Fundamental incompatibility

13.08.2021

Friday August 13, 2021

Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. I speak to you as to intelligent people : judge for yourselves what I say. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a communion in the blood of Christ ? Is not the bread which we break the fellowship of the body of Christ ? Since there is one loaf, we who are many form one body, for we all participate in one loaf. 1 Corinthians 10:14-17

Corinth, in the days of the apostle Paul, is a large city where all kinds of peoples, cultures and religions come together. All social life is steeped in paganism: for example, meat sold to the butcher's shop most often comes from animals sacrificed to a deity.

Not all Christians who come from paganism understand that their conversion to Jesus Christ brings about a profound change in their lives. This is why the apostle emphatically demonstrates to them the fundamental incompatibility that exists between Christ and idols. When they participate in the Lord's Supper, Christians declare that they have a part with Christ, that they have been saved by his death and by his shed blood, that they belong exclusively to him.

For their part, the pagans offer sacrifices to idols out of blind devotion, to secure their favor. What relationship can there be between Christ Jesus, the Son of God, and idols which are nothing but behind which are hidden demons ?

A little later in this chapter (v. 32) we read that the society of that time was made up of people belonging to three religious bodies: the assembly of God (born again believers), the Jews and the Greeks (pagans). You cannot belong to two of these sets at the same time!

By sharing one and the same bread, we clearly show that we belong to that Christian whole, the Church, which constitutes one body, the body of Christ.

Today, animals are no longer sacrificed to the Greek or Roman gods. However, idols have not disappeared from our civilization. Would we want to sacrifice time, money, strength to them ? Let us remember that there is a total incompatibility between Jesus Christ and idols (2 Corinthians 6:14-16).

Source (Pleasing the Lord)