1 Corinthians Commentary Chapter 10 (2)

[瑤翰 김요한]

1 Corinthians Commentary Chapter 10 (2)

It is Israel’s blessing that they can participate in the altar of the temple.

"Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?"

It is an incredible privilege to eat the showbread before God.

However, they did not realize its meaning and only knew the privilege of performing their duties.

Even now, they reject Christ, the reality of the showbread. Even though they have received the law delivered by angels, they have not heard the words of the Son, so they are still like the Gentiles in terms of the gospel and have become an unreached people group.

However, as Paul said in Romans 11, they will surely return to Christ.

Even now, there are many people who place great importance on the consciousness of the priesthood or office and think that the duties of the church members or participating in worship are all there is to it.

As I look at the people who put the life and death of the church on the line for worship gathered at church during the coronavirus situation, I see many people wondering whether that person can really make believers become one with Christ.

If worship or the Lord's Supper does not become participation in the one blood and one bread of Christ as in verses 16-17, it ends up being worship of God with a idolatrous faith.

It means serving God like idolatry.

This is what Israel is doing now.

Their God and the God who sent the Lord Jesus Christ were different.

Just like them, there are many people in Christianity who worship God as an idol. 

Human worship creates idols.

For example, the incident of the golden calf in Israel.

They created a golden calf in their consciousness and thought it was the god who saved them from Egypt.

This means that one's own consciousness of God can become a fixed idea.

The reason why money (Mammon) is idolized is because the consciousness of the power of money itself is idolized.

Money has purchasing power, so money exerts power over people.

That is why the most certain faith among modern faiths is the faith in money.

There is no great inconvenience in meeting God occasionally, but we have the consciousness that we cannot live without money even for a moment.

That is why God sometimes makes believers poor.

God allows material deprivation so that we can see God as precious as money.

People always keep salvation, eternal life, and holiness far away.

But people think they should always have money.

In order to change one's values about money in a pragmatic society, one must go through a long and arduous journey before one's destiny becomes one of God's people.

This is because destiny changes only when values ​​change.

Therefore, the master who moves oneself is determined by what the current treasure is.

And only when spiritual morals develop into human morals can one become perfect.

It must be done naturally, not because of conscience or ethics, but because of a relationship with God.

Grace and truth are passive things given through Christ, but through the grace of the Lord, in him we become one with the Lord according to the truth and come before God the Father through meditation on the Word and prayer, and finally active actions appear.

It is like the person in Psalm 1, and because the eight blessings of the Sermon on the Mount are fulfilled, it is like becoming the salt and light of the world.

To do this, we must repeat the Lord's Prayer that the Lord taught us.

Idolatry is spiritual adultery.

If we turn the words that say not to have any other gods before God upside down, it means to love only God. 

But is it really so?

The difference between the ceremonial and real Holy communion is that if the real Holy communion is achieved through the word, the ceremonial Holy communion is not necessary.

If this is not possible, we must continue the ceremonial Holy communion while longing for the real Holy communion to be realized.

The real Holy communion is one who meditates day and night following the way of Christ.

Rather than setting aside a time for the word and prayer, we must meditate daily to gain holiness by following the grace of the Lord’s redemption and the message of the cross and the truth, and to advance to glory by his glory.

Each act is a disconnection, but life is continuous.

Actions are possible without a relationship with God through Christ, but a life that continues must have a relationship with God.

Therefore, we should let the Bible read us in the place where we read the Bible.

As a person who has been found in Christ, if you deny yourself and take up your cross, give up your ego and listen to the Word, you will progress rapidly from then on.

No one can love one another until the Spirit of truth comes in us and we receive the new commandment with Christ indwelling them.

It cannot be “Love one another.”

Originally, there was a commandment in the law to love one another.

However, the law was only a desire because of the weakness of the flesh, and it is not  real work.

