Warnings from Israel’s Past (Numbers 16:41–50; Numbers 25:1–5)
1 UDB I want you to remember, brothers and sisters, that our Jewish ancestors were following God, who led them out of Egypt by means of a cloud during the day, and that they passed through the Sea of Reeds on dry land. BSB BSB: I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud, and that they all passed through the sea.
2 UDB They were all baptized into Moses as he followed God in the cloud and across the sea. BSB BSB: They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.
3 UDB They all ate the supernatural manna that God gave them from heaven, BSB BSB: They all ate the same spiritual food
4 UDB and they all drank the supernatural water that God gave them when Moses struck the rock. The rock was Christ. BSB BSB: and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.
5 UDB But God was angry with most of them because they worshiped other gods and rebelled against him, so their dead bodies lay on the ground all across the wilderness. BSB BSB: Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the wilderness.
6 UDB Now these things were an example for us, so we would learn not to greatly desire evil things as they did. BSB BSB: These things took place as examples to keep us from craving evil things as they did.
7 UDB Some of our ancestors also worshiped idols. As the scripture says, "The people sat down to eat and drink and then they rose up to dance wildly in a sexual way." BSB BSB: Do not be idolaters, as some of them were. As it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.”
8 UDB Twenty-three thousand of our Jewish ancestors died in one day because of their sexual immorality. BSB BSB: We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died.
9 UDB Let us not test the authority of Christ by disobeying him, as some of our ancestors did, and the result was that poisonous snakes killed them. BSB BSB: We should not test Christ, as some of them did, and were killed by snakes.
10 UDB Do not grumble about what God provides, as some our ancestors did, and the result was that an angel destroyed them. BSB BSB: And do not complain, as some of them did, and were killed by the destroying angel.
11 UDB Now these things happened to our ancestors; they were written so we could learn from them—we who are living very close to when the world will end. BSB BSB: Now these things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.
12 UDB And so the lesson is this: If you think you are strong and are standing strong, be very careful because this is just when you may fall. BSB BSB: So the one who thinks he is standing firm should be careful not to fall.
13 UDB Every temptation you have fought against is shared by us all, but God has given us his promise and he will not permit the temptation to be greater than your ability to fight against the sin. When the temptation comes, God will provide a way for you to get away from it, so that you may endure the temptation to sin. BSB BSB: No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide an escape, so that you can stand up under it.
Flee from Idolatry (Exodus 20:22–26)
14 UDB Therefore, my loved ones, run away from idol worship as fast as you can. BSB BSB: Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.
15 UDB I speak to you as people who consider carefully how you live; think about what I am saying here. BSB BSB: I speak to reasonable people; judge for yourselves what I say.
16 UDB When we drink the cup of wine that we bless, we share in the blood of Christ. When we break the bread, we share in the body of Christ. BSB BSB: Is not the cup of blessing that we bless a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?
17 UDB There is only one loaf of bread, and we, although we are many, all make up just one body together, and we all take and eat from the one loaf of bread together. BSB BSB: Because there is one loaf, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one loaf.
18 UDB Think about the people of Israel. Those who eat the sacrifices at the altar share in the altar. BSB BSB: Consider the people of Israel: Are not those who eat the sacrifices fellow partakers in the altar?
19 UDB So I am saying that an idol is not something real, and to eat food sacrificed to an idol is not significant. But even so, there are important issues here. BSB BSB: Am I suggesting, then, that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything?
20 UDB What I mean is this: When pagans make their sacrifices, they are really making them to demons and not to God at all. And I do not want you to share anything with demons. BSB BSB: No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God. And I do not want you to be participants with demons.
21 UDB You must not drink from the Lord's cup and then later drink the cup of demons. You must not share in the Lord's supper and then later eat a meal with demons. BSB BSB: You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot partake in the table of the Lord and the table of demons too.
22 UDB To do so would provoke the Lord to become jealous about split loyalty. You are not stronger than he is! BSB BSB: Are we trying to provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?
All to God’s Glory (1 Peter 4:1–11)
23 UDB Some say, "Everything is lawful," but not everything is for our good or for the good of other people. Yes, "everything is lawful," but not everything helps people to grow strong in their life with God. BSB BSB: “Everything is permissible,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible,” but not everything is edifying.
24 UDB Do not work for your good only, but also for the good of other people. All of us must act toward everyone in such a way as to help them all. BSB BSB: No one should seek his own good, but the good of others.
25 UDB Here is our rule: You may buy and eat whatever meat you want in the market without having to ask whether it was sacrificed to idols or not. BSB BSB: Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience,
26 UDB As the psalmist says, "The earth is the Lord's and everything in it." BSB BSB: for, “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.”
27 UDB If one of the unbelievers invites you to a meal, and you desire to go, eat whatever he serves you. God does not require you to ask him about where he purchased the food. BSB BSB: If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat anything set before you without raising questions of conscience.
28 UDB But if someone says to you, "We bought this food at the idol temple and it was sacrificed to the gods," then do not eat the food, for the good of the person who served it, and so as not to cause conflict in the sense of right and wrong. BSB BSB: But if someone tells you, “This food was offered to idols,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who told you and for the sake of conscience—
29 UDB This is being careful about how that other person thinks about right and wrong, not how you think about it. My personal choices are not to be changed by what another person believes is right or wrong. BSB BSB: the other one’s conscience, I mean, not your own. For why should my freedom be determined by someone else’s conscience?
30 UDB If I enjoy the meal with thanksgiving, I should not permit someone else to condemn me. BSB BSB: If I partake in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks?
31 UDB The rule here is that whether you eat a meal or drink something offered to you or whatever you do, do everything in a way so that you give praise to God. BSB BSB: So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God.
32 UDB Do not be offensive to Jews or to Greeks, nor even to those in the church of God, about matters such as these. BSB BSB: Do not become a stumbling block, whether to Jews or Greeks or the church of God—
33 UDB I make it my duty to please everyone I can, in every way that is possible. I do this by not seeking my own good. Instead, I try to build up other people by helping them, so that God might save them. BSB BSB: as I also try to please everyone in all I do. For I am not seeking my own good, but the good of many, that they may be saved.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.