1 Corinthians 10:19 kjv
What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing?
1 Corinthians 10:19 nkjv
What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything?
1 Corinthians 10:19 niv
Do I mean then that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything?
1 Corinthians 10:19 esv
What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?
1 Corinthians 10:19 nlt
What am I trying to say? Am I saying that food offered to idols has some significance, or that idols are real gods?
1 Corinthians 10 19 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Cor 8:4 | "knowledge puffs up, but love builds up." | God is not associated with idols. |
| 1 Cor 10:20 | "No, I say that the things they sacrifice they sacrifice to demons" | Direct contrast to the concept of sacrifice to false gods being "nothing". |
| Deut 32:17 | "They sacrificed to demons, not to God" | Old Testament precedent for demons receiving sacrifices. |
| Lev 17:7 | "they shall no more sacrifice their sacrifices to the satyrs" | Prohibits sacrifice to demons or goat-like spirits. |
| Ps 106:37 | "They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons" | Historical example of idol worship involving child sacrifice. |
| Acts 15:29 | "abstain from things sacrificed to idols" | Jerusalem Council decree on Gentile believers' practices. |
| Rev 2:14 | "eating food sacrificed to idols" | Addressing the sin of compromising with idol worship in Pergamum. |
| Rom 14:14 | "I am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean of itself" | Reiterates that foods are not inherently unclean. |
| 1 Cor 8:7 | "not all possess this knowledge" | Some believers still had lingering associations with idolatry. |
| Gal 5:19-21 | "works of the flesh" | Idolatry listed as a work of the flesh. |
| Eph 5:5 | "no fornicator or unclean person or covetous man, who is an idolater" | Connects immorality and greed to idolatry. |
| Col 3:5 | "put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature" | Implies purging oneself from practices associated with the old self. |
| 1 John 5:20 | "the Son of God has come and has given us understanding" | Christ gives understanding of spiritual realities. |
| 1 Cor 6:12 | "All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful." | The principle of what is permissible versus what is beneficial. |
| 1 Cor 6:18-20 | "Flee from sexual immorality." | Strong prohibition against sexual sins, often linked with pagan worship. |
| 1 Cor 10:21 | "You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons" | Direct prohibition against communion with demonic practices. |
| Ex 20:3-5 | "You shall have no other gods before me." | The first and second commandments against idolatry. |
| Isa 45:20 | "Who has informed them of this? Who has revealed it to them?" | God mocks the futility of idols and those who serve them. |
| Jer 10:11 | "Thus you shall say to them: The gods who have not made the heavens" | Highlights the emptiness of idols and their makers. |
| Hos 9:10 | "but they went to Baalah-peor and devoted themselves to that shame." | Israel's participation in shameful idolatry. |
1 Corinthians 10 verses
1 Corinthians 10 19 Meaning
This verse explains that what pagans sacrifice is ultimately nothing; it is merely a representation. Even though the sacrifice itself might be directed to a false god, the underlying substance of the food is not affected by this association. Paul is emphasizing that the real danger isn't the food itself, but the act of participating in idol worship, which connects a believer to demonic forces.
1 Corinthians 10 19 Context
In 1 Corinthians chapter 10, Paul is addressing the Corinthian church, a city known for its rampant idolatry and pagan temples. A central issue is whether believers could participate in the "common meals" offered at these temples. Paul has already established that idols are nothing (1 Cor 8:4), and food sacrificed to them is not inherently defiled (1 Cor 10:25-26). However, he is now delving deeper into the spiritual implications of such participation. This verse acts as a pivot, transitioning from the 'nothingness' of idols to the real spiritual entities involved in idol worship.
1 Corinthians 10 19 Word Analysis
- εἰδωλόθυτος (eidōlothutos):
- εἰδωλον (eidōlon): Image, idol, phantom, image-god. Refers to any false god or representation of a deity.
- θυτός (thutos): Sacrificed. The past participle of θύω (thuō), meaning to sacrifice, to slaughter.
- Combined: Sacrificed to idols.
- Significance: This term directly describes food that has undergone a religious ritual dedicated to an idol. Paul uses it to highlight the ceremonial nature of the act, which he then contrasts with its spiritual efficacy.
- ὅ τι (hoti ti):
- ὅ (ho): What, which, that (relative pronoun).
- τι (ti): Something, anything, any.
- Combined: What, or whatever.
- Significance: This broadens the scope, indicating that in the context of sacrifice to idols, "what" is being offered is insignificant in itself.
- οὐκ (ouk): Not.
- Significance: A strong negation, emphasizing the voidness or non-existence of inherent power in what is sacrificed to idols from a divine perspective.
- εἴδωλον (eidōlon): Idol, image.
- Significance: Paul repeats the word "idol" here to underscore that the object of worship is being discussed. Even though the idol itself is non-existent as a divine power, the association with it has consequences.
- ἀλλ' (all'): But, yet.
- Significance: Introduces a contrasting idea, setting up the consequence of these sacrifices.
- αὐτὰ (auta): Them, themselves (neuter plural accusative). Refers to the things sacrificed (the meat).
- Significance: Paul specifies that it's not the "food" in isolation but "what they sacrifice."
- τῶν ἐθνῶν (tōn ethnōn): The Gentiles, the nations.
- θνικός (ethnikos): Pertaining to a nation, Gentile, pagan.
- Significance: This highlights the pagan context of these sacrifices. The customs and beliefs of the surrounding non-Jewish world are the backdrop against which Paul is writing.
- θύει (thuei): They sacrifice.
- Significance: Active verb, showing the actual ritual being performed.
Phrase/Group Analysis:
- "what the Gentiles sacrifice": Refers to the pagan sacrificial meals. This sets the stage for the argument that these sacrifices, though elaborate in ritual, are not offerings to a true God.
- "they sacrifice to demons": This is the crucial statement. Paul asserts that the real recipient of pagan sacrifice is not a neutral entity or mere nothingness, but actively demonic powers. This links participation in idol feasts to communion with the spiritual realm of Satan and his forces.
1 Corinthians 10 19 Bonus Section
The phrase "demons" (δαίμοσι, daimosin) in this context refers to malevolent spiritual beings, distinct from pagan deities conceived as deities. While the Greeks had daimones (lesser divine beings, sometimes neutral or good), in a biblical context, especially when contrasted with God, they align with fallen angels and their spiritual system. Paul's use of this term connects pagan worship directly to Satan's kingdom, emphasizing its fundamentally anti-God nature. This interpretation aligns with how other New Testament passages speak of Satan as the ruler of this world (John 12:31) and his demons influencing people towards evil (Ephesians 6:12).
1 Corinthians 10 19 Commentary
Paul clarifies that while the idols themselves are nothing, the sacrifices offered to them are directed towards demonic powers. This doesn't mean the food itself becomes demonically possessed, but that engaging in the ritualistic act aligns one with the spiritual realm of demons, not God. Believers are not to participate in these rituals because it's equivalent to sharing in a table with demons, which is incompatible with partaking at the Lord's Table. The focus shifts from the substance of the food to the spiritual implications of the action and its associated worship. This addresses the issue of participating in pagan festivals which inevitably involved idol worship and sexual immorality, inextricably linked in Corinthian society.