Yes — pagans and Israel used the same outward practice of animal sacrifice because the practice was universal and rooted in man's God-given knowledge of a Creator.
Les Feldick explains that from the Tower of Babel onward, paganism was steeped in constant animal sacrifice — it was not unique to Israel. Pagan priests kept a portion of the meat and returned the rest to the offerer, much like Israel's priests. The deeper reason, Les says, is that every culture links worship with blood sacrifice because God created mankind with the knowledge that there is a Creator.
1 Corinthians 10:20 — Paul identifies the spiritual reality behind pagan animal sacrifice: it is offered to devils, not to God.
Scripture acknowledges that Gentiles practiced animal sacrifice and identifies the object of their worship: "They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not" (Deuteronomy 32:17). In the New Testament, Paul applies this to sacrificial meat: "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 10:20). He then contrasts the two tables: "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 10:21). At the same time, Paul affirms the impotence of idols: "As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one" (1 Corinthians 8:4). Romans 1:21-23 shows this universal worship impulse flowing from man's knowledge of God: "Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things."
Les says animal sacrifice was never unique to Israel. Since the Tower of Babel, paganism was steeped in constant animal sacrifice (Clip 4). When pagans took an animal to a pagan temple, the priest kept a portion of the meat for himself, much like Israel's priests, and then gave the rest of the carcass back to the person who brought it (Clip 1). Much of that meat eventually reached the marketplace (Clip 2). In Corinth, pagans were so mindful of demons that they had their priests put a blessing on the meat to keep demons from entering them through the food (Clip 3). Les's bottom line is that every culture has an inherent need to worship, and that worship is always accompanied by blood sacrifice — because God created mankind with the knowledge that there is a Creator (Clip 7).
Yes. Les teaches that from the Tower of Babel onward, everything was steeped in paganism, and paganism was steeped in constant animal sacrifice. He emphasizes that this was not unique to Israel. Even God's covenant ceremony with Abram used the customary animal-sacrifice forms of the ancient world to prove His promise (Clip 4).
Les explains that when pagans took animals to a pagan temple, the pagan priest kept a certain portion of the meat for himself, 'much like Israel did,' and then gave the remaining part of the carcass back to the individual. That leftover meat was his to use as he wished, and a lot of it ended up in the marketplace. So the visible mechanics were similar — priest, altar, and distribution of the meat — even though the spiritual reality was completely different (Clips 1, 2).
Paul's concern was not that the idol had real power; Les says Paul told them the idol had no power over the meat. But if eating that meat caused a young believer to stumble, then the believer should not eat it. The meat itself was not tainted, but the conscience of a weaker brother mattered more than personal liberty (Clip 1). Scripture adds that the Gentiles' sacrifices are actually made to devils, so there can be no fellowship between the Lord's table and the table of devils (1 Corinthians 10:20-21).
Les says, 'Always they'll have a worship, and always associated with a blood sacrifice. They may kill a chicken, or whatever, but they're going to have that need for a blood sacrifice.' He traces this to the way God created mankind: human beings have an inherent knowledge that there is a Creator. That God-consciousness drives them to worship, and in its fallen pagan expression it manifests through blood sacrifice (Clip 7). Scripture says this universal knowledge is suppressed and exchanged for images (Romans 1:21-23).
What the Bible Really Says About the Lord's Table — 1 Corinthians 10:16
brain. So also is the body of Christ. He is the head in heaven, and every born again believer is a member now of that body, and we are all members of each other. Now the bread speaks of much the same kind of thing, because we all know, you�re all close enough to agriculture, a lot of New York City kids don�t know, but you all do.
Pagan Priests Kept a Portion of Sacrificial Meat
Les explains that in a pagan temple, the priest kept part of the meat like Israel's priests did and gave the rest back to the offerer — directly showing the outward similarity.
Meat from Pagan Sacrifices in the Marketplace
Les notes that much of the meat from pagan temple sacrifices ended up in the marketplace, which is why the New Testament addresses meat offered to idols.
Pagan Priests Blessed Meat to Ward Off Demons
Les explains that superstitious pagans had their priests bless the meat to keep demons from entering their bodies through it.
Animal Sacrifice Was Universal in the Pagan World
Les teaches that since the Tower of Babel, paganism was steeped in animal sacrifice — so the practice was not unique to Israel.
Pagan Sacrifice Could Include Child Sacrifice
Les mentions that pagan religion even condoned sacrificing little Jewish children into the fire to Molech, showing the extreme departure of pagan worship.
Revelation 17 Explained: The Rise of the Antichrist's World Religion
Now, even though idolatry is basically dealing in the realm of the spiritual, albeit it be the dark side of the spiritual, yet idolatry still is dealing with man's innate desire to worship something, isn't it? But when you get into a study of pagan worship, especially back at the time of Paul and the New Testament, you want to remember that part and parcel of their worship was gross immorality.
Blood Sacrifice Is Rooted in Man's Knowledge of the Creator
Les says all cultures have worship and blood sacrifice because God created mankind with the knowledge that there is a Creator.
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.
Paul names the spiritual reality behind Gentile animal sacrifices: they are offered to devils, not to God.
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.
Paul explicitly contrasts the Lord's table with the table of devils, showing two worship systems in the same outward form.
1 Corinthians 8:4: As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one.
Paul grounds his teaching about meat offered to idols in the truth that the idol has no real power.
Deuteronomy 32:17: They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not.
This verse states that the nations sacrificed to devils rather than to the true God.
Romans 1:21: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Les connects this verse to man's universal knowledge of a Creator that expresses itself in worship and blood sacrifice.
Romans 1:22-23: Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
This passage shows man's knowledge of God being corrupted into idol worship.
Genesis 15:9: And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.
Les uses this verse to show how God's covenant with Abram used the animal-sacrifice forms common in the pagan world.
Not according to Les Feldick. He says that from the Tower of Babel onward, paganism was steeped in constant animal sacrifice, so it was a common ancient practice that Israel's systematic sacrificial law also used.
As Les explains, pagan priests kept a certain portion of the meat for themselves, much like Israel's priests, and then gave the remaining part of the carcass back to the individual. That person was free to do as he wished with it.
Les says the idol itself had no power over the meat, but pagans were genuinely superstitious about demons and had their priests bless the meat to keep demons off it. Scripture also teaches that pagan sacrifices were offered to devils, not to God.
Watch the Teaching: What the Bible Really Says About the Lord's Table — 1 Corinthians 10:16