Today’s passage: 1 Corinthians 10:1-13
Helpful thoughts:
- The failures of those who were known as the people of God in the Old Testament, at least in part, serve as a warning to those who are known as the people of God today (In the Church).
- All of Israel identified with the Lord in passing through the Red Sea and following the pillar of cloud. But not everyone who was identified with Israel was truly a follower of God.
- In the church, we identify with the Lord through baptism. But, not everyone who’s ever been baptized is truly a follower of God.
- The actual rock that Moses struck did not follow Israel around in the wilderness (As intriguing as that sounds). However the spiritual Rock, Christ, did.
- There are two ways that we might be prone to separate the Old and New Testaments, which are united in this passage.
- Paul, writing to a largely Gentile church in Corinth called Israel, “Our fathers.”
- Christ was with the people of Israel wandering in the wilderness and was put to the test in their rebellion.
- There are two ways that we might be prone to separate the Old and New Testaments, which are united in this passage.
- Whenever I might get into a situation that seems entirely unique and where I feel like there’s no way I can NOT sin…
- There is no temptation that is not common to man.
- God will provide the way of escape and I will be able to endure.
Questions to consider:
- There is so much information in this passage about the period of the Exodus, it might be easy to get distracted and dig into all the narrative details, but what is the major point Paul is making? What was the major application for the church and Corinth and for us today?
- How do verses 7 and 8 correlate with the previous passage in this letter? What has Paul been talking to the church about (7:1 and 8:1)? By using these examples to teach the church, what has Paul modeled for other believers when we have questions that need answers? Where should we go (What is our source of information) to answer questions we have?
- Why can we say “no” to any temptation? What is true about him and what he has given us which gives us the ability to make the right choices and bear good fruit in our lives?