What Does 1 Corinthians 10:20 Mean in the King James?
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.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
What English calls “fellowship” is sharing in common, so this verse treats sacrifice as real participation with the power receiving it.
THE MEANING
An offering is not spiritually empty: it places the one who gives it in real participation with what receives it. This verse names the recipients as devils rather than God and makes the distinction between those tables concrete now.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
It undoes the belief that a sincere offering is automatically directed to God, whatever receives it.
THE ROOT
κοινωνούς
koinōnous
GROWS FROM
κοιν-
koin-
Common, shared.
The Greek word means partners or participants in something held in common. “Fellowship” here is more than association: the offering makes the worshiper a participant with its recipient.
ALSO GROWS
koinōnia: Sharing in common; participation.
κοινωνία
The same word family describes participation in the cup and bread in 1 Corinthians 10:16.
koinōneō: Share in; participate.
κοινωνέω
This verb makes the family’s active sense clear: to be in common with something is to share in it.
θύουσιν
thyousin
GROWS FROM
θύω
thyō
To sacrifice or slaughter as an offering.
The verse repeats the verb: what they sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils and not to God. The repeated action ties the offering directly to its stated recipient.
ALSO GROWS
thysia: Sacrifice; offering.
θυσία
This noun names the offering that carries the act of sacrifice.
thysiastērion: Altar.
θυσιαστήριον
The altar is the place associated with the same sacrificial word family.
THE PATTERN
Worship is participation with its recipient, so an offering establishes whose table is shared.
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.Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils,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?THE THREAD
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?The Greek word translated “communion” is κοινωνία (koinōnia), from the same word family as “fellowship” here: sharing in common. That makes the distinction in verse 20 concrete, the table marks who participates with whom.
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