1 C hristian brothers, I want you to know what happened to our early fathers. They all walked from the country of Egypt under the cloud that showed them the way, and they all passed through the waters of the Red Sea.

For I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, that our forefathers were all under and protected by the cloud, and every one of them passed safely through the Sea,

2 T hey were all baptized as they followed Moses in the cloud and in the sea.

And each one of them to be baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea;

3 A ll of them ate the same holy food.

And all ate the same spiritual (supernaturally given) food,

4 T hey all drank the same holy drink. They drank from a holy Rock that went along with them. That holy Rock was Christ.

And they all drank the same spiritual (supernaturally given) drink. For they drank from a spiritual Rock which followed them, and the Rock was Christ.

5 E ven then most of them did not please God. He destroyed them in the desert.

Nevertheless, God was not pleased with the great majority of them, for they were overthrown and strewn down along in the wilderness.

6 T hese things show us something. They teach us not to want things that are bad for us like those people did.

Now these things are examples (warnings and admonitions) for us not to desire or crave or covet or lust after evil and carnal things as they did.

7 W e must not worship false gods as some of them did. The Holy Writings tell us, “The people sat down to eat and drink. Then they got up to play.”

Do not be worshipers of false gods as some of them were, as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink and rose to sport (to dance and give way to jesting and hilarity).

8 W e must not do sex sins as some of them did. In one day 23, 000 died.

We must not gratify evil desire and indulge in immorality as some of them did—and twenty-three thousand fell dead in a single day!

9 W e must not test the Lord as some of them did. They were destroyed by snakes.

We should not tempt the Lord as some of them did—and were killed by poisonous serpents;

10 W e must not complain against God as some of them did. That is why they were destroyed.

Nor discontentedly complain as some of them did—and were put out of the way entirely by the destroyer (death).

11 A ll these things happened to show us something. They were written to teach us that the end of the world is near.

Now these things befell them by way of a figure; they were written to admonish and fit us for right action by good instruction, we in whose days the ages have reached their climax (their consummation and concluding period).

12 S o watch yourself! The person who thinks he can stand against sin had better watch that he does not fall into sin.

Therefore let anyone who thinks he stands, take heed lest he fall.

13 Y ou have never been tempted to sin in any different way than other people. God is faithful. He will not allow you to be tempted more than you can take. But when you are tempted, He will make a way for you to keep from falling into sin. Teaching About the Lord’s Supper

For no temptation (no trial regarded as enticing to sin), has overtaken you and laid hold on you that is not common to man '> adjusted and adapted and belonging to human experience, and such as man can bear]. But God is faithful, and He not to let you be tempted and tried and assayed beyond your ability and strength of resistance and power to endure, but with the temptation He will also provide the way out (the means of escape to a landing place), that you may be capable and strong and powerful to bear up under it patiently.

14 M y dear friends, keep away from the worship of false gods.

Therefore, my dearly beloved, shun (keep clear away from, avoid by flight if need be) any sort of idolatry (of loving or venerating anything more than God).

15 I am speaking to you who are able to understand. See if what I am saying is true.

I am speaking as to intelligent (sensible) men. Think over and make up your minds about what I say.

16 W hen we give thanks for the fruit of the vine at the Lord’s supper, are we not sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread we eat at the Lord’s supper, are we not sharing in the body of Christ?

The cup of blessing upon which we ask blessing, does it not mean we participate in and share a fellowship (a communion) in the blood of Christ (the Messiah)? The bread which we break, does it not mean we participate in and share a fellowship (a communion) in the body of Christ?

17 T here is one bread, and many of us Christians make up the body of Christ. All of us eat from that bread.

For we numerous we are, are one body, because we all partake of the one Bread.

18 L ook at the Jews. They ate the animals that were brought to God as gifts in worship and put on the altar. Did this not show they were sharing with God?

Consider those people of Israel. Are not those who eat the sacrifices partners of the altar ?

19 W hat do I mean? Am I saying that a false god or the food brought to it in worship is worth anything?

What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything or that an idol itself is a thing?

20 N o, not at all! I am saying that the people who do not know God bring gifts of animals in worship. But they have given them to demons, not to God. You do not want to have any share with demons.

No, I am suggesting that what the pagans sacrifice they offer to demons (to evil spiritual powers) and not to God. I do not want you to fellowship and be partners with diabolical spirits.

21 Y ou cannot drink from the cup of the Lord and from the cup of demons. You cannot eat at the Lord’s table and at the demon’s table.

You cannot drink the Lord’s cup and the demons’ cup. You cannot partake of the Lord’s table and the demons’ table.

22 A re we trying to make the Lord jealous? Do we think we are stronger than the Lord?

Shall we thus provoke the Lord to jealousy and anger and indignation? Are we stronger than He ?

23 W e are allowed to do anything, but not everything is good for us to do. We are allowed to do anything, but not all things help us grow strong as Christians.

All things are legitimate, but not all things are helpful (expedient, profitable, and wholesome). All things are legitimate, but not all things are constructive and edifying.

24 D o not work only for your own good. Think of what you can do for others.

Let no one then seek his own good and advantage and profit, but each one of the other.

25 E at any meat that is sold in the stores. Ask no questions about it. Then your heart will not say it is wrong.

eat anything that is sold in the meat market without raising any question or investigating on the grounds of conscientious scruples,

26 T he Holy Writings say, “The earth and everything in it belongs to the Lord.”

For the earth is the Lord’s and everything that is in it.

27 I f a person who is not a Christian wants you to eat with him, and you want to go, eat anything that is on the table. Ask no questions about the food. Then your heart will not say it is wrong.

In case one of the unbelievers invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is served to you without examining into its source because of conscientious scruples.

28 B ut if someone says, “This meat has been given as a gift to false gods in worship,” do not eat it. In that way, it will not hurt the faith of the one who told you and his heart will have peace.

But if someone tells you, This has been offered in sacrifice to an idol, do not eat it, out of consideration for the person who informed you, and for conscience’s sake—

29 H ow the other person feels is important. We are not free to do things that will hurt another person.

I mean for the sake of his conscience, not yours,. For why should another man’s scruples apply to me and my liberty of action be determined by his conscience?

30 I f I can give thanks to God for my food, why should anyone say that I am wrong about eating food I can give thanks for?

If I partake with thankfulness, why am I accused and spoken evil of because of that for which I give thanks?

31 S o if you eat or drink or whatever you do, do everything to honor God.

So then, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you may do, do all for the honor and glory of God.

32 D o nothing that would make trouble for a Greek or for a Jew or for the church of God.

Do not let yourselves be an offense to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God '> do not lead others into sin by your mode of life];

33 I want to please everyone in all that I do. I am not thinking of myself. I want to do what is best for them so they may be saved from the punishment of sin.

Just as I myself strive to please all men in everything I do, not aiming at or considering my own profit and advantage, but that of the many in order that they may be saved.