The Cure for Communionitis
(1 Corinthians 11:17-34)
I. Present Maladies
A. A history of the “Love Feast”
B. Abuses found in Corinth
C. Application for today
II. Pristine Model
A. Rooted in history
B. About God’s gift
C. Celebrates a new covenant
D. Proclaims our allegiance and hope
III. Preventive Medicine
A. Each one examine himself
B. Show respect for one another
Introduction
This morning we are going to participate in one of the greatest celebrations that the Church can engage in. As you can see, the table has been set before us in anticipation of our sharing together in the Lord’s Supper.
I realize that for many, the Communion celebration doesn’t seem like it’s really that big of a deal. Some of you may be even thinking, “When are we going to get to the ‘celebration’ part of this?” I remember as a child thinking that Communion Sundays were those times when we would get a “snack” in church. I imagine that some of you may simply regard this event as just an archaic ritual that we customarily observe on a regular basis that is totally void of real substance or meaning. There are others here who may feel that this is just a morbid remembrance of the death of Jesus, and may wish that we could skip this reenactment altogether.
I want to talk about the Lord’s Supper this morning because of the misconceptions surrounding it and because of the weightiness of this event in the life of the believer. I’m going to endeavor to explain its significance to you with the intention of moving you toward entering into this celebration in the manner in which it was intended to be experienced—for the very purpose of Communion is to provide us with a tangible means of having communion with God; a fresh encounter with our loving Savior, Jesus.
The way that I plan to communicate the significance of the Lord’s Supper is by looking at an example of a church that had totally lost sight of its meaning and had turned Communion into a mockery. We’re going to look at 1 Corinthians 11:17-34. In this passage, Paul describes what he sees as this church’s present maladies, followed by a pristine model of what the Lord’s Supper should be, and then he concludes with a prescription of preventative medicine. I invite you to turn with me to 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 (p. 854).
Present Maladies
The first thing that Paul addresses in this passage is the present maladies found in the church at Corinth.
A History of the “Love Feast”
What Paul is referring to in these verses is unfamiliar to most of us today. I personally have never attended a church that practiced the form of worship and fellowship that is described for us here. So, I will take a little time to explain what Paul is talking about.
A practice of the early Church was the celebration of the Agape Feast or Love Feast. “This was a meal shared by the early Christians when they met together for fellowship and the Lord’s Supper” (IBD, p. 656). The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia gives this further explanation:
In the opinion of the great majority of scholars the Agape was a meal at which not only bread and wine but all kinds of [foods] were used, a meal which had the double purpose of satisfying hunger and thirst and giving expression to the sense of Christian brotherhood. At the end of this feast, bread and wine were taken according to the Lord’s command, and after thanksgiving to God were eaten and drunk in remembrance of Christ and as a special means of communion with the Lord Himself and through Him with one another (WS).
When Christ instituted the observance of the Communion celebration, you will recall that He did it in connection with the Passover Seder. “Thus it was natural for the early Christians, whenever they celebrated the Lord’s Supper, to do it in connection with a common meal” (IBD, p. 656). We read in Acts 2:42-46 concerning the practices of the early Church, that it was common for the believers to gather together for meals and to celebrate the Lord’s Supper.
The idea behind the Agape Feast was that everyone would come together and bring whatever they were able. The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary states, “At this meal the Christians, in connection with their common Redeemer, ignored all distinctions of rank, wealth, and culture, and met as members of one family” (WS). It was expected of the rich to provide more than they personally needed in order that the needs of the poor would be met out of their abun-dance. Referring back to the passage in Acts 2, Luke records they had everything in common (v. 44) and they gave to anyone as he had need (v. 45). The Agape Feast was designed as a public profession of their bond to each other in Christ and of their commitment to minister in His power and grace.
Abuses Found in Corinth
However, as Paul indicates in 1 Corinthians 11, the Agape Feast was seriously lacking in agape or love. Look at the words he uses in v. 17: In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. Ouch! Those words sound pretty harsh to our ears, but according to C.K. Barrett, this translation is mild compared to Paul is actually saying. Listen to Barrett’s interpretation of this verse,
Paul means: I have given you a charge in respect of one matter in the church’s assembly of worship. I cannot deal with this subject with any pleasure because you are not worthy of praise but blame. So far short of the mark do your assemblies come that instead of building up the community they damage it; you are not better but worse off for having met (HNTC, 1 Corinthians, p. 260).
Paul is upset about the abuses that he has heard are taking place in this church whenever they gather for this meal.
