July 2026

Read Ellen G. White, “Idolatry at Sinai,” pp. 315–330, in Patriarchs and Prophets.

“How much good might be done if we would make a right use of our associations with one another! Every one who has received of the heavenly benefits is under obligation to shed some light on the pathway of others. . . . Then all those who truly love God will cease their idolatry of self.”—Ellen G. White, in The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, November 18, 1884, p. 730.

In 1 Corinthians 8:1–3, Paul argues that love for God keeps one safe from idolatry. This argument is resumed and further developed in 1 Corinthians 10:23–11:1. In 1 Corinthians 8:3, he speaks about our love for God. He says, “Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being” (1 Cor. 10:24, NKJV). This is love for others.

Read Mark 10:17–22 and Mark 12:28–31. What do these two passages have in common, and how do they apply to the situation in 1 Corinthians 10?

Read 1 Corinthians 10:5–22. Why must we flee from idolatry?

After providing an example of self-denial from his own experience, Paul turns more particularly toward the issue of idolatry. In a sense, 1 Corinthians 10 develops the idea of 1 Corinthians 9:27, where Paul comments that he exercises self-discipline in order not to become disqualified. He wants the Corinthians to follow his example, but Jesus is the model par excellence (1 Cor. 11:1).

Read 1 Corinthians 10:7–11. What sins did Israel commit in the wilderness, and why do the privileges granted to them make their sins even worse?

Read 1 Corinthians 9:1–6. How does this passage provide a practical example of what it means to practice self-denial motivated by love?

Read 1 Corinthians 8:1–13. Why does Paul contrast knowledge with love, and what is the context here? What point is he making?

Read for This Week’s Study

1 Corinthians 8; Acts 15:20; 1 Cor. 9:1–6; 1 Cor. 10:5–22; Deut. 6:4, 5; Mark 12:28–31.

Memory Text:

Read Ellen G. White, “A Message of Warning and Entreaty,” pp. 298–308, in The Acts of the Apostles.

Interestingly, in the catalog of vices in 1 Corinthians 5:10, 11 and 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10, idolatry and drunkenness are listed along with sexual immorality. As Paul recalls in 1 Corinthians 10:7 (compare with Exod. 32:1–6), idolatrous festivals were usually marked with excessive eating and drinking, which opened the door for sexual immorality (1 Cor. 10:8). Ellen G. White says:

Paul’s affirmation that the body “is the temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor. 6:19, NKJV) occurs in the context of a warning against sexual immorality. Being a temple of the Spirit is the only means to live a holy life. The church is a Christian community that distinguishes itself from the surrounding environment. It is the presence of the Holy Spirit that makes it possible.

Read 1 Corinthians 6:19–7:9. How does this passage shed light on how one can put into practice the commandment to “flee from sexual immorality” (1 Cor. 6:18, ESV)?

Read 1 Thessalonians 4:1–8. What does this passage say about the connection between sanctification and abstinence from sexual immorality?

Though Paul was writing to someone else in the above texts, the principle can be applied across the board, to all Christians which still, though, leads to the question: What was going on in Corinth? Why all these problems?