Faith-building Bible studies and articles

• 17 Jun

  1 Corinthians: Chapter 11 (verses 17–34)

  In the second half of chapter 11, Paul addresses another issue pertaining to corporate worship, in this case regarding the Corinthians’ practice of the Lord’s Supper.

  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 (1 Corinthians 11:17).

  Previously Paul had begun with words of praise, but now he says I do not commend you. He has no praise for them. His rebuke of the Corinthians on this issue was centered on practices relating to their meetings and public worship. Paul didn’t condemn them totally, as he had praised them earlier for holding to many of his teachings about worship (1 Corinthians 11:2). However, his assessment in this instance was that the harm of their worship times outweighed the good.

  What practices would produce such condemnation? The Corinthians were corrupting one of the most sacred events in Christian worship: the Lord’s Supper. They had not given due regard to the honor of Christ, nor had they honored one another in the celebration of the Lord’s Supper.

  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, (1 Corinthians 11:18)

  Paul began his argument with in the first place; however, he never moved on to the second or third matter. This should be understood to mean the most important way this is true is. He also added the words I hear. Paul didn’t say who his source was, but earlier in this epistle he said that Chloe’s household had informed him of similar matters (1 Corinthians 1:10–12). Though he couldn’t be sure, Paul knew the church well enough that he believed the reports were true at least to some extent.

  Paul had already addressed the issue of divisions among the Corinthians in chapters 1–4. Here, his criticism focused on the division that existed when the Corinthians came together as a church. Paul’s main concern was that such divisions damaged public worship.

  for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized (1 Corinthians 11:19).

  There are two different interpretations of this verse. In one interpretation, some divisions may be necessary because the church contains both true believers and some false professors. In this view, Paul agrees that it is sometimes necessary for the true believers to establish differences from the false teachings of others so that it is clear who has God’s approval. This view is supported by the fact that the word factions, translated in the NIV as differences, is not the same as divisions.

  On the other hand, Paul did not actually say that he approved of these differences. He may have spoken sarcastically, seeing differences as part of divisions. Divisions are clearly negative, and differences (or factions) may also be. Hence his comment I do not commend you (v. 17).

  Sinful differences might explain why the church allowed some of its members to go hungry, as Paul will go on to point out. The poor may not have been considered “approved,” and perhaps may even been counted as “dispensable.”

  When you come together, it is not the Lord's supper that you eat (1 Corinthians 11:20).

  Paul now introduces the main issue of concern. When the Corinthian Christians gathered together to celebrate the Lord’s Supper, divisions were so disruptive that it couldn’t be called the Lord’s Supper. (While the term the Lord’s Supper is commonly used today for the practice of communion, this verse contains the only use of the phrase in the New Testament.)

  For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk (1 Corinthians 11:21).

  Paul describes the report he had received. As the Corinthians ate, they did so without waiting for anyone else. The phrase each one goes ahead may be translated as “each one takes his own supper.” Paul may have intended this identification of each person’s “own supper” to explain why it was not the “Lord’s Supper.” Some of the Corinthian believers had lost the united aspect of the Lord’s Supper and instead focused mainly on themselves. Others were getting drunk at what was meant to be a celebration of the Lord’s sacrifice for the believers.

  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 (1 Corinthians 11:22).

  Paul corrected them by asking some questions. First, he asked if they didn’t have homes where they could eat and drink their meals. This may have been a way for Paul to say, “If this is what you do at the Lord’s Supper, then stay at home.” Paul was against discrimination of the poor. The Corinthians were making social distinctions between rich and poor during gatherings for the Lord’s Supper. Paul was deeply troubled by this and spoke strongly against it.

  Second, Paul addressed how wrong this practice was by asking those who humiliated the poor if they despised the church of God. The church is made up of people from all social classes and ethnicities who are equal in the sight of God. When believers keep the poor among God’s people from partaking in the Lord’s Supper, they disregard the sanctity of the ceremony. Because the poor are an essential part of the church community, one cannot discriminate against the poor without despising the church.

  Third, Paul asked if the rich members of the church were seeking to humiliate those who had nothing. In Paul’s time, the poor were often humiliated and looked down upon by the wealthy. However, Jesus taught that in God’s kingdom the poor are blessed (Luke 6:20–21). He also warned the rich of the difficulties that accompanied their social status (Mark 10:25). In Corinth, the poor, who already had nothing in worldly terms, also had their sense of dignity stolen by fellow believers—and this at the Lord’s Supper. Sarcastically, Paul asked if they thought he should praise them for their behavior. He then answered his own questions with a determined “No, I will not!”

