"A Communion Commentary"
1 Corinthians 11:17-30
1 Corinthians 11:17 Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse. 18 For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it. 19 For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you. 20 When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper. 21 For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken. 22 What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not. 23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: 24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. 25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. 26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come. 27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. 30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
Introduction: Today's message is especially appropriate considering that fact that we will observe communion this morning together. This 11th chapter begins with some instructions from the Apostle concerning what would be proper worship. It shouldn't be necessary to tell folks how to behave in church but when there is a careless disregard for propriety and a lack of discernment for proper decency and decorum it becomes vital and valuable. Paul's statement in verse 17 is an acknowledgement that things weren't right! 17 Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse. For better or worse may be good in your marriage vows but it is not good in worship! What a tragedy when this is the case but I'm afraid it is happening all too frequently today! What does he say?
I. The Inditement
a. Paul mentions the corruption of their worship v. 17
The goal of every believer should be to worship God "...in spirit and truth..." but for that to happen the focus of true worship should Him and not us; unfortunately this is sometimes not the case. The Corinthians worshipped but their worship was not "...for the better, but for the worse." What a tragedy this was for them and is for us when we don't come together for the better! A good deal of what passes for worship today is not worship at all by Biblical standards. The focus of worship today has become experience based on feelings and not enlightenment based on facts! Often modern worship is started by a worship leader asking "how do you feel?" not "what do you know!" Modern worship is no longer participatory but performance oriented. Worship can only take place when we acknowledge who God is and what He has revealed Himself to be in His Word. That is the only proper starting place for true worshippers.
b. Paul mentions the conflict in their fellowship v. 18
Division is always the result of improper and inappropriate worship. Worship that focusses on the individual rather than the Infinite One is bound to be conflicted. We know from other passages that some were focused on Paul, some on Peter, some on Apollos and a really super-spiritual group who claimed that Jesus was their focus. Their worship was immature and their walk reflected it!
c. Paul mentions the criticism that they deserve v. 19-22
As you read these four verses you cannot help but see the self-serving, selfish, and self-centric behaviors that they were displaying. The sad truth is we see many of these same behaviors in worship today. Communion is not about us, it is about Christ, His sacrifice and His death on the cross for our sins. In our self-centric world we often make worship about us; our inward focus needs to be refocused on Christ! Remember, He said, "...this do, in remembrance of Me." 26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.
ILL - An older couple had trouble remembering common, day-to-day things. They both decided that they would write down requests the other had and so try to avoid forgetting. One evening the wife asked if the husband would like anything. He replied, "Yes. I'd like a large ice-cream sundae with chocolate ice cream, whipped cream and a cherry on top." The wife started off for the kitchen and the husband shouted after her, "Aren't you going to write it down?" "Don't be silly;" she hollered back, "I'm going to fix it right now. I won't forget."
She was gone for quite some time. When she finally returned, she set down in front of him a large plate of hash browns, eggs, bacon, and a glass of orange juice. He took a look and said, "I knew you should have written it down! You forgot the toast!" (www.bible.org)
Perhaps most of us could say we don't have the memories we used to have. What's funnier, as we get older, we remember funny things. Like, we remember the silliest things from when we were kids, but we can't remember what we had for breakfast. The loss of memory does strange things to people.
Perhaps that's why the Bible tells us to remember things on purpose. We must never forget the death of Christ for us and Communion serves as that reminder.
II. The Instruction
a. The mandate for Communion v. 23
Paul makes it clear that the authority for the institution of the Lord's Supper was Jesus and not him. We know very little about Paul's early years as a Christian. We could probably call his first three years "the silent years." But we do have his testimony as how he was "instructed" in the gospel that he preached.
