Today we will take a fresh look at what the Bible has to say about the Lord's Supper. Naturally our scripture text will be found in the eleventh chapter of First Corinthians.
The church in Corinth was founded by the Apostle Paul on his first visit to the city, (Acts 18:1-17). During Paul's one and one-half year stay many people were added to the church. These converts were made up of both ordinary citizens and what might be called the upperclass. Paul mentions the existence these two groups and describes some tension that had developed between them, (I Cor. 11:22).
Corinth was a wicked city especially in the area of sexual immorality. History tells us that illicit sexual pleasure was the Corinthian god. The city boasted a temple with a thousand sacred prostitutes who helped them worship their god. So wide spread was the knowledge of Corinth's wickedness that its name became proverbial. One, in a city far away, might describe the wickedness of a deed or situation as being down-right, "Corinthian." Prostitutes, even in other cities, were often called, "Corinthian girls." This was a godless, idolatrous stronghold of evil. One can surely see the challenge a new church would face in this city. Corruption of that church would always be possible. It might be corrupted by contact with the unsaved citizens of the city. Likewise new converts might bring into the church the erroneous beliefs and sinful practices of their former life. Corruption did creep in. The church developed many serious problems. For instance, there were those who!
came into the church teaching Antinomianism. The word means "against law." These would have no rules of conduct placed upon them. They not only taught that one should give the body whatever pleasure it desired but they also denied the resurrection of the dead. They lived by the motto, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die" which death, they believed, was the end of ones existence. This Antinomian influence may be the reason for the incestuous situation that existed in the church. One man was having relations with his father's wife, (I Cor. 5:1).
Then there were lawsuits on going between church members. One Christian would take another Christian to the secular court to settle their differences. This is forbidden by God. Problems in the church are to be settled in and by the local church. Then there was the abuse of spiritual gifts. Tongues and prophecy were not being used correctly. Paul spent much of the two Corinthian letters addressing this issue. In addition women were doing things in the church that God had reserved exclusively for men. And finally, for our purposes today, they were abusing the Lord's Supper. This is a given considering the sinful practices being tolerated in the church. The sacred had become common, the Supper had lost its meaning.
This is not surprising. For things done on a regular or routine basis are in danger of losing their meaning. Church attendance can become an empty ritual if one is not careful to worship God in spirit and truth. Reciting our corporate confession and the Lord's Prayer together each Sunday can come to mean nothing to one who does not bring his mind and soul to focus on what he is doing and why. Sometimes people in a church can get so familiar with the Lord's Supper that it means nothing to them. It is no longer sacred and holy. Parents begin to allow children who are too young to understand and show no signs of conversion to eat and drink as if they were Christians. This must not be allowed. Unbelievers and Christians in rebellion often eat and drink as if their sin meant nothing to them or to God. On one occasion I witnessed a man and women who were living together without being married eat and drink the Lord's Supper. These kinds of things make a mockery of what is s!
acred, holy and wonderful. I tell you further and will show you from the scriptures that people who eat and drink the Lord's Supper when they are not right with God are in danger of severe punishment or discipline from God.
You can see already that the problems in the Corinthian church are problems that all churches must deal with and guard against. As God, by the apostle Paul, corrects these Corinthians we will also be warned, instructed and corrected. Let's hear what Paul has to say.
(1 Corinthians 11:17-34 NASB) But in giving this instruction, I DO NOT PRAISE YOU, because you come together not for the better but for the worse. {18} For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that divisions exist among you; and in part, I believe it. {19} For there must also be factions among you, in order that those who are approved may have become evident among you. (Paul says that some division in a church is normal and results in the identification of true believers as they stand for truth and others do not. The division he condemns is between one real Christian and another. The specifics follow.) {20} Therefore when you meet together, it is not to eat the Lord's Supper, {21} for in your eating each one takes his own supper first; and one is hungry (left out) and another is drunk. (eats and drinks to excess) {22} What! Do you not have houses in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God, and shame those who have nothing? (He !
speaks of the poor among them.) What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? In this I will not praise you." The Corinthians would gather to celebrate the Lord's Supper by means of sharing a common meal. However, the rich would, in some way, keep the poor from participating. Did they come early and devour the food before the poor arrived? Were the poor required to wait till the rich had satisfied themselves? Was it policy that if you bring nothing you eat nothing? Is that how the poor were excluded? The exact details are not given and are irrelevant. The point is, there was a sinful division in this church that made it impossible for them to celebrate the Lord's Supper properly.
Having described the problem Paul now gives instructions that, if followed, will make the necessary corrections. We continue with verse twenty three.
{23} For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; {24} and when He had given thanks, He broke it, and said, "This is (represents) My body, which is (sacrificed and given) for you; do this in remembrance (as a reminder) of Me." (Of my personal sacrifice for you.) {25} In the same way He took the cup also, after supper, saying, "This cup is (represents) the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance (as a reminder) of Me."
