Are Idols Nothing or Demonic?

Photo by Christian Chomiak on Unsplash

What is the threat posed by an idol or graven image of a deity?

In 1 Corinthians, Paul seems to give mixed messages on the topic.

In one place, Paul says: “We know that ‘An idol is nothing at all in the world, and that ‘There is no God but one’” (1 Cor 8:4).

Then later, Paul also writes: “No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons” (1 Cor 10:20-21).

Most of the time in the Bible, OT and NT, idols are regarded as nothing: just bits of wood and metal that people foolishly make offerings towards. Idols are only real insofar as they are believed to be real.

So are idols “nothing” or “demonic”?

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