1 Corinthians 10:14-21

(1 Corinthians 10:14-21)

Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.  I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say.  The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?  For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.  Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?  What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing?  But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.  Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils.

 

Controversy arose among the Corinthians as to whether or not to eat meat offered to idols, and controversy arose constantly.
Some of the congregation said that because God is one and there is no other god, the food offered to idols has no meaning and can be eaten. When thinking about the food offered to idols among the Corinthians, most people thought that idols were false gods and that they had no influence on the food offered there, so they could eat them freely.

 

In response, Paul, following the beginning of Chapter 10, urged the Corinthians to avoid idolatry. 『Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry. 』 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 lists the history of the failures of Israel's ancestors after the Exodus and the reasons for the failure, and warns against the possible idolatry that can occur when the Corinthians misunderstand and abuse their freedom.

 

Instructing those wrongdoings of the past, Paul is now directing them to avoid idolatry. Idol worship was strictly forbidden by God, but both the Israelites who were exiled and the Corinthians who heard the Gospel in Paul's day can easily fall apart by the delusion of idolatry. At that time, the Corinthians also heard the gospel of God and decided to follow Jesus, but they were easily deceived by this temptation. Nevertheless, Paul is not compelling the Corinthians, who hear and do not understand, to obey his commands blindly and indiscriminately with their apostolic rights or human authority.

 

Rather, Paul urges the Corinthians to listen to their teachings and judge them wisely. 『I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say. 』
And then, Paul proves how wrong idol worship is through common sense and reason. 『The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 』

 

Paul wanted to convey to the Corinthians how wrong idol worship is, and the importance of the command to avoid idolatry. To prove that the Corinthians participate in pagan temple rites and eat their idols, Paul explains the meaning of the sacrament meeting they were well aware of. Paul reminds the Corinthians that by breaking bread and sharing cups together in the Lord's community, they are forming a mystical spiritual union with each other. Subsequently, Paul is referring to the Jewish ceremonies in contrast to the previous point where he pointed out the errors of the Israelites who committed idolatry.

 

『Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? 』Israel born in the flesh means Jews in contrast to the spiritual Israelis and Corinthians gathered there. Those who participated in the altar among the Jewish rites, that is, the priests and Levites, and those who participated in them, ate a portion of the sacrifice and communed with God. Therefore, it is emphasized repeatedly that eating an idolatry sacrifice is an act of association and association with the ghost behind the idol. Paul recalls what idols are and what their offerings mean, encouraging us not to reconcile with demons through abuse of freedom again.

 

To sacrifice to an idol is to sacrifice to the demon behind the idol, to associate with and associate with the demon. Likewise, eating the sacrifice of an idol that was offered in a foreign temple is not just eating, it is a serious mistake of sharing the body and blood of a ghost and becoming one body with him. Paul goes on to explain this over and over again.

 

What Paul wanted from the Corinthians was to live this world as a Christian and to live a true distinction and a holy life. All Corinthians admitted that they serve the Lord primarily and that there is no other god except one God. However, they thought that the center of their heart was important, rather than living as a holy people of the Lord, separated before the Lord with their faith in form, so they participated in the feast of idols, shared food, and ate together.