 9-10). It is recorded elsewhere that Paul used his manual labor to set an example of hard work for new Christians, some of whom had a tendency to take advantage of the charitable impulses of the larger group (1 Thess. 4:11; 5:14; 2 Thess. 3:6-9).
9:20 I became as a Jew. Paul was a Jew (2 Cor. 11:22; Gal. 1:13; Phil. 3:5) and valued his Jewish heritage (Rom. 9:3-5), but the Jewish Messiah himself had nullified the distinctively Jewish parts of the Mosaic law (Matt. 15:11; Mark 7:19; Rom. 14:14; 1 Cor. 7:19; Gal. 2:11-14; 6:2; Eph. 2:14-15). In Christ, God had created a newly defined people where there was no distinction between Jew and Gentile (Acts 15:9; Rom. 3:22; 10:12; 1 Cor. 10:32). became as one under the law. Paul was willing to adopt the Jewish way of life temporarily to gain a hearing among Jews (Acts 16:3; 21:17-26), but his ethnicity no longer defined his existence (Phil. 3:3).
9:21 those outside the law. Outside the Mosaic law, which defined the Jewish way of life. not . . . outside the law of God . . . the law of Christ. Paul seems to distinguish between the Jewish law and something he calls alternately "the commandments of God" (cf. 7:19) and "the law of Christ," which is of continuing validity for Christians, whatever their ethnicity. This second law appears to include the ethical teaching of Jesus as well as absorbing both the theological structure and many of the moral precepts of the Mosaic law. (See, e.g., Rom. 7:7, 12, 22; 13:8-10; Gal. 5:14; 6:2; Eph. 6:2; see also the articles on Biblical Ethics.) This "law of Christ" today would also include the moral commands of the NT epistles, since in them the apostles interpreted and applied Christ's life and teachings to the NT churches.
9:22 To the weak I became weak. This is the attitude that Paul wants those in Corinth with superior "knowledge" to adopt toward the "weak" in their midst (cf. 8:9-13).
9:24-27 Paul frequently uses athletic metaphors to describe the rigors and single-minded focus of his apostolic work to pursue the advancement of the gospel (see also Phil. 3:12-14; 2 Tim. 4:7-8). The extended metaphor is particularly apt in a letter to Corinth, which was the location of the biennial Isthmian games, at that time second in fame only to the Olympic games. Paul's stay in Corinth during his second missionary journey (Acts 18) may have overlapped with the games in either . The perishable wreath was a crown (Gk. stephanos) of foliage (and therefore quick to wither) which was given to the victor in a public athletic contest. Paul thinks of his congregations as the victor's crown that he will wear on the final day (Phil. 4:1; 1 Thess. 2:19).
9:26 Like an athlete, Paul has a single-minded goal: to bring as many people as possible, from whatever station in life, to faith in the gospel (vv. 19-23).
9:27 This verse has a long history of misinterpretation in terms of punishing one's own body as a means of spiritual discipline. Paul's language, however, is governed both by the athletic metaphor of the previous two verses and by the physical demands of his apostolic work (4:9, 11-13; 2 Cor. 4:8-12; 6:3-10; 11:23-12:10; 1 Thess. 2:1-2, 9; 3:7-8). Just as an athlete goes through physical training that is sometimes uncomfortable in order to attain the goal of victory, so Paul endures physical and emotional hardship, and gives up his right to material support, for the gospel's advancement. (See 1 Cor. 9:12 and 2 Cor. 6:1-10.) Disqualified (Gk. adokimos, "not approved, not standing the test") in this context means "disqualified from receiving rewards" (see 1 Cor. 9:24-26).
10:1 For connects vv. 1-22 to what Paul has been saying about giving up personal rights for the sake of the gospel (chs. 8-9). The example of Israel's experience in the wilderness should warn the Corinthians of what can happen to people who hear God's words and see his works but do not come to true faith. our fathers. Most of the Corinthians were Gentiles, but Paul assumes continuity between them and OT Israel. The cloud . . . the sea refers to the generation of Israelites that God delivered from slavery in Egypt and led through the wilderness (Ex. 13:17-14:31).
