It’s Complicated
Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God. 1 Corinthians 10:32 NASB
No offense – Paul’s exhortation is frankly impossible. How can we not offend either Jew or Greek? We read this verse without allowing it to prick our consciences. If I claim that Yeshua is the Messiah, don’t I offend the Gentile who worships a false god? If I claim that it isn’t necessary for me to follow the Torah, don’t I offend Jews? No matter which way I turn, won’t I cause someone to be upset? How can Paul be so naïve?
I’m betting that you have read this verse before and never asked yourself how in the world you could make it happen. I’m betting that now that you think about it, you realize that there must be more to this than simple admonitions to “just get along.” To find out what we actually can do not to offend such polar opposites, we need to look a little deeper.
First, let’s straighten out the translation. The opening of this verse is aproskopoi ginesthe (literally, “not become [one] striking against the foot or causing to stumble”). Of course, we know that ekklesia tou Theou is Paul’s term for the qehelah, the assembly of followers of YHWH. So Paul is telling the readers in Corinth not to become impediments to Ioudaiois (those born Jewish) and (kai) Hellessi (a euphemism for Gentiles, i.e., those who are Greeks by birth – Hellenists). Does this help us straighten out his exhortation? Yes, it does because now we realize who his readers are. His readers are neither Jews by birth nor Greeks by birth. Notice that the potential of offense has something to do with the ethnic background of these people. If his readers are not Jews or Greeks by birth, then who are they? Well, the division of Jew-Greek as a matter of ethnic separation covers everyone. Everyone is either a Jew by birth or a Gentile by birth, so Paul must have some other categorization of audience in mind. What category is left? Only one – the qehelah where the differentiation between Jew and Gentile doesn’t matter, the ekklesia tou Theou.
Now let’s see what this means to the audience. How must I act in order not to offend the Jew by birth? Simple. Live according to Torah. But since the ekklesia-qehelah was already doing this, why bring up the point? Because as Gentiles came into the qehelah, they didn’t know the ways of Torah. The new freedom they experienced by not being required to convert to Judaism lead them to declare independence from Torah and this, of course, caused Jews who did not believe Yeshua was the Messiah to discount everything these people claimed. Rightly so, by the way, since it would have been impossible (and still is) for any Jew by birth to accept the claims of any believer in the Jewish Messiah who did not embrace Torah. So we can see why Paul exhorts the Gentiles in the qehelah not to offend. It is a matter of verifying the claims about Yeshua. Live according to Torah and you will have the right to speak to these Jewish brothers. Don’t live according to Torah and you forfeit that right.
But what about the Greeks? Why should the first century qehelah in pagan Corinth worry about them? We need to realize that the general spiritual ethos of Corinth was “live and let live.” You could believe anything as long as you didn’t try to make me believe it too. So the Gentiles of Corinth were not opposed to Jewish beliefs, they were just opposed to the exclusivity of the Jewish beliefs. And on this point, Paul’s suggestion makes perfect sense. Live by the Spirit, walk by the Spirit, let no man find fault with you and your life will become the magnet that attracts others to YHWH. The pagans in Corinth were not categorically resistant to the new ekklesia of Jews and Gentiles together. They just weren’t ready to believe it until they could see it actually work.
In both cases, Torah living avoids offense. Amazing, isn’t it? I wonder why we didn’t get it the first time around.
Topical Index: offense, aproskopos, 1 Corinthians 10:32
Where is every body – already celebrating the freedom of Fourth of July?!?!?! ♥
jano
Who is the ONE who delivers? Who is the ONE who redeems? Who is the ONE who restores? Who is the ONE who renews? Who is the ONE who revives? – It is, my friends- only ONE. It is for (both) Jew and Gentile,-ADONAI, the Christ, the Lamb of G-d who takes away the sin of the world.
For the Jew is it Christ. For the Gentile, it is Christ. For male, for female, for the rich, for the poor, Christ died for sinners (of every flavor, of every station, of every nation). We (all) enter in through the (only) Door, which is Christ.
“but we proclaim Christ crucified: (do we?) a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,” (1 Corinthians 1.23)
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of G-d.” (1 Corinthians 1:18) The message of the what? Is this, His cross, necessary to our deliverance? Who then, is proclaiming this message of reconciliation?
