Journal: Reformed Baptist Theological Review
Volume: RBTR 07:2 (Jul 2010)
Article: The Sacramental Implications Of 1 Corinthians 10:1-4: A Confessional Study Of Baptism And The Lord’s Supper
Author: W. G. Crampton

RBTR 7:2 (July 2010) p. 7

The Sacramental Implications Of 1 Corinthians 10:1-4: A Confessional Study Of Baptism And The Lord’s Supper

W. G. Crampton, Th.D.

W. G. Crampton, Th.D., is a pastor at Reformed Baptist Church, Richmond, VA, and author of From Paedobaptism to Credobaptism, available at www.rbap.net.

In 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 we read:

Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; nor murmur, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed by the destroyer. Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

Introduction

First Corinthians 10:1-4 is richly laden with biblical teaching regarding the sacraments of the New Covenant community. Twice in the first eleven verses (vv. 6, 11) of this chapter the apostle himself claims that the things about which he is writing should be

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considered as “examples” or (better) “types” (from the Greek tupos), both positively and negatively, for our instruction.1 Positively, these verses teach the NT community about the covenantal benefits of and the blessings associated with being a member of Christ’s church and partaking of the sacraments. Negatively, they are to warn the church against falling away from the faith, even after partaking of the sacraments of the covenant of grace. This passage has far too often been overlooked in the study of biblical sacraments. It is the purpos...