Therefore when you
come to gather in one place,
it is not to eat the
Lord’s Supper.
For in eating, each
one takes his own
supper ahead of
others; and one is hungry
and another is a
drunk.
What! Do you not have houses
to eat and drink
in? 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 do not praise you.
1 Corinthians 11: 20
-- 22
Verse 20
apparently is referring to the agapa, or love-feast, accompanying, and at times
preceding the Lords supper. To this
feats brought a portion, and the more wealthy seem to have taken again the
food they brought, almost to the exclusion of the poorer sort, who thus would
fare scantly and feel aggrieved. The
apostle Paul rebukes the disorders in their partaking of the Lords
supper. When Paul says that if they do
not demand, that is if they do not fix what is broken in the keeping of this
ordinance, they will become hardened.
This division, or schisms, that the Corinthians had fallen into represented
an uncharitableness, and aliennation of affection and this was developing
discord, and feuds, and contentions.
Christians are to be charitable one towards another and while they may
be separate from each other's communion by this charitableness they may
continue in the same communion, or are they may be taking a communion and yet
be uncharitable. It is this conduct in
the Corinthians that was destroying the purpose and use of this institution
called the Lord's supper. The way they
were eating at this love feast and in the taking of a communion was not
allowing them to partake of the body of Jesus Christ. Do not confuse what I am saying here at this point, I am not
speaking of
transubstantiation where the bread has asked the become the
physical body of Jesus Christ and the wine becoming the actual blood of
Jesus Christ as the Roman Catholic religion teaches. This careless in your regular eating of the Lords supper is not
the Lord's supper at all and if taken in such a manner will increase a person's
guilt. Paul does not give his theory,
or speculation, or his own opinion in regards to this ordinance, or sacrament: "For I received from the Lord that
which I also delivered to you; that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which
He was portrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and
said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in
remembrance of Me.’ In the same manner
He also took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My
blood. This do, as often as you drink
it, in remembrance of Me’" (1 Corinthians 11: 23 -- 25). Paul following the rubric given by Jesus
Christ in regards to this sacrament states exactly the words of Jesus
Christ. Here is where there is a matter
of indifference, for some demand that this sacrament be taken as though
Scripture has demanded it to be taken at specific times and make this a form of
Scriptural doctrine. Jesus Christ and
Paul make it very clear that there is no amount of time, or number of times, that
this communion should be taken, rather it should be done this way as often as
it is done. Don't make an indifference
as though it was a scriptural doctrine.
How important is this communion, a communion that we call a sacrament,
that is an act that is sacred: "For
as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lords death
till He come" (1 Corinthians 11: 26)?
Would you not agree that this is a most important exercise and it is a
command by Jesus Christ for all those who claim Him as their Savior? Furthermore, Paul makes it very clear that
this sacrament is so important that to do it in a wrong manner or with wrong
motives will bring condemnation upon a person: "Therefore who ever eats this bread or drinks in this cup of the
Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the
Lord" (1 Corinthians 11:27).
Don't let this slip by your thinking and give it what is not being said;
to eat or drink unworthily is though you were guilty and participant in the
death of Jesus Christ and that which is broken body and blood dead by
condemning sin and paying the debt owed to God by Jesus Christ. How often have I seen in churches were
children are sent up to get a little cup of juice and a piece of bread or
cracker and bring it back to the parent: TOO OFTEN! How often have I seen communion simply placed on tables around
the church where people can come and go as they please as though business
following the importance given to this sacrament by Jesus Christ and reaffirmed
by Paul. In fact, they do not even
follow the next verse that is a most important part of the Lord's supper: "But let a man examine himself, and so
let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks
judgment to himself, not discerning the Lords body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many
sleep" (1 Corinthians 11:28 -- 30).
When Paul says sleep that is an acronym for the word death, and to not
do this according to the rubric of Jesus Christ by examining ourselves before
partaking of this sacrament is only to bring judgment upon that person.
How important is this sacrament? No question, this is a very clear and
if your church, or your self, are not following this rubric, and taking time to
pray to God to forgive you and repent of all your sins then are you not taking
this communion in an unworthy manner?
Yes you are still a sinner even after this prayer. But you have asked God to cleanse your heart
and you have repented and you are once again aware of your need for a Savior
Jesus Christ. This is a most solemn
ordinance is there to remind us that we have been saying by the broken body of
Jesus Christ and the flowing of His blood upon the cross and we are reminded
that by this exercise given by Jesus for you and for the satisfaction of
justice He lives and you now can partake spiritually of that which he has
completed and fulfilled. The next time
you take communion keep this in mind: won't you?
O LORD, the hope of
Israel,
all who forsake You
shall be ashamed. Those who depart
from Me shall be written in the
earth,
because they have
forsaken the LORD,
the fountain of living waters.
Jeremiah 17: 13
Praise God! He has saved!
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