Wherefore, my dearly beloved, fly from the service of idols.
διοπερ αγαπητοι μου φευγετε απο της ειδωλολατρειας
11 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Again he expresses his affection for them by calling them by a kindred name, and he urges them to abandon sin quickly. He did not simply say, “abandon it,” but, “flee.” He calls the deed idolatry, so that they may abandon it not only because it harms their neighbor, but also because it is in itself most destructive.
Since he has reproved them sufficiently, he now softens the rebuke by calling them beloved. Yet he forbids them to eat things sacrificed to idols not only because this harms the brethren. He condemns the deed in itself, calling it idolatry, and demands that they quickly withdraw from it. For he says, “flee.”
After giving these commands, he turns to a prudent rebuke and accusation of those who went with their fathers and brethren to feasts in the houses of the pagans. “Flee,” he says, “from idolatry,” indicating the place where demons were honored. Thus, by going there, they would not somehow become sharers with the demons honored there.
Here too the Apostle calls the Corinthians to abstain from all idolatry, for not only hope but also the spirit is denied to them. No zealous man in a temple hopes for anything from God. Whoever hopes in an idol already doubts God, like Saul, who abandoned God and gave himself over to idolatry (1 Sam 28:8-25). From this harm came to him in the present life, and in the age to come Gehenna as recompense.
The Apostle gradually strengthens the accusation and shows that the indifferent eating of things sacrificed to idols differs in no way from service to idols.
You see that everything said above was preparation for this. He has come to what he was preparing.
The meaning of Paul’s words is this: he speaks of a threefold table, or of three altars. The first is that on which the pagans offer sacrifice to idols or demons. The second is that on which the Jews offer animals in sacrifice to God. The third is that on which Christians offer the Body and Blood of Christ under the forms of bread and wine. The Apostle calls the Corinthians to abstain from things sacrificed to idols, that is, from meat offered to idols: “flee from idolatry.”
The fifth guiding thought on the question of freely eating things sacrificed to idols is this: such eating is not only a stumbling block to weak brethren, but is also defilement in itself (1 Cor 10:1-33). In 1 Cor 10:1-14, the Apostle first frightens the Corinthians with examples of God’s dread judgment for turning aside to idolatry. He sets before them the living example of the Israelites, once chosen as sons of God, like Christians. "I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, that our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea" (1 Cor 10:1). "And all were baptized," in figure, "into Moses," that is, properly, into Him whom Moses prefigured, as Chrysostom says, "in the cloud and in the sea" (1 Cor 10:2).
"And all ate the same spiritual food," that is, the manna, wondrously sent (1 Cor 10:3). "And all drank the same spiritual drink," wondrously drawn from the rock. For they drank, in figure, "of the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ" (1 Cor 10:4). "But with many of them," the Apostle observes, "God was not well pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness" (1 Cor 10:5). In the history of Jews first saved and then destroyed for murmuring, idolatry, and fornication with the heathen, the Apostle points to figures for times to come. He notes that in them is hidden "instruction for us," Christians, "upon whom the ends of the ages have come" (1 Cor 10:11). Therefore he entreats the Corinthians to flee heathen temptations, which abound at festivals, and to abandon all self-confidence. They must not think that they cannot be compared with the Jews. Nor must they suppose that they will not yield to corrupt temptations at the heathen feasts of things sacrificed to idols. "Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall! Therefore, my beloved, flee idolatry" (1 Cor 10:14).
Persuading the Corinthians to remain firmly and unwaveringly in the Christian faith, the Apostle again reminds them of the terrifying examples of sinful Jews, often struck down by death. He also reminds them of supposedly strong fighters, who entered the contest self-confidently and without proper caution. Such supposedly mighty fighters were those Corinthian Christians who allowed themselves to share in eating things sacrificed to idols. They saw no hostile action in this. Yet, as the Apostle had hinted earlier and explained later, sharing in eating things sacrificed to idols is equivalent to sharing in idolatry. And idolatry is service to demons. But the devil and his helpers, the demons, did not act directly upon weak Christians themselves.
They acted through heathen relatives and acquaintances, who drew Christians to eat things sacrificed to idols, now by caresses, now by mockery. This is why the Apostle says that the temptation which befell them was only from men, a human temptation, and not the diabolical one of which Jesus Christ Himself had foretold to the Apostles (Lk 22:31). This stronger temptation of Christians came later, when universal persecutions against them began. In order not to frighten the Corinthians by setting these persecutions before them, the Apostle consoles them with hope in God’s help. Yet, as Chrysostom observes, this help is always necessary. "Not only temptations beyond our strength, but even human temptations, we cannot bear without help from above." What, then, is to be done? The same thing a man does when he feels no strength to oppose an enemy. He flees from him. So the first Christians had to flee everything connected with idolatry, as a supremely destructive matter and as dangerous snares of the devil.
From the beginning of the chapter, he has chiefly led the discourse toward this conclusion. The Israelites were baptized in figure, were fed with spiritual bread, and drank spiritual drink. Yet when they touched idolatry, they perished. So you also, who are truly baptized and truly partake of the Lord’s Body and Blood, take heed that you do not in any way touch idolatry. For God will not spare you either, and will spare you still less than them. Flee idolatry, then. By idolatry he means eating from sacrifices offered to idols. This is not direct idolatry, but participation in it and defilement by it. Earlier he did not touch this side of the matter. He conceded that knowledge and higher views made them untouched by the defilement of idolatry.
Now he ascribes this also to their action and says, "Flee," meaning, flee such tables. He had already aroused fear over participation in idolatry by the preceding judgments of God. It remained for him to explain that by eating from sacrifices offered to idols, they become participants in idolatry. This is the subject of what follows. Theodoret writes: "The Apostle gradually strengthens the accusation, and shows that indifferent eating of things sacrificed to idols differs not at all from service to idols." Chrysostom says: "Therefore he urges them to withdraw from sin as quickly as possible. For he did not simply say, 'withdraw,' but 'flee.' He calls their action idolatry, so that they might withdraw from it, not only because it harms their neighbor, but because it is in itself exceedingly destructive."
When the Apostle says, “flee from idolatry,” he means idolatry wholly and entirely. Look carefully at the thicket: how many thorns are hidden beneath its leaves.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 7 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS