There are several texts we used to establish our practice of observing the Lord’s Supper. By looking at all relevant passages, we see the entirety of what God expects of us as we worship Him in this way.
The church at Corinth was abusing the Lord’s Supper, observing it in an unscriptural way. So, he admonished them. In these admonitions, we receive some important knowledge about how to worship God acceptably. The text we are considering in this article is 1 Corinthians 11:17-34.
We are to wait on each other. It seems that the Lord’s Supper had become associated with a common meal in Corinth. Because of this, some were eating before others, and some had excess where others were without. In this first admonition, there was an obvious lack of love being practiced. Perhaps it was caused by the divisions that were present. Perhaps it was a matter of classes (rich VS poor). Regardless, what they were doing was not an observance of the Lord’s Supper, it was a perversion. So, Paul told them when the came together to eat the Lord’s Supper, “wait for one another” (33).
We are to distinguish between the Lord’s Supper and a common meal. The Lord’s Supper is a memorial to the Lord (25-26). The purpose of the Lord’s Supper is not to satiate your physical hunger. The Corinthians were conflating the two. “But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home” (34).
We are to take the Lord’s Supper in the assembly. The Corinthians may have brought over a pagan religious practice of including a feast together as a part of a religious assembly. Paul made clear that there is a difference between partaking of the Lord’s Supper, (“when you come together in one place”, 20), and eating a common meal. The Lord’s Supper was to be taken in the assembly, the common meal in the home. “What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in?” (22).
We are to eat the unleavened bread while remembering Jesus death, as it symbolizes his broken body — “do this in remembrance of Me” (24).
We are to drink the fruit of the vine while remembering His death, as it symbolizes His blood — “This do… in remembrance of Me” (25).
When we partake of the Lord’s Supper, “we proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes” (26).
We are to examine ourselves to make sure our observance is acceptable to God and drink in a worthy manner. To drink in an “unworthy manner” (27), is unacceptable to God. The phrase “unworthy manner” is a phrase that modifies the way we partake. It doesn’t speak to our own worthiness. The Corinthians were being careless and unthinking. Their purpose was not to remember the Lord’s death, as they had made it into a common meal. We too can be guilty of partaking of the Lord’s Supper unworthily if we change the purpose, or are careless and unthinking in our observance.
If we observe is an “unworthy manner”, we show a disrespect for the sacrifice of Jesus, his broken body and shed blood. This sacrifice is preeminent in importance. These emblems are precious to the thinking Christian.
In examining ourselves, we need to ensure that we are in the right frame of mind to worship God acceptably, lest we sin, (“eats and drinks judgment to himself”, 29), and bring God’s judgment upon ourselves. Heed these instructions!
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