8. We should not take part in sexual sin, as some of them did. In one day 23,000 of them died because of their sins.
9. We should not test the Lord as some of them did. They were killed by snakes.
10. And do not complain as some of them did. They were killed by the angel that destroys.
11. The things that happened to those people are examples. And they were written down to be warnings for us. For we live in a time when all these things of the past have reached their goal.
12. So anyone who thinks he is standing strong should be careful not to fall.
13. The only temptations that you have are the temptations that all people have. But you can trust God. He will not let you be tempted more than you can stand. But when you are tempted, God will also give you a way to escape that temptation. Then you will be able to stand it.
14. So, my dear friends, stay away from worshiping idols.
15. I am speaking to you, as to reasonable people; judge for yourselves what I say.
16. We give thanks for the cup of blessing. It is a sharing in the blood of Christ’s death. And the bread that we break is a sharing in the body of Christ.
17. There is one loaf of bread. And we are many people. But we all share from that one loaf. So we are really one body.
18. Think about the people of Israel: Do not those who eat the sacrifices share in the altar?
19. I do not mean that the food sacrificed to an idol is something important. And I do not mean that an idol is anything at all.
20. But I say that what is sacrificed to idols is offered to demons, not to God. And I do not want you to share anything with demons.
21. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons, too. You cannot share in the Lord’s table and the table of demons, too.
22. Do we want to make the Lord jealous? We are not stronger than he is, are we?
23. “We are allowed to do all things.” Yes. But not all things are good for us to do. “We are allowed to do all things.” Yes. But not all things help others grow stronger.
24. No one should try to do what will help only himself. He should try to do what is good for others.