1 Corinthians 10:20 Meaning and Explanation
“But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Paul's warning is sharper than a rule about food. He is concerned with the meaning of shared worship and the loyalties it expresses. This verse helps distinguish ordinary social eating from a deliberate act of participation in religious sacrifice directed away from God.
Paul distinguishes an idol from the spiritual reality of idolatrous sacrifice. Such sacrifice is not offered to God, and he warns believers against sharing in fellowship that joins them to hostile spiritual powers.
The Context of 1 Corinthians 10:20
Paul has urged the Corinthians to flee idolatry and asks them to judge his argument. In verses 16-18 he speaks of the cup and bread as communion with Christ and compares Israel's sacrificial meals, where those who eat share in relation to the altar. Verse 19 asks whether an idol or its offering has independent reality. Verse 20 answers that the idol itself is not God, yet sacrifice offered in idolatry is spiritually serious. Verse 21 contrasts the Lord's cup and table with those of devils. Later verses address food sold in the market and meals in an unbeliever's home, showing that Paul is not forbidding every contact with food that may once have been associated with an idol.
What Does 1 Corinthians 10:20 Mean?
Paul's sentence begins, "But I say," answering the question of verse 19. He does not grant that an idol is a true god. Instead, he identifies the direction of Gentile sacrificial worship: "they sacrifice to devils, and not to God." In the KJV, "devils" refers to evil spiritual beings, not to many rival gods worthy of worship. The point is grave because sacrifice is an act of worship and communion. Paul is not claiming that meat itself becomes evil. His concern is the religious offering and the fellowship formed by knowingly sharing in that cultic act. God alone is the proper recipient of worship and sacrifice.
The chapter's argument rests on the meaning of participation. The Lord's Supper involves communion with Christ's blood and body, and Israel's sacrificial eating involves participation with the altar. In that setting, a meal at an idol feast cannot be treated as morally empty when it signifies fellowship with a worship directed elsewhere. Paul speaks as a shepherd: "I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils." His desire is protective. The Corinthians may have claimed knowledge that idols are nothing, yet their knowledge needed to be governed by faithful worship, love for others, and the glory of God. The following verses carefully preserve freedom concerning ordinary food while refusing religious participation.
This warning echoes the covenant concern that worship belongs to the Lord. Moses warned Israel against sacrifices offered to devils rather than to God, and Paul draws the same boundary for a church surrounded by pagan worship. Christ's people share a holy communion centered on him, as verses 16-17 have just declared. That communion gives their gathered meal and their bodies a direction of loyalty. The verse does not require suspicion toward every neighbor or every meal. Paul later permits eating what is set before a believer in an unbeliever's home when no idolatrous identification is made. It calls for clear faithfulness whenever an action openly joins us to worship opposed to God.
Bible Verses Related to 1 Corinthians 10:20
“They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not.”
- Deuteronomy 32:17
“The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?”
- 1 Corinthians 10:16
“Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils.”
- 1 Corinthians 10:21
“But if any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that shewed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof:”
- 1 Corinthians 10:28
Where 1 Corinthians 10:20 Echoes in Scripture
Deuteronomy 32:17 provides a strong Old Testament echo: Israel's unfaithful sacrifices were offered to devils and not to God. Paul uses that covenant language in a new setting to show that idolatry remains spiritually serious. The continuity lies in God's claim upon the worship of his people and in the danger of giving sacred allegiance where it does not belong.
How to Apply 1 Corinthians 10:20 Today
Ordinary life includes invitations, customs, symbols, and public acts that can carry religious meaning. This verse calls us to pay attention to what our participation communicates and to keep worship directed toward God. Wisdom includes asking whether a setting simply involves food or friendship, or whether it asks us to join a devotion that conflicts with the Lord. We can practice this clarity without contempt for neighbors. Paul himself continues by teaching generous hospitality and consideration for conscience. Faithfulness joins reverence toward God with truthful, peaceable conduct toward people.
Reflection & Prayer
What forms of participation make our allegiance unclear, even when we tell ourselves they are harmless? We might pray: "Lord, receive our worship and keep our fellowship faithful to you. Give us wisdom to act with a clear conscience, love for others, and courage when an invitation asks too much."