BLB Commentary - 1 Cor. 11:17-22 - Instruction concerning observance of the Lord's Supper.
For Introduction, see SW below.
1. (1 Cor. 11:17-19) Introduction to the problem.
17 But in giving this instruction, I do not praise you, because you come together not for the better but for the worse. 18 For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that divisions exist among you; and in part I believe it. 19 For there must also be factions among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among you.
a. You come together not for the better but for the worse: Paul writes to the Corinthian Christians the way he might write to many congregations today: when they come together, it is not for the better but for the worse! It was to their credit that they gathered together (something neglected by too many Christians today, in disobedience to Hebrews 10:25); but sadly, it was not for the better but for the worse.
b. A large part of the problem with the gatherings of the Corinthian Christians was that there were divisions among them - something Paul had heard, and could believe, knowing the history and the character of the Corinthian Christians.
i. Paul has already dealt with the problem of divisions among the Corinthian Christians in 1 Corinthians 1:10-17. There, the approach was more theological; here, it is more practical, dealing with the problem of division as it shows itself in the Corinthian Christians during their gatherings.
c. There must also be factions: We usually think of factions and divisions among Christians to be nothing but a problem. But Paul reveals a purpose God has in allowing factions: that those who are approved may be recognized among you. God allows factions so that, over time, those who really belong to God would be made evident.
2. (1 Cor. 11:20-22) The bad conduct of the Corinthian Christians at their common meal.
20 Therefore when you meet together, it is not to eat the Lord's Supper, 21 for in your eating each one takes his own supper first; and one is hungry and another is drunk. 22 What! Do you not have houses in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? In this I will not praise you.
a. When you come together in one place: In this, Paul refers to the early church custom of combining the love-feast (like a shared-dish supper) and the Lord's Supper.
i. Because the risen Jesus so often ate with His disciples, it made sense to the early church that eating together went together with celebrating the Lord's Supper.
b. Sadly, the Corinthian Christians were acting selfishly at their common meals: each one takes his own supper ahead of the others, and one is hungry and another is drunk. Their selfish conduct at the common meal was disgracing their observance of the Lord's Supper.
i. In the modern church, the Lord's Supper is commonly celebrated in an atmosphere of dignity. But the Corinthian Christians were coming from a culture where the pagans would commonly have wild, riotous banquets given in honor of a pagan god. This is how it might not seem so strange to the Corinthian Christians to even get drunk and a church common meal.
c. One takes his supper ahead of the others ... one is hungry: Why would some be hungry at the church common meals? Because among the Corinthian Christians, some were more wealthy than others, and the poorer ones were being neglected (Or do you ... shame those who have nothing?).
i. In that day, at common meals, it was expected that the "upper class" would receive better and more food than the "lower class." This cultural custom was being carried over into the church, and the Christians weren't really sharing with one another. At the agape feast, the rich brought more food and the poor brought less food; but in Corinth they were not sharing the food fairly.
ii. Ancient culture, much more than modern American culture, was extremely class concious. It was respect of these class divisions which so grieved Paul.
iii. Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God: Paul's message is both strong and plain. "If you want to eat or drink selfishly, do it at home!"
d. Using repetition, Paul makes it clear: I do not praise you is repeated three times in this brief section. The apostle is not happy with the Corinthian Christians at this point!
INTRODUCTION: The problem with which he is dealing in this passage is the improper observance of the Lord's Supper (11:17-22). The Corinthian Christians were guilty of observing the Lord's Supper as if it were only an ordinary meal. Paul earlier addressed the problem of divisions within the church (1:10-17; 3:1-23), and now notes that those divisions are present even when they observe the Lord's Supper (11:18-19).
Apparently, these Corinthian Christians were observing the Lord's Supper in the context of an ordinary meal. Each person or family would bring food to this observance and each would eat the food they brought without sharing it pot-luck style. Or, possibly, they shared, but those who could come early had plenty and those who came later (poorer people with less leisure time) got little. This resulted in some people (the poor) going hungry while others (the wealthy) had more than enough to eat and drink-in fact, Paul mentions that some were even getting drunk (11:21). He says, "What, don't you have houses to eat and to drink in? Or do you despise God's assembly, and put them to shame who don't have?" (v. 22a).
