{"id":9450,"date":"2026-06-10T07:48:57","date_gmt":"2026-06-10T05:48:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/advent-ug.org\/answers\/1-korynfianam-10-18-20-posmotry-te-na-yzraylia-po-ploty-te-kotorye-ediat-zhertvy\/"},"modified":"2026-06-10T07:48:57","modified_gmt":"2026-06-10T05:48:57","slug":"shho-oznachaye-1-koryntyan-1018-20-pro-zhertvy-i-spilkuvannya-z-demonamy","status":"publish","type":"answers","link":"https:\/\/advent-ug.org\/en\/answers\/shho-oznachaye-1-koryntyan-1018-20-pro-zhertvy-i-spilkuvannya-z-demonamy\/","title":{"rendered":"What does 1 Corinthians 10:18-20 mean about sacrifices and fellowship with demons?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Paul teaches very clearly: to knowingly participate in pagan worship means entering into a spiritual fellowship that is contrary to faithfulness to Christ.<\/strong> An idol in itself means nothing, but demonic powers may stand behind false worship; therefore, Christian freedom is never permission to touch darkness.<\/em><\/p>\n

In 1 Corinthians 10:18\u201320, the apostle Paul answers a practical and very serious question: can a believer participate in meals connected with pagan sacrifices? His answer is not limited only to the subject of food. It is about worship, faithfulness, and spiritual unity. For Seventh-day Adventists, this passage is especially important because it reminds us that in the great controversy between Christ and Satan there is no neutral spiritual territory.<\/p>\n

Participation in the sacrifice meant participation in worship<\/h2>\n

Paul begins with the example of Israel. In the Old Testament sacrificial system, part of the sacrifice could be eaten, and this was not merely taking food, but a sign of sharing in the altar and in worship.<\/p>\n

\u201cObserve Israel according to the flesh: are not those who eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?\u201d 1 Cor. 10:18<\/a><\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Paul emphasizes that a religious meal has spiritual significance. A person participates not only physically, but also symbolically and spiritually. In the same way, the Lord\u2019s Supper is not merely bread and grape juice, but a sign of unity with Christ and His body. Therefore, if participation in God\u2019s sacrifice means unity with God, then participation in pagan worship also cannot be spiritually neutral.<\/p>\n

An idol is nothing, but idolatry is not harmless<\/h2>\n

Next, the apostle clarifies a very important truth. He does not retreat from what he had already said in 1 Corinthians 8: an idol is not a real god.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything?\u201d 1 Cor 10:19<\/a><\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Therefore, concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but One.\" 1 Cor 8:4<\/a><\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This means that a piece of wood, metal, or stone has no divine nature. But Paul does not conclude from this that all pagan worship is harmless. The object may be empty, yet the cult around it opens the heart to deception. The Bible repeatedly shows that behind apostasy there is not only human error, but also spiritual opposition.<\/p>\n

Behind pagan worship stands a demonic reality<\/h2>\n

Here is the main warning of the passage:<\/p>\n

\"No, but 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.\" 1 Cor 10:20<\/a><\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Paul is essentially drawing a distinction between the idol as an object and idolatry as a spiritual act. The idol itself is nothing. But worship directed anywhere other than to God does not remain a mere empty form. It is used by the forces of evil. In this sense, a pagan sacrifice becomes not merely false religion, but a sphere of demonic influence.<\/p>\n

This thought agrees with the Old Testament witness:<\/p>\n

\"They sacrificed to demons, not to God, to gods they did not know, to new gods, new arrivals that came lately.\" Deut 32:17<\/a><\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Scripture also warns about the reality of spiritual conflict:<\/p>\n

\"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.\" Eph. 6:12<\/a><\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In the theology of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, this is connected with the theme of the great controversy. Satan seeks to turn away the worship that belongs only to the Creator. Therefore, not every form of religiosity is automatically good. Not everything supernatural comes from God.<\/p>\n

One cannot combine the Lord's table and the table of demons<\/h2>\n

The context shows that Paul is speaking about exclusive loyalty to Christ:<\/p>\n

\"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.\" 1 Cor 10:21<\/a><\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

A Christian cannot belong to Christ only partially. It is impossible to acknowledge the Lord and at the same time knowingly enter into rites that deny His authority. This is not a matter of minor formality, but a matter of covenant, loyalty, and worship.<\/p>\n

Ellen White repeatedly emphasized that Satan often works through deceptive religious forms to mix truth with error and dull spiritual vigilance. Therefore, God's people are called to avoid not only obvious evil, but also everything that places the soul under a foreign spiritual influence. This especially concerns Spiritism, occultism, magical practices, and any rituals in which a person seeks power, protection, or revelation apart from God.<\/p>\n

What this means for us today<\/h2>\n

For the modern reader, this text has very practical significance. Paul is not saying that a Christian should be afraid of every object in the world. In this same chapter, he distinguishes between ordinary food, which may be eaten without questioning for conscience' sake, and conscious participation in a cultic act. So the main problem is not the material object, but spiritual participation.<\/p>\n

