1 Corinthians 10 — Clausal Layout (English)

independentparticipialrelativepurposecausecomparativecontentconditionalphrase modifierdashed = verbless / suspended

Flush-left = a main (independent) clause. Each dependent line begins directly beneath the word it attaches to in the line above — the anchor word is dotted-underlined, and lights up when you hover its dependent clause; each tag also names the attachment. A dashed border marks verbless, elliptical, or suspended lines. Where a long sentence's staircase runs wider than the page, the diagram scrolls sideways. (In print, or without JavaScript, lines fall back to stepped indent columns.)

Israel in the wilderness — all shared the sacraments, most fell 10:1–5

vv. 1–4 — the fivefold 'all': cloud, sea, Moses-baptism, food, drink

For I do not want you to be ignorant, brothers,independent — the disclosure formula — γάρ grounds the discipline-warning of 9:24–27

that our fathers were all under the cloudcontent — the first 'all' — the pillar of cloud (Exod 13:21)

and all passed through the sea,content — the second 'all' — the Red Sea crossing (Exod 14)

and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,content — the third 'all' — a baptism-type: into Moses as into Christ (Rom 6:3)

and all ate the same spiritual food,content — the fourth 'all' — the manna (Exod 16), counterpart to the bread of v. 16

and all drank the same spiritual drink;content — the fifth 'all' — water from the rock (Exod 17; Num 20)

for they were drinking from the spiritual rock that followed them,cause — the source explained — imperfect of repeated drinking; the 'following' rock of Jewish tradition

and the rock was Christ.phrase modifier — the christological identification — a δέ-gloss on the rock: type shading into presence

v. 5 — the adversative verdict

Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased,independent — the hinge — grim litotes: of that generation only Caleb and Joshua entered

for they were strewn down in the wilderness.cause — the proof of displeasure — corpses strewn across the desert (Num 14:16 LXX)

Types for us — the four warnings and the faithful God 10:6–13

vv. 6–10 — τύποι: do not crave as they craved

Now these things became types of us,independent — the hermeneutic named — the events themselves became patterns

so that we should not be cravers of evil things,purpose — εἰς τό + infinitive — craving (Num 11) the root sin of the catalogue

as they also craved.comparative — the negative pattern — the graves of craving (Num 11:34)

Do not become idolaters,independent — prohibition 1 — the sin nearest the Corinthian case

as some of them were;comparative — elliptical — the recurring 'some of them' (vv. 7–10)

as it is written:comparative — the citation formula — the golden calf clinched from Scripture

'The people sat down to eat and to drink,content — Exod 32:6 LXX — the calf-feast: eating and drinking, pointedly apt

and rose up to play.'content — Exod 32:6 — παίζειν, idolatrous revelry

Neither let us commit sexual immorality,independent — prohibition 2 — Paul folds himself in with the hortatory plural

as some of them committed immorality,comparative — Baal-Peor (Num 25) — idolatry and fornication interlocked

and twenty-three thousand fell in one day.comparative — the sequel inside the comparison — Num 25:9; ἔπεσαν anticipates v. 12's πέσῃ

Neither let us test Christ,independent — prohibition 3 — the critical text's τὸν Χριστόν: the wilderness Christ of v. 4

as some of them tested,comparative — the complaint against the manna (Num 21:5)

and were destroyed by the serpents.comparative — the sequel — imperfect: perishing one after another (Num 21:6)

Neither grumble,independent — prohibition 4 — discontent ranked with idolatry, aimed at a complaining church

just as some of them grumbled,comparative — καθάπερ varies the refrain — the murmurings of Num 14; 16

and were destroyed by the destroyer.comparative — the sequel — the destroying angel (cf. Exod 12:23)

vv. 11–13 — written for us: the warning and the way out

Now these things happened to them as types,independent — inclusio with v. 6 — the events happened typologically

and were written down for our admonition,independent — the double claim — happened to them, written for us

upon whom the ends of the ages have come.relative — on ἡμῶν — the eschatological urgency: the ages' climax has arrived (perfect)

