1 Corinthians 10:21 (KJV)

Passage

Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils.

Nearby Context

1 Corinthians 10:19 What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing?

1 Corinthians 10:20 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.

1 Corinthians 10:21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils.

1 Corinthians 10:22 Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?

1 Corinthians 10:23 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "drink", "lord", "devils", "partakers", and "table". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "drink" and "lord", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 20's "But I say that the things which..." into verse 22's "Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy...", so "drink" and "lord" belong inside that flow. In 1 Corinthians context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "drink" and "lord" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.