1I want you to know, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same supernatural (spiritual) food and drank the same supernatural (spiritual) drink. For they drank from the supernatural (spiritual) Rock which followed them, and that Rock was Christ. (What is he talking about? Where did St. Paul get this kind of stuff that he's discussing? Sounds an awful lot like he's making an anology to what 'our fathers' did and what we are to do, namely, partaking of Jesus' body and blood in the Eucharist to be sustained and nourished.) Nevertheless with most of them God was not pleased; for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
6Now these things are warnings to us, not to desire evil as they did (Numbers 11:4 & 34). Do not be idoloters as some of them were; as it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to dance (Exodus 32:4 & 6)." We must not indulge in immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. We must not put the Lord to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents (Numbers 21:5-6); nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer (Numbers 16:41 & 49). Now these things happened to them as a warning, but they were written down for our instruction, upon whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your strength, but with the temptation will also provide the way to escape, that you may be able to endure it.
14Therefore, my beloved, shun the worship of idols. I speak as to sensible men; judge for yourselves what I say. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation (koinania ,communion or sharing) in the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a participation (koinania ,communion or sharing) in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread (i.e. the eating of the body of Christ, sound like John 6?). Consider the practice of Israel; are not those who eat the sacrifices partners in the altar? (Sounds like Paul is equating these sacrifices with the sacrifices of the Christian community, doesn't it?) What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be partners with demons (Deuteronomy 32:17). You cannot drink the cup of the Lord with the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he? (Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy because communion is not the real and actual Body and Blood of Jesus broken and poured out for us? It does make for a nice fiction. Truth be told, communion is the actual and real body and blood, soul and divinity of Jesus, broken and shed for us.)
23"All things are lawful," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful," but not all things build up. Let no one seek his own good, but the good of the neighbor (Like the man caught and robbed by theives about which Jesus told us?). Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience. For "the earth is the Lord's, and everything in it." If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go (Interaction with pagans? YES!), eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience. (But if some one says to you, "this has been offered in sacrifice," then out of consideration for the man that has informed you, and for conscience ' sake -- I mean his conscience, not yours -- do not eat it.) For why should my liberty be determined by another man's scruples? If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks?
31So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I try to please all men in everything I do, not seeking my on advantage, but that of the many, that they may be saved. (If you are thinking this has nothing to do with Eucharist or the actual Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, maybe you ought to read the sciptures in context. In other words, read chapter 11 and the rest of scripture in light of this.)
1 Corinthians 10:1-33 (Revised Standard Version)
My notes are in parenthesized italics.
