1 Corinthians 10:14-22 ~ 20140601 ~ Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org
06/01 1 Corinthians 10:14-22 Fellowship with Christ; Audio available at: http://www.ephraimbible.org/Sermons/20140601_1cor10_14-22.mp3
14 Διόπερ, ἀγαπητοί μου, φεύγετε ἀπὸ τῆς εἰδωλολατρίας. 15 ὡς φρονίμοις λέγω· κρίνατε ὑμεῖς ὅ φημι. 16 τὸ ποτήριον τῆς εὐλογίας ὃ εὐλογοῦμεν, οὐχὶ κοινωνία ἐστὶν τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ; τὸν ἄρτον ὃν κλῶμεν, οὐχὶ κοινωνία τοῦ σώματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐστιν; 17 ὅτι εἷς ἄρτος, ἓν σῶμα οἱ πολλοί ἐσμεν, οἱ γὰρ πάντες ἐκ τοῦ ἑνὸς ἄρτου μετέχομεν. 18 βλέπετε τὸν Ἰσραὴλ κατὰ σάρκα· οὐχ οἱ ἐσθίοντες τὰς θυσίας κοινωνοὶ τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου εἰσίν; 19 τί οὖν φημι; ὅτι εἰδωλόθυτόν τί ἐστιν, ἢ ὅτι εἴδωλόν τί ἐστιν; 20 ἀλλ’ ὅτι ἃ θύουσιν, δαιμονίοις καὶ οὐ θεῷ θύουσιν, οὐ θέλω δὲ ὑμᾶς κοινωνοὺς τῶν δαιμονίων γίνεσθαι. 21 οὐ δύνασθε ποτήριον κυρίου πίνειν καὶ ποτήριον δαιμονίων· οὐ δύνασθε τραπέζης κυρίου μετέχειν καὶ τραπέζης δαιμονίων. 22 ἢ παραζηλοῦμεν τὸν κύριον; μὴ ἰσχυρότεροι αὐτοῦ ἐσμεν;
1 Corinthians 10 [ESV2011]
11 Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. 12 Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. 18 Consider the people of Israel: are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? 19 What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. 22 Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?
Chapters 8-10 of 1 Corinthians are a lengthy argument leading the readers to a godly conclusion. The Corinthians faced pressure to conform to their culture and participate in idolatry. Paul started by pointing out that although we all have knowledge, knowledge devoid of love is deadly. Living with the good of the other in mind is essential to following Jesus. Then he affirms the fact that they have rights and freedoms in Christ. But he holds himself up as an example of how a follower of Jesus can forgo legitimate God given rights for the sake of the gospel. At the end of chapter 9 he moves from the danger that my liberty may pose for a brother or sister in Christ, to the lethal effect it may have on my own relationship with God. He holds himself up again as an example of the danger of disqualification, or the danger of being demonstrated phony or false even after fruitful ministry. Then in chapter 10 he points to the example of Israel in the wilderness, most of whom played too close to the edge in seeking to gratify their desires, things like idolatry, sexual immorality, testing Christ by challenging God given leadership, things like grumbling and complaining about God's good gifts. He warns them of the danger of self-confidence, he reminds them of the normalcy of temptation in the human experience, and he encourages them with the absolute faithfulness of God. He says:
12 Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
And we might expect him to say, 'therefore, you can plunge headlong into temptation, trusting in the faithfulness of God, confident that God will always provide a way of escape.' But that is the opposite of what he says. Instead he says:
14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.
Here he gives the clear conclusion his whole argument has been leading up to. How much can a Christian flirt with idolatry before he crosses the line? Paul's answer is 'No, that is the wrong question. Idolatry is lethal to your spiritual life. You should be asking 'How far away from idolatry can I stay?' He addresses them with a very affectionate term 'my beloved', and he says very clearly 'flee from idolatry'. It doesn't get much clearer than this. How much idolatry can I participate in before I jeopardize my relationship with God? Flee from idolatry! Run far far away. Run and never look back. Idolatry is not something to be toyed with. 603,548 Israelites fell victim to its treachery. Do not think that you can dabble with it and escape the same condemnation.
