1 Corinthians

Idolatry and Christianity. 10:14-22

This passage concludes Paul's words on the issue of participating in feasts at the local pagan temple, 8:1-10:22. Having examined the pros and cons he now gives a clear prohibition. As with the Lord's Supper, spiritual realities are associated with a meal at a pagan temple, so for a believer, participation in one negates participation in the other. Although the idol is not real, and knowledge may preclude the believer from full association with a pagan cult, there are demonic realities associated with idol worship.

v14. Having reminded the Corinthians how Israel was overthrown in the desert after their idolatry (v1-13), Paul now gives them a clear prohibition; "flee from idolatry".

v15. Having given an absolute prohibition, Paul now asks them to consider his instruction. As sensible people they should understand his concerns.

v16. To support his argument, Paul reminds his readers that their participation in sacred feasts, whether the Lord's Supper or idolatrous festivals, involves a real identification with the powers associated with the feast. Therefore, the two are mutually exclusive for a believer. When we share in the bread and wine we participate in Christ's redemptive sacrifice on our behalf. The eating and the drinking serves as a faith-remembering of Christ's offering of himself on our behalf, for which we give thanks.

v17. Paul goes on to interpret the broken bread as the Christian community - the body of Christ. This is a unique interpretation. The community together shares in Christ's redemptive sacrifice. Such communal solidarity with Christ forbids other religious (in this case demonic) associations.

v18. After a temple sacrifice the people of Israel shared in the sacrificial food, Deut.14:22-27. This action identified the people with Yahweh who was present. It was a means of participatory worship. A similar meal before a pagan deity cannot be anything else other than idolatry.

v19. Having argued that there is religious significance in sacred meals, Paul does not want to imply that the idol does actually represent a real deity.

v20. During Israel's wilderness wanderings they foolishly worshipped the Golden Calf. They thought they were worshipping God, but it wasn't God they worshipped, rather a "mute" idol infused with demonic power, cf. Deut.32:17.

v21. A believer can't "share / fellowship" (NIV "have a part") in the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons.

v22. Paul concludes with a rhetorical question. "Are you going to do what I ask, or will you continue eating at both meals, and thus arouse the Lord's jealousy, as Israel did in the desert?", Gordon Fee. Those who think they are stronger than God, demanding their freedom to share in idolatrous meals, will face the folly of their actions.

I had been invited to attend the dedication of the new local Hindu temple. When I arrived the priest was high up in a cherry picker pouring out libations over the temple idols. I remember him looking at me, or at least my clerical garb, and feeling very apprehensive. My public duties had taken me to the edge of compromise and I was left to rely on Jesus' words "my prayer is not that you take them out of the world, but that you protect them for the evil one."

It's never easy establishing boundaries for association with the world. For example, are we tempting fate by having a meal at the local Chinese restaurant? If you look carefully the chances are you will find a little shrine standing unobtrusively in a corner, a red light flickering away with an offering placed in the front of the deity. The danger seems minimal, and surely it is. Most of us would go through major withdrawal symptoms if we couldn't have our regular Chinese meal. Yet, what about attending a seance? Spiritualists claim to contact those on the other side, but we know from the scriptures that the dead still await the day of resurrection in their grave. It is likely that Spiritualists do contact something on the "other side", but it's not the souls of the departed, rather, it is demonic powers. I well remember my wife's grandmother telling us that she would soon win the lottery, a piece of information gleaned from her regular seance with friends - and she did. She even learnt my wife was pregnant with our first child at a seance. Yet, she died in screaming madness; it was as if she was enveloped in darkness. So, Paul's prohibition is easily applied when it comes to New Age spirituality.

It's not wise to extend Paul's warning to every contact we have with the world. As Paul says later, when with a pagan friend "eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience." On the other hand, identifying with the powers of darkness because of social, family, or business expectations, is dangerous, to say the least. Beware of the Evil One, he often appears as an angel of light.

1. What do we learn about the Lord's Supper from this passage?

2. "It is wrong to buy something in a New Age shop". Discuss this statement with a view to defining Paul's prohibition in this passage.