1 Corinthians 9:19-10:13

Contemporary English Version

¹⁹I am not anyone's slave. But I have become a slave to everyone, so I can win as many people as possible. ²⁰When I am with the Jews, I live like a Jew to win Jews. They are ruled by the Law of Moses, and I am not. But I live by the Law to win them. ²¹And when I am with people who are not ruled by the Law, I forget about the Law to win them. Of course, I never really forget about the law of God. In fact, I am ruled by the law of Christ. ²²When I am with people whose faith is weak, I live as they do to win them. I do everything I can to win everyone I possibly can. ²³I do all this for the good news, because I want to share in its blessings.

A Race and a Fight

²⁴^(A) You know that many runners enter a race, and only one of them wins the prize. So run to win! ²⁵^(B) Athletes work hard to win a crown that cannot last, but we do it for a crown that will last forever. ²⁶I don't run without a goal. And I don't box by beating my fists in the air. ²⁷I keep my body under control and make it my slave, so I won't lose out after telling the good news to others.

Don't Worship Idols

10 ^(C) Friends, I want to remind you that all our ancestors walked under the cloud and went through the sea. ²This was like being baptized and becoming followers of Moses. ³^(D) All of them also ate the same spiritual food ⁴^(E) and drank the same spiritual drink, which flowed from the spiritual rock that followed them. That rock was Christ. ⁵^(F) But most of them did not please God. So they died, and their bodies were scattered all over the desert.

⁶What happened to them is a warning to keep us from wanting to do the same evil things. ⁷^(G) They worshiped idols, just as the Scriptures say, “The people sat down to eat and drink. Then they got up to dance around.” So don't worship idols. ⁸^(H) Some of those people did shameful things, and in a single day about 23,000 died. Don't do shameful things as they did. ⁹^(I) And don't try to test Christ,^[a] as some of them did and were later bitten by poisonous snakes. ¹⁰^(J) Don't even grumble, as some of them did and were killed by the destroying angel. ¹¹These things happened to them as a warning to us. All this was written in the Scriptures to teach us who live in these last days.

¹²Even if you think you can stand up to temptation, be careful not to fall. ¹³^(K) You are tempted in the same way that everyone else is tempted. But God can be trusted not to let you be tempted too much, and he will show you how to escape from your temptations.