The
central elements (8:5a, b) concede that there are many so-called “gods” that
others in Corinth might worship or acknowledge. The many temples in Corinth certainly
were used for sacrifices to various Greek and Roman traditional deities,
including Aphrodite, Asclepius, and Isis (among others). Paul tacitly decries
these “so-called gods,” whether in heaven or earth. Jewish tradition recognized
spiritual powers that affected events on earth and daily life. These were at
times called “daemons.” Although spiritual entities, they were not considered
to be “gods” themselves. They did not take part in the creative process of the
earth and they were not perfect. In fact, many were viewed as corrupt or
malicious. (Timothy Milinovich, Beyond What is Written: The Performative Structure
of 1 Corinthians [Eugene, Oreg.: Pickwick Publications, 2013], 119)