What are the abuses Paul mentions? He specifically talks about two. The first is found in v. 18. Paul points out that during their Agape Feast, which preceded the Lord’s Supper, there were clear cut divisions or factions among them. It cannot be determined from this passage as to the full extent of these divisions, but it appears that the lines were drawn along economic and social strata. Instead of a Love Feast intended to bring them into closer fellowship with one another and with God and prepare them to participate in the celebration of the Lord’s Supper, they had erected walls of dissention and division. Rather than coming closer together, they moved farther apart. I don’t know if there was “assigned seating” or not, but I believe that if you or I had entered one of their meetings, it would have become “self-evident” as to “where our respective places” were among them.
It is interesting to note what Paul states in v. 19. While he is opposed to human divisions, he recognizes that differences will always exist in any church gathering. These differences separate those who have God’s approval from those from those who do not. W. Harold Mare writes, “Knowing human nature, [Paul] assumes some such divisions are inevitable even among Christians, so that those who act worthy of God’s approval might be evident” (EBC, vol. 10, p. 258).
What does Paul mean? Is he advocating that it is proper for believers to have a puffed up attitude and go around letting everyone know that they have their lives right with God? Is he conveying a similar thought to that of Phil Collins who sang some years ago, “I talk to Jesus, and He knows I’m right?” Not at all! On the contrary, what Paul is pointing out is the fact that those who have God’s approval will be known for the way they live; that is, they will live like Jesus. They will show humility, acceptance, a servant’s heart, and compassion toward others.
The second abuse found in the Corinthian church is noted by Paul in vv. 21-22. He indicates that the rich apparently did bring ample food to the meal, sufficient for meeting the needs of everyone, but instead of sharing it, they consumed it all themselves. Those of a higher economic and social status evidently pushed their way to the front of the line and heaped as much food on their plates as they could with no thought for anyone else. Some reveled and made gluttons of themselves, while others had nothing and felt ashamed of their poverty. Some saw the assembling of the body as an opportunity to engage in hedonistic pleasures and get drunk, while others were left on the fringes with no cause for merriment.
What did this do for the cause of Christ? It did more harm than good. Paul tells them that it would have been better if they had never gotten together in the first place because what they were doing “in the name of the Lord” was no different than what they did before receiving His grace. He tells them if that’s the way they’re going to act when they get together, then it would be better for them (and for the Church) if they would eat at home separately and then come together after they were physically satisfied. To put it in the vernacular, Paul’s instructions to them were, “Make a pig of yourself at home. Don’t disgrace God or show contempt for one another by acting selfishly.” He has no words of praise for their present practice of meeting together.
Application for Today
We don’t normally participate in an Agape Feast before sharing in the Lord’s Supper, so how does all this apply to us in our present situation? I’m glad you asked! I believe that there are at least two principles that we can draw from this passage.
First, we must be careful not to set up divisions among ourselves. We cannot allow social, economic, cultural, educational or other superficial distinctions between us to cause factions to rise. We are one Body. We serve one Christ. And we are to live in such a way as to demonstrate to the world that unity can and does exist in the midst of diversity, and that the key to that unity is our common bond with Christ. Kenneth Chafin writes, “…it [makes] no difference if the right words [are] spoken and the right actions [are] performed if the condition of the church’s fellowship and spirit of its members [stands] in contradiction to the true meaning of the Lord’s Supper” (MTNT, vol. 7, p. 141). Let’s do all we can to draw closer to one another.
Second, we must be considerate of those who are less fortunate than we are by sharing with them from our abundance. Proverbs 14:31 teaches us that when we fail to reach out to the needy, we are showing contempt not only toward them but toward God. Our world is desperately longing to see Christians who are willing to do more than pay lip service to the word of God and instead begin to live it out. There are people in this congregation who are in need. And they are not hard to see when we take the time to look beyond ourselves and our desires.
Pristine Model
Beginning in v. 23, Paul goes on to remind them of the pristine model of how to properly observe the Lord’s Supper in the example of how Jesus instituted it. He mentions four things that remind us of it true significance.
Rooted in History
First, the Lord’s Supper is rooted in history. It is based on an actual historical event. It’s about a particular man, on a particular night, who took bread and wine and established a sacred rite. That night, He changed the significance of the Passover celebration from a time of looking back on God’s deliverance for a specific group of people, to a time of looking forward to the redemption of all mankind. Paul reminds the Corinthians of the historical roots of this celebration that they were abusing.
About God’s Gift
Second, the Lord’s Supper is about God’s gift. Paul reminds them of Christ’s words spoken as he broke the bread, “This is my body which is for you.” And as the wine was offered up, Jesus said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood.” Then He told them to do it “in remembrance of me,” meaning not only to consider what He suffered, but also as a gift of life—they now live in Him because He lives.
Celebrates a New Covenant
Third, the Lord’s Supper celebrates a new covenant. Through the blood of Christ, we enter into a new relationship or covenant with God. It is a covenant that is not based on the strict observance of a set of laws, but on the surrender of our lives to Him. It is by confessing our sins, accepting His forgiveness and submitting to His will that we enter into this covenant. It is by trusting in God’s grace rather than our own goodness or ability to save ourselves that we receive eternal life and acceptance by God.
