Upozorenje na idolopoklonstvo
1Htio bih, braćo i sestre, da znate što se našim precima davno dogodilo u pustinji. Bog ih je sve vodio oblakom koji se kretao pred njima i sve ih je sigurno preveo preko mora po suhome dnu. 2Svi su oni kršteni u oblaku i u moru kao Mosijevi sljedbenici. 3Svi su jeli istu čudesnu hranu i svi su pili istu čudesnu vodu. 4Pili su iz duhovne stijene koja ih je pratila, a ta je stijena bio Krist. 5Unatoč svemu, većina ih nije bila po volji Bogu te su poubijani u pustinji.
6To se dogodilo nama za opomenu: da ne žudimo za zlim poput njih 7i da se ne klanjamo idolima kao oni. U Svetome pismu piše: “Narod posjeda da jede i pije, a zatim ustanu plesati” u čast zlatnome teletu. 8Ne odajmo se bludu kao što su mu se oni odali te ih je zbog toga dvadeset tri tisuće palo u jednome danu. 9Ne izazivajmo Gospodina kao što su ga izazivali neki od njih pa su poginuli od zmija. 10Ne prigovarajte kao što su neki od njih prigovarali pa je Bog poslao anđela Zatornika da ih pobije. 11Sve se to događalo nama za primjer, a zapisano je kao opomena nama koji živimo u posljednjim vremenima.
12Misli li dakle tko da dobro stoji, neka pazi da ne zapadne u isti grijeh. 13Znajte da vas ne snalaze kušnje koje i drugi ljudi nemaju. Bog je vjeran. Neće dopustiti da vas kušnja nadvlada, nego će vam pokazati i izlaz iz nje da možete izdržati.
14Zato se, dragi moji, klonite idolopoklonstva. 15Razumni ste vi ljudi. Prosudite dakle sami je li istina što ću vam reći. 16Nije li čaša koju posvećujemo za stolom Gospodnjim zajedništvo Kristove krvi? Nije li kruh koji lomimo zajedništvo Kristova tijela? 17Time što svi jedemo od jednoga kruha pokazujemo da smo jedno tijelo. 18Pogledajte Izraelce po tijelu! Svi koji blaguju žrtve dionici su žrtvenika.
19Što želim reći? Da su žrtve idolima vrijedne ili da su idoli pravi bogovi? 20Naprotiv! Kažem da pogani te žrtve prinose demonima, a ne Bogu. A ja ne želim da vi imate išta s demonima. 21Ne možete piti i iz Gospodnjeg i iz vražjeg kaleža. Ne možete jesti i za Gospodnjim i za vražjim stolom. 22Zar da izazivamo Gospodinovu ljubomoru? Mislite li da smo jači od njega?
23Kaže se: “Sve mi je dopušteno…”—ali ne služi mi sve na korist. “Sve mi je dopušteno…”—ali sve ne izgrađuje. 24Ne mislite samo na vlastito dobro. Brinite se o tome što je dobro za drugoga.
25Jedite sve što se prodaje na tržnici i nemojte se zbog savjesti raspitivati je li žrtvovano idolima ili nije. 26Jer “Gospodinova je zemlja i sve na njoj.”10:26 Psalam 24:1.
27Pozove li vas na objed nevjernik i želite li se odazvati, jedite sve što se pred vas stavi ne ispitujući ništa zaradi savjesti. 28Ako vas tko upozori da je meso bilo žrtvovano idolima, nemojte ga jesti zaradi onoga koji vas je upozorio i zaradi savjesti. 29Ne zaradi svoje, nego zaradi njegove savjesti.
“Zašto bi moju slobodu ograničavala tuđa savjest?” pitat ćete. 30“Ako zahvaljujem Bogu za hranu koju jedem, zašto da me osuđuju zbog onoga što jedem?” 31Jer bilo da jedete, pijete ili činite što drugo, sve činite Bogu na slavu! 32Ne budite na sablazan nikome—ni Židovima, ni poganima,10:32 U grčkome: Grcima. ni Božjoj crkvi. 33Tako se i ja trudim svima u svemu ugoditi ne čineći ono što je najbolje za mene, već što je najbolje za njihovo spasenje.
Warnings From Israel’s History
1Brothers and sisters, I want you to know something about our people who lived long ago. They were all led by the cloud. They all walked through the Red Sea. 2They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3They all ate the same spiritual food. 4They all drank the same spiritual water. They drank from the spiritual rock that went with them. That rock was Christ. 5But God was not pleased with most of them. Their bodies were scattered in the desert.
6Now those things happened as examples for us. They are supposed to keep us from wanting evil things. The people of Israel wanted these evil things. 7So don’t worship statues of gods, as some of them did. It is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink. Then they got up to dance wildly in front of their god.” (Exodus 32:6) 8We should not commit sexual sins, as some of them did. In one day 23,000 of them died. 9We should not test the Messiah, as some of them did. They were killed by snakes. 10Don’t speak against God. That’s what some of the people of Israel did. And they were killed by the destroying angel.
11Those things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us. That’s because we are living at the time when God’s work is being completed. 12So be careful. When you think you are standing firm, you might fall. 13You are tempted in the same way all other human beings are. God is faithful. He will not let you be tempted any more than you can take. But when you are tempted, God will give you a way out. Then you will be able to deal with it.
Sharing in the Lord’s Supper
14My dear friends, run away from statues of gods. Don’t worship them. 15I’m talking to people who are reasonable. Judge for yourselves what I say. 16We give thanks for the cup at the Lord’s Supper. When we do, aren’t we sharing in the blood of Christ? When we break the bread, aren’t we sharing in the body of Christ? 17Just as there is one loaf, so we who are many are one body. We all share the one loaf.
18Think about the people of Israel. Don’t those who eat the offerings share in the altar? 19Do I mean that food sacrificed to a statue of a god is anything? Do I mean that a statue of a god is anything? 20No! But what is sacrificed by those who worship statues of gods is really sacrificed to demons. It is not sacrificed to God. I don’t want you to be sharing with demons. 21You can’t drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too. You can’t have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons. 22Are we trying to make the Lord jealous? Are we stronger than he is?
The Believer’s Freedom
23You say, “I have the right to do anything.” But not everything is helpful. Again you say, “I have the right to do anything.” But not everything builds us up. 24No one should look out for their own interests. Instead, they should look out for the interests of others.
25Eat anything sold in the meat market. Don’t ask if it’s right or wrong. 26Scripture says, “The earth belongs to the Lord. And so does everything in it.” (Psalm 24:1)
27Suppose an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go. Then eat anything that is put in front of you. Don’t ask if it’s right or wrong. 28But suppose someone says to you, “This food has been sacrificed to a statue of a god.” Then don’t eat it. Keep in mind the good of the person who told you. And don’t eat because of a sense of what is right and wrong. 29I’m talking about the other person’s sense of what is right and wrong, not yours. Why is my freedom being judged by what someone else thinks? 30Suppose I give thanks when I eat. Then why should I be blamed for eating food I thank God for?
31So eat and drink and do everything else for the glory of God. 32Don’t do anything that causes another person to trip and fall. It doesn’t matter if that person is a Jew or a Greek or a member of God’s church. 33Follow my example. I try to please everyone in every way. I’m not looking out for what is good for me. I’m looking out for the interests of others. I do it so that they might be saved.