Idolatry is looking to anything outside of God to satisfy your desires, treasuring anything or anyone more than you treasure God. Idolatry is so pervasive in our society, maybe even more prevalent than it was in Corinth. There is so much that seeks to lead our hearts astray from God. To reveal the idolatry in your heart, simply look at where you spend your time, where you spend your energy, where you spend your money, what you talk about. These are the things that are most important to you, and God is jealous of your undivided affection.
Flee Immorality / Flee Idolatry
This passage is almost perfectly parallel to how Paul approaches the issue of sexual immorality in chapter 6. In 6:18 he says 'Flee from sexual immorality'; In 10:14 he says 'Flee from idolatry'. In 6:12 he says 'all things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful', which he repeats verbatim in 10:23. He says in 6:15, 17 'Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? ...he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him' and in 10:16 he says 'the cup ...is a participation in the blood of Christ …the bread ...is a participation in the body of Christ'. In 6:15 he asks 'Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never!' In 10:21 he says 'You cannot drink of the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons'. In 6:20 he concludes 'So glorify God in your body' and in 10:31 he concludes 'So, ...whatever you do, do all to the glory of God'.
Think!
Paul is very clear in his conclusions, but he is wary of the dangers of a checklist. He demands that his readers think for themselves. He does not want formal external conformity to a set of regulations. He longs to see glad obedience from hearts and minds transformed by Jesus.
15 I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say.
His readers have the capability to follow his logic. They have the capacity to think through his arguments. They can evaluate his conclusions. He doesn't simply say 'I'm the apostle, and you have to do it because I said so'. There are times when that is appropriate. But he invites them to thoughtfully engage with his flow of thought, trace out his line of reasoning and examine his conclusions. Think! Peter said that some of what Paul wrote is hard to understand! So engage your brains when you read this book. Paul uses words like 'therefore' and 'so' and 'because' and 'in order that'. His words are not open to everyone's interpretation. Words mean things. He intended to say something very definite, very specific, and if we are careful and thoughtful, we can understand what he says.
The Lord's Supper
15 I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. 18 Consider the people of Israel: are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? 19 What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. 22 Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?
Paul parallels the Lord's supper, our celebration of communion, with the idolatrous celebrations that the Corinthians were tempted to participate in. He demonstrates the incompatibility of intimacy with Christ and intimacy with demons.
He first refers to the cup. He calls it the cup of blessing. Jesus at the last supper with his disciples, blessed and gave thanks for the bread and the wine. When we celebrate the Lord's supper to remember him, we bless and give thanks for the bread and the cup. It is the cup of blessing, the cup that Jesus blessed, that we also bless. Paul asks, 'is it not a participation in the blood of Christ?' When we take and drink the cup, we participate in the blood of Christ. The word is κοινωνία; communion, fellowship, or participation. When we drink the cup, we participate in the blood of Christ, all that it means for us. Jesus said that the cup was 'my blood of the covenant which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins' (Mt.26:28). A covenant is a binding committed relationship, often solemnized with blood. Jesus instituted the new covenant, the new relationship with God through his blood. Jesus offered his blood as a sacrifice for our sins, so that we could be forgiven and enter into a right relationship with God. The wages of our sin is death, and Jesus' blood was shed, his life was poured out as a payment for our sin. By taking the cup and drinking, we are saying that we are participants in that new covenant, part of the people who were purchased with Christ's blood, those who have been forgiven by trusting in the finished work of Christ for us.
Next, he mentions the bread that we break. 'Breaking bread' was a way of describing eating a meal together, and it was used to describe what believers did when they remembered Jesus with bread and wine. In the culture, to sit down together and share a meal created a bond of relationship and obligation. Tearing off bread from the same loaf, dipping in shared dishes and eating together was an intimate way of extending friendship. You would not sit down at the table and share a dish with someone you considered unclean or unworthy of your company. Jesus welcomes us to his table to share a meal with us. Jesus took the bread, and after blessing it, he broke it and said 'this is my body which is given for you' (Lk.22:19). The broken bread points to the human body of Jesus which was broken for us. By eating the bread, we participate in the body of Christ. We are saying that we are spiritually hungry and broken, and we benefit from the death of Jesus. We receive nourishment and sustenance from him. We are connected with him.
