(1)
Scripture Reading: 1 Cor. 10:14-22
In 10:14-22 Paul speaks about keeping the Lord’s table from idolatry. In verses 14 through 18 he speaks of the fellowship of the Lord’s blood and body, and in verses 19 through 22, the separation of the Lord’s table from the table of demons.
In verse 14 Paul says, “Wherefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.” The word “wherefore” at the beginning of this verse indicates that the following section to verse 30 is a conclusion to the preceding section, from 8:1, concerning eating sacrifices to idols. Literally, the Greek words rendered idolatry are “the idolatry,” referring to the idolatry involved in eating sacrifices to idols.
In his understanding of the holy Word, Paul is able to see through the physical things and through the black and white letters and to see Christ. For example, in 10:4 he speaks of a physical rock as Christ. This indicates that in this rock he sees Christ. In the same principle, by the word idolatry Paul does not merely mean graven images, but something much broader and more inclusive. As we shall see, idolatry here implies a great deal.
In verse 15 Paul continues, “I speak as to prudent men; you judge what I say.” Paul expected that the readers would not stop at the black and white letters, but dig into what he says and then investigate, discern, and judge it. He wanted them to carefully examine and judge what he was saying.
In verse 16 Paul suddenly speaks of the cup of blessing: “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a fellowship of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a fellowship of the body of Christ?” Apparently there is no flow of proper continuation between verses 15 and 16. Without any transition, Paul begins to speak of the cup of blessing, indicating that it is a fellowship of the blood of Christ. He also speaks concerning the bread, indicating that it is a fellowship of the body of Christ. We should not take this verse for granted, assuming that we understand it when we actually understand very little, if anything. We need to investigate the meaning of the expressions “a fellowship of the blood of Christ” and “a fellowship of the body of Christ.”
The Greek word rendered fellowship also means joint participation. Fellowship here refers to the believer’s communion in the joint participation in the blood and body of Christ. This makes us, the participants of the Lord’s blood and body, not only one with one another, but also one with the Lord. We, the participants, make ourselves identified with the Lord in the fellowship of His blood and body. The apostle’s thought here is to illustrate how eating and drinking make the eaters and drinkers one with what they eat and drink. The Corinthians should realize that their abusive eating of idol sacrifices actually makes them one with the demons behind the sacrifices.
In verse 17 Paul speaks a strong word concerning the one bread and the one Body: “Seeing that we who are many are one bread, one Body; for we all partake of the one bread.” We are all one bread, one Body, because we all partake of the one bread. Our joint partaking of the one bread makes us all one. This indicates that our partaking of Christ makes us all His one Body. The very Christ of whom we all partake constitutes us into His one Body.
Partaking of the one bread, that is, eating of it (vv. 28-30), identifies us with it. This means that our partaking of Christ, our enjoyment of Christ, identifies us with Him, making us one with Him.
In verse 18 Paul again refers to Israel: “Look at Israel according to the flesh; are not those who eat the sacrifices fellowshippers of the altar?” We have seen that in 10:1-13 Paul presents Israel as a type of the believers today. We should not think that the remainder of chapter ten has nothing to do with the type of Israel in verses 1 through 13. On the contrary, the second portion of this chapter is a continuation of the first portion; it is not separate from it.
The Greek word translated fellowshippers also means joint participants. Those who eat the sacrifices of the altar are not only fellowshippers with one another and with the altar, but also joint participants of what they eat. Their participation in what they eat makes them one with the sacrifices of the altar. Since the altar is the base of the sacrifices offered to God, eating the sacrifices of the altar makes the eaters its fellowshippers, its joint participants. This also illustrates the fact that eating makes the eater one with what he eats. Eating sacrifices to idols does the same: it identifies the eaters with the demons behind the sacrifices.
In verse 18 Paul surely means that the fellowship of the altar is a type of the fellowship of the blood and body of Christ. To put it simply, it is a type of the fellowship of the Lord’s table. Hence, the fellowshippers of the altar are types of the fellowshippers of the Lord’s table. Israel had an altar, but we have a table. On the altar there were the offerings; on the table there are the blood and the body. The one is the type, and the other is the fulfillment. Whereas the children of Israel were fellowshipping around the altar, we are fellowshipping around the table.
In verses 19 and 20 Paul says, “What then am I saying? That what is sacrificed to an idol is anything? Or that an idol is anything? But that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God; and I do not want you to become fellowshippers of demons.” Here Paul’s composition takes another leap, apparently without any transition.
In verses 19 and 20 Paul speaks of idols, sacrifices to idols, and demons. An idol and a sacrifice to an idol are nothing (8:4). But behind them are the demons, who are abominable and hateful to God. The believers who worship God should abstain from identifying themselves with demons and becoming fellowshippers of demons through eating sacrifices to idols. Since demons are the reality of idols, so the eating of sacrifices to idols makes the eaters their fellowshippers, their joint participants. The eaters of sacrifices to idols become not only fellowshippers with demons, but also joint participants of demons, making themselves one with demons.
In verse 16 Paul speaks of the fellowship of the blood and body of Christ; in verse 18, of fellowshippers of the altar; and in verse 20, of fellowshippers of demons. Then in verse 21 he goes on to say, “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.” Here we see that there are two tables: the table of the Lord and the table of demons. To partake of a table is to eat of it. To drink the cup of the Lord and partake of the table of the Lord is to identify ourselves with the Lord. To drink the cup of demons and partake of the table of demons is to make ourselves one with demons.
