1 Corinthians 10:22

Provoke. Will Christians, endowed with all the light of the gospel, having their eyes opened to the truth concerning the nature of idol worship, ran the risk of arousing the anger of the Lord by participation in idolatrous feasts? Will they allow their sensual appetites and passions so to becloud their reason that they defy their Lord by indulgence in idolatrous entertainments? The warning contained in the second commandment is sufficient to indicate the attitude of God toward idolatry, showing that He looks upon such worship as a direct insult to Himself (see Ex. 20:5). Our God is a jealous God and will not share the homage and obedience of His people with any other power (see Ex. 20:4, 5; Ex. 34:12-16; Joshua 24:19; Matt. 6:24). To join in the worship of idols by participating in their feasts would be to take part in that which God has always regarded with particular abhorrence, and which, more than anything else, is a source of provocation (see Lev. 19:4; Lev. 26:30; Deut. 18:10-12; 1 Cor. 6:9; Eph. 5:5; Rev. 21:8; Rev. 22:15).

Anything in one’s life that has the effect of taking the affections away from God and fixing them on other beings or things is a sin similar to that of the Corinthians in taking part in idol feasts and entertainments. Any attachment to friends, property, fame, popularity, or material success, which leads an individual to give time or attention to those things to such an extent that the worship of God is neglected, is idolatrous in nature and merits only the rebuke and wrath of God (see Matt. 10:37-39; Luke 14:26).

Jealousy. To illustrate His love for mankind God uses the figure of marriage (see Jer. 6:2; 2 Cor. 11:2). Departure from God to worship idols is pictured by the prophets as adultery (see Hosea 4:12-15; 8:14; 9:1, 15, 17). God, as the husband of His church, wants His bride to be exclusively His, and is very jealous of that which draws her affections away from Him. Surely no Christian who truly loves the Lord will ever permit anyone or anything to arouse His jealousy. Therefore no Christian can ever associate with anything that is idolatrous in nature.

Stronger. The construction of the question in Greek anticipates a negative answer. No man can contend successfully with God; therefore it is extreme folly to engage in any form of activity contrary to His commands and expect to escape the divine penalty. This principle should be taken into consideration by those who love sin and continue to engage in it, and at the same time profess to love and serve God. However, this fact of the certainty of judgment should not be the chief motive of our service, but rather our recognition of God’s wondrous love and faithfulness (see Rom. 5:8; 8:35; 1 Cor. 10:13).