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Competing Communions
1 Corinthians 10:14-22
September 9, 2018
Lord’s Day Worship
Sean Higgins
Download the bulletin.
Download the Kid’s Korner.
The sermon starts at 14:35 in the audio file.
Or, The Two Types of Participation Tables
Because there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist (see 1 Corinthians 8:6), the world works the way He wants it to. Paul reminded, agreed even, with the Corinthians about this creational reality at the beginning of chapter 8, and we are still dealing with the implications of this halfway through chapter 10.
Chapters 8-10 are about love and idolatry, about food and associations, about sacrifices and selfishness. We love one another by avoiding food associated with idol worship. This isn’t surprising; we become like who or what we worship. And this issue is important for how we love one another because all idols are selfish. As we’ll see in 10:14-22, behind every idol is a devil, and devils are defined by self-serving. This is why, when we cause a brother to stumble, we are acting more like demons than like Jesus. It’s a big deal.
But when we give up our rights for the benefit of others we are imitating Christ. Paul used himself as an illustration in chapter 9. He reminded them that he refrained from his rightful claim to receive material things from them as part of his ministry strategy. He was living out the gospel rather than getting his living by the gospel, as lawful as the latter would have been. His sacrifices were his way of running the race, a race which all Christians are called to run (and win) by giving rather than grabbing.
Then he reminded the Corinthians at the beginning of chapter 10 how almost an entire generation of Israelites lost their race. Though they had received clear and abundant and gracious blessings, they kept choosing to grasp for themselves. These are examples…written down for our instruction (verse 11). There is a particular, though not unique, temptation that comes upon blessed people to presume that they can’t fall. But in their pride they keep serving self. This is the way of devils, not the way of the cross.
Starting in 1 Corinthians 10:14 Paul admonishes the church to reckon with two competing communions. There are only two, and they can be seen at two altars, two tables. We can either fellowship at the table of grace, a table set with Christ’s sacrifice for our blessing and unity, or we can fellowship at the table of demons, a table of demands for self.
Exhortation to Flee Idolatry (verse 14)
Verse 14 starts a new paragraph especially with the address of my beloved. But it still is meant to follow the preceding paragraph, and especially verse 13; it is a Therefore.
There is a common temptation, and it is to worship whatever god will give us what we want, or even to worship the true God in self-selected ways or for self-indulgent ends. The Israelites gratified themselves in God’s name (10:8). The Israelites grumbled (10:9) not as Arminians, but as Calvinists; complaining is only as good as you complain against someone who has power and authority to change the situation but isn’t doing it.
Their temptation was idolatry (10:7). This is every man’s temptation, isn’t it? It’s why John Calvin wrote that the human heart is an idol factory. And what should our response be? What is the way of escape? Run away! As in 1 Corinthians 6:18 and “Flee sexual immorality,” so here, Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.
Expectation of Sound Judgment (verse 15)
The Corinthians have not shown great wisdom, certainly not the greatness of wisdom that they claimed for themselves (hence 10:12). But verse 15 does not seem to be sarcastic or ironic, especially after calling them his “beloved” in the previous verse. As fleeing idolatry should be obvious, so the reasoning is reasonable.
I sp[...]
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By Trinity Evangel Church1 Corinthians 10:14-22
September 9, 2018
Lord’s Day Worship
Sean Higgins
Download the bulletin.
Download the Kid’s Korner.
The sermon starts at 14:35 in the audio file.
Or, The Two Types of Participation Tables
Because there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist (see 1 Corinthians 8:6), the world works the way He wants it to. Paul reminded, agreed even, with the Corinthians about this creational reality at the beginning of chapter 8, and we are still dealing with the implications of this halfway through chapter 10.
Chapters 8-10 are about love and idolatry, about food and associations, about sacrifices and selfishness. We love one another by avoiding food associated with idol worship. This isn’t surprising; we become like who or what we worship. And this issue is important for how we love one another because all idols are selfish. As we’ll see in 10:14-22, behind every idol is a devil, and devils are defined by self-serving. This is why, when we cause a brother to stumble, we are acting more like demons than like Jesus. It’s a big deal.
But when we give up our rights for the benefit of others we are imitating Christ. Paul used himself as an illustration in chapter 9. He reminded them that he refrained from his rightful claim to receive material things from them as part of his ministry strategy. He was living out the gospel rather than getting his living by the gospel, as lawful as the latter would have been. His sacrifices were his way of running the race, a race which all Christians are called to run (and win) by giving rather than grabbing.
Then he reminded the Corinthians at the beginning of chapter 10 how almost an entire generation of Israelites lost their race. Though they had received clear and abundant and gracious blessings, they kept choosing to grasp for themselves. These are examples…written down for our instruction (verse 11). There is a particular, though not unique, temptation that comes upon blessed people to presume that they can’t fall. But in their pride they keep serving self. This is the way of devils, not the way of the cross.
Starting in 1 Corinthians 10:14 Paul admonishes the church to reckon with two competing communions. There are only two, and they can be seen at two altars, two tables. We can either fellowship at the table of grace, a table set with Christ’s sacrifice for our blessing and unity, or we can fellowship at the table of demons, a table of demands for self.
Exhortation to Flee Idolatry (verse 14)
Verse 14 starts a new paragraph especially with the address of my beloved. But it still is meant to follow the preceding paragraph, and especially verse 13; it is a Therefore.
There is a common temptation, and it is to worship whatever god will give us what we want, or even to worship the true God in self-selected ways or for self-indulgent ends. The Israelites gratified themselves in God’s name (10:8). The Israelites grumbled (10:9) not as Arminians, but as Calvinists; complaining is only as good as you complain against someone who has power and authority to change the situation but isn’t doing it.
Their temptation was idolatry (10:7). This is every man’s temptation, isn’t it? It’s why John Calvin wrote that the human heart is an idol factory. And what should our response be? What is the way of escape? Run away! As in 1 Corinthians 6:18 and “Flee sexual immorality,” so here, Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.
Expectation of Sound Judgment (verse 15)
The Corinthians have not shown great wisdom, certainly not the greatness of wisdom that they claimed for themselves (hence 10:12). But verse 15 does not seem to be sarcastic or ironic, especially after calling them his “beloved” in the previous verse. As fleeing idolatry should be obvious, so the reasoning is reasonable.
I sp[...]