In verse 22 Paul concludes this portion of chapter ten by saying, “Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?” The Lord is the jealous God (Exo. 20:5). Idolatry is utterly abominable to God and hated by Him. If we participate in fellowship with demons, making ourselves one with them, we shall provoke the Lord to jealousy. Hence, we must flee from idolatry.
Do you have an adequate understanding of 10:14-22? You may say that here Paul speaks concerning the Lord’s table. Why, then, does he open this section with a charge to flee from idolatry? In verse 14 he does not say, “Wherefore, my beloved, attend the Lord’s table every Lord’s day.” Instead, he says, “Wherefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.” The correct understanding of this section is that Paul talks about the Lord’s table using idolatry as a background.
We have pointed out that in 10:15 Paul encourages the saints, as prudent men, to judge what he says. He appeals to them as those who can discern, investigate, realize, and apprehend. If we read Paul’s word in a discerning way, we shall want to know why he tells us to flee from idolatry. We shall also want to know what he means by the term idolatry. Is Paul’s meaning limited to the actual worship of a graven image? To be sure, Paul’s meaning is not this restricted. In 10:7 he says, “Neither become idolaters, as some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and stood up to play.” This is a definition of idolatry.
There is a difference between idol worship and idolatry. Idol worship involves bowing down before an idol and worshipping it. Idolatry is wider in scope, for it involves eating, drinking, and playing. In this country people may not worship idols, but they may practice idolatry. On the holidays or on weekends they may give themselves over to various forms of amusement and entertainment. They may eat and drink and rise up to play. This is idolatry. Even to eat sacrifices to idols in an abusive way is to become involved with idolatry. We should neither worship idols nor become involved with idolatry. As we have seen, the meaning of idolatry is much broader than the meaning of idol worship.
With this understanding of idolatry as a background, we need to ask what Paul means by the expression “the Lord’s table.” Our understanding of this may be too narrow. What is the Lord’s table? The Chinese version of the Bible speaks of the Lord’s feast. According to this translation, the table is a feast. However, not even the word feast conveys the full significance of the Lord’s table. What is included in the term the Lord’s table is a matter of great significance. As we shall see in the next message, the Lord’s table is actually the good land.
The first section of chapter ten is a record that shows how the history of Israel is a type of the church. In verses 1 through 11 Paul describes this type in its various aspects. Then in verse 12 he says, “So then, let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” In verse 13 he goes on to give a word of encouragement and comfort. If we study this chapter carefully, we shall realize that there is a gap between verses 13 and 14. At the end of verse 12, Paul seems to make a sudden stop, and then he gives a word of encouragement. The careful reader of this chapter, however, will realize that Paul has not yet finished describing how the history of Israel is a type of the church. Thus, we have the definite impression that Paul has not finished this matter. Perhaps he did not have the time to go on in more detail. Nevertheless, he did have the burden to present the consummate thought regarding Israel as a type. This consummate thought is the children of Israel entering into the enjoyment of the good land.
The enjoyment of the good land is the goal of God’s salvation. Would you be happy with a God who simply delivered His people out of Egypt, brought them into the wilderness, and then allowed them to fall in the wilderness? I would not be happy with such a God, for this would not be a saving God. God had promised to bring His people out of the land of Egypt into a good land, a land flowing with milk and honey. This promise had been made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. If God had not brought the people into this good land, He would not have fulfilled His promise.
As far as the children of Israel were concerned, the enjoyment of the land flowing with milk and honey was the ultimate goal of God’s salvation. But as far as God was concerned, the ultimate goal was not reached just by the enjoyment of the land. There was still the need for the kingdom and the temple. The children of Israel needed the enjoyment, but God needed a kingdom and a temple.
Because Paul wrote in a very economical way, he made a leap in his composition from the failure in the wilderness to the enjoyment of the good land. If we get into the depths of this chapter, we shall realize that this is Paul’s concept. Both idolatry and the Lord’s table are much more inclusive in meaning than what is indicated by the letters in black and white.
First Corinthians 10:12-22, we need to remember, is part of a long section which deals with the matter of eating. Eating is related to enjoyment. Whenever you eat something, you enjoy it. Furthermore, what we eat becomes us. On the one hand, eating is for our enjoyment; on the other hand, we become what we eat. These basic concepts should be applied in understanding this portion. To eat idol sacrifices actually means to enjoy idols and eventually to become one with idols. In the same principle, to partake of the Lord’s table is to enjoy this table and to become one with it; that is, to enjoy the Lord and become one with Him. In these verses Paul first speaks of one kind of table and then, apparently making a leap, of another kind of table. In verse 21 he clearly says, “You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and of the table of demons.” Actually, in this portion there are three tables: the altar (v. 18), the table of demons, and the table of the Lord. All these terms are inclusive, and we should not understand them in a narrow way.
As we read this Epistle, we realize that Paul was truly a marvelous writer. His aim, his purpose, in writing 1 Corinthians was to bring the distracted Corinthian believers back to Christ and back to the central focus of God’s economy. As we have seen, in dealing with divisions, Paul unveils a great deal concerning Christ. In no other book is Christ unveiled in such a rich way as He is in the first four chapters of 1 Corinthians. Even when Paul deals with a problem involving gross sin, the matter of incest, he reveals Christ in a marvelous way. Furthermore, we have pointed out that in dealing with married life, Paul also covers important matters related to being one spirit with the Lord. But in chapters eight, nine, and ten, a section concerned with the eating of idol sacrifices, the revelation reaches the peak. It comes to a consummate point. Most readers of 1 Corinthians, including Bible teachers and theologians, have not touched the full significance of what Paul deals with in this section. Therefore, it is crucial that we do not take these chapters for granted, but get into them in a thorough way in order to see the marvelous revelation presented here.
