Warnings from Israel’s Past
(Numbers 16:41–50; Numbers 25:1–5)

1Brethre, I woulde not that ye shoulde be ignoraunt, howe that all our fathers were vnder the cloude, and all passed through the sea, 2And were all baptized vnto Moyses in the cloude, & in the sea: 3And dyd all eate of one spirituall meate. 4And dyd all drynke of one maner of spirituall drynke. (And they dranke of that spirituall rocke that folowed them, which rocke was Christe.) 5But in many of them had God no delite: For they were ouerthrowen in the wildernesse.

6These veryly are ensamples to vs, to thintent that we shoulde not lust after euyll thynges, as they also lusted. 7Neither be ye idolatours, as were some of them, as it is written: The people sate downe to eate and drynke, and rose vp to play. 8Neither let vs commit fornication, as some of them committed fornication, and fell in one daye three and thirtie thousande. 9Neither let vs tempt Christe, as some of them tempted, and were destroyed of serpentes. 10Neither murmure ye, as some of the also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. 11All these thinges happened vnto them for ensamples: but they are written to put vs in remembraunce, whom the endes of the worlde are come vpon. 12Wherfore, let hym that thynketh he standeth, take heede lest he fall. 13There hath no temptation taken you, but such as foloweth the nature of man: But God is faythfull, which shall not suffer you to be tempted aboue your strength: but shall with the temptation make away that ye maye be able to beare it.

Flee from Idolatry
(Exodus 20:22–26)

14Wherfore my deare beloued, flee from idolatrie. 15I speake as vnto them which haue discretion, iudge ye what I say. 16The cuppe of blessyng which we blesse, is it not ye partakyng of the blood of Christe? The bread which we breake, is it not the partakyng of the body of Christe? 17For we that are many, are one bread and one body, in as much as we all are partakers of one bread. 18Beholde Israel after the fleshe. Are not they which eate of the sacrifices, partakers of the aulter? 19What say I then? that the idol is any thyng? Or that it which is offered to idols is any thyng? 20Nay but this I saye that the thinges which the gentiles offer, they offer to deuyls, & not to God. And I woulde not that ye shoulde haue felowshippe with the deuils. 21Ye can not drynke ye cup of the Lorde, and the cup of deuils. Ye can not be partakers of the Lordes table, and of the table of deuyls. 22Either do we prouoke the Lorde to anger? Are we stronger then he?

All to God’s Glory
(1 Peter 4:1–11)

23All thynges are lawfull for me, but all thynges are not expedient: All thynges are lawfull for me, but all thynges edifie not. 24Let no man seeke his owne: but euery man anothers wealth. 25Whatsoeuer is solde in the market, that eate, and aske no question for conscience sake. 26For the earth is the Lordes, and all that therin is. 27If any of them which beleue not, byd you to a feast and ye be disposed to go, whatsoeuer is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake. 28But yf any man say vnto you, this is offred vnto idols, eate not of it for his sake that shewed it, and for conscience sake. The earth is the Lordes and all that therin is. 29Conscience I say, not thyne, but of the other. For why is my libertie, iudged of another mans conscience? 30For, if I take my part with thankes, why am I euyll spoken of, for that wherfore I geue thankes?

31Whether therfore ye eate or drynke, or whatsoeuer ye do, do all to the prayse of God. 32See that ye geue none offence, neither to the Iewes, nor yet to the Grecians, neither to the Churche of God. 33Euen as I please all men in all thynges, not seking myne owne profite, but the profite of many, that they might be saued.