Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.

1 Corinthians 10:14

The apostle has been addressing the controversy among the Corinthians concerning how some were offended by their brethren buying and eating meat which was associated with idol worship, even though they were not participating in the idolatry themselves but were simply eating the food for sustenance (8:1-13).  While telling those who were offended that eating the meat was not inherently sinful and that their brethren had the right to do so (8:8-9a), he also told the brethren who ate the food to be careful that their freedom to do so did not become a stumbling block to those who might thus be influenced to commit idolatry themselves (8:7, 9-12).

Knowing that they lived in a city permeated with pagan idol worship and thus faced constant temptation to indulge in it themselves, Paul commands the Corinthians to “flee” from it (10:14).  He wants them to know that they can in fact do this, having just reminded them that they aren’t alone in their efforts to resist sin; a faithful God is always willing and able to give them a way to run from idolatry and every other sin just as Joseph had literally run from the temptation to commit adultery (10:13; cf. Gen. 39:6-12).

All who lead and teach the church should take note of verse 15:  “I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say.”  With all of the sinful problems existing within this congregation, one would think that none of them were “sensible” (phronimos, thoughtful, prudent, wise).  Yet Paul, inspired by the wisdom of an omniscient God, knew that wisdom and common sense about some things can still exist within the minds of even those who need correction and instruction about many other things.  Therefore, those of us who instruct and correct God’s people should take care to avoid “talking down” to them and instead couch our preaching and teaching with appeals to the common sense within them which just might be the key to achieving growth and repentance (cf. 2 Tim. 2:24-26; Tit. 3:2; Matt. 7:12; Prov. 15:1-2; 25:15).

The apostle now points to the Lord’s Supper to illustrate his point about the spiritual depravity of idolatry (10:16).  Christians should take note of what he says about “the cup of blessing that we bless” and “the bread that we break.”  When we partake of them, we have “participation” (ESV) or “communion” (NKJV) – koinonia, fellowship, partnership, sharing – in the “blood” and “body” of our Lord which he freely gave on the cross to save us from our sins.  This sharing and fellowship is with our Lord Christ in that we honor and commemorate his suffering on our behalf (cf. 11:23ff).  However, we also have communion and partnership with our Christian family worldwide which make up the “one body” of Christ who are all “partak(ing) of the one bread” with us every Lord’s Day (10:17; cf. Eph. 1:22-23; 4:4).  In this way we are similar to Old Testament Israel who gave animal sacrifices to God on the altar and thus communed with him…while also eating a portion of that offering themselves and thus sharing with each other (10:18; cf. Lev. 7:15ff; Deut. 12:5-7).  This should help us understand that the Lord’s Supper should not be observed ritualistically with half of our mind focused on other things.  It is a holy observance and must be treated as such.

This indeed is Paul’s point in comparing the Supper to idolatry.  Even though food offered to idols is really nothing more than food and that the god which the idol represents does not actually exist (10:19), idolatry is still offering to a myth the reverence and allegiance which should belong solely to the true God.  This makes the food sacrificed in pagan idolatry an offering “to demons” and thus makes those who knowingly eat of it “participants with demons” (10:20), i.e., having fellowship with Satan and sin.  God does not want Christians to partake of the Lord’s Supper – “drink the cup of the Lord,” “partake of the table of the Lord,” i.e., have fellowship with the Lord – while also having fellowship with Satan (10:21).  Doing so would “provoke the Lord to jealousy” (10:22a), meaning that God would not tolerate it.  Paul’s rhetorical “Are we stronger than he?” (10:22b) gives us a warning to not dabble in sin ourselves or else risk regretting it eternally.

— Jon