I Corinthians 10 · The Lantern

Warnings from Israel’s Past

For I do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea,

Thou wilt notice, too, that the transgressions of the common people have been described in like manner, not for the sake of those who did then transgress, but as a means of instruction unto us, and that we should understand that it is one and the same God against whom these men sinned, and against whom certain persons do now transgress from among those who profess to have belie…

Then he comes to other illustrations again. And as above he alleged the examples of the Apostles and those of common custom and those of the priests, and his own, so also here having set forth those of the Olympic games and those of his own course, he again proceeds to the histories of the Old Testament.

Concerning the allegory of the Head, Paul writes: "I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized in Moses, in the cloud and in the sea.

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

and all ate the same spiritual food,

The divine apostle also, in calling the Lord "spiritual food and drink," suggests that he knows that human nature is not simple, but that there is an intelligible part mixed with a sensual part and that a particular type of nurture is needed for each of the elements in us—sensible food to strengthen our bodies and spiritual food for the well-being of our souls.

Paul calls the food supernatural because it gave those who ate it the power of the Holy Spirit. However, it did not of itself make them spiritual people.

As we, upon receiving baptism, partake of the Body of the Master, so the Israelites, after crossing through the sea, ate manna (Exod. 16:4, 15); and as we drink the Blood of the Master, so they drank water from the solid rock (Exod. 17:6).

and all drank the same spiritual drink; for they were drinking from the spiritual rock following them, and the rock was Christ.

The priests indeed, and the ministers of the word, are good; but the High Priest is better, to whom the holy of holies has been committed, and who alone has been entrusted with the secrets of God. The ministering powers of God are good. The Comforter is holy, and the Word is holy, the Son of the Father, by whom He made all things, and exercises a providence over them all.

This surely referred not to his divinity but to his flesh, which flowed over the hearts of the thirsting people with the perpetual stream of his blood.

Nevertheless God was not well pleased with most of them, for they were strewn down in the wilderness.

Still further did He also make it manifest, that we ought, after our calling, to be also adorned with works of righteousness, so that the Spirit of God may rest upon us; for this is the wedding garment, of which also the apostle speaks, "Not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up by immortality." But those who have indeed been cal…

"For they were overthrown," saith he, "in the wilderness." Declaring by this word both the sweeping destruction, and the punishments and the vengeance inflicted by God, and that they did not so much as attain to the rewards proposed to them.

Although God showed them many signs of love and deemed them worthy of very many blessings, nevertheless in the majority of them He did not find what was pleasing to Himself, "was not well pleased." For not all were rejected, but many.

Now these things have become types to us, for us not to be desirers of evil things, even as they also desired.

Where now is necessity, and what they call fortune or fate? What plague awaits the redeemed from death, after their eternal pardon? What wrath is there for the reconciled, after grace? What weakness, after their renewed strength? What risk and danger, after their salvation?

"Now these things were figures of us." For as the gifts are figures, even so are the punishments figures: and as Baptism and the Table were sketched out prophetically, so also by what ensued, the certainty of punishment coming on those who are unworthy of this gift was proclaimed beforehand for our sake that we by these examples might learn soberness.

Just as the blessings, so also the punishments of the Jews were types. He shows that sinners among Christians will not only be punished, but much more than the Jews, since the blessings of the latter were types, while the good things of the former are the reality, and as in gifts the advantage is on the side of Christians, so also in punishments.

Neither become idolaters, even as some of them, as it has been written: “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to revel.”

For the law is the training of refractory children. "Having feasted to the full," accordingly, it is said, "they rose up to play;" senseless repletion with victuals being called fodder, not food.

"Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, 'the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.'" Do you hear how he even calls them "idolaters?" here indeed making the declaration, but afterwards bringing the proof. And he assigned the cause too wherefore they ran to those tables; and this was gluttony.

First he addresses those who ate in idol temples, and shows that just as the Israelites fell from gluttony into idolatry (for, having formed choruses around the calf, they played before it), so also for you who out of gluttony partake of food sacrificed to idols, there is a danger of becoming idolaters. Where, then, is your supposed perfection, when you are close to idolatry?

Neither should we commit sexual immorality, even as some of them committed sexual immorality, and twenty-three thousand fell in one day.

Neither should we test Christ, even as some of them tested and were destroyed by the serpents.

Neither grumble, just as some of them grumbled and perished by the Destroyer.

