1 Corinthians 10:11 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.

NIV: These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come.

NASB: Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.

CSB: These things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our instruction, on whom the ends of the ages have come.

NLT: These things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age.

KJV: Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

NKJV: Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.

Paul again declares that Christians, in Corinth and all others, should see the discipline of the Israelites in the desert as an example relevant to their own lives. Each of these stories was recorded for the instruction of modern believers who find themselves at the end of the ages.

Those in Paul's day were the first to whom the mystery of Christ had been revealed. With the fulfillment of Messiah's birth, death, and resurrection, all the stories of the Old Testament locked into place. Those events gave proper context to the Old Testament, clarifying those mysteries in light of the coming of the Messiah. His arrival, death, and resurrection marked the beginning of the "end of the ages."

Instead of making the Old Testament stories irrelevant, the revelation of Christ gave them new meaning. Christians must work to understand how those stories interweave as God's Word, to those of us who now live with the knowledge of Christ. Here, Paul makes clear the stories of God's wrath, poured out on His own people for their sin, should be a warning to us. It is dangerous to take sin lightly. It can be fatal to assume God will not act against us in this life—for our good and the good of others He loves—if we refuse to obey and submit to Him.

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?''

The previous chapter concluded with Paul's commitment to continue to control himself. He exercises discipline so he does not become ineffective in his ministry. He begins chapter 10 by reminding the Corinthians of how the Israelites brought consequences on themselves in the wilderness. Among their many sins was worshiping idols, and God killed many of them for it. The Corinthians must flee idol worship and any appearance of supporting the demonic practice. They are free to eat meat if they don't know that it is idol food. However, they should be ready to set aside their own freedoms and rights whenever doing so will glorify God and win others to Christ.

First Corinthians is one of the more practical books of the New Testament. Paul writes to a church immersed in a city associated with trade, but also with corruption and immorality. These believers are struggling to properly apply spiritual gifts and to resist the ungodly practices of the surrounding culture. Paul's letter gives instructions for real-life concerns such as marriage and spirituality. He also deals with the importance of unity and gives one of the Bible's more well-known descriptions of love in chapter 13.