Albert Barnes Commentary 1 Corinthians 10:1

"For I would not, brethren, have you ignorant, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;" — 1 Corinthians 10:1 (ASV)

1 Corinthians Chapter 10

Regarding the design of this chapter, commentators have not been agreed. Some have supposed that there is no connection with the preceding, but that this is a digression. The ancient Greek expositors generally, and some of the moderns, like Grotius, supposed that the connection was this: Paul had in the previous chapter described himself as mortifying his flesh and keeping his body under, so that he might gain the prize.

In this chapter, they suppose that his object is to exhort the Corinthians to do the same. To do this, he admonishes them not to be lulled into security by the idea of the many spiritual gifts that had been conferred upon them. He enforces this admonition by the example of the Jews, who had also been highly favored but who had nevertheless been led into idolatry. This is also the view of Doddridge, Calvin, and others. Macknight regards the chapter as an independent discussion of the three questions, which he supposes had been submitted to Paul:

1. Whether they might innocently go with their friends into the heathen temples and partake of the feasts that were made there in honor of the idol.
2. Whether they might buy and eat meat sold in the markets that had been sacrificed to idols.
3. Whether, when invited to the houses of the heathens, they might partake of the meat sacrificed to idols, and which was set before them as a common meal.

I regard this chapter as having a very close connection with 1 Corinthians 8.

At the close of chapter 8 (1 Corinthians 9:13), Paul had stated, when examining the question of whether it was right to eat meat offered in sacrifice to idols, that the grand principle on which he acted, and on which they should act, was that of self-denial. To illustrate this, he employs the ninth chapter, showing how he acted on it regarding maintenance and demonstrating that it was this principle that led him to decline support to which he was really entitled.

Having illustrated that, he returns in this chapter to the subject he was discussing in chapter 8. The design of this chapter is further to explain and enforce the sentiments advanced there and to settle some other inquiries pertaining to the same general subject. The first point, therefore, on which he insists is the danger of relapsing into idolatry—a danger that would arise should they be in the habit of frequenting the temples of idols and of partaking of the meats offered in sacrifice (1 Corinthians 10:1–24). He had cautioned them against this in general in 1 Corinthians 8:7, 9-12.

He now sets forth this danger by a variety of illustrations. He first shows them that the Jews had been highly favored, had been solemnly consecrated to Moses and to God, and had been under the Divine protection and guidance (1 Corinthians 10:1–4); yet this had not kept them from the displeasure of God when they sinned (1 Corinthians 10:5).

He shows that, notwithstanding their privileges, they had indulged in inordinate desires (1 Corinthians 10:6); that they had become idolaters (1 Corinthians 10:7); that they had been guilty of licentiousness (1 Corinthians 10:8); that they had tempted their leader and guide (1 Corinthians 10:9); that they had murmured (1 Corinthians 10:10); and that, as a consequence of this, many of them had been destroyed.

In view of all this, Paul cautions the Corinthians not to be self-confident or to feel secure, and not to throw themselves into the way of temptation by partaking of the feasts of idolatry (1 Corinthians 10:12–14). He further illustrates this danger (1 Corinthians 10:15–24) by showing that if they partook of those sacrifices, they in fact became identified with the worshippers of idols.

He proved this by showing that in the Christian communion, those who partook of the Lord's Supper were identified with Christians (1 Corinthians 10:16–17); that in the Jewish sacrifices the same thing occurred, and those who partook of them were regarded as Jews and as worshippers of the same God with them (1 Corinthians 10:18); and that the same thing must occur, in the nature of the case, by partaking of the sacrifices offered to idols.

They were really partaking of that which had been offered to devils; and Paul would solemnly admonish them against any such participation (1 Corinthians 10:19–22). Therefore, going on the supposition that there was nothing wrong in itself in partaking of the meat that had been thus killed in sacrifice, Paul nevertheless says (1 Corinthians 10:23) that it was not expedient to expose themselves to danger in this way, and that the grand principle should be to seek the comfort and edification of others (1 Corinthians 10:24). Paul thus strongly and decisively admonishes them not to enter the temples of idols to partake of those feasts, not to unite with idolaters in their celebration, and not to endanger their piety by these temptations.

There were, however, two other questions on the subject that it was important to decide, and that had probably been submitted to him in the letter they had sent for counsel and advice. The first was whether it was right to purchase and eat the meat that had been sacrificed and was exposed indiscriminately with other meat in the market (1 Corinthians 10:25).

