The cup of blessing
which we bless,
is it not the
communion
of the blood of
Christ?
The bread which we
break,
is it not the
communion
of the body of
Christ?
For we, though many,
our one bread and one
body;
for we all partake of
that one bread.
1 Corinthians 10: 16
-- 17
The
Corinthian church became slovenly wicked towards the Lord's Supper, and this by
such things as the Love Feast and during this feast get drunk, and making this
their regular meal which should have been each and at home. By this the Corinthian were making light of
this most important sacrament inaugurated by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
just before His death while eating the Passover supper with his disciples. Even today, in many churches, and with many
Christians, the Lord's Supper has lost much of its importance and meaning, for
what has been forgotten is that by participating in this Sacrament one becomes
into communion with Jesus Christ and the work He did for His bride by pouring
out his blood on the cross and dying force sin. This sacrament is not to be taken as a matter of indifference
albeit that the part that is of indifference is when it is to be partaken. We are, as Christian commanded by Jesus
Christ to keep this sacrament and as often as we partake of this communion we
do it as partaking of that one bread:
"I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and
are dead. This is the bread which comes
down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If any one each of this bread, he will live
for ever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for
the life of the world" (John 6: 48 -- 51). I have sat in churches when wine, or grape juice, bread or
crackers are placed around the sanctuary and often the children are sent up to
get the cup and the cracker for the parent.
This in itself and deny grace this special sacrament given to us by
Jesus Christ. Further, there has been
no instruction that one should take a moment to pray to God to cleanse them of
all their sins. I will cover this even
more when we come to that part where Paul speaks of this but until I do I want
to remind us that this is one of the two Sacraments of the Church: the Lord's
Supper, and baptism. It seems as though
many will not follow Paul's instruction and make this just to be something that
is done in church and by participating everyone can see that they are doing it
as instructed, but their heart is far from God. This may not be true of all people but I still reminding us that
this is an important occasion and we must not ever take it lightly. This is what the Corinthian church was doing
among many other things. Paul reminds
us: "Observe Israel after the flesh:
are not those who eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar" (1
Corinthians 10: 18)? Are not
Christians called priests? Yes: "and has made us canes and priest to
His God and father, to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen" (Revelation 1: 6). As priests we have the same right to eat of
the bread and drink of the wine when we come to the table of communion. This is a time for all Christians to examine
themselves and pray for forgiveness and repentance must be given to God for the
cleansing of our souls and preparation to partake of this sacrament. To not do
this is simply to, in some ways, is a sacrifice to something, or someone, other
than Jesus Christ. In fact this would
make the bread and the wine to be some form of an idol, rather than in
representing our Savior Jesus Christ and the death, and resurrection, and
ascension into heaven by Him. Paul now
is contrasting that which is proper and that which is improper: "What am I saying then? That's an idol is anything, or what is
offered to idols is anything? Rather,
that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not
to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the
cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord's table and the table of
demons" (1 Corinthians 10: 19 -- 21).
To do anything otherwise than what has been installed as a communion by
Jesus Christ, the Lord’s last supper, that which is to be done throughout the
ages until he come, is nothing more than a provocation against our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ: " Or do we
provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we
stronger than He? All things are lawful
for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not
all things edify. Let and no one seek
his own, but each one of the others well-being" (1 Corinthian 10: numeral
.2 -- 24). For the Corinthian's
they were not only denigrating the Lord's supper they also had many questions
in regards to eating of foods that may or may not have been offered to
idols. Paul had been taking this time
to write them in regards to both the sacrament and the eating of foods that may
have been offered to idols and their responsibility. That responsibility is to consider what ever we do or say is done
for the edification of others and their well-being. In the next blog I will cover that special problem in regards to
food and idols and see how the principles Paul instructed them to live by our
also the principles by which we must live.
Until then, pray and read God's Word.
I have not departed
from
the commandments
of His lips; I have
treasured
the words of his That mouth
more than my
necessary food.
Job 23: 12
You are not hidden
from God
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