Proclaims Our Allegiance and Hope
Fourth, the Lord’s Supper proclaims our allegiance and hope. Paul tells us that every time we celebrate this Supper, we proclaim [Christ’s] death until he comes. As Chafin points out, “This is a word of evangelism and also a word of hope” (MTNT, vol. 7, p. 144). When we partake of these elements, we are proclaiming to the world that we belong to Jesus, that He is living in us, and that we will live for Him. We are telling the world that we are going to be about the business that Jesus started, namely, showing others the way to find peace and renewed fellowship with God. I don’t know if you’ve ever really thought about it that way or not, but that’s exactly what it means.
It is also a word of hope because contained within it is the promise that Christ is coming again. Titus 2:13 says, …we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Jesus is coming again! His coming is soon! Every time we celebrate the Lord’s Supper we reaffirm our hope in His promise to return.
Preventive Medicine
Paul concludes by giving this church a two-part prescription of preventive medicine.
Each One Examine Himself
The first part of this of this prescription is that each one should examine himself before joining in the Lord’s Supper. In vv. 27-28, Paul is not saying that one has to be perfectly sinless before coming to the table. The essence of the table itself is a means of experiencing God’s grace anew. Rather, he is simply warning them of their need to examine their motives and attitudes before participating in the Lord’s Supper. An unworthy manner denotes coming to the table of the Lord in an irreverent manner such as displayed by the church in Corinth. We are to soberly consider what the significance of Communion is—proclaiming His death and resurrection, identifying with and committing to participate in His life until He comes. Treating other believers with contempt disqualifies us as being prepared to receive God’s grace through the celebration of the Lord’s Supper.
In vv. 29-30, Paul interprets what has been occurring in their midst as directly related to the improprieties among them. Their lack of prior examination of their motives and attitudes toward the Lord’s Supper had resulted in God’s judgment—weakness, sickness and even death. Again, when we eat the bread and drink the cup, it’s not just a physical act. In fact, it is not even primarily a physical act. It is first and foremost a spiritual act. And there is a great spiritual release that occurs every time we participate in this act. I would liken it to the gravity that we place on wedding vows—the wedding ceremony is secondary in importance to the commitment we are making in that act. God takes it very seriously when we participate in the Lord’s Supper—we’re not just eating and drinking, we are reaffirming our commitment to God.
In vv. 31-32, Paul gives us the “flip sides” of the judgment issue. He tells us that we can avoid God’s judgment if we judge ourselves. This is the same thing as examining ourselves—giving consideration to what we are doing before we do it. The other side of the judgment issue is that when we fail to judge ourselves beforehand, God doesn’t judge us without a greater purpose that is actually for our benefit. God’s judgment is for the purpose of saving us from eternal judgment along with the unbelieving world. He brings his judgment upon us to turn us in the right or beneficial direction. As the writer of Hebrews states, …God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it (12:10b-11).
Show Respect for One Another
Not only are we to examine ourselves before we participate in the Lord’s Supper, we are to show respect for one another. This is the second part of Paul’s prescription of preventative medicine. V. 33 states, So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for each other. That is, we are to be mindful of one another. We should not rush ahead without considering the needs of our brothers and sisters who may be in greater need than we are. Instead, we should be looking to see if there are any needy among us with whom we can share or encourage in some way before we seek to meet our own needs.
Conclusion
The Lord’s Supper is truly a celebration with which God has blessed us. A time to reflect on His mercy, to experience a fresh encounter with Him, to reaffirm our allegiance to Him, and welcome His soon return.
Before we enter into this celebration, I want to give each of you an opportunity to examine yourselves. Consider what this is really all about. I’d like everyone to bow their heads and close their eyes. Take this moment to soberly judge yourself and your commitment to Christ. Confess any sins or misconceptions that you harbor in your heart.
There may be some here this morning who have not taken that first step toward a friendship with God by receiving His gift of eternal life. If you’ve never entered into the type of covenant relationship with God that I talked about earlier, you can do that right now. I will lead you in a simple prayer:
Dear Jesus, I confess to you my need of You. I believe that You came to earth to be my Lord and Savior. I believe that You are the only way to God the Father. I believe that through Your death and resurrection I can have peace with God. I need You to come to me and forgive me of my sins. I accept Your Lordship and Your reign over my life. I believe that the plans that You have for me are good—to give me a hope and a future. Release Your plans in my life. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit. Lead me in the way everlasting. By faith I pray, in Jesus name. Amen.
If you prayed to receive God’s gift of eternal life, I want you to tap the shoulder of someone near you and tell them about the commitment you just made. Then ask them to pray a prayer of thanksgiving with you.
[After a few moments, move into the Communion celebra-tion.]