The problem was exacerbated by the fact that there were no dedicated church buildings at that time. The church met in the homes of members, and only well-to-do Christians had homes large enough to host the church for the observance of the Lord's Supper. This could have been a good thing, because the host family could have provided enough food to insure that everyone had enough-but that isn't how it worked in Corinth. Those who received little or no food at these meals would naturally feel excluded, and this contributed to the divisions that elicited Paul's concern in 1:10-17 and 3:1-19.
What follows, then, is Paul's counsel to help these Corinthian Christians to appreciate the true meaning and significance of the Lord's Supper so that they can observe it in a more appropriate manner. Paul wants two things. He wants them to observe this supper as a sacred rite, and he wants them to be considerate of each other's needs.
1 CORINTHIANS 11:23a: FOR I RECEIVED FROM THE LORD
23a For I received from the Lord that which also I delivered (Greek: paredoka-from paradidomi) to you
With these few words, Paul establishes two things:
1 CORINTHIANS 11:23b-25. ON THE NIGHT IN WHICH HE WAS BETRAYED
23b that the Lord Jesus on the night in which he was betrayed (Greek: paredideto-from paradidomi) took bread (arton). 24When he had given thanks (eucharistesas-from eucharisteo), he broke it, and said, "Take, eat. This is my body, which is broken for you. Do this in memory of me." 25In the same way he also took the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink, in memory of me."
"that the Lord Jesus on the night in which he was betrayed (paredideto-from paradidomi) took bread" (arton-the words "a loaf of" (NRSV) are not present in the Greek) (v. 23b).
Note that the Greek word paradidomi appears both in 23a, where Paul handed on (paredoka-from paradidomi) to the Corinthians what he had received from the Lord-and in 23b, where the Lord Jesus was betrayed (paredideto-from paradidomi). The word paradidomi has the sense of "delivered up" or "given over." It took on the sense of betrayal in the New Testament, because Judas' handing over Jesus to the Roman soldiers constituted a betrayal.
"When he had given thanks (eucharistesas-from eucharisteo), he broke it" (v. 24a). It would be usual for the host at a Passover meal to bless the bread and break it before distributing it.
The word Eucharist is derived from the Greek word, eucharisteo, which means "to give thanks." While the word Eucharist is often used today to refer to the Lord's Supper, it is not used in the New Testament as a name for this rite-nor is the word Communion so used in the New Testament. Paul refers to this rite as "the Lord's supper" in his introduction to this passage (11:20).
"Take, eat. This is my body" (v. 24b). This phrase has occasioned significant divisions within the church (ironic, since Paul was concerned about divisions in the Corinthian church).
Resolving the issues raised by these words goes beyond this exegesis, so I recommend that you look to your own tradition to understand Jesus' words.
"which is broken for you" (v. 24c). The event to which the Lord's Supper points is the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. The phrase, "which is broken for you," reminds us of the atonement for our sins that Christ made possible through his death on the cross.
"Do this in memory of me" (v. 24d). Matthew and Mark do not include these words in their accounts of the institution of the Lord's Supper (Matthew 26:26-30; Mark 14:22-25). Luke does include them (Luke 22:19). This and similar differences (Luke and Paul add "which is broken for you" to the bread saying-and include "This cup is the new covenant") cause scholars to link Matthew and Mark together as derived from one source-and Luke and Paul as derived from another.
Jesus clearly intended for the Lord's Supper to serve as a rite that would bring to mind his death in behalf of the world. However, we, who tend to understand remembrance primarily as a mental activity, need to understand the significance of remembrance in Biblical times.
So when Jesus invites us to remember him through the bread and wine that we share at the Lord's Table, he is calling us to something more than bringing his death to mind. He is calling us to obedience-to true discipleship.