So then, let the one who thinks he stands take heedindependent — the inference — aimed at Corinthian self-confidence (ὁ δοκῶν)

lest he fall.content — clause of apprehension after βλεπέτω — the fatal 'falling' of v. 8

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to man;independent — the reassurance — asyndeton sets comfort beside threat; trials human-sized

but God is faithful,independent — verbless — the ground of confidence is God's fidelity, not their strength

who will not let you be tempted beyond what you are able,relative — the limit — divine restraint on the trial

but with the temptation will also make the way out, so that you can endure it.relative — the exit — ἔκβασις; the goal is endurance, not exemption

Flee idolatry — the Lord's table and the table of demons 10:14–22

vv. 14–18 — the argument from the shared table

Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.independent — the governing command — Διόπερ gathers vv. 1–13; φεύγετε as at 6:18

I speak as to sensible people;independent — the appeal to their prized discernment — compliment and challenge

judge for yourselves what I say.independent — emphatic ὑμεῖς — weigh the argument yourselves

The cup of blessing which we bless — is it not a participation in the blood of Christ?independent — premise 1 — οὐχί expects 'yes'; κοινωνία the load-bearing word

The bread which we break — is it not a participation in the body of Christ?independent — the parallel question — cup first, matching the polemic of v. 21

Because there is one bread,cause — fronted ὅτι-ground, verbless — leans on the clause below

we who are many are one body;independent — the corollary — the one loaf makes the many one body (cf. 12:12)

for we all partake of the one bread.cause — the ground — μετέχω, the verbal counterpart of κοινωνία

Consider Israel according to the flesh:independent — premise 2 — historic Israel's cultus as the parallel case

are not those who eat the sacrifices partners in the altar?independent — the principle — eating a sacrifice allies the eater with the altar

vv. 19–22 — demons behind the idols: the two cups

What then do I say?independent — the diatribe self-question — forestalling a misreading of 8:4

That an idol-sacrifice is anything,content — rejected alternative 1 — the food has no power in itself

or that an idol is anything?content — rejected alternative 2 — the idol is still 'nothing' (8:4)

No — but that what the nations sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God;content — the real point — Deut 32:17 LXX: demons stand behind the 'nothing' idol

and I do not want you to become partners with demons.independent — the apostolic will — κοινωνός again (v. 18), now with demons

You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons;independent — the incompatibility — moral impossibility, not mere prohibition

you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.independent — the parallel blow — cup ‖ cup, table ‖ table, in asyndeton

Or are we provoking the Lord to jealousy?independent — the Song of Moses echo (Deut 32:21) — idol-flirtation as Israel's apostasy

Surely we are not stronger than he?independent — μή expects 'no' — the absurd presumption exposed

Liberty and the other's conscience — all to the glory of God 10:23–33

vv. 23–24 — the slogan bounded by the other's good

'All things are lawful,'independent — the Corinthian slogan cited (cf. 6:12)

but not all things are beneficial;independent — the first counter — the criterion of benefit

'all things are lawful,'independent — the slogan granted a second time

but not all things build up.independent — the second counter — edification, the criterion of love (8:1)

Let no one seek his own good, but that of the other.independent — the governing maxim — liberty measured by the neighbor's good

vv. 25–30 — market, dinner, and the informer: the casuistry

Eat everything sold in the meat market,independent — ruling 1 — the macellum: liberty is real

raising no question on account of conscience,participial — manner — do not put the food 'on trial' (ἀνακρίνω, a forensic term)

for 'the earth is the Lord's, and its fullness.'content — Ps 24:1 (LXX 23:1) — the creational warrant, quoted as the γάρ-ground of the permission

If one of the unbelievers invites youconditional — ruling 2, protasis — leans on the command below

and you wish to go,conditional — coordinate protasis — attendance itself left free

eat everything set before you,independent — the apodosis — the same standing permission as v. 25

raising no question on account of conscience.participial — the refrain — no probing into the food's history

