Sunday, June 22 – 1 Corinthians 10, 11

1. For what purpose did God command that His Word be written? (1 Corinthians 10:11)

2. What encouraging promise about God’s faithfulness does Paul record? (1 Corinthians 10:13)

3. What beautiful exhortation does Paul make in 1 Corinthians 10:31?

4. How can we distinguish between cultural counsel or admonitions and enduring principles in the Bible? (1 Corinthians 11:4–15)

Paul warns the Corinthians against relying on a profession of faith based solely on family ties, tradition, or shared past experiences. One can be part of the church, partake in its blessings and history, and still have a heart far from God. This was true for the Israelites delivered from Egypt: “They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea… they all ate the same spiritual food… and drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness” (1 Corinthians 10:2–5, NKJV).

While he warns against spiritual complacency to “him who thinks he stands,” in verse 13 he offers a beautiful promise: God is faithful and will not allow us to be tempted beyond our ability, but with the temptation will also provide a way of escape.
The apostle warned against carelessness and compromise with the practices of the world, saying, “Flee from idolatry.” The Corinthians enjoyed participating in the festivals, celebrations, and banquets held in the temples of the pagan city. Some justified it by saying, “an idol is nothing.” They likely said this as a sign of understanding and spiritual maturity. Paul stated that behind these celebrations was the demonic: “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons.” (1 Corinthians 10:21)

The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary explains:

“Paul’s counsel to the Corinthians, who were debating how far a Christian could go in relation to the temples of idols, their amusements, and their food, is a good recommendation for Christians of all times. Idolatry may appear in many forms, including the covetousness of gain, the desire to dominate others, the indulgence of various carnal appetites, and the excessive craze for pleasure. The dangers involved in associating with those who do not love or obey God are so great that the Lord urges His people to avoid close contact with them. No one is strong enough to expose himself needlessly to contact with ‘idolatry’ in any of its forms and not be contaminated.” (SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 6, p. 784, on 1 Corinthians 10:14; see also Acts of the Apostles, p. 255)

Paul closes chapter 10 with a clear principle for all believers: “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31, NKJV).

In chapter 11, Paul begins by discussing a controversy in the church at Corinth regarding the proper way for men and women to worship. The Greek custom dictated that a man should uncover his head during worship, while the Jewish culture held the opposite view. In both cultures, women were expected to cover their heads.

The principle involved in the argument is modesty and reverence in worship. Although Paul provides biblical reasoning, he highlights how this principle was applied within the culture of his time in Corinth. In each country or culture, the principle manifests differently. There are cultures where the appropriate way for a man to attend church is by wearing a skirt, and others where a woman must wear a hat and gloves. In any culture, reverence is the principle that applies.

The Commentary clarifies Paul’s intent:

“We may therefore understand that Paul in 1 Cor. 11:4–16 is reasoning with the Corinthians in regard to the principle of decency and religious propriety in terms of the peculiar customs of those days. Based, then, on the reasonable deduction that Paul is here dealing with the application of a principle as affected by the custom of a certain country at a certain time, we may accept his words as literal and meaningful, without concluding that the specific application he made of that principle at that time must be applied in exactly the same way today.” (SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 6, p. 778, on 1 Corinthians 11:4)

May everything we do glorify the Lord and bless those around us.