This means several important things. First, a believer should not take part in pagan, occult, or spiritistic practices even \"out of curiosity\" or \"for company.\" Second, one must not seek spiritual protection in amulets, incantations, energy rituals, conjuring spirits, or syncretistic rites. Third, Christian freedom does not give the right to play with darkness. True freedom is the freedom to belong to Christ.<\/p>\n

\"Flee from idolatry, my beloved!\" 1 Cor 10:14<\/a><\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Conclusion.<\/h2>\n

1 Corinthians 10:18\u201320 teaches that participation in a sacrificial meal is a sign of spiritual fellowship. An idol in itself is worth nothing, but worship directed not to the true God can become a sphere for the activity of demonic powers. That is why Paul warns believers not to enter into such fellowship.<\/p>\n

The practical application is simple: examine what you participate in, what you watch, which spiritual practices you accept, and to whom you are really opening your heart. If you belong to Christ, reject everything connected with occultism, idolatry, or religious mixture, and consciously choose faithfulness to God in worship, lifestyle, and daily decisions.<\/p>","protected":false},"template":"","meta":{"faq_question":"\u0429\u043e \u043e\u0437\u043d\u0430\u0447\u0430\u0454 1 \u041a\u043e\u0440\u0438\u043d\u0442\u044f\u043d 10:18-20 \u043f\u0440\u043e \u0436\u0435\u0440\u0442\u0432\u0438 \u0456 \u0441\u043f\u0456\u043b\u043a\u0443\u0432\u0430\u043d\u043d\u044f \u0437 \u0434\u0435\u043c\u043e\u043d\u0430\u043c\u0438?","bible_refs":"1 Corinthians 10:18, 1 Corinthians 10:19, 1 Corinthians 8:4, 1 Corinthians 10:20, Deuteronomy 32:17, Ephesians 6:12, 1 Corinthians 10:21, 1 Corinthians 10:14","answer_lang":"uk","source_question":"1 \u041a\u043e\u0440\u0438\u043d\u0444\u044f\u043d\u0430\u043c 10:18-20 \u00b9\u2078 \u041f\u043e\u0441\u043c\u043e\u0442\u0440\u0438\u0301\u0442\u0435 \u043d\u0430 \u0418\u0437\u0440\u0430\u0438\u043b\u044f \u043f\u043e \u043f\u043b\u043e\u0442\u0438: \u0442\u0435, \u043a\u043e\u0442\u043e\u0440\u044b\u0435 \u0435\u0434\u044f\u0442 \u0436\u0435\u0440\u0442\u0432\u044b, \u043d\u0435 \u0443\u0447\u0430\u0441\u0442\u043d\u0438\u043a\u0438 \u043b\u0438 \u0436\u0435\u0440\u0442\u0432\u0435\u043d\u043d\u0438\u043a\u0430? \u00b9\u2079 \u0427\u0442\u043e \u0436\u0435 \u044f \u0433\u043e\u0432\u043e\u0440\u044e? \u0422\u043e \u043b\u0438, \u0447\u0442\u043e \u0438\u0434\u043e\u043b \u0435\u0441\u0442\u044c \u0447\u0442\u043e\u2010\u043d\u0438\u0431\u0443\u0434\u044c \u0438\u043b\u0438 \u0438\u0434\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0436\u0435\u0440\u0442\u0432\u0435\u043d\u043d\u043e\u0435 \u0437\u043d\u0430\u0447\u0438\u0442 \u0447\u0442\u043e\u2010\u043d\u0438\u0431\u0443\u0434\u044c? \u00b2\u2070 \u041d\u0435\u0442, \u043d\u043e \u0447\u0442\u043e \u044f\u0437\u044b\u0447\u043d\u0438\u043a\u0438, \u043f\u0440\u0438\u043d\u043e\u0441\u044f \u0436\u0435\u0440\u0442\u0432\u044b, \u043f\u0440\u0438\u043d\u043e\u0441\u044f\u0442 \u0431\u0435\u0441\u0430\u043c, \u0430 \u043d\u0435 \u0411\u043e\u0433\u0443. \u041d\u043e \u044f \u043d\u0435 \u0445\u043e\u0447\u0443, \u0447\u0442\u043e\u0431\u044b \u0432\u044b \u0431\u044b\u043b\u0438 \u0432 \u043e\u0431\u0449\u0435\u043d\u0438\u0438 \u0441 \u0431\u0435\u0441\u0430\u043c\u0438"},"answer_topic":[145],"class_list":["post-9450","answers","type-answers","status-publish","hentry","answer_topic-other"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/advent-ug.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/answers\/9450","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/advent-ug.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/answers"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/advent-ug.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/answers"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/advent-ug.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9450"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"answer_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advent-ug.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/answer_topic?post=9450"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}