22. What must therefore exist between partakers of the loaf? How?

²² The body of Christ was represented by the “one loaf”, and the members of that spiritual body “are all partaking of that one loaf”. For that reason there must be complete unity among them, for “we, although many, are one body”. (1 Cor. 10:17, NW) Our unity must be not merely with one another, but particularly with the Head Jesus Christ. He is the Principal One. We must remember him. We must keep “holding fast to the head, to the one from whom all the body, being supplied and harmoniously joined together by means of its joints and ligaments, goes on growing with the growth which God gives”. (Col. 2:19, NW) It was because of arguing this vital matter of unity in his first letter to the Corinthians that the apostle suddenly made reference in the tenth chapter to the Lord’s evening meal, or the Memorial. He held before them as a warning example the Israelites in the wilderness who fell away from Jehovah God to the worship of idols representing demons, so committing spiritual as well as physical fornication. He then warned his fellow Christians to “flee from idolatry”. As an argument for them to do this he told them to consider what he had to say about the Lord’s evening meal. The basic thought of that meal was oneness with Christ.

Participation with Demons Forbidden

1. With what argument against demonism does Paul follow up his explanation of the Lord’s evening meal?

THE apostle Paul followed up his explanation of the Lord’s evening meal saying: “Because there is one loaf, we, although many, are one body, for we are all partaking of that one loaf. Look at that which is Israel in a fleshly way: Are not those who eat the sacrifices sharers with [or, in] the altar? What, then, am I to say? That what is sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? No; but I say that the things which the nations sacrifice they sacrifice to demons, and not to God, and I do not want you to become sharers with the demons [to participate in demons, Mo]. You cannot be drinking the cup of Jehovah and the cup of demons; you cannot be partaking of ‘the table of Jehovah’ and the table of demons. Or ‘are we inciting Jehovah to jealousy’? We are not stronger than he is, are we?”—1 Cor. 10:17-22, NW.

2. How did ancient Israelites share with God’s altar?

² In ancient Israel, when they offered peace-offerings and thank-offerings, the offerers as well as the priests ate parts of the sacrifices. The sacrifice to God represented the person offering it, to illustrate that a life must go for his life; and by eating part of the sacrifice he was partaking of the sacrifice with the altar. He was sharing with the altar, ‘participating in the altar.’ (Mo) The altar got part of the sacrifice, for some parts of it, the fat, etc., were burned upon the altar; and the person offering the sacrifice through the priest got part of the sacrifice. It was offered to Jehovah God; and as the altar was His, the offerer and the Lord God had fellowship together. (Lev. 19:5, 6; 22:29, 30; Deut. 12:17, 18; 27:5-7) So peaceful relations were either renewed or furthered between God and the offerer.

3. Why cannot partakers of the loaf be also partakers with demons?

³ The Gentile nations outside of Israel sacrificed on their altars to their gods and idols. They really sacrificed to demons. When the Israelites turned aside from Jehovah, “they sacrificed to demons, to no-gods.” (Deut. 32:17, Mo; Ps. 106:37) In that way they had fellowship with the demons, the foes of Jehovah; they ‘participated in demons’. (Mo) Christians must not be sharers with demons. For that reason they may not engage in idolatry. This means greed, too, for a ‘greedy person is an idolater’ and ‘covetousness is equal to idolatry’. (Eph. 5:5; Col. 3:5) Jesus never worshiped or served demons. When Satan the Devil, “the ruler of the demons,” offered Jesus the kingdoms of this world in exchange for Jesus’ worship, Jesus replied that he obeyed the divine command to worship only Jehovah God. (Matt. 12:24; 4:8-11, NW) Jesus worshiped no idol, only the living God. In no way did he participate or have fellowship with demons. All through his earthly ministry he expelled demons from possessed persons and he refused to let them testify that he was Christ. Hence if we want to have unity with Christ as members of his body and if we want to partake of Memorial emblems in a worthy manner, we cannot indulge in idolatry of any sort. Especially so now when worldly organizations and heroes are idolized, such as the United Nations and famous world figures. We cannot be “one body” or “one loaf” with Christ Jesus and at the same time be idolaters.

“THE TABLE OF JEHOVAH” AND “THE CUP OF JEHOVAH”

4. In connection with Memorial why does Paul speak of Jehovah’s cup and table?

⁴ But if the apostle has reference to the cup which Jesus gave his disciples to drink from and to the loaf of unleavened bread which he broke for them to eat, why does he speak of the “cup of Jehovah” and the “table of Jehovah”? He says: “You cannot be drinking the cup of Jehovah and the cup of demons; you cannot be partaking of ‘the table of Jehovah’ and the table of demons.” (1 Cor. 10:21, NW) The apostle so speaks because the things symbolized by the Memorial emblems were provisions made by Jehovah in behalf of those belonging to Christ.

5. From what prophecy was “the table of Jehovah” quoted by Paul, and to what did it there apply?

⁵ Paul’s expression “the table of Jehovah” is understood by textual criticsa to be quoted from Malachi 1:7, 12 (Greek LXX). The prophet Malachi there says: “Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar. And ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of Jehovah is contemptible. But ye profane it [God’s name], in that ye say, The table of Jehovah is polluted, and the fruit thereof, even its food, is contemptible.” (AS) As Malachi uses it, “the table of Jehovah” applies to his altar, to which the animal sacrifices were brought. The body of the victim was laid on the altar. The blood of the victim was never drunk, but was poured at the altar base or taken into the Most Holy of the temple or otherwise disposed of.

6, 7. According to the connection Paul gives it, how is it the table of Jehovah?

⁶ “The table of Jehovah” may have reference to the entire arrangement of the Lord’s evening meal. But if it refers to one particular feature of it, then it must be to the unleavened bread, for it is bloodless. The loaf represents the “body of Christ” in which Jesus’ little flock of Kingdom joint heirs share. It is God that has arranged for the “body of Christ”. He creates it, setting the members of it according to his pleasure, Jesus Christ to be Head of the body and the 144,000 members of the “little flock” to be the body beneath him, each occupying