But if someone says to you,conditional — the exception, protasis — leans on the prohibition below

'This is offered in sacrifice,'content — the informer's words quoted — ἱερόθυτον, the neutral pagan term (early reading)

do not eat — for the sake of the one who informed you, and of conscience;independent — the apodosis — abstain for the other, not because the food changed

Conscience, I mean, not your own but the other's.independent — the clarification — whose conscience v. 28 meant: the informer's

For why is my freedom judged by another's conscience?cause — the defense — read as Paul's own voice: yielding is love's act, not liberty's surrender

If I partake with thankfulness,conditional — protasis — leans on the question below

why am I slandered for that for which I give thanks?cause — apodosis — the defense continued: thanksgiving consecrates the gift (cf. 1 Tim 4:4)

vv. 31–33 — the rule of God's glory and Paul's example

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do,conditional — the εἴτε-alternatives, protasis-style — leaning on the rule below

do all to the glory of God.independent — the summative rule — the highest criterion over benefit and even the neighbor's good

Give no offense, whether to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God,independent — the corollary — the threefold scope embraces everyone, outsider and insider

just as I also please all people in all things,comparative — the apostolic example — accommodation in things indifferent (cf. 9:22)

not seeking my own advantage but that of the many,participial — manner — Paul living the maxim of v. 24 (ζητέω, σύμφορον echoing συμφέρει)

that they may be saved.purpose — the aim of it all — the salvation of the many, leading into 11:1

Analysis. The chapter reads in four textures, and the colors separate them at a glance. Verses 1–5 are one suspended disclosure: a single purple main clause — Οὐ θέλω γὰρ ὑμᾶς ἀγνοεῖν — carries a five-line blue content column, the πάντες anaphora of shared privilege (under the cloud, through the sea, baptized into Moses, the same food, the same drink), deepening through the γάρ of the following rock to the gloss ἡ πέτρα δὲ ἦν ὁ Χριστός; then ἀλλά snaps back flush left for the verdict, with the corpses (κατεστρώθησαν γάρ) hanging beneath it. Verses 6–10 alternate flush purple prohibitions with blue comparative lines — each καθώς τινες αὐτῶν trailing its body-count — and the Exod 32:6 citation hangs from the one word γέγραπται; vv. 11–13 close the movement with the ὥστε warning and the πιστὸς δὲ ὁ θεός promise, whose twin relative lines (οὐκ ἐάσει / ἀλλὰ ποιήσει) balance limit and exit. Verses 14–22 are diatribe: flush questions (the cup, the bread, the altar, τί οὖν φημι;) with the ὅτι-alternatives indented under φημι and the real answer (ἀλλ' ὅτι… δαιμονίοις) hanging beside them, resolved by the two flat οὐ δύνασθε hammer-blows and the Deut 32 jealousy questions. Verses 23–33 return to slogan-and-rebuttal — the Πάντα ἔξεστιν lines flush left, countered clause for clause — with olive protases (εἴ τις καλεῖ, ἐὰν δέ τις εἴπῃ, εἴτε οὖν) leaning forward over their rulings. Cruxes the layout takes a side on: ἡ πέτρα δὲ ἦν ὁ Χριστός is nested as a δέ-gloss on πέτρας (the pre-existent Christ read as really present to Israel, cohering with the critical text's τὸν Χριστόν in v. 9, kept here); the ὅτι of v. 17 is taken as a fronted causal leaning forward — 'because there is one loaf, we the many are one body' — rather than as a continuation of v. 16; the Ps 24:1 line in v. 26 grounds the church's own liberty (the Byzantine repetition after v. 28 is not in this text); the questions of vv. 29b–30 are read as Paul's own defense of liberty (why should love's free abstention surrender freedom to another's verdict?), not as an objector's protest; and συνείδησις in v. 28 is anticipatorily the other's conscience, as v. 29a immediately defines.