  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, 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” (1 Corinthians 11:23–24).

  Paul then proceeds to remind the Corinthians of the teachings about the Lord’s Supper that he had delivered to them. The phrase delivered to you was a term used by the rabbis of Paul’s time for official, sacred transmission of the religious traditions. This passage contrasts with Paul’s earlier praise of the Corinthians for holding the teaching he had “passed on” to them (1 Corinthians 11:2). In regard to the Lord’s Supper, they already knew the proper way to celebrate it, but they had not properly carried out the teaching.

  Their failure to accept Paul’s teaching was troubling, as he had not invented the Lord’s Supper but had passed on what he had received from the Lord. He didn’t specify the exact way in which he received the teaching from the Lord. Paul may have received the teaching directly from other apostles (Galatians 1:18), or supernaturally from Christ Himself during his early years in Arabia (Galatians 1:15–17).

  Paul then explained in simple terms how to properly observe the Lord’s Supper by recounting how Jesus had conducted it on the night He was betrayed. Paul used four points to describe the breaking of the bread: Jesus took the bread; gave thanks; broke it; and proclaimed, “This is my body which is for you.”

  The term “bread” may also be translated as “loaf.” Jesus likely used a single loaf of bread to symbolize the unity of those who partook together. He gave thanks and broke the bread. Hosts would often break the bread for their guests, as we see Jesus doing when He fed the five thousand (Mark 6:41, John 6:11). He then spoke to His disciples about the symbolism of the bread.

  Paul summarized Jesus as having said three things. First, This is my body. This phrase has led to some controversy throughout church history. The Roman Catholic tradition has interpreted this passage in a literal manner: that during communion, the bread and wine are transformed in physical substance to become the actual body and blood of Christ. This view is called “transubstantiation.”

  The Lutheran view of “consubstantiation” holds that Christ’s body and blood are present in the bread and wine but the physical substances of these are not changed. Most Protestants hold the view that Christ is spiritually present during communion, with the elements of the Lord’s Supper being symbols of His body and blood. Neither this passage nor the Gospel accounts provide further clarification on this matter, but we are assured by Jesus that “where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them” (Matthew 18:20).

  Second is the phrase which is for you. Christ suffered and died on the cross for others. His atonement for our sins is offered to all and is available to anyone who turns to Him in faith and repentance (1 John 1:9–2:2). Yet, in these words of the Lord’s Supper, Jesus said He laid down His life for a particular group of people—His followers. His suffering atoned only for the sins of those who believe in Him as Lord and Savior.

  Third, do this in remembrance of me. The Lord’s Supper (communion) was ordained as an event when God’s people were to remember the death and resurrection of Jesus. The last meal Jesus shared with the apostles was set within the context of Christ’s betrayal, arrest, and imminent death.¹ By breaking and receiving the bread, we remember Christ’s sufferings for us.

  This call to remembrance occurs again in association with the blood of Christ in the next verse of this passage.

  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” (1 Corinthians 11:25).

  Paul now focuses on the cup, noting that Jesus took it in the same way, indicating that Jesus gave a separate blessing for the cup. He goes on to repeat what Jesus said when speaking of the bread, Do this … in remembrance of me. In so doing, Paul highlighted that the remembrance and reverence of Christ were central to the ceremony of the Lord’s Supper.

  Paul’s record of Jesus’ words closely parallels Luke’s account, which also refers to the cup as the new covenant in my blood (Luke 22:17–20). The phrase “new covenant” comes from Jeremiah 31:31, where Jeremiah describes the new covenant arrangement that God would make with the remnant of His people, one based on forgiveness of sins and with the law of God written in the hearts of the people. The New Testament gets its name from this new covenant established by Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. This makes the point that the new covenant that took place through Christ’s ministry was the fulfillment of the promise.

  For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes (1 Corinthians 11:26).

  Why should the acts of eating and drinking in the Lord’s Supper focus on the remembrance of Christ? Because whenever the church participates in the Lord’s Supper, Christians proclaim the Lord’s death until He returns. When unbelievers see the church participating in communion in remembrance of the sacrifice Jesus made through giving His life for us, the gospel message is proclaimed. The expression “the Lord’s death” represents the whole of Christ’s saving ministry on behalf of the church: His life, death, resurrection, and ascension.