"In the same way he also took the cup, after supper" (v. 25a). This suggests that Jesus distributed the bread before the meal and the wine after the meal. This was probably the pattern that the Corinthian Christians were following when some ate their fill while others went hungry.
"This cup is the new covenant in my blood" (v. 25b). As noted above, Luke's version also has Jesus saying, "new covenant in my blood" (Luke 22:20). Mark's account says, "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many" (Mark 14:24). Matthew's account says, "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the remission of sins"(Matthew 26:28).
The phrase, "new covenant," reminds us that God promised to "make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah" (Jeremiah 31:31).
The words, "covenant in my blood," remind us of Moses' words as he dashed the blood of a sacrifice on the people, saying, "Look, this is the blood of the covenant, which Yahweh has made with you concerning all these words" (Exodus 24:8).
"Do this, as often as you drink, in memory of me" (v. 25c). These words remind us to keep the remembrance of Jesus in the forefront of our consciousness each time we observe the Lord's Supper. As noted above (see the comments on v. 24d), Biblical remembrance involves action-obedience-faithfulness.
When Jesus says, "as often as you drink," he leaves the frequency of observance indefinite. However, Luke reports, "On the first day of the week, when the disciples were gathered together to break bread..." (Acts 20:7)-suggesting that the central purpose of the church's meeting together on the Lord's Day was to observe the Lord's Supper-which suggests that early Christians observed the Lord's Supper every week.
1 CORINTHIANS 11:26. YOU PROCLAIM THE LORD'S DEATH UNTIL HE COMES
26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim (Greek: katangellete-from katangello) the Lord's death until he comes.
"For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death" (v. 26a). The little word, "for," connects this verse with verse 25. Paul tells these Corinthian Christians that they are to observe the Lord's Supper in remembrance of Jesus, "for" when they do so they "proclaim the Lord's death until he comes"-in other words, the observance of the Lord's Supper becomes a proclamation-a preaching event.
The words of institution bring to mind the Lord's death, but the bread and wine also have compelling power to bring to mind the sacrifice that Christ made on the cross.
It seems significant that the word katangello appears 17 times in the New Testament, and is translated "preach" 10 of those times (KJV).
"until he comes" (v. 26b). With these words, Paul reminds us that we are an eschatological people who are waiting for the great day when Christ will come again-when he will be "Judge of the living and the dead" (Acts 10:42; 2 Timothy 4:1)-and when he will set our crooked world straight on its axis once again.
No church today is without issues, differences of opinion, and very possibly, diversity of theological understanding. We know from reading the letter of First Corinthians that the church at Corinth was no different. In fact, many of the problems and issues dealt with in the book are still relevant to churches today. The specific issue Paul deals with in 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 is the Lord's Supper. This section of the book outlines Paul's answer, teaching, and application to the church at Corinth regarding this topic.
CONTEXT: Chapter 11 verses 17-34 appears right after a section about head coverings (1 Corinthians 11:2-16) and precedes Paul's section on spiritual gifts starting in chapter 12. Chapter 11 is also in the middle of Paul's response to the Corinthian's letter. It is most likely then that all of Paul's comments, teaching, and application are made in response to the Corinthians' question regarding the Lord's Supper. However, since we do not have the letter the Corinthians wrote to Paul we can only guess what their question or issues may have been. Although, by reading verses 17-34, it is evident that the Corinthians were uncertain of the exact purpose and theological understanding behind the Lord's Supper and that there was some division among the church on this issue.
