1 Corinthians 10:22

22 Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?

1 Corinthians 10:22 Meaning and Commentary

1 Corinthians 10:22

Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy?
&c.] As they do who are guilty of idolatry in any shape: nothing is more highly resented by God, or stirs him up more to wrath and fury, and to inflict punishment; he cannot bear, nor will he admit of a rival in religious worship; he is a God jealous of his own honour; nor will he give, or suffer to be given by others, his praise and glory to graven images:

are we stronger than he?
to give into idolatrous practices, is to proclaim and enter into a war against God; and what madness must this be? who can be so sottish and stupid as to think of succeeding? when God is omnipotent, and man a poor feeble impotent creature, a worm, and but dust and ashes: thus the apostle dissuades from idolatry, and every species and branch of it; partly from its ill effect, in bringing men into fellowship with devils; and partly from the impossibility of practising it, in consistence with a true and real participation of the cup and table of the Lord; and from the absurdity and stupidity of it, and its dangerous consequence, in exposing men to the vengeance of an almighty incensed Being.

1 Corinthians 10:22 In-Context

20 But that what [the nations] sacrifice they sacrifice to demons, and not to God. Now I do not wish you to be in communion with demons.
21 Ye cannot drink [the] Lord's cup, and [the] cup of demons: ye cannot partake of [the] Lord's table, and of [the] table of demons.
22 Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?
23 All things are lawful, but all are not profitable; all things are lawful, but all do not edify.
24 Let no one seek his own [advantage], but that of the other.

Footnotes 1

The Darby Translation is in the public domain.