First Corinthians 10:14–22 and 11:17–34 . . .

The Lord’s Supper —  This is the first of a two-part study.

Week One: 1 Corinthians 10:14–22

Let’s face it! Instead of working to bless God by giving him the worship that he alone deserves, we often worship ourselves. Instead of serving others, we seek our own good. We’ll see in these two back-to-back studies how Apostle Paul documents the way true freedom occurs when we put God and others first. Initially, he’ll supplement this testimonial by giving us a warning:

Flee idolatry or fight God  Paul informs us that idolatry is sin, because God is the only true God and that he’s a jealous lover who won’t share our affections with anyone or anything else. In v. 14 (shown at the bottom of the page), Paul begins with a straightforward command: “Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry.” In the Old Testament, “idolatry” was the worship of pagan gods; in the 21st century, we’re still idolaters, however, we’ve become sophisticated idolaters; our idols appear more innocent since they’re people, possessions, work, and leisure. Nevertheless, if anyone or anything — besides God — gets our best thoughts, feelings, and energy, we’ve become idolaters, in reality.

In vv. 16–22, Paul asks seven rhetorical questions in seven verses, inviting the Corinthians [and us] to carefully consider his words. First, he uses the Lord’s Supper and Israel’s sacrificial meals as an analogy to demonstrate that God’s people have always had only one God. Second, he warns Israel and us against idolatry, informing us that any kind of idolatrous involvement contradicts our identity in Jesus Christ. Here, he shows how the communion table is a symbol of our relationship with Christ, the very source of our spiritual life; he’s also the source of the unity that we have as brothers and sisters in his church body. So when we partake together of the elements at the communion table, Paul says it involves a sharing (Greek koinonia) with the Lord Jesus and fellow believers. In v. 18, he furthers his analogy, saying that the same dynamic was at work in ancient Israel when worshipers ate sacrificial meals in the temple in Jerusalem (see Deuteronomy 14:22–27).

So, by proclamation, when we come to the Lord’s table, in essence, we eat the elements just as we live by them; Jesus is our source of life and strength. That sacred meal defines who we are in Jesus Christ. We’ve died to sin with him and we’ve been resurrected to new life because of his resurrection life.

The natural response to our oneness with Christ and each other should be to avoid idolatry at any cost! Paul, in vv. 19–22, explains that mixing drink cups is of the devil! And he contrasts eating at the Lord’s table with eating meals in the pagan temples. It’s a frightening reality that idolatry is driven by demonic evil. The point he makes is that, while the meat that was partaken of in pagan sacrificial meals had no spiritual power, the meal did represent satanic evil. He warns Christians that even innocent involvement in pagan idolatry can draw a believer into participation with Satan and his demons.

People say, “You are what you eat.” But, the Christian counterpart to that is, “You are what you believe.”

The final verse in this first study (v. 22) is particularly interesting: “Are we trying to arouse the Lord’s jealousy? Are we stronger than he?” In the Old Testament, the metaphor of marriage was often used to describe the Israelites’ relationship with the Lord in the context of their flirting with idols. Idolatry was equivalent to the Israelites’ prostituting themselves to a foreign lover. As a result, the Lord became jealous, which is to be expected; any form of idolatry provokes God’s jealousy. All through the Old Testament, Father God identifies himself as a “jealous God.” But his jealousy isn’t like ours; it’s totally consistent with his character and totally committed to what’s best for us. God’s jealousy comes from his loving ownership of us. He loves us too much for us to get away with whatever rebellion or idolatry we’re pursuing. He’ll do whatever it takes to get our attention, because, to answer his revealing question: We aren’t stronger than he is. He’s the most powerful!

† Summary of 1 Corinthians 10:14–22

In this passage, Paul addresses the issue of idolatry and participation in pagan practices, particularly focusing on the incompatibility of partaking in both the Lord’s Supper and idol feasts. Here are its key points:

• Flee from Idolatry

Paul begins with a strong exhortation for believers to flee from idolatry.

• The Lord’s Supper

Apostle Paul draws a parallel between the Lord’s Supper and pagan sacrificial meals:

• The cup of blessing is a participation in the blood of Christ.

• The bread broken is a participation in the body of Christ.

• Sharing one bread symbolizes the unity of believers.

• Incompatibility with Idol Worship

Next, Paul emphasizes the incompatibility of participating in both the “table of the Lord” and the “table of demons.” He argues that partaking in idol feasts creates a partnership with demons.

• Warnings and Implications

• Paul uses Israel’s history as a cautionary example.

• He warns against provoking the Lord to jealousy.

• The passage highlights the serious spiritual implications of participating in idol worship.

This section of Paul’s letter is part of his larger argument about Christian freedom and responsibility, particularly in the context of food sacrificed to idols. It demonstrates how he balances theological principles with practical pastoral concerns in addressing complex social and religious issues faced by the Corinthian church’s members.

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New International Version (NIV)
[You can view it in a different version by clicking here; and listen to chapter 10.]

Idol Feasts and the Lord’s Supper

¹⁴Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. ¹⁵I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. ¹⁶Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? ¹⁷Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf.

¹⁸Consider the people of Israel: Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar? ¹⁹Do I mean then that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? ²⁰No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. ²¹You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons. ²²Are we trying to arouse the Lord’s jealousy? Are we stronger than he?