1 Cor. 11:17ff The Lord's Supper

Today's text (NLT):

Order at the Lord's Supper

If there is one rite of Christianity that is intended to illustrate the unity of all Christians, it is the Lord's Supper (or Eucharist). Yet, ironically, because of a difference in belief as to the meaning of the phrase "this is my body" large portions of the Christian movement cannot partake of this meal together. Such is the sad situation in today's world. Paul saw something equally distressing in Corinth. But this divisive behavior had nothing to do with the nature of the bread and wine. It had to do with a failure to appreciate the unity of the family of God, Christ's body, and allowing the existing social differences to interfere with celebrating the unity of all believers.

Paul has commended the Corinthian church in some areas. But he cannot and will not on this point.

17-19

17 But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. 18 For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part, 19 for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized.

When believers in Jesus come together for worship, learning and sharing, it is a time of great spiritual growth. Each have their own gifts and contributions to make to the others. And just being together as a family with those you love is a joy.

But that's if attitudes are right and love rules. When attitudes are wrong and love does not rule, the very times of assembling that are designed to help us grow can have the exact opposite effect! That was what Paul was worried about here.

But what does Paul mean by "for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized"? We shall try to answer that question once we have seen from the text below what the problem was.

20-22

20 When you come together, it is not the Lord's supper that you eat. 21 For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk. 22 What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in this? No, I will not.

The heart of the problem was that, when the believers in Corinth gathered to celebrate the Lord's Supper (or Eucharist), they had a kind of "church supper", called an agapē ("love [dinner]") leading up to it. And it appears that instead of sharing a common food supply, symbolizing their unity‚ the social elite and the rich ate better food, and left the poor marginalized and disgraced. The extremes are vividly portrayed when Paul says that some go hungry, while others not only eat well but get drunk on the best wines!

The background to this behavior is found in the social clubs of Corinth. There it was routine for the social elite to be served the best food, and for the lower classes to be given inferior food. This was accepted behavior. But it was totally out of place in the setting of the Lord's Supper, where all believers—regardless of their social status in Corinth—were equal in the sight of the Lord.

23-26

23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when 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 also he took the cup, 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.

Paul begins his objections to this behavior by citing a tradition of the Lord Jesus' own behavior. It is one of the few examples in Paul's letters where he shows knowledge of an event in the earthly life of Jesus. And his way of introducing it—"I received from the Lord"—suggests that he did not learn this from those who had been followers of Jesus, but by a direct revelation from Jesus. It does match, however, what we know also from the gospel accounts.

And although the words attributed to Jesus here make no mention of his blood being shed for the remission of our sins, the final words—"you proclaim the Lord's death"—show that the ceremony of eating of the bread and drinking of the wine is intended to make his death known as the source of life for believers.

27-32

27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. 31 But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.

How does a person partake of this meal "in an unworthy manner"? Paul's answer is: "By failing to discern the Lord's Jesus' body. What is the body? Not the elements of the bread and wine, but the actual persons present who constitute the true Body of Christ. By failing to see that all believers present are one body and of equal value to Christ, the elite upper crust were dishonoring Christ at the very moment in which they were supposed to be "remembering" him!

33-34

33 So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another‚ 34 if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home‚ so that when you come together it will not be for judgment. About the other things I will give directions when I come.

ⓒ2008 Harry Hoffner