Galatians 1:11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. 12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Galatians 1:15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, 16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: 17 Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus. 18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.
b. The metaphors in Communion vs 23b-25
The first metaphor is the Lord's use of the word "body." A couple of things are worth mentioning. Paul states the bread was broken after it was blessed and that it was shared with everyone present at the table. This is in contrast to those in the church in verse 21 "For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk." The breaking of the bread involves its distribution and reproves the Corinthian mode at the love-feast, of "everyone taking before other his own supper." JFB Also, the bread doesn't literally become His body after He blesses it, because He is personally with them. It would be ridiculous to think anything else. The bread is broken but not His body. The second element is the cup. The word testament is better translated "covenant" and Jesus declares that the blood confirms the covenant.
Exodus 24:8 And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words.
Now this is said to be "in the blood" of Christ; that is, it is ratified, and all its blessings and promises are confirmed by his blood: hence his blood is called "the blood of the everlasting covenant", pardon and righteousness, peace and reconciliation, and entrance into the holiest of all, all come through this blood, and are secured by the same; and to which the faith of the saints is directed in this ordinance, to observe, receive, and enjoy for themselves: John Gill
Hebrews 13:20 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
c. The meaning of Communion vs 25b-26
Paul writes: 26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.
The Passover would not be what it was without the death of the pascal lamb. The life of the sacrificial animal was required for there to be an expiation of sin. Moses instructed the Israelites to kill a lamb, paint the door posts with its blood and the "death angel" would pass over them. The animal dies so the offerer doesn't have too. 1 Corinthians 5:7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us: Our Savior wanted this special observance to remind believers of the great price that was paid so that our sins could be forgiven and forgotten! This is why the attitudes manifested by the Corinthians were so abhorrent to Paul. This observance was to be a time of the greatest solemnity and sacredness but they had turned it into a travesty.
III. The Introspection
a. The exposition that defines our conduct
v. 27
Perhaps there is no expression in the Bible that has given more trouble to weak and immature Christians than this. It is certain that there is no one that has discouraged so many from receiving communion; or that is so often made use of as an excuse for not making a profession of religion. The excuse is, "I am unworthy to partake of this holy ordinance. I shall only expose myself to condemnation. I must therefore wait until I become more worthy, and better prepared to celebrate it." It is important, therefore, that there should be a correct understanding of this passage. Most persons interpret it as if it were "unworthy," and not "unworthily," and seem to suppose that it refers to their personal qualifications, to their "unfitness" to partake of it, rather than to the manner in which it is done. It is to be remembered, therefore that the word used here is an "adverb," and not an "adjective," and has reference to the manner of observing the ordinance, and not to their personal qualifications or fitness. It is true that in ourselves we are all "unworthy" of an approach to the table of the Lord; "unworthy" to be regarded as his followers; "unworthy" of a title to everlasting life: but it does not follow that we may not partake of this ordinance in a worthy, that is, a proper manner, with a deep sense of our sinfulness, our need of a Saviour, and with some just views of the Lord Jesus as our Redeemer. Whatever may be our consciousness of personal unworthiness and unfitness - and that consciousness cannot be too deep - yet we may have such love to Christ, and such a desire to be saved by him, and such a sense of his worthiness, as to make it proper for us to approach and partake of this ordinance. The term "unworthily" (a??a??´?? anaxio¯s) means properly "in an unworthy or improper" manner "in a manner unsuitable to the purposes for which it was designed or instituted. Barnes Notes
FOR EVERYONE-COMMUNION MEDITATION
James W. Moore of St. Luke's United Methodist Church in Houston tells a story about one of his minister friends. His name is Tom and he does a fascinating thing each month. Even though he has an extremely busy schedule he still makes the time each month to go down to the homeless shelter in his city to work in their soup kitchen.
After the homeless people have been fed, he then invites them to join him in a service of Holy Communion and many of them will come with him to the little chapel in the homeless shelter and join in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. They have shared soup together in the soup kitchen and then they come to share the bread and the cup together at the altar in the chapel.
One day, Tom had an unforgettable experience in the communion service. As he was moving down the altar serving communion, he came to a man kneeling there who looked like he had been out on the streets for quite some time.