10:2 baptized into Moses. God provided a cloud to lead Israel out of Egypt (Ex. 13:17-22). He also used Moses to part the Red Sea and enable Israel to escape the pursuing Egyptians, who then drowned in the water when God (through Moses) closed it over them (Ex. 14:1-31). Paul interprets these events as analogous to being "baptized into Christ" (Rom. 6:3; Gal. 3:27).
10:3-4 spiritual food . . . drink. Paul is referring to God providing Israel with bread from heaven ("manna," Exodus 16) and water from a rock. This rock appears both at the beginning of their wanderings in the desert (Ex. 17:1-7) and near the end (Num. 20:2-13). Rabbinic exegesis from after Paul's time surmised that the rock followed the Israelites throughout their wanderings. This understanding of the rock may have been current in Paul's time. If so, Paul's claim that the Rock following them was both spiritual and Christ shows that he did not believe that a physical rock traveled with the Israelites, but that Christ (in spiritual form) was ever-present with them: he was there to supply their need for water, and there to judge those who tested him (1 Cor. 10:9). "Rock" is a common OT name for God (e.g., Deut. 32:4, 15, 18, 30-31), and this probably facilitated Paul's identification of the rock with Christ.
10:5 overthrown. Because of their disobedience and grumbling against God, the Israelite generation that experienced God's miraculous deliverance from Egypt and his provision of bread and water did not see the Promised Land. (See Num. 14:22-23, 29, 37; 26:64-65.) Though they had seen many of God's miracles, only a few had genuine faith (see Heb. 3:16-19; 4:2).
10:7 idolaters. Paul begins to make the case that eating in the temple of a pagan god is not actually the "right" that the Corinthians imagined (8:9-10) but is participation in "the table of demons" (10:21) and idolatry. For a Christian to eat meals in such temples is to follow the unhappy example of the Israelites. They benefited from God's redemptive work but still fell into worship of the local gods (Ex. 32:1-6).
10:8 sexual immorality. Glancing back to his discussion of sexual immorality in 5:1-13 and 6:12-20, Paul reminds the Corinthians that God punished the wilderness generation of Israelites for the same sin. See Num. 25:1-9. twenty-three thousand. Numbers 25:9 says "twenty-four thousand." Both are fair approximations, rather than an exact number, of the people who died, which probably was all that either writer intended.
10:9 Christ. Paul sees Christ as spiritually present with God's people in OT times (see note on vv. 3-4; cf. Jude 5). The Israelites tested Christ ("God" in Num. 21:5) by becoming "impatient" with his provision of water and food.
10:10 grumble. See the grumbling and divine judgment in Num. 11:1; 14:1-38; 16:11-35. The Destroyer is not mentioned in Numbers, although Paul apparently views the angel who executed God's judgment during the exodus as the destroying agent in these instances also (Ex. 12:23; Heb. 11:28).
10:11 See v. 6; 9:10; Rom. 15:4. In saying that these things happened, Paul affirms even minor details of the OT, thus indicating his complete confidence in the truthfulness of every detail of the OT Scriptures. Paul's confidence thus supports the doctrine of biblical inerrancy. The OT Scriptures point toward the end of the ages, the age in which the Corinthian Christians are living. Cf. Heb. 11:39-40; 1 Pet. 1:10-12. example. On the examples ("types") in the OT, see Overview of the Bible.
10:12 thinks that he stands. Perhaps a reference to the Corinthians' mistaken "knowledge" that they have the right to eat in an idol's temple (8:9-10).
10:13 will not let you be tempted beyond your ability . . . will also provide the way of escape. Even when Christians face morally confusing situations, they should never think that they have no options other than sinful ones. There will always be a morally right solution that does not require disobedience to any of God's moral laws.
