1 Corinthians 11:17-34--The Lord's Supper

1 Corinthians 11:17-34
English Standard Version

The Lord's Supper
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. 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.

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.

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.

​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.

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Here are some of the clearest instructions we have regarding The Lord's Supper and how it should be taken, how often it should be done, and in what spirit it should be done.  The Corinthian church was doing to all wrong and Paul needed to write these instructions to them to correct their error.  It's not surprising that there was error in practice in the early Church (this is one of the first epistles written), but the error in practice comes out of the issues with their sin.

Paul says the first issue is that they come together as a church but have divisions and rivalries among themselves--this should not be as Paul already taught about.  Paul said even though this is sinful, God is using the divisions and factions to show who are the real Christians among them.

Paul says that when they come together for their meal, they are in no way doing it to remember the Lord, but each one eats his food trying to get to be first in line and finish his food first so that he can go back for seconds before some have even gotten their food.  Sound like any fellowship dinners you've been at with your church?  It definitely sounds like some I've been to at mine.  They also drank in excess and got drunk (which is a sin).  Paul says that the purpose of the meal is not to indulge their gluttony and drunkenness--they can do that at home.  In fact, part of his instructions later will be that each that can should eat at home before coming to partake in the Lord's supper and that they should first look out for those who have have nothing.

Before Paul gives the instructions, he lays out to the church that he received these instructions directly from Christ, just like the other apostles did while they were at The Last Supper, but Paul got his instructions from Christ in a different place and at a different time--we believe during his time in the Arabian desert after his conversion.  We believe this was a three-year period and that Paul received as much instruction from Christ as any of the other apostles.  Many of us are familiar with these verses because they are read as part of our celebration of the Lord's Supper (at least we have in the churches that I've attended).

So, what is the "unworthy manner" that Paul talks about in verse 27?  Well, for that you can look at the verses at the beginning of the chapter, but also look at everything that Paul has been talking about already in this epistle.  That's why we can't just start reading verses and expect to understand the context and meaning.  Paul says that some of those who eat in an unworthy manner (I would assume trying to associated themselves with Christ through the Lords Supper while associating themselves with sin in their lifestyles and being controlled by their sinful passions and lusts) had become ill as a means of God's correction, and some even were killed by God as a means of God preserving His name and the reputation of all the genuine Christians.

Paul said that if we examined ourselves and dealt with our sin before coming to the Lord's Table (in a similar way that Jews had been told to examine themselves before offering a sacrifice to the Lord to first see if they were in right relationship with God and their brothers), then we would not need to live in fear of judgment from God for eating from the Lord's Table in an unworthy manner.  We should not despise the Lord's judgment when this happens to us as it is the correction of a loving Father so that we may not fall under the Lord's condemnation--for there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  Our conviction of sin and being drawn to repentance is one of the greatest evidences that we are really saved.

Back to the instructions--everyone should wait to eat until everyone has been served, and anyone who is hungry should eat at home before coming to The Lord's Table.  This is why we often only have a little bit of bread and little bit of wine or juice so that no one is tempted to eat or drink from the Lord's Table in gluttony.  If they do this as well as taking care of the divisions among them and are unified by the one true faith and put their faith into practice in right action, then there is no need to fear judgment or condemnation.  Paul said there would be other issues (maybe related to the Lord's Supper) that he would deal with when he came to meet with them in person.  There are some things that just seem better if they are communicated in-person.