Section A - Verses 17-22
17 But in giving this instruction, I do not praise you, because you come together not for the better but for the worse. 18 For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that divisions exist among you; and in part I believe it. 19 For there must also be factions among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among you. 20 Therefore when you meet together, it is not to eat the Lord's Supper, 21 for in your eating each one takes his own supper first; and one is hungry and another is drunk. 22 What! Do you not have houses in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? In this I will not praise you.
v. 17: Paul begins the preceding section on head coverings by commending (epainō), or as other translations put it, "praising," the Corinthians because they have remembered Paul and maintained the traditions he delivered to them (1 Corinthians 11:2). He now begins the section on the Lord's Supper with the same word epainō ("commend" or "praise"), however, this time it is in the negative (ouk epainō) (1 Corinthians 11:17). The reason Paul does not commend them for coming together is also clear from verse 17, that is because it does more harm than good.
v. 18: It can be seen from the next verse (18) that divisions existed within the Corinthian church and this is why Paul says that their coming together is harmful. The Lord's Supper is meant to be partaken in unity, yet instead of creating unity it was actually causing disunity within the church. The sentence at the end of verse 18 which continues verse 19 is a little more ambiguous in comparison to the rest of the paragraph. The ESV notes that the phrase could also be, "I believe a certain report," instead of "I believe it in part." What is clear is that Paul to some extent does believe that the report of divisions among the church is true.
v. 19: More important is what Paul says about these divisions in verse 19, which is that they must exist. The reason Paul gives for this is that divisions make it clear who in the church is genuine and who is not.
v. 20: Paul goes on to say in verse 20 that while the Corinthian church does come together to partake of the Lord's Supper, they are not really partaking of it. While a church or group of Christians may physically eat the bread and drink from the cup, there is more to the Lord's Supper than this. This is seen more in the next verses (21-22), which explain why divisions occurred concerning the Lord's Supper.
vv. 21-22: First, the Corinthians connected the Lord's Supper to a larger meal, perhaps a dinner. The result of this was that "each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk" (1 Corinthians 11:21). It appears that some in the church were in a sense abusing the gathering and partaking of the Lord's Supper. While the purpose of the meal should have been to bring unity and remembrance of the Lord's death, instead divisions and drunkenness resulted. The Corinthians were missing the true meaning and purpose of the Lord's Supper since they were not actually partaking of it (verse 20). In doing this, Paul says that the Corinthians were both despising the church (or fellowship) of God and humiliating fellow Christians (who had nothing and were going hungry). For these reasons, Paul could not commend the Corinthians in their practice of the Lord's Supper and begins to correct them in the next section.
Section B - Verses 23-26
23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me." 25 In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.
v. 23: Here in this section of verses, Paul reminds the Corinthians that his teaching on the Lord's Supper is not his own but a direct teaching from Jesus Christ.
vv. 24-25: These verses contain quotes from Jesus himself. Although they are not exact word-for-word quotes from any of the gospels they are close and certainly do not contradict the gospel accounts. The quotes seem to be closest to what Luke wrote in Luke 22:17-20 (other gospel accounts can be found in Matthew 26:26-28, Mark 14:22-24). It is evident from both First Corinthians and the gospels that the bread represents Jesus' body and the cup of wine represents his blood. Perhaps the most important statement Jesus makes is that the cup is the "new covenant in my blood" (verses 25). This New Covenant was prophesied in Jeremiah 31:31-34 and fulfilled by Jesus' broken body and shed blood on the cross which is now represented by the Lord's Supper. Just as the Old Covenant had a meal of remembrance (the Passover), the New Covenant also has a meal (the Lord's Supper). In fact, Paul also states in the same book that Christ is our Passover lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7). It is clear from the gospels and verses 24-25 that Jesus desired for his disciples to continue this meal in remembrance of him, however, no further reason was given besides remembrance. This makes verse 26 interesting because Paul now states that partaking of the Lord's Supper proclaims (kataggellete) the Lord's death. This word (kataggellete) that is often translated as proclaim also has the sense of declaring or preaching. Paul seems to then connect the Lord's Supper not only as a meal to remember the Lord's death but also to proclaim it.
