By Randall L. Broad
Read: Nehemiah 9:22-10:39; 1 Corinthians 9:19-10:13; Psalm 34:1-10; Proverbs
21:13
In our reading from the New
Testament today, Paul warns the church in Corinth of the cost of those who test
God, indulge in idolatry, sexual immorality, and are ungrateful for the
blessings they receive. His warning comes in the form of a history lesson of
sorts–Paul reminds them of all that was endured by the Israelites in the time
of Moses and after his warning he assures them of victory in their own struggle
against the same temptations.
Corinth was a center of Hellenic life inhabited by the
descendants of the Roman colonists who settled there in 46 B.C., a large Greek
population, a body of Jews and Gentile converts to Judaism, and many other
nationalities drawn by a variety of business, religious, and cultural reasons.
Paul had first arrived in Corinth on his second missionary journey (Acts 18).
He stayed about a year and a half preaching in the synagogue each Sabbath until
his efforts exhausted his welcome and he turned his attention to the Gentiles
for the remainder of his stay (Acts 18:6).
First he reminds them …
1For I do not want you to be
ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under
the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. 2They were all
baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3They all ate the
same spiritual food 4and drank the same spiritual drink; for they
drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. 5Nevertheless,
God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the
wilderness.
1 Corinthians 10:1-5
Paul first refers to the cloud (Exodus 14) that led his Jewish
ancestors from slavery in Egypt and
through the Red Sea (v. 1) by which they were baptized into Moses (v.2). The language reminds the Jews in Corinth
they were united under Moses just as the Christians are unified under Jesus in
the New Covenant. This concept of unity for Paul was the idea of a community
which arose through the baptism of a shared experience, as well as the sharing
of the same spiritual food … and the same
spiritual drink (vv. 3-4). But here Paul goes beyond the conventional
teaching of the mana that fell from the heavens and the water that flowed from
the rock (exodus 15-16) as events that foreshadowed the Christ. The
significance of this understanding for Paul is their ancestors were always
under the sovereignty of Christ and the faithful–not just the obedient–were and
are the inheritor of God’s redemption. Of course, this was beyond Old Testament
understanding rooted in the Law and so Paul comforts them that though their bodies were scattered in the
wilderness (v.5) for they failed to please God … that they did not suffer
in vain.
Their end had meaning because …
6Now these things occurred as
examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 7Do
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 revelry.” 8We should not
commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand
of them died. 9We should not test Christ, as some of them did—and
were killed by snakes. 10And do not grumble, as some of them did—and
were killed by the destroying angel.
1 Corinthians 10:6-10
Paul was a Pharisee who understood Jewish Scripture was a
corpus, a living revelation to the enduring presence of God. As such Paul
believed every event recorded in Israel’s history was a written testament to
the sacrifices and sufferings of God’s people, prophets, and kings. Now after
the Damascus Road, Paul understood every temptation, test, and struggle of the
people of the Old Testament prepared the way for the incarnation, the baptism,
and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. All the great heroes of the Bible had
been tempted, tested, and struggled to prepare the way for the coming of the
Messiah: Noah, Job, Abraham, Joseph, David, and many others. And … Paul knew
temptation, tests, and struggles in his own life as did all the faithful whose
life he touched. Paul’s epistle is intended to remind the Corinthians though
the Israelites were under the ordinances of Moses Law they were not guaranteed
salvation and their shortcomings were the same as his readers: idolatry (v. 7),
sexual immorality (v. 8), and rejection of divinely appointed leaders (vv.
9-10). In the backdrop of the culture and decadence that was Corinth, the
belief emerged amongst the faithful that baptism and the Lord’s Supper
guaranteed salvation and they could live without fear of divine judgment.
Paul’s warning to the Corinthians is intended to rebuke them
of this false idea.
11These things happened to them
as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination
of the ages has come. 12So, if you think you are standing firm, be
careful that you don’t fall! 13No temptation has overtaken you
except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be
tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also
provide a way out so that you can endure it.
1 Corinthians 10:11-13
There is also a deeper meaning here. Paul reminds his
readers … These things happened to them
as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination
of the ages has come. Theirs is an
example and warning that echoes down to us in the modern age. But in the
concluding verses of this passage Paul assures them–and us–that temptation is a
common condition of mankind, but God is our strength, and He is all we need to
endure it. It is important to note there are different Christian perspectives
of temptation found in the believer’s view of man’s fallen nature. The negative
view of temptation tells us we are weak people who have no chance against the
forces of the world that threatens to draw us into sin and evil. The positive
view of temptation is one of tests that challenges a person to draw closer to
God, grow spiritually, and ultimately serves the greater good. How you
understand temptation is dictated by your worldview and your understanding of
scripture.
The Corinthians had a cosmopolitan worldview which shaped
their behavior and religion; often clashing with what Paul was teaching. Like
all religious people they believed ritual and ceremony (baptism and the Lord’s
Supper) was the important thing in worship. Their everyday behavior was not
important so long as they practiced their religious rites. Their view of
temptation was one of indifference. This attitude is common today. Humanity
today surrenders to sin and evil because they believe there is no other choice.
Christians blame their fallen nature and non-believers justify their behavior
through reason. Both lack a sound understanding of scripture. Paul knew
scripture well and had a Christ-centered worldview. He knew from his training
that despite the temptation, tests, and struggles of the Israelites ritual and
ceremony could not guarantee salvation. For Paul understood temptation will
come, that it will help you grow spiritually, and it ultimately serves the
greater good if endured with faith.
Walk with the Lord …
Ephesians 1:17
(RLB230815)
©
Copyright 2018: Randall L. Broad.
Disclaimer: This commentary is written by Randall L. Broad.
It is in no way affiliated with or represents any denomination, university,
church, or pastor. Any errors or omissions are purely my responsibility.
