THIS chapter follows from the previous two. The church in Corinth had the problem of relating to worldly life all around them, and specially to the practice of idol worship, and that this permeated the whole of the society at Corinth. In seeking to relate to this culture with their new found faith, many different approaches were being put forward under the heading of Christian freedom, but these were leading people, not only into associating with the idols, but identifying not only with the idols but the religious and immoral practices which went with them.

In the previous chapter Paul was seeking to affirm his authority as an Apostle, and the purity of his life and motives; and was doing this in reply to the many criticisms and accusations which members of the church were bringing against him because they were angry at the way he was seeking to correct the false teaching and practice which was taking hold in the church. Paul spoke as he did because he saw that the church was going the way of the Israelites of old, the church of the Old Testament, which brought God's judgement and rejection on all the people that had originally been saved from slavery in Egypt.

VERSES 1-13. Cp. Exodus 13:21; Exodus 14:31-31; Numbers 14:24 with Psalm 95; Numbers 25:8 and Numbers 21:4-9.

In these verses Paul outlined the experience of the OT Church. He likens the deliverance from slavery in Egypt to Christian conversion. He does this by saying that the deliverance through the Red Sea and the protection of the cloud going with them, which became a cloud of fire at night, was God's saving love poured out them. When he speaks of Christ as the spiritual rock which followed them he is simply showing that Jehovah who delivered them, and went with them, was in fact Christ. Christ is both Saviour in the Old Testament and in the New Testament.

Paul speaks of the various ways in which the Israelites fell away from Christ and his salvation, and were judged by God, ending with the judgement when, because Israel doubted God's ability to give them victory over the nations in the promised land, after the spies came back with a negative report, God deprived all the people who came out of Egypt from entering the promised land, making the wanderings in the wilderness go on for another 40 yearws until all these people had died in the desert. They lost the promised land ? heaven. Paul outlines the sins which Israel fell into ? gave way to temptation (v.6); succumbed to idolatry (v.7); and fornication (v.8); tempted Christ (Jehovah) (v.9); murmured against Christ (v.10). The implication is that the Corinthian church was going the same way, and in danger of suffering the same judgement.

Paul tells them that all that happened in the OT is for examples and warnings, and ends these verses with the assurance that no temptation is new, and that the promise is that Christ will give strength to overcome temptation when people seek his help to resist.

VERSES 14-22.

All the problems stemmed from the danger of idolatry, which always leads to immorality, and denial of Christ. Even though there is Christian freedom, this must not be used in the wrong way.

Just as we participate with Christ and his death for us when we trust him and show this in participating in the sacrament of the bread and wine; and just as Israel participated in the virtue of the sacrifices under the Mosaic law, so participating in idol ceremonies meant giving themselves over to the idols, which was really worshipping demons and the devil. Doing this is a denial of Christ, and leads to other evil practices.

Doing this means that the Lord is provoked and people were placing themselves in danger of the Lord's judgement. It is a very real danger that if Christians dabble with the world, and its wisdom and ways, that they will be drawn away from Christ, and find themselves departing from Christ and his blessing altogether.

VERSES 23-33.

Paul ends with some practical directions. He says that though we may have freedom in Christ, that it is not always good to insist on it, because by it we may harm our own spiritual lives and harm the spiritual lives of others.

Then he addresses the particular problem that the Corinthian church was struggling with. His direction is that we do not need to be over scrupulous in enquiring deeply into things we come across in our lives as Christians e.g. buying the meat in the market without enquiring its origin, otherwise there would be no meat to eat at all. In the same way if invited to a meal, there is no need to ask questions about the food. However if you are particularly told that the meat has been offered to idols, then because it would mean directly accepting idol worship, eating should not take place.

The point Paul is making is that we do everything as an act of worship to the Lord. We do not have to be over scrupulous in searching out origins and backgrounds. However if a Christian knows something about origins and backgrounds that is un-Christian, then things are different and a stand has to be taken.