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For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Jesus gave thanks for the meal that would symbolize his death. He came to lay down his life for you and me. The bread represents his body that died and the cup represents his life (his blood) that he gave up for us. The blood he shed is the institution of the covenant (cf. Jeremiah 31). As we take the Lord’s Supper, we are reminding ourselves we are in the new covenant, not the old. We are under the law of Christ, the law of love. We know Jesus died for the sins of the whole world, and he is coming back again. It’s not just crackers and juice, it is a remembrance of the gospel. Let’s invite and bring people to witness our remembrance. What a great opportunity to proclaim the gospel.

Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say.

Don’t buy someone’s “bill of goods.” If you are not called to change your life. If you can continue to do whatever you want. If it is not a difficult road, then someone is leading you astray. In America today we are surrounded by idols. Anything that keeps us from following Jesus as we should, has become an idol. This can be a job, a hobby, travel, sports, even our own family. What keeps you from loving, serving, or even spending time with your church family? It might have moved into idol territory. It’s not complicated, it’s simple, whatever is a potential roadblock to God is something that needs to be reprioritized in our lives.

For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.

What are you willing to do to win some… Paul seems fairly clear that he is willing to do whatever it takes to see people come to know Jesus Christ as their Savior, yet, he would not compromise his character. As a believer, his sins were forgiven and Jesus… yet Paul did not have the mindset to live however he wished, that’s not true freedom. He made himself a servant. Just as he taught in the previous chapter, it’s not a matter of “what CAN I do?” but “what does the most good?”. He doesn’t compromise, the “weak” are not those who sin, but those who don’t take advantage of all their rights in Christ, and that doesn’t bother Paul. He does it all, the laying aside of his rights, for the sake of the good news for Jesus’ sake. So should we.

Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one.” For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”— yet for us 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.However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.

We have a big problem in Christianity today, it’s an attitude which says “I want it, and I have a right to it…” The choices we make as Believers should have very little to do with whether or not we “can” do something, that’s no choice at all… no, for we who follow Jesus, our decision needs to be made on the bases of “does this help?”. Am I helping people move closer in their relationship with Jesus, or perhaps even encouraging them to begin one. If anything harms someone’s faith, we shouldn’t do it. “But wait, they should be mature enough to know…” Wow, we really are self-centered, aren’t we? Paul says it is on the very basis of the fact that your faith is strong and their faith is weak that YOU need to set aside your “rights” and do what does the most good. Be good, do good… help.

Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife… Yet those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that… But if you do marry, you have not sinned… I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord… So then he who marries his betrothed does well, and he who refrains from marriage will do even better.

The New Testament teaching about marriage is quite different from modern day encouragement. Far too often, we are led to believe that marriage is the solution to a problem. If we feel alone, if our life is disorganized, if we struggle with issues like same-sex-attraction… we might give, or be given, the erroneous advice “you just need to get married.” Marriage is a wonderful thing, but understand that it is a commitment, it is a willingness to “give up” and it is not about what you “get.” So many people get divorced because they didn’t “get” what they thought the “benefits of marriage” were supposed to be. Marriage is a vow to serve, not to be served. Thus, it is a beautiful picture of what Jesus did for us. You shouldn’t seek to be married for marriage sake. If you pine away the hours thinking: “oh… I wish I were married…” and you don’t have a person in mind, that’s not healthy for the Christian. Paul makes it clear, getting marriage isn’t a sin, you do just fine getting married, in fact, most people will get married, but if you can remain single, that’s even better. You probably won’t hear that from most Christians because they’re potential grandparents… 😉 If I can boil down Paul’s advice, it’s this: only get married if you have to, and it’s okay if you have to.