  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 (1 Corinthians 11:27).

  When people partake of the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner, they are guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. To participate in the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner has traditionally been interpreted as participating in communion while having unconfessed sin. There is a sense in which we all partake of communion unworthily, as none of us can ever be fully worthy, and it is important for believers to confess their sins, and to prepare for worship by doing so. But Paul’s focus here was much narrower. The unworthiness he had in mind was participating in the Lord’s Supper in a manner that failed to show the unity of the church in Christ.

  Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. (1 Corinthians 11:28–29)

  To avoid offenses, before participating in communion, believers should examine themselves and their motives and actions to ensure that they are in line with the Lord’s teachings. The reason for taking time for self-examination is that participation without respect and recognition of Christ’s sacrifice will result in judgment.

  Paul gave this instruction to correct a specific problem. In general, the communion ceremony should be a time of celebration in which believers focus on Christ’s sacrifice for us and the unity of believers and the preaching of the gospel. The focus should be on Christ and others, not on oneself. It is in preparation for the Lord’s Supper that individuals are to turn their attention inwards to ensure that they are partaking of it in a worthy manner.

  That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died (1 Corinthians 11:30).

  Paul continued to highlight the seriousness of violating the Lord’s Supper by pointing out the discipline that many Corinthians were experiencing in the form of weakness and illness, and in some cases, death. Sickness and death are not always the result of personal sin, and they come to believers and nonbelievers alike for many reasons.² But in this situation, Paul is referring to the Lord’s chastening.

  But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world (1 Corinthians 11:31–32).

  Paul added that if the Corinthians evaluated themselves before the Lord’s Supper and changed their actions, God would not discipline them with sickness and death. Paul goes on to remind the Corinthians that even those who have been chastised for their actions are not condemned; rather the Lord disciplines those whom He loves (Hebrews 12:5–11). God disciplines the church so that true believers will take notice and turn back to Christ in repentance, and they will not be condemned with the world.

  So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another—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 (1 Corinthians 11:33–34).

  Paul finished with a summation and gave some final instructions, addressing them as brothers. The first part of his counsel, when you come together to eat, wait for one another, suggests that the Lord’s Supper within the Corinthian context was observed in the form of a meal. Paul is pointing out that the Lord’s Supper should be a shared meal in which all participate equally. If some arrived early, they were to wait until others arrived before eating. Instead of the rich eating first and the poor not eating at all, everyone in the feast was to eat at the same time. This would show proper honor to the poor, and thereby to Christ.

  Second, to take away any justification for not waiting for others, Paul added that anyone who was hungry should eat at home. He didn’t chide the poor for coming to the Lord’s Supper hungry—they couldn’t avoid it. Those of sufficient means were to eat at home so that all would eat together when the Lord’s Supper was being observed.

  Paul touched on vital aspects of the significance of the Lord’s Supper and the manner in which believers are meant to partake of it. The observance of communion is a proclamation of the Lord’s death and His sacrifice for our redemption and should be observed with reverence and worship. Paul also highlighted the unity the communion ceremony was meant to represent among the church as the body of Christ. However, Paul apparently knew the Corinthians needed further instruction on the topic, which he promised to impart to them on his next visit.

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  Note
  Unless otherwise indicated, all scriptures are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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  ¹ See Matthew 26:17–29; Mark 14:12–25; Luke 22:7–20.

  ² See Job 2:1–7; John 9:2–3; Romans 8:36.

   

  
• May 20 1 Corinthians: Chapter 11 (verses 2–16)
• Apr 22 1 Corinthians: Chapter 10 (verses 16–33)
• Apr 8 1 Corinthians: Chapter 10 (verses 1–15)
• Mar 25 1 Corinthians: Chapter 9 (verses 18–27)
• Mar 11 1 Corinthians: Chapter 9 (verses 1–17)
• Feb 25 1 Corinthians: Chapter 8 (verses 1–13)
• Feb 11 1 Corinthians: Chapter 7 (verses 17–40)
• Jan 28 1 Corinthians: Chapter 7 (verses 1–16)
• Jan 8 1 Corinthians: Chapter 6 (verses 1–20)