Partaking Of The Cup Of Demons

May 18, 2026

1 CORINTHIANS 10:22 NKJV – (21) You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons. (22) Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?

1 Corinthians 10:14–22 describes why it is essential to run away from idol worship of any kind. Participating in communion by taking in the representations of Christ's body and blood brings us into participation with Him. To be involved with idolatry causes people to participate with demons. Nobody can remain in participation both with Christ and demons. Paul uses questions to warn the Corinthians about stirring up the Lord's jealousy in this way. He is stronger than us and willing to act when betrayed.

Now Paul insists that participation with demons is mutually exclusive with participation with Christ. The same person cannot drink both the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. To drink from another person's cup, in this context, implies joining that person in his or her destiny (Matthew 20:22–23). Also, Christians drink from Christ's cup when they participate in communion.

To knowingly participate in idol worship on any level involves that person in drinking from the cup of a demon. The destiny of demons is eternal destruction. The destiny of Christ is eternal glory. To participate in both is unthinkable for Paul.

Then he gets more specific. Because this is true, the same person should not participate in the table of the Lord, through communion, and in the table of demons, through the eating of food sacrificed to idols. It's not that the food, in either case, necessarily carries some supernatural power. It's that the act of eating from those tables is an act of joining oneself to that specific “lord.” Nobody can continue to worship both Christ and a demon. A choice must be made.

SCRIPTURE READING

1 CORINTHIANS 11:27-32

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

It is said often in the bible, what do the two have in common? (Satan & Christ)