10:18,19
Then Paul looks back to Israel. They offered sacrifices at an altar, therefore they were united as one people. Their eating the sacrifices (for that is what happened after the animals etc were offered on the altar) signified a connection with the Lord. So those who are food offered to idols are partaking in something that is connected to demons. Now, Paul here may seem to be contradicting what he said earlier, but we will have to go to the end of the chapter before we get the whole argument. But here Paul says explicitly that he is not implying that idols are anything at all.
10:20-22
Paul is not saying that idols are anything, but that those who eat the sacrifices as an act of worship are worshipping demons, and Paul does not want the Corinthians to have anything to do with anything that is connected to worshipping demons. We should notice the stark distinction that Paul draws here. One is worshipping the Lord, the other is worshipping demons. All too often we are too ready to mix things in the church or in our individual lives. So we must do absolutely nothing that is going to mix demons and God. The Israelites did this often enough, and never with a good outcome. Notice also the last verse (22), “shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy”. The jealousy of the Lord is a concept we do not here much of these days, but is one that we need to get a firm grasp of. To do so would profit us greatly.
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