1Cor.10.14

So, my very dear friends, when you see people reducing God to something they can use or control, get out of their company as fast as you can.

1Cor.10.14

Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry.

1Cor.10.14

Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.

1Cor.10.14

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

1Cor.10.15

I assume I'm addressing believers now who are mature. Draw your own conclusions:

1Cor.10.15

I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say.

1Cor.10.15

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

1Cor.10.15

You are reasonable people. Decide for yourselves if what I am about to say is true.

1Cor.10.16

When we drink the cup of blessing, aren't we taking into ourselves the blood, the very life, of Christ? And isn't it the same with the loaf of bread we break and eat? Don't we take into ourselves the body, the very life, of Christ?

1Cor.10.16

Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?

1Cor.10.16

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

1Cor.10.16

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

1Cor.10.17

Because there is one loaf, our many-ness becomes one-ness--Christ doesn't become fragmented in us. Rather, we become unified in him. We don't reduce Christ to what we are; he raises us to what he is.

1Cor.10.17

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

1Cor.10.17

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

1Cor.10.17

And we all eat from one loaf, showing that we are one body.

1Cor.10.18

That's basically what happened even in old Israel--those who ate the sacrifices offered on God's altar entered into God's action at the altar.

1Cor.10.18

Consider the people of Israel: Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar?

1Cor.10.18

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

1Cor.10.18

And think about the nation of Israel; all who eat the sacrifices are united by that act.

1Cor.10.19

Do you see the difference? Sacrifices offered to idols are offered to nothing, for what's the idol but a nothing?

1Cor.10.19

Do I mean then that a sacrifice offered to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything?

1Cor.10.19

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

1Cor.10.19

What am I trying to say? Am I saying that the idols to whom the pagans bring sacrifices are real gods and that these sacrifices are of some value?

1Cor.10.20

Or worse than nothing, a minus, a demon! I don't want you to become part of something that reduces you to less than yourself.

1Cor.10.20

No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons.

1Cor.10.20

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.

1Cor.10.20

No, not at all. What I am saying is that these sacrifices are offered to demons, not to God. And I don't want any of you to be partners with demons.

1Cor.10.21

And you can't have it both ways, banqueting with the Master one day and slumming with demons the next.

1Cor.10.21

You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord's table and the table of demons.

1Cor.10.21

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.

1Cor.10.21

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.

1Cor.10.22

Besides, the Master won't put up with it. He wants us--all or nothing. Do you think you can get off with anything less?

1Cor.10.22

Are we trying to arouse the Lord's jealousy? Are we stronger than he?

1Cor.10.22

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

1Cor.10.22

What? Do you dare to rouse the Lord's jealousy as Israel did? Do you think we are stronger than he is?

1Cor.10.23

Looking at it one way, you could say, "Anything goes. Because of God's immense generosity and grace, we don't have to dissect and scrutinize every action to see if it will pass muster." But the point is not to just get by.

1Cor.10.23

"Everything is permissible"--but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"--but not everything is constructive.

1Cor.10.23

All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify.

1Cor.10.23

You say, "I am allowed to do anything"--but not everything is helpful. You say, "I am allowed to do anything"--but not everything is beneficial.

1Cor.10.24

We want to live well, but our foremost efforts should be to help others live well.

1Cor.10.24

Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.

1Cor.10.24

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

1Cor.10.24

Don't think only of your own good. Think of other Christians and what is best for them.

1Cor.10.25

With that as a base to work from, common sense can take you the rest of the way. Eat anything sold at the butcher shop, for instance; you don't have to run an "idolatry test" on every item.

1Cor.10.25

Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience,

1Cor.10.25

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

1Cor.10.25

Here's what you should do. You may eat any meat that is sold in the marketplace. Don't ask whether or not it was offered to idols, and then your conscience won't be bothered.

1Cor.10.26

"The earth," after all, "is God's, and everything in it." That "everything" certainly includes the leg of lamb in the butcher shop.

1Cor.10.26

for, "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it."

1Cor.10.26

for "the earth is the LORD's, and all its fullness."

1Cor.10.26

For "the earth is the Lord's, and everything in it."

1Cor.10.27

If a nonbeliever invites you to dinner and you feel like going, go ahead and enjoy yourself; eat everything placed before you. It would be both bad manners and bad spirituality to cross-examine your host on the ethical purity of each course as it is served.

1Cor.10.27

If some unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience.

1Cor.10.27

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.

1Cor.10.27

If someone who isn't a Christian asks you home for dinner, go ahead; accept the invitation if you want to. Eat whatever is offered to you and don't ask any questions about it. Your conscience should not be bothered by this.

1Cor.10.28

On the other hand, if he goes out of his way to tell you that this or that was sacrificed to god or goddess so-and-so, you should pass. Even though you may be indifferent as to where it came from, he isn't, and you don't want to send mixed messages to him about who you are worshiping.

1Cor.10.28

But if anyone says to you, "This has been offered in sacrifice," then do not eat it, both for the sake of the man who told you and for conscience' sake--

1Cor.10.28

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; for "the earth is the LORD's, and all its fullness."

1Cor.10.28

But suppose someone warns you that this meat has been offered to an idol. Don't eat it, out of consideration for the conscience of the one who told you.

1Cor.10.29

But, except for these special cases, I'm not going to walk around on eggshells worrying about what small-minded people might say; I'm going to stride free and easy, knowing what our large-minded Master has already said.

1Cor.10.29

the other man's conscience, I mean, not yours. For why should my freedom be judged by another's conscience?

1Cor.10.29

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

1Cor.10.29

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

1Cor.10.30

If I eat what is served to me, grateful to God for what is on the table, how can I worry about what someone will say? I thanked God for it and he blessed it!

1Cor.10.30

If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for?

1Cor.10.30

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

1Cor.10.30

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

1Cor.10.31

So eat your meals heartily, not worrying about what others say about you--you're eating to God's glory, after all, not to please them. As a matter of fact, do everything that way, heartily and freely to God's glory.

1Cor.10.31

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

1Cor.10.31

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

1Cor.10.31

Whatever you eat or drink or whatever you do, you must do all for the glory of God.

1Cor.10.32

At the same time, don't be callous in your exercise of freedom, thoughtlessly stepping on the toes of those who aren't as free as you are.

1Cor.10.32

Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God--

1Cor.10.32

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

1Cor.10.32

Don't give offense to Jews or Gentiles or the church of God.

1Cor.10.33

I try my best to be considerate of everyone's feelings in all these matters; I hope you will be, too.

1Cor.10.33

even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.

1Cor.10.33

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.

1Cor.10.33

That is the plan I follow, too. I try to please everyone in everything I do. I don't just do what I like or what is best for me, but what is best for them so they may be saved.

1Cor.11.1

It pleases me that you continue to remember and honor me by keeping up the traditions of the faith I taught you. All actual authority stems from Christ.

1Cor.11.1

Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.

1Cor.11.1

Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.

1Cor.11.1

And you should follow my example, just as I follow Christ's.