Now these things were happening to them typologically, and were written for our admonition, to whom the ends of the ages have come.

Thus, too, He imposed upon the [Jewish] people the construction of the tabernacle, the building of the temple, the election of the Levites, sacrifices also, and oblations, legal monitions, and all the other service of the law.

"Now all these things happened unto them by way of example; and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come." Again he terrifies them speaking of the "ends," and prepares them to expect things greater than had already taken place.

He frightens them also in the case when he says that this was written as instruction for us, that we too must expect punishments, and all the more terrible ones the greater the gifts we have been deemed worthy of, and also when he presents to them the end of the age, and declares that the torments that will seize you are not temporal but endless after the end.

Therefore let the one thinking he has stood take heed lest he fall.

Moreover, we do not prejudge when the Lord is to be the judge; save that if He shall find the repentance of the sinners full and sound, He will then ratify what shall have been here determined by us.

[Syncletica] also said, 'We have no security in this world. The Apostle said, "Let him that thinks he stands, take heed lest he fall" (1 Cor. 10:12). We are sailing on uncharted seas, as the psalmist David said, "Our life is like a sea." Yet some seas have dangerous reefs, some are full of sharks, some seas are calm.

Because humility is the dwelling place of grace, the grace of the Holy Spirit rests upon the humble alone. Whence Augustine, in the third book of On Christian Doctrine: "For this reason the sins of great men were written down, so that that apostolic saying might everywhere be feared: Wherefore let him who seems to stand take heed lest he fall.

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also provide the escape, to be able to endure it.

I commend the Churches, in which I pray for a union both of the flesh and spirit of Jesus Christ, "who is the Saviour of all men, but specially of them that believe;" by whose blood ye were redeemed; by whom ye have known God, or rather have been known by Him; in whom enduring, ye shall escape all the assaults of this world: for "He is faithful, who will not suffer you to be te…

Thus, because he terrified them greatly, relating the ancient examples, and threw them into an agony, saying, "Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall;" though they had borne many temptations, and had exercised themselves many times therein; for "I was with you," saith he, "in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling:" lest they should say, "Why terrify and…

With the words "let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall" he frightened them. Meanwhile, there were those who had already endured many temptations. Lest such people say: "why do you frighten us?

Flee from Idolatry

Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.

I speak as to sensible ones; judge for yourselves what I say.

The cup of blessing that we bless — is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break — is it not a participation in the body of Christ?

What injury do we inflict upon you, O Greeks? Why do you hate those who follow the word of God, as if they were the vilest of mankind?

"The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a communion of the Blood of Christ?" What sayest thou, O blessed Paul? When thou wouldest appeal to the hearer's reverence, when thou art making mention of awful mysteries, dost thou give the title of "cup of blessing" to that fearful and most tremendous cup? "Yea," saith he; "and no mean title is that which was spoken.

The blessing, that is, the thanksgiving. For, holding the cup in our hands, we bless and give thanks to Him Who poured out His Blood for us and deemed us worthy of ineffable blessings. He did not say "participation" (μετοχή), but "communion" (κοινωνία), in order to express something greater, namely the closest union.

Because there is one loaf, we the many are one body; for we all partake of the one loaf.

Wherefore every soul which receives that bread which comes down from heaven is the house of bread, that is, the Bread of Christ, being nourished and supported and having its heart strengthened by that heavenly bread which dwells within it. Hence Paul also says, For we being many are one bread.

So by bread you are instructed as to how you ought to cherish unity. Was that bread made of one grain of wheat? Were there not, rather, many grains? However, before they became bread, these grains were separate. They were joined together in water after a certain amount of crushing.

That is why it also constitutes a unity. How then shall we not preserve love and not be in union because of this? God gives us His Body precisely in order to unite us both with Himself and with one another.

Consider Israel according to the flesh: are not those eating the sacrifices fellow partakers in the altar?

What then do I mean? That an idol-sacrifice is anything, or that an idol is anything?

Rather, that what they sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God; and I do not wish you to be fellow partakers with demons.

For the truth shall be spoken; since of old these evil demons, effecting apparitions of themselves, both defiled women and corrupted boys, and showed such fearful sights to men, that those who did not use their reason in judging of the actions that were done, were struck with terror; and being carried away by fear, and not knowing that these were demons, they called them gods,…

So what am I saying, that something is sacrificed to an idol? Not that an idol is something; but those who sacrifice, sacrifice to demons. An idol is truly nothing; because an image appears of a dead thing: but under the cover of idols the devil is worshipped.

