What does 1 Corinthians 10:6 mean?
Just as born-again Christians have received spiritual blessings and protection from Christ, the Israelites in the wilderness did, as well. Paul revealed in the previous verse that these blessings and protections were not enough to protect them from God's discipline for their own sinfulness. Thus, most of that generation of Israelites were overthrown by God and died in the wilderness.Paul now warns the Corinthian Christians to take seriously the Israelites' example. Their response should be to stop desiring to do evil, as the Israelites did.
Apparently the Corinthians misunderstood what many Christians still misunderstand today. They believed their freedom in Christ—their freedom from following the law of Moses—meant they were free to indulge in sinful desires without fear of consequence from the Lord. While it's true that believers are saved from damnation through faith in Christ by God's grace, Paul wants them to understand that the Lord will discipline them in this life, if necessary.
This verse may specifically be referring to a time in the wilderness in which some people became dissatisfied with the manna God was providing and craved meat (Numbers 11:4–34). For their complaining and lack of gratitude, God gave them what they wanted but also struck them with a plague. Those killed by God were buried in "graves of craving" (Numbers 11:34).
The Corinthians likely did not miss the connection to their own demand. In an earlier letter, they seem to have insisted on eating whatever they wanted, without worrying about causing others to stumble by eating meat that had been offered to idols (1 Corinthians 8:13).
First Corinthians 10:1–13 describes how the generation of Israelites who escaped from Egypt were blessed by God and yet fell repeatedly into idol worship. God severely punished many of them, including the fate of wandering the desert until death. The Corinthians should read their example as a warning unless they, too, fall at God's hand for participating with idols. Their standing in Christ does not mean that God will not act against unfaithfulness to Him with false gods. Still, such temptations are common, and God always provides His children a way to escape from sin.
Idol worship is an extremely serious sin. Paul reminds the Christians in idol-saturated Corinth of that by referring to the history of the Israelites who wandered in the wilderness. Though blessed by God, they worshiped false idols. God killed many of them for it. Paul commands his readers to flee from idol worship. To participate with idol worship in any way is to participate with demons. God always provides some way to avoid sin. So, they must avoid giving anyone the idea that they approve of idol worship, even by knowingly eating food offered to idols. Their first question must always be, ''Will this glorify God?''
