WHICH SIDE ARE YOU ON?
Play Audio
If you prefer listening to today’s Bible guide reading, play this audio file.
If the audio bar is not appearing, click here to play the audio.
Opening Prayer
Lord Jesus, you are the immovable Rock of my salvation; help me to cling to you, in all things, at all times.
Read 1 CORINTHIANS 10:14–22
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
Idol Feasts and the Lord’s Supper
14 Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 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. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons. 22 Are we trying to arouse the Lord’s jealousy? Are we stronger than he?
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Pray not to be lured away from your wholehearted Christian commitment.In sports, you can usually tell which side a player is on from their shirt or the direction of their play. Certainly, though, an ‘own goal’ or a bad mistake can make you wonder!
When we drink the wine and eat the bread in the Lord’s Supper, we are showing ourselves to be stakeholders in the death and resur- rection of Christ. We are taking part with his followers down the centuries (vv. 15, 16). The familiar words for this, such as ‘fellowship,’ ‘Communion,’ and ‘sharing,’ need to be understood dynamically; like being a ‘shareholder in’ or being ‘in solidarity with’ Christ and his people. Receiving Communion with bread and wine is making a big statement of oneness with Christ’s people (v. 17).
Corinth, in Paul’s time, would have staged lots of feasts and festi- vals with sacrifices to idols. So, isn’t this just harmless fun? An idol is nothing really, is it? Paul is definite. Active participation in such pagan sacrifice is a line not to be crossed (v. 14). He gives three reasons:
- It can be dangerous for your spiritual life (v. 20).
- Whose side are you on anyway? Partaking of Christ and partaking of idol worship are incompatible (v. 21).
- You could be making the Lord actively jealous over your disloyalty (v. 22).
Apply
Are there aspects of your world that seem harmless enough, but it makes sense for someone on Christ’s side to observe as lines not to be crossed? What are your lines?
Closing prayer
Holy Spirit, help me to live my life without compromise, give me wisdom and conviction to follow Jesus only.
Book and Author Intros
Extras
Click here to sign up to receive the EXTRAs via email each quarter.
© 2025 Scripture Union U.S.A. All rights reserved. Reproduction of the whole or any part of the contents without written permission is prohibited.
Discovery is published in the USA under license from Scripture Union England and Wales, Trinity House, Opal Court, Opal Drive, Fox Milne, Milton Keynes, MK15 0DF.