1 Corinthians 10:14 - 11:1 - Imitate Christ, not Idle Idols

1 Corinthians 10:14 - 11:1

Flee from Idolatry

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?

All to the Glory of God (cf. Ps. 24:1)

23 All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify. 24 Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being.

25 Eat whatever is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience’ sake; 26 for “the earth is the LORD’S, and all its fullness.”

27 If any of those who do not believe invites you to dinner, and you desire to go, eat whatever is set before you, asking no question for conscience’ sake. 28 But if anyone says to you, “This was offered to idols,” do not eat it for the sake of the one who told you, and for conscience’ sake; for “the earth is the LORD’S, and all its fullness.” 29 “Conscience,” I say, not your own, but that of the other. For why is my liberty judged by another man’s conscience? 30 But if I partake with thanks, why am I evil spoken of for the food over which I give thanks?

31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32 Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God, 33 just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.

1 Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.

We are called to imitate Christ and not to offer worship to idle idols which cannot speak or move or answer anything we ask those lifeless things.  We are called to run the other way when we want to indulge in worship with others who idolize false dead gods and other pursuits in the place of the living God we have seen and know in Christ Jesus.  Our communion, our intimate sharing, is in the death and life of the divine Lord Jesus Christ and not in any mere cheap imitation falsely offering life.  We share in the sacrifice of Christ who allowed the bitterness of rejection lead to the breaking of His body for us and the sacrifice of His life in the shed blood of the Lamb of God on that tree of the curse (Galatians 3:13) which cleanses us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9) as it gives hope of forgiveness in its atoning power.  All who are found in Christ are one in Him as that one same bread and body of whom we partake in remembrance and intimate sharing with Him until He returns (1 Corinthians 11:26).  Just as Israel shared not eating the offerings on the altar, so we now share in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ who is the perfect Lamb of God and who alone can permanently take away our sins by that one time offering (Hebrews 7:27) of Himself!  No idol can do that for us.  Israel tried that as they rejected the Lord and obedience to Him and reaped the whirlwind (Hosea 8:4, 7) in return for their idolatry and immortality.  We also understand that idols are nothing but lifeless objects which people imagine can answer their futile prayers like those Baal worshipers on Mount Carmel in 1 Kings 18:26 and instead acknowledge that the LORD alone is God (1 Kings 18:39) to be worshipped.  In actuality, such idol worship is akin to demonic worship; why would anyone who names the name of Christ (2 Timothy 2:19) share together in such blatant blasphemy and rejection of the Lord by involving themselves in astrology or other religious practices in defiance of worship to the Lord alone and sharing in any body other than His?  Like those Paul addressed here, can we imagine that we are stronger than othe idol worshipers or that somehow our flirting with them incites good jealousy from our Lord?  May it never be so!  There are many things we can lawfully do which are not so idolatrous or immoral, but the bottom line is that we must consider if they are helping us in our relationship with God and others in Him to build up the body of Christ and give Him all glory, honor, and praise.  The example of lawfulness is given of being able to eat anything that the Lord provides, even if offered to false gods like the Islamic sugar feast at the end of Ramadan to share meat with neighbors, but to reject it once we are told it is to their false god as a testimony against them and not because we cannot eat it without it having some lifeless power over us.  We do this so the Lord can convict the conscience of the godless of their sin and not our own in this thing and in humility without condemnation in our response to them.  As for we who are in Christ and His righteousness, “whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”  This is the call of singular worship unadulterated by the lifeless idols of the world.  Paul did these things to reach many with the gospel as he imitated Christ and implores all who read this word of Gods to imitate him as he imitates Christ and not lifeless idols in any form.