Comm — Faves of Dave - Bible Study

1Cor. 11:27 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.

1Cor. 11:33 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.

There are times throughout the Bible when God judges someone for an offense in which the punishment appears harsh for the particular offense. One example that comes to mind is when David had the Ark of the Covenant moved to Jerusalem. The Ark was being transported on an oxen-pulled cart. When the oxen stumbled, Uzzah put his hand out to steady the Ark, and God struck him dead. ( 2 Samuel 6: 5-15) Wow! That seems a bit harsh. Even David was angry with the Lord for doing this. But the Ark of the Covenant was essentially God’s throne. When you start to examine the greater historical context of this, we discover that there had been somewhat of a casual attitude by the priests concerning the Ark. (See 1 Chronicles 15:13-15) Uzzah’s action of touching the Ark crossed a line, not too unlike what it might have been for anyone living in a kingdom and approaching the throne of the king or queen without permission. God is holy, and we must have a reverent attitude in our worship.

This is essentially what Paul is communicating to the Corinthians concerning the Lord’s Supper. He’s saying, don’t treat this as though it were a potluck. This is a sacred and holy event in which we remember Jesus’ death on the cross. Rather than turn this into some kind of party in which we are thinking only of our own pleasure, this is an event of the community of faith to remember Jesus together.

Paul suggests that there already has been and will be a judgment upon those who are partaking in the Lord’s Supper in an “unworthy” manner. In verse 30, he explains that some among them have gotten sick, and some have even died because they treated the Lord’s Supper as though it were no different than any other meal they might eat. They treated it as something common without regard for the Lord or other believers. Therefore, Paul warns, examine yourselves (their motivations) prior to partaking in the Lord’s Supper.

In verse 31, Paul writes, “But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged.” We might express this in our day and culture as, “If we’re honest with ourselves, we’ll know our real attitudes and get them in check.” (My paraphrase) In other words, Paul is saying they don’t have to be paranoid that God is going to strike them down on a whim. If they truly and humbly ask themselves where they are in their attitudes toward the Lord and their brothers and sisters in Christ, they will either abstain from partaking at that time or get their attitudes in the right way.

Paul adds in verse 32 that the Lord’s discipline is intended to correct and redeem us to the right way. God is not sadistically looking to strike people down.

Paul concludes by telling them that if they’re hungry, eat at home. Do not treat the Lord’s Supper as a meal in which they can indulge their appetites. The focus is entirely on remembering Jesus’ death on the cross and proclaiming this until he comes again.