For if those who partake of the mystical table become communicants with Christ, then those who participate in the demonic table obviously are in communion with demons.

You are not able to drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you are not able to partake of the table of the Lord and of the table of demons.

Nor do we dislike the temples less than the monuments: we have nothing to do with either altar, we adore neither image; we do not offer sacrifices to the gods, and we make no funeral oblations to the departed; nay, we do not partake of what is offered either in the one case or the other, for we cannot partake of God's feast and the feast of devils.

But the ways in which this garment may be spotted are these: If any one withdraw from God the Father and Creator of all, receiving another teacher besides Christ, who alone is the faithful and true Prophet, and who has sent us twelve apostles to preach the word; if any one think otherwise than worthily of the substance of the Godhead, which excels all things;— these are the thi…

In the form of an exhortation he said: "I do not want you to be in communion with demons." Lest this exhortation be disregarded, he now expresses the same thought in a negative form: "You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons." By the names alone he proves that one must necessarily abstain from food offered to idols.

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

In the Apostle also it is written: "Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?" And where we have "we provoke the Lord to jealousy", in certain copies it is written "we provoke the Lord". In that passage he said these things where he disputes about sacrifices and about the things offered to idols.

Then, speaking also to their sense of shame, "Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than He?" i.e., "Are we tempting Him, whether He is able to punish us, and irritating Him by going over to the adversaries and taking our stand with His enemies?" And this he said, reminding them of an ancient history and of their fathers' transgression.

He says this as a reproach to them. Are we really to test and provoke God, whether He can punish us when we go over to the side of His enemies?

All to God’s Glory

All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify.

Truly, "all things are lawful, but all things are not expedient," says the apostle: "all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not." And, "Let no one seek his own advantage, but also that of his neighbour," so as to be able at once to do and to teach, building and building up.

"All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. Let no man seek his own, but each his neighbor's good." Seest thou his exact wisdom?

Your behavior, as I have said before, is beneficial neither for you nor for your brother. For it does not edify him, but rather upsets him and perverts his faith. If there is no benefit either for you or for your brother, then why should you do this?

Let no one seek his own good, but that of the other.

And for those who are aiming at perfection there is proposed the rational gnosis, the foundation of which is "the sacred Triad." "Faith, hope, love; but the greatest of these is love." Truly, "all things are lawful, but all things are not expedient," says the apostle: "all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not." And, "Let no one seek his own advantage, but also tha…

It is true that anyone who is an idolater will seek what pleases him alone. He will place scandals in the way of the weaker brother's conscience. This is why we ought to be quick to resist doing just what we want to do, for the love of Christ and for the salvation of our neighbors.

Do not only keep in mind whether you eat with a clean conscience, but also whether your action edifies your brother. In many places in his epistles he sets this forth as a matter of the utmost necessity. He does not forbid seeking one's own benefit in general, but only when it is harmful to a brother. For in such a case we must place his benefit above our own and choose it.

Eat everything being sold in the meat market, inquiring nothing on account of conscience;

Wherefore daintiness is to be shunned, and we are to partake of few and necessary things. "And if one of the unbelievers call us to a feast, and we determine to go" (for it is a good thing not to mix with the dissolute), the apostle bids us "eat what is set before us, asking no questions for conscience sake." Similarly he has enjoined to purchase "what is sold in the shambles"…

Having said that "they could not drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of the devils," and having once for all led them away from those tables, by Jewish examples, by human reasonings, by the tremendous Mysteries, by the rites solemnized among the idols; and having filled them with great fear; that he might not by this fear drive again to another extreme, and they be forced, ex…

He confirmed with many arguments that they must abstain from food sacrificed to idols. But lest they again become overly scrupulous beyond what is necessary and begin refusing what is sold in the marketplace out of fear that it might be food sacrificed to idols, he says: eat everything that is sold, without investigating the sellers, without inquiring whether what is sold is fo…

for the Lord’s is the earth and its fullness.

If any of the unbelieving invites you and you wish to go, eat everything set before you, inquiring nothing on account of conscience;

"If one of them that believe not biddeth you," saith he, "to a feast, and you are disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake." See again his moderation. For he did not command and make a law that they should withdraw themselves, yet neither did he forbid it. And again, should they depart, he frees them from all suspicion.

