1 Corinthians 10:22

22 Or are we attempting to provoke the Lord to jealousy? We are not stronger than he [is, are we]?

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 [No], but that [the things] which they sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to become sharers with demons.
21 You are not able to drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You are not able to share the table of the Lord and the table of demons.
22 Or are we attempting to provoke the Lord to jealousy? We are not stronger than he [is, are we]?
23 All [things] are permitted, but not all [things] are profitable. All [things] are permitted, but not all [things] build up.
24 Let no one seek {his own good} but the [good] of the other.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. *The negative construction in Greek anticipates a negative answer here
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.