devils, therefore, in this case are to be understood demons^ or the fallen angels or evil spirits. That this is the sense in which the Greek word is to be here taken is plain, 1. Because it is its only scriptural sense. The passage in Acts 17, 18, being the language of Athenians, proves nothing as to the usage of Jews speaking Greek. 2. In the Septuagint we have precisely the words used by the apostle, and in the same sense. Deut. 32, IV. See also Ps. 95, 5, where the Septuagint version is, on TravTcs ot ^coi Tthv i&vQ}v Sat/xdvta, all the gods of the heathen are devils. It can hardly be doubted that the apostle meant to use the word in its established scriptural sense. Comp. also Rev. 9, 20. 3. The classical sense of the word does not suit the context. Paul had just said that the heathen gods were nothing ; to admit now that there were deities in the Grecian sense of the word Saijudvioi/, would be to contradict himself. We must understand the apostle, therefore, as saying on the one hand, that the gods of the heathen were imaginary beings ; and on the other, that their sacrifices were really offered to evil spirits. In what sense, however, is this true ? The hea- then certainly did not intend to worship evil spirits. Never- theless they did it. Men of the world do not intend to serve Satan, when they break the laws of God in the pursuit of their objects of desire. Still in so doing they are really obey- ing the will of the great adversary, yielding to his impulses, and fulfilling his designs. He is therefore said to be the god of this world. To him all sin is an offering and an homage. "We are shut up to the necessity of worshipping God or Satan ; for all refusing or neglecting to worship the true God, or giv- ing to any other the worship which is due to him alone, is the worshipping of Satan and his angels. It is true therefore, in the highest sense, that what the heathen offer they offer to devils. Although their gods have no existence, yet there are real beings, the rulers of the darkness of this world, wicked spirits in heavenly places (Eph. 6, 12), on whom their worship terminates.
And I would not that ye have fellowship with devils. By fellowship or communion, the apostle means here what he meant by the same term in the preceding verses. We are said to have fellowship with those between whom and us there are congeniality of mind, community of interest, and friendly intercourse. In this sense we have fellowship with our fellow Christians, with God and with his Son. And in this sense the worshippers of idols have fellowship with evil spirits. They