In Chapter 10 of the First Letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul urged the faithful to learn from Israel’s history. St. John Chrysostom said, “God’s gifts to the Hebrews were figures of the gifts of baptism and the Eucharist which we were to be given; and the punishments meted out to them are figures of the punishment which our ingratitude will deserve; hence his reminder to be watchful.”
St. Paul listed four types of sin committed by the Israelites: idolatry, sexual immorality, putting the Lord to the test, and grumbling. Stephen K. Ray said, “With this catalog of damning sins Paul implies that there are people in Corinth who are sinning and thus bringing judgment upon the church.”
St. Paul wrote this beautiful and encouraging statement: “God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (1 Cor 10:13). St. Augustine said, “By the very fact that God is most firmly believed not to command impossibilities, we are admonished both what to do in easy things, and in difficult things what to ask for.”
Later in history, the Council of Trent defined: “God does not command impossibilities; but by commanding he admonishes you both to do what you can, and to ask for that which is beyond your power, and by his help enables you to do it.” St. Alphonsus explained: “The Council says that God does not impose impossible commands, because he either gives assistance to observe them or gives the grace of prayer to obtain this assistance, which he always grants when it is prayed for.”
In 1 Corinthians 10:16–21, St. Paul described three different sacrifices. The Jews offered sacrifices to God in the temple and participated in the altar of God. The pagans offered sacrifices to idols, which were actually made to demons, and participated with demons. The Christians partake of the table of the Lord by offering bread and wine. Christians participate in the body and blood of Christ. Stephen K. Ray pointed out that it is as if Paul was asking: “Remember Israel provoking God to jealousy and anger? Ask yourselves, Corinthians, do you dare follow Israel’s example in the wilderness? Remember how they were destroyed and scattered? Do you dare to drink the cup of demons and the cup of the Lord; eat at the table of demons and the table of the Lord?”
In Chapter 6, St. Paul quoted the slogan, “All things are lawful for me,” and then added, “but not all things are helpful” and “but I will not be dominated by anything” (1 Cor 6:12). In Chapter 10, St. Paul again quoted the same slogan, “All things are lawful,” and then added, “but not all things are helpful” and “but not all things build up” (1 Cor 10:23). Clement of Alexandria said, “Those who take advantage of everything that is lawful rapidly deteriorate into doing what is not lawful.” We should not think only about ourselves but consider what is really best for our neighbour.
Commenting on St. Paul’s instructions regarding food (1 Cor 10:27–33), St. John Chrysostom said, “The food is not unclean in itself; only human intentions might make it unclean. Those who do not know what those intentions are can therefore eat it with a good conscience…. Nothing is unclean, unless we make it so by our intentions and our disobedience…. Notice Paul’s balanced approach. He did not order Christians to withdraw from associating with unbelievers, but neither did he forbid it. People who make scrupulous inquiries do so out of fear, and that is wrong. On the other hand, if someone happens to find out that the food has been sacrificed to idols and then makes a conscious decision to abstain, he does so out of contempt and aversion toward the idolatry, not out of fear, and that is acceptable in God’s sight.”
St. Paul wrote, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor 10:31). St. Basil commented: “When you sit down to eat, pray. When you eat bread, do so thanking him for being so generous to you. Similarly, when the sun goes down and when it rises, when you are asleep and awake, give thanks to God, who created and arranged all things for your benefit, to have you know, love and praise their Creator.”
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「一切都要為光榮天主而作」
在格林多前書第10章中，聖保祿敦促信友從以色列的歷史中汲取教訓。金口聖若望說：「天主賜予希伯來人的恩典，是我們將要領受的聖洗與聖體聖事的預象；而他們所受的懲罰，則象徵我們若心存忘恩將應受的懲戒。因此，聖保祿提醒我們要警醒。」
聖保祿列舉了以色列人所犯的四種罪過：祟拜邪神、淫亂、試探主、以及抱怨。Stephen K. Ray指出：「藉由這份沉重的罪行清單，保祿暗示格林多教會中也有人陷入類似的罪惡，從而使整個教會承受審判。」
聖保祿也寫下了這句美麗而鼓舞人心的話：「天主是忠信的，他決不許你們受那超過你們能力的試探，天主如加給人試探，也必開一條出路，叫你們能夠承擔。」（格前 10:13）聖奧斯定評述說：「既然我們深信天主決不命令人做不可能的事，我們便當在容易之事上努力行善，而在困難之事上祈求天主的助佑。」
後來，特倫多大公會議明確宣告：「天主不會命令人去做不可能的事；但藉著命令，祂勉勵人去做力所能及之事，並祈求祂的助佑以完成超越自身能力之事，而天主必要賜予祂的助佑。」聖亞豐索進一步解釋：「大公會議指出，天主不會命令人做不可能的誡命，因為祂要麼賜予人履行誡命的助佑，要麼賜予祈禱的恩寵，使人能獲得這份助佑 – 而祂總是不會拒絕人的祈禱。」
在格林多前書10:16-21中，聖保祿描述了三種不同的祭獻：猶太人於聖殿中向天主獻祭，並與天主的祭壇相通；異教徒則向邪神獻祭，而這實際上是向魔鬼獻祭，並與魔鬼相交；基督徒則在主的餐桌前，以餅酒獻祭，並分享基督的身體與寶血。Stephen K. Ray指出，聖保祿彷彿在警告：「你們還記得以色列人如何挑戰天主的忍耐，惹祂嫉妒與忿怒嗎？格林多人，你們敢步以色列人的後塵嗎？你們還記得他們如何被毀滅和流散嗎？你們敢同時喝魔鬼的杯與主的杯嗎？敢同時在魔鬼的餐桌與主的餐桌上共食嗎？」
在第6章中，聖保祿引用了一句口號：「凡事我都可行」，但他補充說：「但不全有益」且「但我卻不受任何事物的管制。」（格前 6:12）到了第10章，他再次引用：「凡事都可行」，但接著說：「但但不全有益」且「但不全助人建樹。」（格前 10:23）亞歷山大的克萊孟（Clement of Alexandria）評論道：「凡事都許可的人，很快就會淪落到做不被許可之事。」我們不應只考慮自身的利益，而應思考什麼才是真正對近人有益的。
在評論聖保祿對食物的指導時（格前 10:27-33），金口聖若望指出：「食物本身並不是不潔的，只有人的意圖可能使其不潔。不知道其背景的人可以心安理得地享用它…。任何食物本身都不是不潔的，除非我們的意圖和悖逆使之成為不潔…。請注意保祿的平衡態度：他沒有命令基督徒完全與異教徒隔絕，但也沒有完全允許隨意交往。那些過度查問的人是出於恐懼，這是不對的；然而，如果有人得知食物曾被祭過邪神，並出於對邪神崇拜的厭惡而選擇不吃，那麼在天主眼中這是可以接受的。」
聖保祿寫道：「所以，你們或吃或喝，或無論作什麼，一切都該為光榮天主而行。」（格前 10:31）聖巴西略評論道：「當你坐下吃飯時，祈禱吧！當你吃餅時，感謝天主的慷慨賜予。同樣，當日落與日出，當你入睡與醒來，都要感謝那位為你創造與安排萬物的天主，使你能認識、愛慕並讚美祂。」
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