Section C - Verses 27-29
27 Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. 28 But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly.
v. 27-29: In the Greek starts with hŌste (so that, therefore), connecting this verse with the previous thoughts. So then, it is because the Lord's Supper is both for remembering the Lord's death and proclaiming it, that it must be eaten in a worthy and respectful manner. It is a serious meal deserving of personal examination before partaking. Jesus' death, as God's way of salvation and redemption, should be seriously proclaimed and remembered. Those who do not honor God by accepting Jesus' atonement on the cross remain in God's judgment. Paul says the same is true for those who do not honor the Lord's Supper. Instead of eating and drinking the meal in honor, remembrance, and thanksgiving, they instead eat and drink God's judgment upon themselves (1 Corinthians 11:29). In fact, Paul even states that sickness and death have resulted within the Corinthian Church precisely because people have partaken of the Lord's Supper in an unworthy manner (1 Corinthians 11:30)
BIBLE.ORG COMMENTARY - 25. A Feeding Frenzy (1 Corinthians 11:17-34) - Krell
We will discover that God will not tolerate divisions and distinctions within His body-the church.3 The reason is simple: God is dead serious about His body. In 1 Cor 11:17-34,4 Paul provides three exhortations for us to follow.
1. Include the entire body of Christ in worship (11:17-22). In these first six verses, Paul rebukes the church at Corinth for being divided. Paul begins this section in 11:17 with sobering words: "But in giving this5 instruction,6 I do not praise you, because you come together not for the better but for the worse." The conjunction "but" serves to contrast the worship events of 11:17-34 with 11:2-16. Ironically, the very equality the Corinthians were misusing in 11:2-16 was resolutely denied when it came to the observance of the Lord's Supper. This is confirmed by the use of the verb "praise."7 In 11:2, Paul praised the Corinthians because they remembered him in everything and maintained the teachings he passed on to them. But in 11:17 (cf. 11:22) he does not praise them on account of their class divisions (see 11:18).8 Instead, he declares that they "come together not for the better but for the worse."
The verb translated here "come together" (sunercomai) is used five times in this passage (11:17, 18, 20, 33, 34).9 Elsewhere, the verb refers to either coming or going with one or more persons (i.e., to travel together with someone).10 Additionally, sunercomai is used in sexual contexts to describe coming together to unite in an intimate relationship.11 Hence, with more than a sprinkling of irony, Paul repeatedly describes the Corinthians as coming together in one location, knowing full well that their eating was anything but "together" as a unified body.12 Thus, the very ritual that was intended to celebrate the gospel and symbolically act out their oneness in Christ had become an occasion for splitting the church on the basis of status.13 This explains why Paul stated that the Corinthians "come together not for the better but for the worse."
Paul now explains this problem further in 11:18: "For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that divisions14 exist among you; and in part15 I believe it." The phrase "in the first place" is emphatic since no "second" follows.16 First and last on Paul's mind are the "divisions" that are taking place in Corinth.17 It is for this reason that Paul cannot praise the Corinthians.18 Instead of treating one another with brotherly love and acting as the family of God, there are divisions among them.19 What Paul has in mind is a division between those who have more than enough to eat and drink at the Lord's Supper and those who have insufficient quantities. This is evident from the contrast in 11:21-22 between "one who is hungry" and "one who is drunk." In 11:22, Paul identifies a group within the church as the "have-nots," whose members are humiliated by the actions of their counterparts.20 This deeply grieves the heart of God for God is dead serious about His body.
As in 11:18, Paul explains himself further in 11:19: "For there must also be factions among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among you."21 "Factions"22 or "divisions" can have a positive side. They serve to clarify whom God approves as faithful and who are not.23 God's approval (dokimoi) contrasts with what Paul had written earlier about being disapproved (adokimos; 9:27) by God.24 Thus, "the approved" are those who behave in a Christian manner and thus stand out from the ones who do not. Mature Christians will become evident in times of crisis.
The indictment of 11:17-19 is expanded in 11:20-22. Yet, before we read these verses we need to make sure we understand how the Corinthians are abusing the Lord's Supper. The Lord's Supper was usually part of a meal the early Christians shared together-the "love feast." In Corinth, instead of sharing their food and drinks, each family was bringing its own and eating what it had brought. The result was that the rich had plenty but the poor had little and suffered embarrassment as well. This was hardly the picture of Christian love and unity.25 They were eating their own private meals rather than sharing a meal consecrated to the Lord.26Furthermore, some with plenty of wine to drink were evidently drinking too heavily.