The bread is meant to remind us of Christ's body that was given FOR US. The cup is to remind us of the shedding of Christ's blood which established the New Covenant. In order to appreciate the importance and solemnity of the supper let's spend some time in Hebrews 9.
{24} "For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, (That is, Christ did not do His priestly work in an earthly tabernacle or temple built of skins, wood or stone. Rather, acting as a priest for the elect He entered . . ) . . into heaven itself, (The real holy place or tabernacle which the earthly one foreshadowed.) now to appear in the presence of God FOR US; {25} nor was it that He should offer Himself OFTEN, as the high priest enters the holy place year by year with blood not his own. {26} Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; BUT NOW ONCE AT THE CONSUMMATION OF THE AGES HE HAS BEEN MANIFESTED TO PUT AWAY SIN BY THE SACRIFICE OF HIMSELF." Christ's one time sacrifice of Himself actually took sins guilt away from those He represented. This is something the sacrifice of beasts could never do, (Heb. 10:4). This text also reminds us that Christ's priestly work and sacrifice had a specific peop!
le in mind. He died "FOR US!" He appeared in the presence of God for believers, for the lost sheep, or for the Elect of God.
Now let's see that Christ's death ratified or established a new, effective and better covenant. (Hebrews 10:5-18 NASB) {5} Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, "SACRIFICE AND OFFERING THOU HAST NOT DESIRED, BUT A BODY THOU HAST PREPARED FOR ME; {6} IN WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND sacrifices FOR SIN THOU HAST TAKEN NO PLEASURE. (God's wrath toward sinners was not turned away by the animal and vegetable sacrifices of the Old Covenant. These were only types or shadows of the sacrifice that would finally propitiate the wrath of God.) {7} "THEN I SAID, 'BEHOLD, I HAVE COME (IN THE ROLL OF THE BOOK IT IS WRITTEN OF ME) TO DO THY WILL, O GOD." {8} After saying above, "SACRIFICES AND OFFERINGS AND WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND sacrifices FOR SIN THOU HAST NOT DESIRED, NOR HAST THOU TAKEN PLEASURE in them" (which are offered according to the Law), {9} then He said, "BEHOLD, I HAVE COME TO DO THY WILL." He takes away the first (The old covenant.) in order to establish the secon!
d, (The new covenant. By which the sins of God's people have been permanently put away or forgiven.). {10} By this will WE have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."
The phrase, "By this will", refers to the will of God mentioned in the previous verse. Christ came to do the will of God in two ways. First, He took away the insufficient, symbolic, human priesthood to establish his own priesthood. As the real and true priest Jesus went into the very presence of God to offer His own body and blood for our sins. He was the acceptable sacrifice. He accomplished what the sacrifices of the old covenant could not accomplish. Jesus' body and blood ACTUALLY SECURED our salvation ONCE AND FOR ALL. By the will of God, {10} ". we have been sanctified (made holy in the eyes of God) through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. . . {14} For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. (Those who were set apart for salvation. The lost and found sheep of God, the elect.) {15} And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying, {16} "THIS IS THE COVENANT (new covenant) THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THEM!
AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD: I WILL PUT MY LAWS UPON THEIR HEART, AND UPON THEIR MIND I WILL WRITE THEM," He then says, {17} "AND THEIR SINS AND THEIR LAWLESS DEEDS I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE." {18} Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin."
Human priests and animal sacrifices were both abolished and replaced in Jesus. He was and remains our true and perfect high priest. At the same time He was the spotless, blemish-less Lamb who died in the place and stead of all who would ever be saved. Jesus did not carry a slain beast into the presence of God He brought Himself. God accepted His body, blood and work on our behalf. The work of redemption was done and Christ sat down. In the old testament tabernacle there were not chairs. For the priest's work was never finished. It was never finished because the blood of bulls and goats could never take away sin. But Christ's blood, offered only once, took our sin and guilt away forever. Jesus came to save His people from their sins and that is exactly what He did. His mission was a success. His work is finished and He seated at the right hand of God.
When we eat the bread and drink the cup of the Lord's Supper it is meant to remind us of all these great and wonderful truths. That there was a time when we were separate from God without hope or remedy. God's law identified us as criminals, as sinners and it demanded our death as payment for our crimes. Good deeds could not save us. We are incapable of performing good deeds. The slaughter of a million sheep could not take away our sin. A human priest could not help us. The situation was impossible with men! But God, by the exercise of His will, worked through the life and death of His only begotten Son to save His people from their sin!
This, brothers and sisters, is what the Lord's Supper is all about. It is given to remind Christians of Christ. To remind us of who He is and what He has done "FOR US." When we eat and drink the bread and cup together we declare these truths to ourselves and to those who look on. Hear the words of I Corinthians eleven verse twenty six.
{26} For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you PROCLAIM the Lord's death until He comes." Every time we celebrate the Lord's Supper we announce the fact that Jesus Christ died for us and for sinners like us. When we eat and drink together we proclaim our confidence in His death for our individual salvation. Each person who participates is saying, "I have been joined to Christ by faith, I am a Christian!" As you can see, the Lord's Supper is exclusively for Christians. It is a solemn, serious and wonderful thing. Paul continues in verse twenty-seven.
