Adult Bible Study – 1st Corinthians
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church
Paul turns to some Old Testament theme which he then bringing into his present context in the Corinthian church.
Paul also begins to set up another contranst here giving us only the first leg of the contrast. Paul’s reference to the people in the wilderness is that God was not please with all of them in the desert, and in fact, many of them didn’t come out and enter the promised land, but died in the wilderness. What we will see develop is that those who pass through the water of baptism – who are baptized into Christ (not Moses) come through to the promise.
The crime in the desert that displeased God was the people’s worship of and idol, a calf at the foot of Sinai. The Exodus account recounts how Moses was up on the mountain for so long that the people became anxious and in fear that Moses was dead and that the whole story was a fabrication, they created a god to get them out of this mess. For that offense, all who did not repent were killed by the sword, and even those who did repent where made to drink the pulverized gold from the idol in their water as reminder of what they had done.
Paul uses another image of the serpent in the wilderness. The people tested God and provoked him so that he sent fiery serpents to kill them. God ordered Moses to construct a bronze serpent and mount it on a pole so that anyone bitten could turn, look at it and live. John the evangelist uses that image in reflecting upon Christ who was lifted up so that any who looks upon him might live.
Paul turns to these images from the Old Testament to say that they are examples applicable for today. Idolatry was the Corinthians as it is for us a very possibility, though for us it is something much more subtle. They were used to seeing the temples and the idols around the city and market places. Their meat markets were selling meat that was left from the sacrifices. Their hosts, if they were invited to dinner or their colleagues in business may very likely have been pagans who worshipped other gods and made sacrifices. These were issues of reality for them.
For us the idols are not seen as gods, except perhaps the “almighty dollar”. Yet, our idols are any of those things that threaten to take the place of God in our life. If we are looking to anything except God for our sustenance, for our security, for our hope, our refuge in a “rainy day” we set up an idol in the place where God should be seated.
The warning in these images – these examples – is to watch out, especially when we think we have everything together. It is altogether too possible for any one of these idols to take us away from the centrality of God as our provider. We live every day in the shadow of these temptation and test (not tests from God – God doesn’t have to test us to know where we’re going), but test nonetheless that try us to show ourselves where we will go when the times get tough. God’s promise, however, is that we will never be tested beyond our capacity to handle it. God’s promise is that he will always provide the way out.
The injunction to flee from all idolatry comes back to table around which we sit – the Eucharistic table. Paul turns our attention to the “cup of blessing that we bless” – the sharing of the blood of Christ; and the “bread that we break” – the body of Christ that we share. These are signs of body unity with Christ whose body and blood we share, but unity with each other in that we there is but one bread that we break and one cup that we share. Paul draws a comparison to the sacrifices of Israel. As they brought their offering to the priest, a portion was returned to them to take home and feast upon. They shared in the sacrifice. In comparison, we share in the sacrifice of Christ as we partake of the bread and wine, the body and blood of Christ. Paul urges the Corinthians that they cannot share in both the sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice to pagan gods – sacrifices offered to demons
“All things are lawful” – This phrase appeared for the first time in chapter 6. Paul is now framing his words with a restatement of the statement of his freedom in Christ – yet his responsibility to act in such a way as win people over to Christ. All things are lawful, but not all things are beneficial. Conscience becomes the guiding principle, but the individual’s conscience. For Paul’s teaching of the freedom that has come in the gospel of Jesus Christ is that it is not a violation of personal conscience to eat meat purchased in the market place, or in a host’s house even if it has been offered to an idol. Conscience does not bind diet. The conscience that he is talking about is the conscience of those who are spiritually less mature that we. If you’re told that the meat is from and idol sacrifice and it may bother the conscience of the weak – then don’t eat it. The rule of conscience is to be mindful of the conscience of those around you. If the goal is win to them over – to test them in such a way is not beneficial and may result in their stumbling.
It rolls around to this all important principle – community or other comes before self. Personal freedom is being set aside to care for those who are not free yet.
Paul ends this dialogue with the important apostolic invitation – be an imitator of me. Paul unashamedly and unabashedly puts himself out in the front as the example to follow, not because he is so great, but because he follows Christ. There’s the key to apostles – follow Christ that others who you seek to win may follow you.
© Copy write held by The Rev. Dr. Kipp W. Zimmermann
Wednesday, December 10, 2003