Now with this scenario in mind, read Paul's words in 11:20-21: "Therefore when you meet together, it is not to eat the Lord's Supper,27 for in your eating each28 one takes his own supper first; and one is hungry and another is drunk." Paul provides a glaring contrast in these verses. Instead of partaking of the Lord's Supper, the Corinthians devour their food while the poor go hungry.29 The idea here is not eating first, but refusing to share food and drink. Furthermore, the grammar suggests that the "devouring" took place during the meal itself.30 Thus, the wealthy members of the Corinthian church were guilty of gluttony and drunkenness while the poor went without (11:21). This notion can also be supported from the customary practice at Greco-Roman banquets where wealthy hosts-those with homes large enough to host the communal meal-would have assigned the biggest and best portions of food to the more privileged.
Nevertheless, Paul did not tolerate what was socially acceptable in ancient Corinth. He closes out this section in 11:22 with a series of rhetorical questions, creating a strong rhetorical appeal. Paul exclaims, "What! Do you not have houses in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? In this I will not praise you." Paul is grieved at the behavior of the church; therefore, his words are flavored with a righteous indignant anger. The response of the Corinthians should be repentance. Whatever the precise circumstances, a meal designed to express unity was being so abused as to highlight the disunity of this church. The cliquish behavior of the Corinthians reflected significant social and economic differences; thus, members who brought nothing with them to the meal were being humiliated and going hungry, while those who could bring plenty to eat and drink, enjoyed their own food without sharing it.31 What should have been an inclusive community meal had become an occasion for simultaneously private meals.32 This was an affront to Christ and His gospel.
I wish divisions and partiality were problems only in first-century Corinth, but I am sure they are alive and well in the 21st century at Emmanuel. Do we prefer certain people over others? Do we gravitate toward those who have money or are successful by the world's standards? Do we only want to socialize with those who are like us? Why do we struggle so to reach out to those who are different than we are? Our prayer must be that we will not allow any kind of prejudice, whether social, racial, generational, or cultural, to control our attitudes toward anyone in the body of Christ. We must always remember that God is dead serious about His body.
[As a loving and impartial Father, God calls us to include all of His children in worship.]
2. Recapture the significance of the Lord's Supper (11:23-26). In 11:23-26, Paul gives a brief theology of the Lord's Supper. In doing so, he reminds us to remember that the Lord's Supper pictures Christ's self-sacrifice on behalf of His people.33 Paul writes, "For I received34 from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, 'This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.' In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.'" Twice in these verses, Paul urges the Corinthians to remember the death of Christ. By partaking of the bread and the cup, we remember that Jesus Christ took our hell that we might have His heaven. It is His "body on our behalf." The Lord's Supper is God's way of getting us to keep the cross of Christ central in the life of the church. We use the Lord's Supper to draw close to Jesus in gratitude for what He has done for the entire church through His cross. As we draw near to Him through His Supper, He will draw near to us.35
Many couples renew their marriage vows on an anniversary of their wedding. Some couples plan large celebrations; others simply renew their vows before each other. Either way, this act declares a confirmation of original vows and a commitment to continued faithfulness. But we can also think of the new covenant with the tenderness and devotion of renewed marriage vows. Unlike a human marriage, however, the new covenant represents God's declaration of His devotion and commitment, even though the other covenant partner, His people, had not remained faithful. When we partake of the Lord's Supper, we remember what Jesus has done for us in spite of ourselves.
Paul closes this section by stating, "For as often36 as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes" (11:26). The proclamation37 of the Lord's Supper is to show forth the Lord's death until He comes. By means of the Lord's Supper the Corinthians are to show in a physical way the death of Jesus and what it accomplished for their salvation and corporate fellowship. The result should be that the Corinthians will not overindulge themselves, despise and shame others, or allow brothers and sisters to go hungry. To do less is the epitome of selfishness.
