1 Corinthians 10:18, Partakers of the Altar

1 Corinthians 10:18 Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?

William MacDonald observed insightfully, “What Paul is saying in these verses is that eating at the Lord’s Table signifies fellowship with Him. The same was true of those Israelites who ate of the sacrifices. It meant that they had fellowship with the altar. The reference, no doubt, is to the peace offering. The people brought their sacrifices to the temple. A portion of the offering was burnt on the altar with fire; another portion was reserved for the priests; but the third part was set aside for the offerer and his friends. They ate of the offering on the same day. Paul is

He further elaborated,”Paul is emphasizing that all who ate of the offering identified themselves with God and with the nation of Israel and, in short, with all of which the altar spoke. But how does this fit in with the portion of the Scripture that we are studying? The answer is quite simple. Just as partaking of the Lord’s Supper speaks of fellowship with the Lord, and just as the Israelites, partaking of the peace offering, spoke of fellowship with the altar of Jehovah, so eating at an idol feast in the temple speaks of fellowship with the idols.”

Indeed, the people of God, having been delivered from their idolatrous past, be willing to keep themselves pure from the pollution of idols. To abstain from all appearance of evil. May the people of God today be identified with Him through baptism and on a regular basis partake the Lord’s Supper in fellowship with the Lord. Amen.