Actions have consequences which need to be understood in the wider aspect of people’s lives.

The apostle Paul had previously spoken about the eating of food sacrificed to idols. Many have used this passage to accuse him of forgetting what he had said. This situation is, however, quite different. The reason is that here it is not just about the food sacrificed to demons but about the eating of it in pagan temples. This oversteps a boundary line for the believers in Corinth.

Paul put it to them that ‘you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons’. There are two matters involved. The first one is that the glory of God should be the highest good which is sought.  The second matter is seeking the good of one’s ‘neighbor’. The believer should always ensure that what he or she does is with a view to the eternal good of the other person. Paul said ‘follow my example as I follow the example of Christ’.