1 CORINTHIANS 10
14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. 18 Consider the people of Israel: are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? 19 What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. 21 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. 22 Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he? – 1 Corinthians 10:14-22
1 CORINTHIANS 10 FLEE FROM IDOLATRY
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
Be pure and holy as you serve the Lord your God
There are many things that can easily be considered idols
Anything that takes your focus away from the Lord
You are already following the systems of the world
Make sure that you put God first in all your daily routines
If you don’t, you will surely have challenges in staying loyal to Him.
In this letter, Paul emphasizes the importance of allegiance to one God alone. He points out the value of making God first in all that the believers do. Why would he say “Flee from idolatry” instead of just cautioning them to be aware of it? In the corrupt world that we inhabit, we are constantly bombarded by temptations left and right in order that the devil can change our minds in pledging allegiance to Christ. Why does he use the word “flee” as if someone was chasing us? One of the quickest ways that the devil can distract believers from being faithful to God is by shifting their focus from God to themselves. Since the world system is about gratifying the “self,” anyone can easily be derailed in their faith walk when Satan presents things that would make their lives easier such as conveniences or avoiding suffering and connecting with other believers.
REFLECTION
- Why do you think they needed to flee from idolatry as Paul instructed them?