The man looked up at Tom and whispered: "Skip me." "What? Pardon me?" Tom said. In a louder whisper, the man said again, "Skip me." "Why?" Tom asked. "Because," the man said, "I'm not worthy." Tom said: "Neither am I." Then Tom added: "I'll tell you what. I'm going to serve communion to these other people. Then, I'm going to come back and serve communion to you and then I would like you to serve it to me." The man blinked and said to Tom: "Preacher is that legal?" "Yes, it's legal; it's beautiful and that's what we are going to do!" Tom answered.
Tom went on down the altar and served all the other people kneeling there. Then he came back to the reluctant man and said: "What's your name?" And the man said, "Josh." Tom placed the elements of the Lord's Supper before him and said:
"Josh, here is the Body of Christ and here is the Blood of Christ given for you. Eat this and drink this in the remembrance that Christ came for you and Christ died for you. Amen."
Josh blinked back the tears in his eyes as he received Holy Communion. Then, Tom knelt and handed Josh the trays of bread and juice and said: "Now, you serve me."
Josh nervously took the trays and again he said: " Preacher are you sure this is legal?" "Yes, it's legal. Just do it."
Josh's eyes were darting from side to side as he looked over this shoulder and then the other as if he expected (at any moment) the police, the FBI, the CIA or the Pope to come rushing in to arrest him.
Finally, he held the trays toward Tom and as Tom received the Sacrament Josh muttered: "Body - Blood - for you, Hang in There!"
Tom said later: "Of all the communion rituals I have ever heard, I don't recall the words 'Hang in There' in any of them but at that moment for me, Holy Communion had never been more 'Holy.'
The cup and the bread are for EVERYONE who believes.
SOURCE: James W. Moore of St. Luke's United Methodist Church in Houston.
b. The examination that determines our conduct v. 28
A. T. Robertson says that the word examine means "to prove oneself" as you would test a piece of metal. The underlying issues for the Corinthians were their attitudes and actions. These were to be examined to make certain that they were not behaving in a disrespectful and disgraceful way, desecrating the Holy Communion. Over the years I have heard various interpretations of this verse. Some have said that we are to make sure we are "in the faith," but this does not seem to be Paul's point nor does the translation lead us in that direction. He encourages these believers to examine themselves, and says "...so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup!" His concern seems to be the manner in which they observe not stop them from participating.
c. The explanation that discloses their condition v. 30
There are two schools of thought on what Paul is saying here. The first is that there have been some actual physical consequences sent by the Lord visited upon those who have profaned the Holy Communion; that some have lost strength and that there are some who "are sleeping" which is the right tense. It would not be a surprise if this was the proper explanation considering what God says in 1 Corinthian 3:17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. The second explanation would be that Christians who profane the Communion are diminished spiritually in such a way that spiritual vitality is dissipated, leading to spiritual "sickliness, " sickness, sent as the Lord's chastening for the individual's salvation. No matter which explanation you prefer the result of this behavior is serious!
ILL - As we observed communion today I'm reminded of a story told by Brian Atwood about a newborn by the name of Abbigail Johnson. What folks did not know is that Abby was born prematurely ten years ago and needed a blood transfusion. Premature babies often don't have enough red blood cells and if their anemia is severe enough, they will die.
Pastor Brian was called by the family to pray and also asked to go to the hospital to be tested, along with the family and other friends, to see whose blood was compatible to Abby's. Soon thereafter someone from the hospital called and said, "Pastor Atwood, can you go to the Red Cross immediately and donate blood? Your blood is the only match we could find for Abbigail's." Of course I counted it a privilege to go right away and give my blood.
Application - Folks we were all going to die and Jesus had the only blood suitable for our condition. All of us have blood tainted with sin but Jesus is the only One ever to have sinless blood. On the cross He donated His blood so you and I could have a transfusion.
With thanksgiving in our hearts we observe communion in honor of the One who gave His blood - the only possible match to offer us eternal life.