A well-known painting of the Vietnam Wall depicts a young widow and her daughter standing at the wall, reaching up and touching the name of the husband and father who died. The reflection in the polished granite is not of the mother and daughter but of the husband and father reaching out his hand to touch theirs. That is the Lord's Supper. We arrive at the table and reach out our hands to take the bread and the cup. In response to our act of faith, Jesus touches us.38 The significance of the Lord's Supper is this: We remember Christ and proclaim Him because He laid down His life for us. If you have never believed in Jesus Christ's person and work, please do so today.
[Our loving and impartial Father wants us to remember and proclaim the great sacrifice of His Son.]
3. Judge yourself to avoid God's judgment (11:27-32). In this section, Paul warns us against abusing the Lord's Supper. In 11:27-29 he writes, "Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy39 manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge40 the body rightly." The opening word "therefore" (cf. 10:12; 11:33) indicates that Paul is now resuming his main discussion from 11:22. Furthermore, he is drawing a conclusion from what he has said and giving an explanation to his teaching. Since the Lord's Supper is a proclamation of Christ's death (11:23-26), eating and drinking "unworthily" is unconscionable. The word rendered "unworthily" (KJV) or "unworthy manner" (NASB, NIV, NKJV) is not an adjective describing the condition of the one partaking of communion, but an adverb, describing the manner in which one partakes of the Lord's Supper.41 The sin of the Corinthians, for which divine discipline was imposed, was related to the manner in which the Lord's Supper was observed.42
The Corinthians are not commanded to examine themselves to see whether or not they are Christians, or even to see if they have sin in their lives, but to see if they are properly discerning the body of Christ.43 There is likely a double-entendre in 11:29 with the reference to "the body," referring literally to Jesus' physical body "which is for you" (cf. 11:24), and the church as the Lord's corporate body, which was being divided by the Corinthian attitude (cf. 11:17-22).44 In other words, one who treats fellow believers poorly fails to discern that they are members of Christ's church, His body. One may also fail to discern the significance of Christ's death since by His death He created a people; and therefore one who mistreats fellow believers at the Lord's Supper reveals that he or she has little understanding of why Christ died.45
Practically speaking, this means that if you are not in fellowship with another believer strive to resolve the schism in your relationship before you partake of the Lord's Supper. In Matt 5:23-24, Jesus told His disciples not to worship God until you have first reconciled with your brother. Fortunately, Paul provides a supplementary note when he writes, "If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men" (Rom 12:18). It's not always possible to attain this, but God's goal is that there not be any outstanding balance in your fellowship bank account. Instead, we are to pursue peace.
Paul now applies the general truths of 11:27-29 specifically to the situation at Corinth. In 11:30 Paul writes, "For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number46 sleep."47 The judgment here is physical and it is progressive: weakness, sickness, death.48 The word "weak" refers to illness of any kind (depression, anxiety?) while the term "sick" refers to weakness and on-going poor health.49 The verb "sleep" refers to the death of a believer.50 Paul is dealing with illness as a physical divine judgment; but not all illness is.51 These verses apply only if and when the problems of weakness, sickness, and death are problems resulting from divine discipline because of unconfessed sin.
It has been said, "God has been known to give 'dishonorable discharges.'" In other words, eventually, God says, "Enough is enough. Your time is up!" Why does God do this? For the simple reason that He loves us and wants to ensure that we are in fellowship with Him. Since pain gets our attention, He uses pain. "Sometimes Christ sees that we need sickness for the good of our souls more than healing for the good of our bodies."52 But even when He resorts to this form of discipline, He does so because He loves us. God is dead serious about His body.
Yet, we are so good at judging others. Some of us look down on people who listen to worldly music, watch R-rated movies, drink alcohol, dance, play cards, spend money on things we wouldn't buy, etc. The ability to see sin in others and ignore it in your own heart is one of the distinguishing characteristics of a Pharisee, and being a Pharisee is so easy. It's great to make rules to guide our own behavior, but when we extend those rules to everyone around us, we're in danger of becoming pharisaical.
Scripture speaks of three levels55 of God's chastening, or discipline:
