1 Corinthians 10:18 (YLT)

Passage

See Israel according to the flesh! are not those eating the sacrifices in the fellowship of the altar?

Nearby Context

1 Corinthians 10:16 The cup of the blessing that we bless--is it not the fellowship of the blood of the Christ? the bread that we break--is it not the fellowship of the body of the Christ?

1 Corinthians 10:17 because one bread, one body, are we the many--for we all of the one bread do partake.

1 Corinthians 10:18 See Israel according to the flesh! are not those eating the sacrifices in the fellowship of the altar?

1 Corinthians 10:19 what then do I say? that an idol is anything? or that a sacrifice offered to an idol is anything? --

1 Corinthians 10:20 <FI> no,<Fi> but that the things that the nations sacrifice--they sacrifice to demons and not to God; and I do not wish you to come into the fellowship of the demons.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "israel", "flesh", "eating", "sacrifices", "fellowship", and "altar". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "israel" and "flesh", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 17's "because one bread one body are we..." into verse 19's "what then do I say that an...", so "israel" and "flesh" 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 "israel" and "flesh" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.