Temptation and Faithfulness: Lessons from 1 Corinthians 10

1 Corinthians 10 can be read in its entirety here.

Back in chapter 8 of 1 Corinthians, Paul introduced the topic of personal liberty as Christians, Paul here continues his teaching where he pointed out the practice and value in setting aside his rights for the sake of an uncompromised gospel message and for others.

The example here he gives to drive in this teaching is the nation of Israel. The rescued Israelites were led by a cloud and were witness to a miraculous rescue through the parting of the red sea, they were sustained through supernaturally provided spiritual food (manna) and water, both symbolic of Christ. Despite all of that, they grumbled against God. They committed idolatry and sexual sin. All of their actions pointing to being unfaithful to God.

With the newfound liberty that the Israelites experienced after being witness to profound miracles of recue, provision and guidance along with the consistent presence of God, the people in the wilderness quickly resorted to grumbling and complaining. Paul gives two specific situations where the people displeased God by committed idolatry and sexual sin (detailed out in Numbers 25) with the Moabite women and as a consequence to their actions, God sends a plague where in about 24,000 of them die. The next example that Paul mentions is detailed out in Numbers 21 when the people complained “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!” The Lord then send venomous snakes and as a result many Israelites died.

Paul mentions these examples for the Corinthian church to pay heed and learn from the Israelites failures. And it very much applies to us today. Even though Idolatry and the pagan ways were normalised in the culture around them, just as the Corinthian Christians were set apart, so are we and our ways are not meant to mirror that of the culture around but be God honouring and pleasing to the Father. Even though they were used to pagan ways and they were surrounded by it, thankfully, God did not leave them to face temptations on their own and neither does he leave us on our own. He is faithful. He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able. He will also make a way of escape that you may be able to bear it.

God gives us a way to escape the temptation. You and I, we need to look for the way, and take it, and remove ourselves from it as quickly as possible. The temptations are going to come. We were taught to pray, lead us not into temptation. The Lord will never personally, himself, lead us into temptation. But he does allow Satan, he allows us to be in the world, controlled by Satan. And so, we do get tempted. But no temptation has overtaken us but such as is common to man.

Paul further cautions that the one who presumes to stand strong in the face of all this temptation, take heed, lest he fall. It could simply be stated this way – You are not as strong as you think you are, to think Oh! I can handle that temptation. It is good to have confidence. But it’s misplaced if it’s all self-confidence. It is rather God confidence we rely on, we trust in the strength God gives us, we should be strengthened by God working through us to enable us to stand strong.

When it comes to associating with idols, even with the freedom as believers, Paul warns to exercise caution, citing the example of how one participates in communion and through it participate in the body and blood of Christ, This being a symbolic way of remembering what He did for us and being connected to Christ. The sacrifice of pagans offered are to demons, not to God and therefore Paul cautions to not be participants with demons. It is not that man-made idols themselves have any power, but the demons lurking behind them do. Paul urges the Christian to be discerning rather than paranoid in the participation of any food offered to idols, such that one’s conscience is clear, and it does not lead another to stumble and sin by giving any appearance that a Christian approves of the worship of idols.

The Corinthian Christians were urged to keep their focus on God and not give themselves to idolatry and sexual immorality. And this very principle applies to us too, for our ways to be separate such that they are reflective of God and it does not mirror the norm in the culture that we are the midst of.

In the end, every Christian’s choice even with the freedom through Christ that we possess should be based on whether it brings glory to God, does it serve as a powerful witness by building and edifying others, whether it is beneficial even though allowed for the person itself and if in any capacity it would control the person.

God Bless.