1 Corinthians 10:18

18 Consider the people of Israel: Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar?

Images for 1 Corinthians 10:18

1 Corinthians 10:18 in Other Translations

King James Version (KJV)
18 Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?
English Standard Version (ESV)
18 Consider the people of Israel:are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar?
New Living Translation (NLT)
18 Think about the people of Israel. Weren’t they united by eating the sacrifices at the altar?
The Message Bible (MSG)
18 That's basically what happened even in old Israel - those who ate the sacrifices offered on God's altar entered into God's action at the altar.
American Standard Version (ASV)
18 Behold Israel after the flesh: have not they that eat the sacrifices communion with the altar?
GOD'S WORD Translation (GW)
18 Look at the people of Israel from a human point of view. Don't those who eat the sacrifices share what is on the altar?
Holman Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
18 Look at the people of Israel. Are not those who eat the sacrifices partners in the altar?
New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
18 Think about the people of Israel. Don't those who eat the offerings share in the altar?

1 Corinthians 10:18 Meaning and Commentary

1 Corinthians 10:18

Behold Israel after the flesh
So the apostle calls them, to distinguish them from the Israel of God, the spiritual Israel, whether Jews or Gentiles; who are born again, believe in the true Messiah, worship God in a spiritual manner, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in fleshly things; but these were the descendants of Jacob or Israel by carnal generation, were carnal men, in the flesh, in a state of unregeneracy, and were employed in a carnal worship, in the observance of carnal commandments and ordinances; these the apostle directs to, to see, consider, and take notice of what they were doing; from whence some instruction might be taken, for the further clearing of the present point:

are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?
yes, they are. The priests and Levites who waited at the altar, and ministered about holy things there, who brought the sacrifices and laid them upon the altar of the burnt offerings, where the altar consumed and devoured one part by fire, and that which was left they ate among themselves; and so as they had communion with one another in eating, they partook of the altar, of the things, or sacrifices of the altar, and showed themselves to be of the Jewish religion, and professed and declared that they worshipped the God of Israel, and would be thought to have communion with him in so doing; in like manner, such who eat of things sacrificed to idols, declared themselves to be idolaters, to be of the Pagan religion, to be worshippers of idols, and to have fellowship with them.

1 Corinthians 10:18 In-Context

16 Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?
17 Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf.
18 Consider the people of Israel: Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar?
19 Do I mean then that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything?
20 No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons.

Cross References 1

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