{27} "Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy (non-fitting or inappropriate) manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord." Because the Supper is so important, significant and holy one must be careful about his spiritual condition when he eats and drinks. He or she must be worthy as opposed to unworthy before they participate.
Who then is worthy to eat and drink the Lord's Supper? Certainly non-Christians are unworthy. The unconverted are not invited to the table. They cannot rightly participate for they have not come to Christ as Savior. They cannot recall Christ's death and love for them. For outside of faith they have no proof that He did indeed love and die for them. Further the unbeliever has no spiritual insight into what Christ's death means. He does not and cannot examine himself as he ought for he cannot see his sin as he must. The non-Christian cannot repent of his sin for he is spiritually dead. He is a slave to sin, self and the devil. The unbeliever is not to be baptized neither is he fit to eat and drink the Lord's Supper. For him to do so would be to declare his union with and dependence on Christ for salvation and that would be a lie. The unbeliever, the non-Christian, the unconverted person, young or old, is not worthy to participate in the Lord's Supper.
Further there are times when the Christian is not worthy to eat and drink. The word "worthy" has to do with being in the right spiritual condition when you come to the table. As concerns salvation the Christian is right with God through faith in Jesus Christ, that never changes. However, there are times when he is out of fellowship with God as concerns his daily walk. A Christian is out of fellowship with God when he has unconfessed, un-repented of sin in his life. This sin makes him unfit, unworthy, to eat and drink the Lord's Supper. The sin that made the Corinthians unworthy was their failure to love one another. The rich were prejudiced against the poor and perhaps the other way around as well. This sin had to be dealt with before they could eat and drink with the blessing of God. For THOSE WHO EAT AND DRINK UNWORTHILY SIN DIRECTLY AGAINST THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST. (Verse 27)
Ladies and gentlemen the supper is not cookies and cool-aid! It is a memorial of Jesus and His redemptive work on behalf of the lost and found sheep of God. It is an ordinance, established by the Savior Himself, that calls us to serious self examination. By it we are called to look at ourselves in the mirror of God's word. We are to notice every blemish, every sin and confess it all to God. It is a solemn, serious, and wonderful thing. It is full of blessing for those who treat it right. But it is full of discipline and judgement for those who do not. Therefore, the apostle Paul cautions his readers.
{28} But let a man examine (judge, analyze, discover the truth about) himself, and so (then) let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. {29} For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself, IF he does not judge the body (himself) rightly. (The Christian who will not identify, confess and turn from his sin can expect to be disciplined by his Father. This discipline comes in many forms from many sources. Paul focuses on one form of divine discipline, physical sickness and death.) For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. (Many in the Corinthian church refused to identify, confess and turn from their sin. Therefore, God the Father disciplined them with sickness and He even took the lives of some. Now Paul tells us how easy it is to avoid the discipline of God.) {31} But if we judged ourselves rightly, (honestly and accurately) we should not be judged, (Or disciplined by God with sickness and death.). {32} But when we are judged,!
(analyzed by God and found to be rebels), we are disciplined by the Lord in order that we may not be condemned along with the world. {33} So then, my brethren, when you come together to eat, (the Lord's Supper) wait for one another. (Repent of your former treatment of the poor among you.) {34} If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, so that you may not come together for judgment. (discipline) And the remaining matters I shall arrange when I come."
What are we to learn from all this? By this study we learn that the Lord's Supper is not optional for the Christian. It must be eaten and we must do so in a worthy manner. It is an ordinance established by Christ about which He said, "DO THIS" in remembrance of Me." Why does He want us to, "DO THIS?" I believe there are at least two reasons. One, to remind us that God has saved us and not we ourselves. He saved us by the body and blood of Christ. God has saved His people from their sin by the sacrifice of His own Son. Second, He wants us to regularly examine ourselves. The supper calls us to analyze our spiritual condition. What is our walk with the Lord like? What is our relationship with the brethren like? What is my relationship with the church like? Am I living like a Christian or an unbeliever? What sin have I been tolerating? We are to look at, identify, confess and repent of all known sin in our lives.
When you do come to see the sin that makes you unworthy, you need not despair or fear. (Please read this statement again.) For our self examination is carried on in light of the promise of God which declares that, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) When our sin has be identified, confessed and repented of we can eat and drink in a worthy manner. Fellowship has been restored.
The Christian need not fear eating and drinking the Lord's Supper. Rather, he must look forward to it. It is a gift from Christ for the cleansing of your conscience and the encouragement of your soul. It is a reminder that salvation is all of grace not of works lest any man should boast. It is by Christ that we hope to go to heaven and it is by Christ that we live and deal with sin day to day. Dear Christian join with me in self examination. Let us together identify, confess, and repent of our sins against God and man. Then let us meet together at the Lord's table.
