| 1 Corinthians 10 Previous Chapter | Next Chapter 1 Moreover, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant that all our forefathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2 And were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 And all ate the same spiritual food; 4 And all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of the spiritual Rock that followed them; and that Rock was Christ. 5 But God was not well pleased with many of them, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. 6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they lusted. 7 Neither should you be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play." 8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and twenty three thousand fell in one day. 9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them tempted, and were destroyed by serpents. 10 Neither should you complain, as some of them complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer.1 11 Now all these things happened to them as examples; and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world have come.2 [Note! the ends of the world "have come" is past tense. The end of the world is a personal experience that occurs when you have crucified your sinful nature on the inward cross of self-denial.] 12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands, take heed lest he fall. 13 For no temptation has overtaken you but what is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it. 14 Therefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.3 [Paul tells us that covetousness is idolatry. So whatever we want or value, we worship; and how one spends their free time defines their devotion. From the Word of the Lord within: "you must learn to hate everything you worship."] 15 I address you, considering you to be wise men; judge what I say. 16 The cup of blessing which we bless, does it not signify that we share a fellowship in the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, does it not signify that we share a fellowship in the body of Christ?4 17 For we, being many, are one body because we are all partakers of the one bread. 18 Look at Israel. Do not those who eat the sacrifices, share in the altar? 19 Then what am I saying? Is the idol is anything, or is food that had been sacrificed to idols, anything? 20 But I say, that the things, which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God; and I would not that you should have fellowship with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of demons. You cannot be partakers of the Lord's table and of the table of demons. 22 Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he? 23 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not profitable; all things are lawful for me, but all things do not edify or contribute positively. 24 Let no one seek his own good, but everyone seek the other's instead. 25 Eat whatever is sold in the markets, asking no question for conscience sake. 26 For the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof. 27 If any of those who do not believe should ask you to a feast, and you are disposed to go; eat whatever is set before you, without questioning because of your conscience. 28 But if any man should say to you, "This has been offered in sacrifice to idols" Do not eat it, for the sake of him who disclosed it, and for his conscience's sake; even though for us, all the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof. 29 I am saying for the sake of the other man's conscience, not your own. For why should my liberty be judged based on another man's conscience? 30 For if I eat with thanksgiving, how can I be criticized for eating anything that I have given thanks for? 31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything to the glory of God. 32 But, offend no one; neither the Jews, nor the Gentiles, nor the church of God. 33 Just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved. Previous Chapter | Next Chapter | |||||||||
1 Christendom! Wake up. People were killed in the Old Testament as an indelible example for us to avoid the same.
Paul is warning all believers that God will destroy them IF:
You must repent, you must sin no more. For if you live according to the flesh, [the sinful nature], you will die; but if through the Spirit you mortify [put to death] the deeds of the body, you shall live. Rom 8:13.
Paul tells us that covetousness is idolatry, Eph 5:5. So whatever we want or value, we worship. From the Word of the Lord within: "you must learn to hate everything you worship." Idolatry is covetousness or valuing anything equal to or greater than God, and the way one spends their free time defines their devotion. The Lord has also told us that walking according to our own imagination is worse than worshipping stone or wooden idols, Jer 16:11-12, for in doing so we make ourselves our own god.
2 What end of the world? As Jesus said to his disciples: I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. Mat 28:20. John writes: And the world passes away and disappears, and with it the forbidden cravings (the passionate desires, the lust) of it; but he who does the will of God and carries out His purposes in his life abides (remains) forever. 1 John 2:17. This is the end of their spiritual journey, which is the end of the world, as they are translated into the Kingdom of Heaven, a parallel dimension. And you shall be hated by all men for my name's sake: but he who endures to the end shall be saved. Mat 10:22. The end of their current life, at the beginning of their new life. And the end is to enter union with Christ an to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The world passes away from our sight when the Kingdom is entered. From the Word of the Lord within: "The world ends as you step into another dimension. You can live in heaven and still walk the earth."
3 Flee from idolatry. Idolatry is covetousness, wanting anything other than God. Idolatry is valuing anything equal to or greater than God. What we value, we worship. From the Word of the Lord within: "you must learn to hate everything you worship;" and how one spends their free time defines their devotion. To desire something is to expect by possession to become happy; in effect we are worshiping anything we want. Further, the Lord has told us that walking according to our own imagination is worse than worshipping stone or wooden idols, Jer 16:11-12, for in doing so we make ourselves our own god, worthy in our carnal mind of anything we desire.
4 Examining the various translations of verse 16 from the parallel display above, you can see the confusion that existed between the various translators. Unfortunately this confusion contributed to the rise to the "communion ritual " in the sects. When in fact, the bread and wine were taken at the conclusion of a supper meal, eaten together by a group of believers, (not during a rehearsed, scheduled, sect ritual that supposedly grants godliness); along with the specific instructions of Jesus: "as often as you do this, [that is: eat a meal, and after the meal, then break bread, eat it, and share wine] do it in remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes. 1 Cor 11:25-26. The deficit sects have twisted these very specific instructions to make a "sect ritual" of them; without a meal eaten together, and without a clue as to what "until he comes" means. Christ is telling us to remember that his death made it possible for his body and blood to be shared with us by faith; that is, he made it possible for himself [Jesus in spirit] to be resurrected in us. His resurrection to occur at the conclusion of the death of our sinful nature on the inward cross of self-denial, when he appears within us, (unseen by the world, without visible sign or observation), bringing our salvation and the Kingdom, as Christ and the Father make their home in the hearts of those who have shown their love by obeying his commands.
The worst superstitious practice comes from the Roman sect believing that their mass with bread and wine eaten is a necessary sacrifice for sins. Francis Howgill addresses this abomination of belief, which counts the blood shed by Jesus as an insufficient atonement for sins:
Her [the Roman sect's) un-bloody sacrifice of their mass is of no benefit at all; for where no shedding of blood is, there is no remission. Heb 9:22; therefore her [the Roman sect's] sacrifice is abominable, and is an idol.
That the sacrifice of the mass is entirely useless, must be obvious to all who receive the doctrine of the apostles: "By one offering Christ has perfected forever all those who are sanctified." Heb 10:14. "CHRIST is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world."1 John 2:2. "There remains no more sacrifice for sins." Heb 10:26. From these doctrines the ineffectiveness of penances is also obvious; and it is evident that a dependence upon them and masses for expiation from sin, and for acceptance with God is idolatrous; because those who trust in them look to other objects for propitiation for their sins and acceptance with God, than the One which God has set forth, which is Christ: Rom 3:25, by whom alone we have access to the Father. John 14:6.
The Greek Orthodox Eucharist is also filled with magical superstition. They believe that the bread and wine are a fire that devours and burns away our sins, and should it be taken without before fasting, (from sunset Saturday until after taking it), prayer, and confession, it can become a fire that devours and consumes us if we partake of it unworthily.
The Lutherans also follow their Roman Catholic mother, superstitiously believing that the wine and bread are actually transformed into Christ's body and blood, which when eaten, fills them with heavenly peace and joy, gives them forgiveness of sins, and sanctifies them in body and soul, (makes them holy).
There is no end to man's inventions of ceremony and ritual that stem from his superstitious imagination.
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