10:14 Therefore, . . . flee from idolatry. This is the point toward which Paul has been moving throughout ch. 10. The Corinthians cannot participate in idolatry and then think that they will receive eternal life on the last day (see notes on 6:16-18; 10:7; 10:8).
10:16 cup of blessing . . . we bless. (See 11:23-26 and notes.) Paul refers to the cup in the Lord's Supper. Jesus gave thanks for the cup (Matt. 26:27; Mark 14:23; Luke 22:17); the earliest Christian observance of the Lord's Supper imitated this custom. Participation (Gk. koinōnia) sometimes refers to fellowship with Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 1:9) or the Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 13:14; Phil. 2:1); sometimes it means aligning oneself with someone else's plight or cause (Rom. 15:26; 2 Cor. 8:4; 9:13; Gal. 2:9; Phil. 1:5; 3:10). Since this context emphasizes the incompatibility of participating in meals in pagan temples and participating in the Lord's Supper (1 Cor. 10:21), Paul probably means that those who eat the Lord's Supper align themselves with Jesus, share his sufferings (see Phil. 3:10), and benefit from his death. (See also note on 1 Cor. 10:18.)
10:17 one bread . . . one body. After Jesus gave thanks for and broke the bread, he said, "This is my body which is for you" (11:24). The church is also Christ's body (see also 12:12, 27; Eph. 1:22-23; 4:15-16; 5:23, 29-30). The Lord's Supper, therefore, is an occasion when members of the church declare their unity with each other because of their common unity with Christ.
10:18 participants. Greek koinōnoi, a term closely related to koinōnia (see note on v. 16). The altar in the OT was a table on which food was sacrificed to God, and the priests ate from the offerings (see, e.g., Lev. 6:17-18; 7:32-35). The altar, therefore, provided an apt analogy to "the table of the Lord" (1 Cor. 10:21) since in both instances the benefits of the table belonged to the priests, inasmuch as believers in Christ are priests to God (1 Pet. 2:9; Rev. 1:6).
10:19-20 Paul knows that demons delight in the worship of any "god" but the one true God and therefore take a special interest in idolatry. In Deut. 32:17-18 sacrifice to false gods, called "demons" there, is contrasted with worship of God, who is called "the Rock" (cf. 1 Cor. 10:4). False religions are not merely the result of human imagination and human energy but generally have demonic power behind them. Not everything that seems "supernatural" is from God.
10:22 God's jealousy is not the sinful emotion of envy that characterizes human jealousy. It is God's righteous concern to protect the truth that he is the Creator of the universe and that he alone, not "gods" of human invention, deserves human praise. Those who worship idols provoke God's jealousy and receive his wrath, as Israel had experienced in the wilderness. (See Ex. 20:4-5; Deut. 4:23-24; 5:8-9; 6:14-15; 29:18-20; 32:16, 21.)
10:23-11:1 Paul now begins to address a different issue entirely from the problem that has consumed his attention in ch. 8 and 10:1-22. Those sections dealt with eating meals in pagan temples, but this section deals with meat previously sacrificed to idols being eaten in private homes, especially the home of an unbeliever (10:27-30). The principles Paul has developed in ch. 9, however, still apply. Paul wants the Corinthians to act toward others in a way that will not inhibit the advance of the gospel.
10:27 without raising any question. The Christian is not to question the host about whether the food being served had ever been involved in pagan rituals. Such questions are theologically unnecessary (vv. 25-26), and because they could be perceived as rude, they violate the principle of vv. 23-24 and 9:19-23.
10:28 someone says. This person may be:
10:31 do all to the glory of God. Every aspect of every Christian's life has the potential to honor God.
11:1 imitators of me. See note on 4:16; see also Phil. 3:17; 4:9; 2 Thess. 3:7-9; 2 Tim. 3:10-12.
