1 Coríntios 10

1 Coríntios 10

Lenski explains that "It is a great mistake to imagine that back of their idolatry and their idol sacrifices there is nothing but an empty vacuity. True enough, as 1 Cor 8:4 makes plain, the gods of the idols have no existence whatever; no being by the name of Jupiter exists, and this is true with respect to the other gods. But something does exist, something that is far more terrible than these pseudo-gods, namely an entire kingdom of darkness which is hostile to God, a host of demons or fallen angels who are ruled by the greatest of their number, namely, Satan." Zodhiates - How do we reconcile 1 Corinthians 8:4 where Paul asserts that an idol is nothing, that is to say, not a real being, while here he associates idols with demons? The fact that Paul mentions the names attributed to temples, such as the Temple of Apollo and the Temple of Artemis, does not mean that Apollo and Artemis or other Greek mythological gods were real personalities. All that he tells us in this verse is that sacrifices made to idols were connected with the demon world, that is, the satanic world. It is interesting, indeed, that the word "demons" in the epistles is always used in the plural. No identity is given to them because they represent the powers of evil, with their head being Satan. While the heathen consider their idols to be their gods, in actuality they are not gods, but unidentifiable demons. And I (absolutely) do not want (thelo) you to become sharers (koinonos) in demons (daimonion) - What does Paul mean? While we know an idol is not actually a god, but Paul says that behind idols there is an evil, demonic force. The believer take part in demon worship which they they partake of the idol feasts. Zodhiates - Paul asserts that he who has fellowship with idols has fellowship with the demons in which idolatry finds its expression.