1 Corinthians 9:24–10:13

²⁴Do you not know that those who run in the stadium all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. ²⁵And everyone who competes exercises self-control in all things. Thus those do so in order that they may receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one. ²⁶Therefore I run in this way, not as running aimlessly; I box in this way, not as beating the air. ²⁷But I discipline my body and subjugate it, lest somehow after^* preaching to others, I myself should become disqualified.

A History Lesson from Israel

10For I do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all went through the sea, ²and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, ³and all ate the same spiritual food, ⁴and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ. ⁵But God was not pleased with the majority of them, for they were struck down in the desert.

⁶Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we should not be desirers of evil things, just as those also desired them, ⁷and not become idolaters, as some of them did, just as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and stood up to play,”^{a 8}nor commit sexual immorality, as some of them committed sexual immorality, and twenty-three thousand fell in one day, ⁹nor put Christ to the test, as some of them tested him, and were destroyed by snakes, ¹⁰nor grumble, just as some of them grumbled, and were destroyed by the destroyer. ¹¹Now these things happened to those people as an example, but are written for our instruction, on whom the ends of the ages have come. ¹²Therefore, the one who thinks that he stands must watch out lest he fall. ¹³Temptation has not come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful, who will not permit you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but will also make a way out together with the temptation, so that you may be able to endure it.