This is very different from the refreshments served by the stewardesses mid flight. They roll the carts down the aisles and offer you a choice of beverages to quench your thirst, and maybe a small pack of crackers to munch on. The napkin they give you may have the logo of the airline printed on it, but by drinking, you are not swearing your allegiance to that airline.
The cup of blessing and the bread broken are the meal we share at the table of Christ. He is our host, we are his guests, and we fellowship with him at his table. We enjoy the benefits he provides. We are connected to him. We are obliged to him.
Unity with Community
Verse 17 takes this a step further. The one bread that we all share unites us not only with Christ, but also with one another.
17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.
There is a community formed around our communion with Christ. If you are in a binding committed relationship with Jesus through participation in his finished work on the cross, and I also am in that same binding committed relationship with Jesus, then we are bound to one another through our common bond to Christ. Those who participate in the new covenant meal are connected to our Lord Jesus and to one another.
Fellowship with Demons
Paul again points back to Israel as an example.
18 Consider the people of Israel: are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? 19 What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons.
The text says 'consider Israel according to the flesh'. Having just recounted the failure of the exodus generation, most of whom fell in the wilderness because of unbelief, this verse is likely pointing to fleshly or unbelieving Israel. Those who ate of the sacrifices made to the golden calf, those who 'sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play' had identified themselves with everything that altar stood for. Whatever altar you eat at, you become a participant with the deity that is being worshiped there, and you become connected with the other worshipers there.
This raises a question. Paul is suggesting that if you worship at a pagan altar, there is a real connection made with the one behind that altar. But Paul said in 8:4 'we know that an idol has no real existence and that there is no God but one'. Is Paul now saying that the idol does have a real existence? He clarifies. He is not saying that the block of wood or stone is anything but a block of wood or stone. But he is saying that there is an unseen reality behind the image. Paul is drawing on information from the Old Testament. When the people offered sacrifices to the calf, the calf was nothing but an inanimate statue made to look like an animal. But the calf idol became a focal point for worship directed to someone other than the one true God. It became a means of worshiping demons.
Leviticus 17 requires that all the sacrifices of the people be brought to the one place of sacrifice that God had authorized, so that they would not be worshiping demons.
Leviticus 17:7 So they shall no more sacrifice their sacrifices to goat demons, after whom they whore. This shall be a statute forever for them throughout their generations.
Paul's language reflects the song of Moses in Deuteronomy 32
Deuteronomy 32:15 ... then he forsook God who made him and scoffed at the Rock of his salvation. 16 They stirred him to jealousy with strange gods; with abominations they provoked him to anger. 17 They sacrificed to demons that were no gods, to gods they had never known, to new gods that had come recently, whom your fathers had never dreaded.
...21 They have made me jealous with what is no god; they have provoked me to anger with their idols. ...
Moses connects the misplaced worship of the people with demon worship. We were made to worship. If we refuse to worship the one true God, we will worship success or power or possessions or family or pleasure. When we fail to treasure the one true God, and treasure other people or things, we turn our worship away from God and to demons. There is no possibility of being neutral.
Psalm 106 describes faithless Israel later, at the time of the conquest.
Psalm 106:34 They did not destroy the peoples, as the LORD commanded them, 35 but they mixed with the nations and learned to do as they did. 36 They served their idols, which became a snare to them. 37 They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons; 38 they poured out innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was polluted with blood. 39 Thus they became unclean by their acts, and played the whore in their deeds.
All these passages connect idolatry with demon worship. Lucifer desired to be worshiped as God. He and the angels who followed him seek to divert worship from God to other things. When we listen to their lie and are persuaded to seek pleasure and fulfillment in other things, we are participating with demons.
20 No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. 22 Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?
Jesus said 'no one can serve two masters' (Mt.6:24). We cannot sit down at the table of the Lord on Sundays and then seek to find satisfaction at the table of demons the rest of the week. Jesus will not tolerate it. He demands our undivided devotion, our absolute affection. We must choose whose table we will feast at.
14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry