No, not at all. I am saying that these sacrifices are offered to demons, not to God. And I don’t want you to participate with demons.
Parallel translations
- WEB But I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God, and I don’t desire that you would have fellowship with demons.
- KJV But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.
- BSB No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God. And I do not want you to be participants with demons.
- NKJV 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.
- NASB No, but I say that things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God; and I do not want you to become partners with demons.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Pagan sacrifices are offered to demons, not to God, so participating in them is fellowship with demons. Idolatry has a real spiritual danger behind the empty idol.
Overview
Echoing Deuteronomy 32:17, Paul teaches that behind idol worship stand demonic powers. Though the idol is nothing, the sacrifice connects worshipers to genuine evil. Paul's deep concern is that the Corinthians not enter into fellowship with demons, which is utterly incompatible with their union with Christ established at his table.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Rev 9:20The rest of mankind, who were not killed with these plagues, didn’t repent of the works of their hands, that they wouldn’t worship demons, and the idols of gold, and of silver, and of brass, and of stone, and of wood; which can’t see, hear, or walk.
- Ps 106:37–39Yes, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons.
- Deut 32:16–17They moved him to jealousy with strange gods. They provoked him to anger with abominations.
- 2 Cor 4:4in whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the Good News of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn on them.
- Lev 17:7They shall no more sacrifice their sacrifices to the goat idols, after which they play the prostitute. This shall be a statute forever to them throughout their generations.’
- 2 Chr 11:15He himself appointed priests for the high places, for the male goats, and for the calves which he had made.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Christ crucified is the wisdom and power of God; he is our Passover sacrificed for us, the firstfruits of resurrection, the foundation on which everything is built.
How 1 Corinthians 10:20 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.