OUR FATHER CAN BE PROVOKED TO JEALOUSY BY THE SACRIFICING TO IDOLS

The Apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians chapter 10 verses 14 - 22, calling the believers in Corinth ˋhis belovedˋ, speaks a word of advice to them about idolatry.  Surrounded as they were by pagan practices of idolatry, many of the believers in Corinth had come out of that culture which means that there was constant societal pressure to participate in the seasonal sacrifices and worship to idols and  and Paul strongly advises them to flee from these activities.

Whereas Paul declared (in 1 Corinthians chapter 8 ) that eating food offered to idols was of no consequence because the idols were nothing, regarding participating in sacrifices to idol, Paul unequivocally counsels against that.

The apostle supports his contention by reminding the Corinthians that they are communal participants in the one cup of blessing that represents the blood of Christ and in the sharing of the broken bread that represents his one body that was broken for us.

Paul asserts that we are joined together in one body through the partaking of the Lordˋs table and therefore we should not participate in the sacrifices to idols which is actually the sacrificing to demons. To drink the Lordˋs cup is to recreate the Lordˋs sacriffice and those who are participants in the Lordˋs table must not also be participants in the sacrifices to demons lest the Lord be provoked to jealousy and, as proverbs 6 verse 34 says,  For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance. If the Lord were thusly provoked, no one would be strong enough to withstand Him.

The final position is that a believer can eat food that was sacrificed to idols by other people but  he cannot participate in anyway in the worship of and sacrificing to idols.

14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 17 For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.

18 Observe Israel after the flesh: Are not those who eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? 19 What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? 20 Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons. 22 Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?

Amen.

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