“the ransom He paid was not mere gold or silver. Rather, the payment that freed you was the precious blood of Christ, the Lamb with no defects or imperfections.” (1 Peter 1.18,19)
“For as by a man (the first Adam) came death, by a man (the second Adam) has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in (the first) Adam all die, so also “in Christ” (the second Adam) shall all (whether Jew or Gentile) be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15.21,22)
But we see Yeshua, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because He suffered death, so that by the grace of G-d He might taste death for everyone. “Both” Jew and Gentile (Hebrews 2:9)
You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, (Galatians 3:26)
There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28)
For Christ Himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in His own body on the cross, He broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. (Ephesians 2.14)
“For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body–whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free–and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.” (1 Corinthians 12:13)
“Therefore, if anyone (anyone) is in the Messiah, he (or she) is a new creation. Old things have disappeared, and-look!-all things have become new!” (2 Corinthians 5.17)
“G-d has done all this. He has restored our relationship with Him through Christ, and has given us this ministry of restoring relationships.” (2 Corinthians 5.18)
For the Messiah’s love has hold of us, because we are convinced that one man died on behalf of all mankind (which implies that all mankind was already dead), and that He died on behalf of all (all) in order that those who live should not live any longer for themselves but for the ONE who on their behalf died and was raised. So from now on, we do not look at anyone from a worldly viewpoint. Even if we once regarded the Messiah from a worldly viewpoint, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone (anyone) is united with the Messiah, he is a new creation – the old has passed; look, what has come is fresh and new! And it is all from G-d, who through the Messiah has reconciled us to Himself and has given us (us) the work of that reconciliation, which is that G-d in the Messiah was reconciling mankind (the world) to Himself, not counting their sins against them, and entrusting to us (to us) the message of reconciliation. Therefore we (we) are ambassadors of the Messiah; in effect, G-d is making His appeal through us. (us) What we do is appeal on behalf of the Messiah, “Be reconciled to G-d! G-d made this sinless man be a sin offering on our behalf, so that in (blood-covenant) union with Him (in union with who?) we might fully share in G-d’s righteousness.” (2 Corinthians 5.14-21)
“And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.” (Joel 2:32)
“Brothers, my heart’s deepest desire and my prayer to G-d for Isra’el is for their salvation;”
(http://www.biblestudytools.com/cjb/romans/10.html)
And today Torah living gives offense to just about everyone, but especially those inside the church. Not sure? Take your friends to a restaurant and ask them to avoid pork and shrimp.
Ian, in our area, it’s catfish. A local restaurant is famous for it. Pretty much required to be on the menu in all Southern eateries! I used to enjoy it, but about the time I saw that it was not on the ‘permitted’ list, it began to give me digestive issues (after I’d had it all my life). Hmmm . . . I can take a hint. 🙂
What?!!! You mean Jesus wasn’t a Sabbath breaking bacon wrapped shrimp eater?
No he wasn’t. But the verdict is still out on cheeseburgers. 🙂
Cheeseburgers are kosher (provided the meat is) ;-). Genesis 18 – Abraham served bread, cheese and meat together – the first cheeseburger. 8)
If we use the principle of submission to each other as in the book of Ephesians, we can live a life of freedom, and at the same time, fulfill the Torah by living as Yeshua did. I see that when one lives his/her life for the comfort of “the other” whether Jew or Greek, one will always live in Shalom with G_d and neighbor. When one becomes self-focused, the fighting starts. To live focused on the comfort of others helps us to understand the perspective of Philippians 2:1-11,
“1 Therefore, if you have any encouragement for me from your being in union with the Messiah, any comfort flowing from love, any fellowship with me in the Spirit, or any compassion and sympathy, 2 then complete my joy by having a common purpose and a common love, by being one in heart and mind. 3 Do nothing out of rivalry or vanity; but, in humility, regard each other as better than yourselves – 4 look out for each other’s interests and not just for your own. 5 Let your attitude toward one another be governed by your being in union with the Messiah Yeshua: 6 Though he was in the form of God, he did not regard equality with God something to be possessed by force. 7 On the contrary, he emptied himself, in that he took the form of a slave by becoming like human beings are. And when he appeared as a human being, 8 he humbled himself still more by becoming obedient even to death – death on a stake as a criminal! 9 Therefore God raised him to the highest place and gave him the name above every name; 10 that in honor of the name given Yeshua, every knee will bow – in heaven, on earth and under the earth 11 and every tongue will acknowledgeb that Yeshua the Messiah is ADONAI – to the glory of God the Father.”
http://www.studylight.org/desk/?query=php+2:8&t=cjb&st=1&new=1&sr=1&sc=1&l=en
Amen Cheryl. Apple trees don’t eat apples. The fruit borne by the tree is for the nourishment of others. Likewise, the fruit I produce (Gal 5) is not for my benefit, but the nurture and service for others.
Similarly, when trying to escape your own Egypt by overcoming the challenges in your own life, don’t seek the latest ‘studies’. Find redemption by seeking God and His Torah. Don’t be seduced by fads, fantasies and schemes. Remain rooted in reality by balancing how the world really works with faith in God and His limitless power.
– Rabbi Daniel Lapin
http://www.icontact-archive.com/Ten6_iJ6AsxmZhvwusujdqmE_wfUop27?w=1
Mr. Logan, thank you for this link. Blessings!