Way Back in Exodus
- God did a lot of great things in the olden days. Just check out Exodus for some examples. He led people out of Egypt, parted the Red Sea, gave them manna and water in the desert. God is pretty awesome like that.
- And how did they repay him? By sinning their butts off.
- They did weird sexual things. They tested God. They complained and bellyached constantly. They bowed down in front of idols. And God took it to them.
- All this happened as a warning: do not try this stuff with God. It never works out well.
Demonic Meals
- Let's go back to food for a minute.
- When Christians come together and share bread and wine, they're signaling their special relationship with God.
- The same is true for Jews who eat kosher meats sacrificed in the temple.
- So, even though you're not forming any kind of special relationships with Roman gods when you eat their idolatrous meat, you might be accidentally making friends with demons. Wait, what?
- Okay, so the Roman gods don't exist, right? They're not actually gods, but they're demons. So when you chow down on some food and drink from their temples, you're sort of throwing your hat in with them.
- Paul just doesn't think it sounds like a good idea. One day you're drinking the blood of Christ, the next day you're drinking from some demon's cup. Yuck.
- In other words: just say no to pagan meals.
Don't Be So Selfish
- Okay, but the Corinthians still think that this eating demon meat thing is no big deal. If a non-believing friend has a party at a shrine, wouldn't it be rude not to attend?
- Paul says that just because something is allowed doesn't mean it's a good idea. Paul is starting to sound like a dad again.
- Yes, you as an individual might be fine eating this sacrificial food, but it also might really tick off other Christians.
- That's right, Selfish Solomons! You need to think of other people's feelings, too.
- If you're truly trying to make God happy with your actions, you're not going to do things that hurt your fellow Christians. Right? Now go to your rooms and think about what you've done.