New Living Translation

New King James Version

Lessons from Israel’s Idolatry

I don’t want you to forget, dear brothers and sisters,a about our ancestors in the wilderness long ago. All of them were guided by a cloud that moved ahead of them, and all of them walked through the sea on dry ground.

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Old Testament Examples

Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea,

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In the cloud and in the sea, all of them were baptized as followers of Moses.

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all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,

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All of them ate the same spiritual food,

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all ate the same spiritual food,

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and all of them drank the same spiritual water. For they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them, and that rock was Christ.

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and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.

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Yet God was not pleased with most of them, and their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.

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But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.

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These things happened as a warning to us, so that we would not crave evil things as they did,

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Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.

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or worship idols as some of them did. As the Scriptures say, “The people celebrated with feasting and drinking, and they indulged in pagan revelry.”b

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And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.”

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And we must not engage in sexual immorality as some of them did, causing 23,000 of them to die in one day.

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Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell;

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Nor should we put Christc to the test, as some of them did and then died from snakebites.

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nor let us [a]tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents;

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And don’t grumble as some of them did, and then were destroyed by the angel of death.

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nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer.

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These things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age.

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Now [b]all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our [c]admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.

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If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall.

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Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.

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The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.

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No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to [d]bear it.

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So, my dear friends, flee from the worship of idols.

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Flee from Idolatry

Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.

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You are reasonable people. Decide for yourselves if what I am saying is true.

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I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say.

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When we bless the cup at the Lord’s Table, aren’t we sharing in the blood of Christ? And when we break the bread, aren’t we sharing in the body of Christ?

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The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the [e]communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?

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And though we are many, we all eat from one loaf of bread, showing that we are one body.

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For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.

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Think about the people of Israel. Weren’t they united by eating the sacrifices at the altar?

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Observe Israel after the flesh: Are not those who eat of the sacrifices [f]partakers of the altar?

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What am I trying to say? Am I saying that food offered to idols has some significance, or that idols are real gods?

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What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything?

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No, not at all. I am saying that these sacrifices are offered to demons, not to God. And I don’t want you to participate with demons.

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Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons.

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You cannot drink from the cup of the Lord and from the cup of demons, too. You cannot eat at the Lord’s Table and at the table of demons, too.

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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.

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What? Do we dare to rouse the Lord’s jealousy? Do you think we are stronger than he is?

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Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?

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You say, “I am allowed to do anything”d — but not everything is good for you. You say, “I am allowed to do anything” — but not everything is beneficial.

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All to the Glory of God

All things are lawful [g]for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things [h]edify.

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Don’t be concerned for your own good but for the good of others.

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Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being.

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So you may eat any meat that is sold in the marketplace without raising questions of conscience.

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Eat whatever is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience’ sake;

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For “the earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it.”e

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for “the earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness.”

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If someone who isn’t a believer asks you home for dinner, accept the invitation if you want to. Eat whatever is offered to you without raising questions of conscience.

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If any of those who do not believe invites you to dinner, and you desire to go, eat whatever is set before you, asking no question for conscience’ sake.

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(But suppose someone tells you, “This meat was offered to an idol.” Don’t eat it, out of consideration for the conscience of the one who told you.

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But if anyone says to you, “This was offered to idols,” do not eat it for the sake of the one who told you, and for conscience’ sake; [i]for “the earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness.”

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It might not be a matter of conscience for you, but it is for the other person.) For why should my freedom be limited by what someone else thinks?

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“Conscience,” I say, not your own, but that of the other. For why is my liberty judged by another man’s conscience?

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If I can thank God for the food and enjoy it, why should I be condemned for eating it?

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But if I partake with thanks, why am I evil spoken of for the food over which I give thanks?

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So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

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Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

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Don’t give offense to Jews or Gentilesf or the church of God.

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Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God,

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I, too, try to please everyone in everything I do. I don’t just do what is best for me; I do what is best for others so that many may be saved.

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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.

Parallel

New Living Translation

New King James Version

1 Corinthians 10

1 Corinthians 10