To this Paul replies that since no evil could result from this, as it could not be alleged that they purchased it as meat sacrificed to idols, and as all that the earth contained belonged to the Lord, it was not wrong to purchase and to use it. Yet if even this was pointed out to them as having been sacrificed to idols, he then cautioned them to abstain from it (1 Corinthians 10:28).

The other question was whether it was right for them to accept the invitation of a heathen and to partake of meat then that had been offered in sacrifice (1 Corinthians 10:27). A similar answer was returned to this. The general principle was that no questions were to be asked regarding what was set before them; but if the food was expressly pointed out as having been offered in sacrifice, then to partake of it would be regarded as a public recognition of the idol (1 Corinthians 10:28–30).

Paul then concludes the discussion by stating the noble rule that is to guide in all this: that everything is to be done to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31), and that the great effort of the Christian should be to act in all things so as to honor his religion and not lead others into sin (1 Corinthians 10:32–33).

Moreover, brethren. But, or now (de.). This verse, with the following illustrations (1 Corinthians 10:1–4), is properly connected in Paul's argument with the statements he had made in 1 Corinthians 8:8 and following, and is designed to show the danger that would result from their partaking of the feasts that were celebrated in honor of idols.

It is not improbable, as Mr. Locke supposes, that the Corinthians might have urged that they were constantly solicited by their heathen friends to attend those feasts. They might have argued that in their circumstances it was scarcely possible to avoid it, and that there could be no danger of their relapsing into idolatry. Furthermore, they might have contended that their doing so could not be offensive to God, for several reasons: they were known to be Christians; they had been baptized and purified from sin; they were devoted to His service; they knew that an idol was nothing in the world; and they had been so highly favored as the people of God with so many extraordinary endowments and were so strongly guarded against the possibility of becoming idolaters.

To meet these considerations, Paul refers them to the example of the ancient Jews. They also were the people of God. They had been solemnly dedicated to Moses and to God. They had been peculiarly favored with spiritual food from heaven and with drink miraculously poured from the rock. Yet, notwithstanding this, they had forgotten God, had become idolaters, and had been destroyed. Therefore, by their example, Paul would warn the Corinthians against a similar danger.

I would not that you should be ignorant. A large part of the church at Corinth were Gentiles. It could hardly be supposed that they were well informed respecting the ancient history of the Jews. Probably they had read these things in the Old Testament, but they might not have them distinctly in their recollection. Paul brings them distinctly before their minds as an illustration and an admonition. The sense is, 'I would not have you unmindful or forgetful of these things; I would have you recollect this case and allow their example to influence your conduct. I would not have you suppose that even a solemn consecration to God and the possession of distinguished tokens of Divine favor are a security against the danger of sin, and even apostasy, since the example of the favored Jews shows that even in such circumstances there is danger.'

How that all our fathers. This refers to the fathers of the Jewish community, the fathers of us who are Jews. Paul speaks here as being himself a Jew and refers to his own ancestors as such. The word 'all' here seems to be introduced to give emphasis to the fact that even those who were destroyed (1 Corinthians 10:5) also had this privilege. It could not be pretended that they had not been devoted to God, since all of them had been thus consecrated professedly to His service. The entire Jewish community that Moses led forth from Egypt had thus been devoted to Him.

Were under the cloud. The cloud—the Shechinah—was the visible symbol of the Divine presence and protection that attended them out of Egypt. This went before them by day as a cloud to guide them, and by night it became a pillar of fire to give them light (Exodus 13:21–22). In the dangers of the Jews, when closely pressed by the Egyptians, it went behind them and became dark to the Egyptians but light to the Israelites, thus constituting a defense (Exodus 14:20).

In the wilderness, when traveling through the burning desert, it seems to have been expanded over the camp as a covering and a defense from the intense rays of a burning sun. Numbers 10:34 says, And the cloud of JEHOVAH was upon them by day.Numbers 14:14 states, Thy cloud standeth over them. The apostle refers to this fact here.

It was a symbol of the Divine favor and protection . It was a guide, a shelter, and a defense. The Jewish rabbis say that 'the cloud encompassed the camp of the Israelites as a wall encompasses a city, nor could the enemy come near them' (Pirke Eleazar, c. 44, as quoted by Gill). The probability is that the cloud extended over the whole camp of Israel, and that to those at a distance it appeared as a pillar.

And all passed through the sea. This refers to the Red Sea, through which they passed under the guidance of Moses and by the miraculous interposition of God (Exodus 14:21–22). This was also a proof of the Divine protection and favor, and is so adduced by the apostle. His object is to accumulate the evidences of Divine favor to them and to show that they had as many securities against apostasy as the Corinthians had, on which they so much relied.

(See Exodus 14:19-22, 29 regarding all passed.)