The Israelites had wandered from the will of God in the following ways:
1. They were content with a Worthless life.
a) The word "evil" in this verse is not so much speaking of morally Wicked things as much as it is speaking about Wasteful things
2. They Worshipped inappropriately.
3. They became Wanton, forgetting the sacredness of Wedlock.
4. They Wondered whether God would keep His promises.
5. They gave in to Whinging and Whining when they didn't get their Way.
1. Paul links what he is about to write in chapter 10 with the Preceding Passage.
2. Paul Parallels the Corinthian's experience with the people of the wilderness wanderings.
a) Paul had begun his epistle addressing the Positional blessings and Privileges that belonged to the Corinthian Christians.
b) Like the Corinthians, the people of Israel had Participated in some great blessings from the Lord.
3. Despite myriad blessings that God Poured into their lives, God was not Pleased with many of them.
a) The word "overthrown" Pictures the wilderness strewn with corpses, not by natural causes, but by the sentence of God against rebels who refused to live God's way.
b) Despite all the Privileges they enjoyed, they were Penalised, Prohibited from Possessing the Promised land and they Passed away in the desert, as God said they would be.
1. Paul compares himself to a Competitor in a running race.
2. Paul competes as a Contender in a boxing match.
3. Paul correlates himself with a town Crier.
4. Paul was cautiously concerned about becoming a Castaway.
a. He is referring to a loss of Credibility amongst those he ministers to.
b. He could be referring to the loss of his Crown
c. He could be referring to a loss of Command.
1. Paul's main Purpose was to win as many as Possible to Christ.
2. Paul's Paradox.
a) The Lord's will for his life now is a greater Priority than enjoying the Privileges and Pleasures of a free man.
b) The word "gain" in Greek can mean to gain wealth or Profit.
c) The meaning of the word "gain" is used of winning or Persuading people for Christ, thus bringing salvation.
3. Paul didn't Parade his liberty to the Jew.
4. Paul didn't Pressure those "without law" to abide by other's scruples or customs.
a) When Paul dealt with Gentiles, he sought to conform to Gentile Practices, without violating his own moral Principles.
5. Pinpointing who "the weak" may refer to.
a) Notice the Progression of 1 Corinthians 10:32
6. Paul gives us a Positive hope that leads to Peace of mind.
1. Who we as a church are responsible to financially support for their service.
2. Why we are responsible to Pay them?
a) The Perks of People outside the ministry that have a right to be paid.
b) The Old Testament law substantiated the Principle of Profiting via service.
c) The man who labours to Produce a harvest is entitled to his share of the Proceeds.
d) There is the Precedent of other Pastors who have received financial gifts in appreciation for their help.
e) The Practice of the Priesthood.
f) The Prescription of Jesus Himself.
3. When presenting the points was not for personal gain.
1. The importance of Coupling charity to knowledge.
a) Be Careful, knowledge by itself leads to Contention and Conflict.
b) Charity by itself, leads to Charlatanism.
c) But Combining the two leads to being Considerate of our brother or sister in Christ.
d) When we add love to knowledge, that is where we win the Compliments and Congratulations of God.
2. Why eating meat sacrificed to idols doesn't Contaminate us spiritually.
a) Idols are Counterfeit.
b) Our God is Correct and keeps us safe.
c) Foods don't Commend us to God nor do they Condemn us before God.
3. The possible Consequences of doing what is permissible.
4. The potential Cost of ministering to the weaker brother.
5. Paul doesn't Command other strong believers to defer their rights from doing certain biblically permissible things, for then their God given rights would be Confiscated from them.
1. The Suitability of Paul's judgement.
2. Considering singleness in the light of impending Suffering.
3. The Subject addressed in verses 27 and 28
4. Don't Substitute your marriage responsibilities for Serving the Saviour.
5. A Snag of Biblical interpretation.
a. Be Savvy about what "giving in marriage" means.
6. The importance of what Dad Says.
7. We are given Scope to choose.
1. Discontentment with our current circumstances in life causes us to want to Change those circumstances if we are going to be happy and fix the problem.
2. It is Commonly true that we must Continue in the calling that God has given to us until He shows you otherwise.
a) The state of a Contrary yoke in marriage.
b) Another state that we may be called to at salvation is our ethnic Condition.
c) Another sphere of our calling can be our social Class.
3. A free man in Christ is to be Compliant to his new Master since he has been purchased with the Cost of Christ's precious blood.
1. Ten Culprits who will not inherit the kingdom of God.
2. Two Categories of Corruption.
a) Those sins Committed against themselves.
b) Those sins Carried out against others.
i) Sex outside God's design of marriage is Crippling.
ii) The best lovers are Charactered people.
iii) We live at a time when Homosexuality is Celebrated.
3. Notice the Contrast of past and present Conduct.
4. This was a Complete Cleansing.
a) It's the Blood of Christ that makes us Compatible for the Kingdom.
5. It is also the element of Change that affects our behaviour.
6. This Certifies our right to our new inheritance.
7. This Confirms that in God's sight, we are no longer in danger of not inheriting the Kingdom of God, but are Considered in right standing with God.
1. It seems that "matters" come up between Christians at times that need to be Resolved.
2. Should Christians ever stand up for their Rights?
a) If God has given us rights then He has also given us Responsibilities to uphold those rights.
3. "Unjust" means that they did not have the Righteousness of Christ imputed to their account.
a) What a Rotten witness to the lost.
b) Then it's as if Paul says, "Really?"
