Food Sacrificed to Idols

Biblical Texts

• Acts: The Council of Jerusalem sent a letter instructing Gentile believers to "abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication" (Acts 15:29; see Acts 15:28-29). The same decision is mentioned again in Acts 21:25. Acts 15:20 uses the expression "pollutions of idols."
• 1 Corinthians 8 and 10: Paul says that "an idol is nothing in the world" (1 Corinthians 8:4; see 1 Corinthians 8:4-6). Yet he warns that the conduct of those who have knowledge can cause a brother with a weak conscience to stumble (1 Corinthians 8:9-13). In chapter 10 he states that because pagan sacrifices are offered to devils, believers cannot drink both "the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils" (1 Corinthians 10:20-21). At the same time, he advises that meat sold in the market may be eaten without asking questions, but that if someone points out that it was offered in sacrifice, it should not be eaten for the sake of that person's conscience (1 Corinthians 10:25-28).
• Revelation: The church at Pergamos is rebuked for having among its members those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, eating things sacrificed unto idols and committing fornication (Revelation 2:14). The church at Thyatira is rebuked because the self-proclaimed prophetess "Jezebel" seduces believers to eat things sacrificed unto idols (Revelation 2:20). Both churches are among the seven churches of Asia.

Background

The Greek term eidōlothyton combines the words for "idol" and "something offered in sacrifice" and refers to food offered to an idol. In Greco-Roman cities, meat left over from temple sacrifices was eaten in temple dining halls or sold in the marketplace. Celebratory banquets and trade-guild gatherings held in temples were also common. Believers in cities such as Corinth therefore encountered the issue routinely, whether shopping for food, accepting a neighbor's dinner invitation, or attending social gatherings.

The Old Testament records that at Peor the Israelites accepted the invitation of Moabite women, ate the sacrifices offered to their gods, and bowed down to those gods (Numbers 25:1-3). Exodus 34:15 likewise warns against eating the sacrifices of foreign gods. The reference to Balaam in Revelation 2:14 draws on this episode.

Significance Across Scripture

This theme carries forward the Old Testament prohibition of idolatry. The New Testament expands it into two questions. One concerns table fellowship between Gentile and Jewish believers; the other concerns the balance between knowledge and love, and between freedom and edification (1 Corinthians 8:1; 1 Corinthians 10:23-24). Paul contrasts the issue of idol food with the Lord's Supper, and this passage serves as one of the texts supporting an understanding of Communion as participation in Christ (1 Corinthians 10:16-17).

Interpretation and Debated Issues

• The relationship between 1 Corinthians 8 and 10: Many interpreters hold that Paul distinguishes between situations: he forbids taking part in sacrificial meals at temples, while permitting market meat and meals in homes with due regard for conscience and for one's neighbor. Some scholars read Paul as forbidding the very act of eating food known to have been sacrificed to idols.
• The nature of the council's decision: Interpreters differ on whether it should be regarded as a rule binding on believers in every era or as a provision for its own time, intended to facilitate fellowship between Jewish and Gentile believers.
• "Eating" and "fornication" in Revelation: Some read these as literal acts, while others take them as expressions denoting compromise with pagan religion and society. The "Jezebel" of Revelation 2:20 is generally regarded as a symbolic name borrowed from the Old Testament queen (Ahab and Jezebel).
• The dispute over food in Romans 14 (Romans 14:5-6) is often read alongside the issue of idol food, although opinions differ on whether that passage deals directly with food sacrificed to idols.

In Korean Churches

In Korean churches, these passages are frequently connected with the question of whether believers may eat food from ancestral rites (jesa) or rice cakes offered in traditional gosa rituals. One view, based on 1 Corinthians 10:25-26, holds that such food may be eaten with thanksgiving regardless of the ritual; another holds that believers should abstain in order to avoid misunderstanding and causing others to stumble. In addition, the principle of "not causing a weak brother to stumble" is often cited in preaching and teaching on practical matters that Scripture does not directly regulate, such as alcohol and tobacco.