1 corinthians 10:18 - Consider Israel according to the flesh. Don’t those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar?
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What does "1 corinthians 10:18" mean?
This verse, 1 Corinthians 10:18, is part of a larger argument Paul is making against Christians participating in pagan feasts. Let's break it down:
"Consider Israel according to the flesh..." Paul is directing the Corinthians to think about the way things were done in the Old Testament among the Israelites. "According to the flesh" likely means focusing on the outward, physical practices and the natural (as opposed to spiritual) heritage of the Israelite people.
"...Don’t those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar?" This is a rhetorical question that implies a "yes" answer. In the Old Testament sacrificial system, when people ate portions of the sacrifices offered to God, they were considered to be participating in the altar itself. The altar was the place of atonement and communion with God. By partaking in the sacrifice, they were entering into fellowship with God and acknowledging His covenant. They were essentially saying, "We are in agreement with this sacrifice, and we share in its benefits."
In essence, Paul is arguing that:
Eating the sacrifices in the Old Testament meant participating in the altar and, therefore, in the worship and covenant relationship with God associated with that altar.
What is Paul's point?
Paul uses this Old Testament analogy to argue against Christians participating in feasts held in pagan temples where meat sacrificed to idols was eaten. He's building a case that:
1. Participation Implies Allegiance: Just as eating sacrifices to God in the Old Testament signified participation in a covenant relationship with Him, eating food sacrificed to idols signified participation in a covenant relationship with those idols/demons (as he explains later in the chapter).
2. One Cannot Serve Two Masters: Paul argues that Christians, who are in a covenant relationship with God through Christ, cannot also participate in idolatrous practices, as it amounts to serving two masters (God and demons). It's a matter of divided loyalty and spiritual incompatibility.
Here's the context of the surrounding verses, which is crucial for understanding the meaning:
1 Corinthians 10:14-22: Paul urges the Corinthians to flee from idolatry. He emphasizes that Christians partake in the Lord's Supper, which is a participation in the body and blood of Christ. He then draws the parallel to Israel's sacrifices and the pagan sacrifices, warning that partaking in the latter means partaking with demons, which is unacceptable for those in covenant with Christ.
In summary, 1 Corinthians 10:18 is a rhetorical question used by Paul to illustrate the principle that eating sacrifices connects you to the altar and, thus, to the deity or entity to whom the sacrifice is offered. He applies this principle to warn Christians against participating in pagan feasts where meat sacrificed to idols was consumed, as it constituted participation with demons and violated their covenant with God.
1 corinthians 10:18 - Consider Israel according to the flesh. Don’t those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar?
What does "1 corinthians 10:18" mean?
This verse, 1 Corinthians 10:18, is part of a larger argument Paul is making against Christians participating in pagan feasts. Let's break it down:
"Consider Israel according to the flesh..." Paul is directing the Corinthians to think about the way things were done in the Old Testament among the Israelites. "According to the flesh" likely means focusing on the outward, physical practices and the natural (as opposed to spiritual) heritage of the Israelite people.
"...Don’t those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar?" This is a rhetorical question that implies a "yes" answer. In the Old Testament sacrificial system, when people ate portions of the sacrifices offered to God, they were considered to be participating in the altar itself. The altar was the place of atonement and communion with God. By partaking in the sacrifice, they were entering into fellowship with God and acknowledging His covenant. They were essentially saying, "We are in agreement with this sacrifice, and we share in its benefits."
In essence, Paul is arguing that:
Eating the sacrifices in the Old Testament meant participating in the altar and, therefore, in the worship and covenant relationship with God associated with that altar.
What is Paul's point?
Paul uses this Old Testament analogy to argue against Christians participating in feasts held in pagan temples where meat sacrificed to idols was eaten. He's building a case that:
1. Participation Implies Allegiance: Just as eating sacrifices to God in the Old Testament signified participation in a covenant relationship with Him, eating food sacrificed to idols signified participation in a covenant relationship with those idols/demons (as he explains later in the chapter).
2. One Cannot Serve Two Masters: Paul argues that Christians, who are in a covenant relationship with God through Christ, cannot also participate in idolatrous practices, as it amounts to serving two masters (God and demons). It's a matter of divided loyalty and spiritual incompatibility.
Here's the context of the surrounding verses, which is crucial for understanding the meaning:
1 Corinthians 10:14-22: Paul urges the Corinthians to flee from idolatry. He emphasizes that Christians partake in the Lord's Supper, which is a participation in the body and blood of Christ. He then draws the parallel to Israel's sacrifices and the pagan sacrifices, warning that partaking in the latter means partaking with demons, which is unacceptable for those in covenant with Christ.
In summary, 1 Corinthians 10:18 is a rhetorical question used by Paul to illustrate the principle that eating sacrifices connects you to the altar and, thus, to the deity or entity to whom the sacrifice is offered. He applies this principle to warn Christians against participating in pagan feasts where meat sacrificed to idols was consumed, as it constituted participation with demons and violated their covenant with God.