He said well: "you wish"; for he himself did not want either to advise or to disadvise. Do not investigate at all, so that in excessive scrupulousness you do not show fear before idols, and so that you keep your conscience clean and undisturbed.

but if anyone says to you, “This is a temple-sacrifice,” do not eat, on account of him who showed it and the conscience —

and I mean the conscience not your own, but that of the other. For why is my freedom judged by another’s conscience?

"But the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof." For conscience' sake, then, we are to abstain from what we ought to abstain. "Conscience, I say, not his own," for it is endued with knowledge, "but that of the other," lest he be trained badly, and by imitating in ignorance what he knows not, he become a despiser instead of a strong-minded man.

"Conscience, I say, not thine own, but the other's." But perhaps some one may say, "The brethren indeed, as is natural, thou sparest, and dost not suffer us to taste for their sakes, lest their conscience being weak might be emboldened to eat the idol sacrifices. But if it be some heathen, what is this man to thee?

Freedom he calls indiscriminateness and lack of restraint by prohibition. I, he says, will eat freely and without discrimination, but the pagan will condemn me and say: the faith of Christians is vain; they say that they abhor idols, yet they eagerly eat what is sacrificed to them.

If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denigrated for that which I give thanks?

Paul is saying that an idolater can have it both ways. On the one hand, he can glory in his idols, and on the other hand he can attack the apostle for eating what has been sacrificed to them, even if the latter does so after giving thanks to God. Such a person has an excuse for remaining in his error and sets a bad example to the brethren.

"If I by grace partake, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks?" "Of what dost thou 'by grace partake?' tell me." Of the gifts of God. For His grace is so great, as to render my soul unstained and above all pollution.

I, he says, for my part freely make use of God's creatures, by the grace of God, which has so established and strengthened me that I observe nothing. But the pagan will speak evil of me, as though I avoid idols out of hypocrisy, yet eat what is offered to them in sacrifice out of gluttony.

Whether therefore you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all things to the glory of God.

Flee evil arts; but all the more discourse in public regarding them. Speak to my sisters, that they love the Lord, and be satisfied with their husbands both in the flesh and spirit. In like manner also, exhort my brethren, in the name of Jesus Christ, that they love their wives, even as the Lord the Church.

Let all the things which you undertake and accomplish have this root and foundation, namely, that they tend to the glory of God.… When Paul said "If you do anything" ["whatever you do"], he has enclosed our whole existence in a single word, desiring that we never perform any act of virtue with an eye to human glory.

All things, he says, do to the glory of God: for by your present conduct God is not glorified, but rather blasphemed. And someone eats and drinks to the glory of God when he does not cause anyone to stumble by it, and does it not out of gluttony or love of pleasure, but in order to prepare his body for the practice of virtue; and in general, someone does every deed to the glory…

Be without offense both to Jews and to Greeks and to the church of God —

But the same apostle elsewhere bids us take care to please all: "As I," he says, "please all by all means." No doubt he used to please them by celebrating the Saturnalia and New-year's day! [Was it so] or was it by moderation and patience? by gravity, by kindness, by integrity?

For the hearts of men are firmly set on evil. And, that we may not give a pretext to those who desire to get a pretext against us and to speak evil of us, and that we may not be a stumbling-block to any one, on this account we cut off the pretext of those who desire to get a pretext against us; on this account we must be "on our guard that we be to no one a stumbling-block, nei…

That is, do not give anyone any occasion for reproach. And this will be the case when we do not cause offense to either Jew or Greek, and still less to the brethren, for they are the "church of God." Take note.

even as I also please all in all things, not seeking my own profit, but that of the many, that they may be saved.

If we reject the repentance of those who have some confidence in a conscience that may be tolerated; at once with their wife, with their children, whom they had kept safe, they are hurried by the devil's invitation into heresy or schism; and it will be attributed to us in the day of judgment, that we have not cared for the wounded sheep, and that on account of a single wounded…

The apostle says in a certain place, "If I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ;" and the same apostle says in another place, "I please all men in all things," and adds the reason, "Not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved."...

Since he had shown them guilty of causing harm to Gentiles and Jews and had commanded them a great thing, in order to show the ease of this matter, he puts forward himself as an example. And that he did not seek his own benefit is evident from much of what was said before, for example: "I became all things to all men" (1 Cor.

I Corinthians10

Warnings from Israel’s Past

Flee from Idolatry

All to God’s Glory