However, when we are freed from sin and death by the law of the Spirit of life in Christ and think the mind of the Spirit in Christ, we finally fulfill the law’s demand for love and the word to love one another is fulfilled.

Love is not a gesture, but the ability to just watch quietly.

It is the ability to endure and persevere. If you look closely at the sun, you will feel God's love.

We must rise to the level of the Bible in Christ.

Tolerance, truth, honesty, generosity, gentleness, etc...

That is why the Bible says in 2 Timothy 3:16, the man of God may be perfect.

"Hope in the Lord from this time forth and forevermore" is like a child growing up looking at the great rock face.

In him, we grow by following Christ, who is the truth, and looking forward to God with a relationship with Him.

Verse 23 “All things are lawful for me, but  all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but  all things edify not .”

This is the conclusion of what he have said so far.

Edifying does not mean exemplary morality, but building up the body of Christ, building up the church.

You can eat idolatrous food to use your freedom, but be careful about the influence of your actions based on that freedom.

It means that you must control your free actions from the standpoint of edifying.

Your own benefit is used for your own convenience, but God’s benefit is to save others. This is edifying.

For example, a mature silkworm that has slept four times builds its own house.

In this case, Paul said to mature like me.

Verse 24 says, “ every man seek another's wealth.”

This is to be an example to others (1 Corinthians 11:1).

We must imitate those who imitate Christ.

Therefore, we must not fix our faith with a stubborn heart.

A leader must keep the secret of imitating Christ and constantly practice godliness to become an imitator of Christ and follow his example in turn.

In verse 25, Paul says not to eat because of the conflict of conscience.

My conscience, my freedom, is only for my own faith.

However, if my freedom considers the conscience of others, it is a faith for others.

Verse 28 says, If any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that shewed it.

This is a mature faith.

This person is not under the law, but acts as if he is under the law.

When Christians enter society, they should not just try to evangelize, but should keep their faith and permeate like salt. It is an influence.

And our freedom must be connected to the glory of God.

Verse 31 “Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

Freedom must not be abused.

A rich man’s son should not spend money without knowing its value.

If he does not know the value of God and his children and uses the freedom God has given him only for his own benefit, that freedom does not reach true freedom.

A normal member of society enjoys freedom, and if he does not, he goes to prison.

The law is like a prison.

In it, there is no choice but to do this or that.

Those who do not know how to use their freedom will be locked up in prison again.

Many people do not think about what is inside others and only look at the outside.

We must work together.

We must keep our mouths shut and stop talking nonsense, and use our freedom for the consciences of others.

Verse 25, Whatever is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake.

Verse 26 is the answer, For the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.

You can eat everything because it is the Lord’s.

You don’t need to be caught up in any religious rituals.

Don’t worry about whether you can eat it or not.

It means not to have religious preconceptions.

However, there are similarities and differences between verses 27-28.

“If any of them that the believe not bid you to a feast, and you be disposed to go; whatever is set before you,eat, asking no question for conscience’ sake. 

But if any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that shewed it, and for the conscience sake.”

The common point is that Christians are social beings, so they have no choice but to go if invited.

The difference is that Christians cannot be universal.

Also, Christians cannot be the same as them.

For example, the issue of alcohol.

If it is not enough to damage the brain, you can just drink it.

However, if someone says, ‘Oh, that is alcohol. Does a Christian drink alcohol?’, you should not drink it.

You should just refuse.

Verse 29, Conscience, I say, not your own, but of the other: for why is my liberty  judged of another man's  conscience?

Verse 30, For if I by grace be a partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks?

Anything that you can give thanks to God for is okay to eat.

However, can you really eat things that are forbidden by religious rituals with a "thank you"?

That's why Verse 31 says not to be a stumbling block to others.

Verse 33 "Even as I please all man in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved."

Using the freedom that God has given us for the salvation of others is using it for the profit of others.

Written by Ptr. Yohan Kim.

Translated by  Nancy Chung

COME AND SEE WORLD MISSION

To God be the glory.