What does 1 Corinthians 10:15 mean?

Paul has just issued a command that the Corinthian Christians must run away from idol worship of any kind. Now he adds that they are sensible people. They should be able to understand and easily agree with what he is about to say to them. What follows are a series of questions; Paul's intent is to make it clear that these have obvious answers. Sensible people can only respond to these in one way. Those assumed responses are the lessons readers are meant to gain from those words.

This is not flattery. Paul isn't trying to sweet-talk his readers to get them on his side. Rather, he seems intent that they are not to make what he is about to write more difficult than it needs to be. If they have followed his logic to this point, they should respond to what follows with the only reasonable conclusions. If all the previous warnings about idolatry, temptation, and the consequences of sin are true, then the response of Christians ought to be a matter of common sense.