Tabor Baptist Church

Introduction

Previously looked at the earlier verses

First half chapter 11 – head coverings (a cultural issue but important principles)

Looked at the first half of chapter 12 concerning Spiritual gifts
Both passages are quite controversial or polemic

Now looking at v17-34

This is very plain and clear
Nothing controversial or polemic
Very serious words

Paul is addressing those fragrantly abusing the Lord’s Supper

Some were drunk, others gorged themselves

Overview – like a sandwich:

First slice of stale bread (v17-22)
Second slice of stale bread (v27-34)
The tasty filling (v23-26)

First slice of stale bread (v17-22)

They have not come together for benefit …

… they have come together to the detriment, they are divided

The Lord’s Supper – alternative names, Eucharist, the Lord’s Supper, Breaking the Bread, Communion

It is a time of fellowship / communion around the table of the Lord
Yet they are divided (v18)

Mid Week – studying Malachi

Malachi charged the people with similar sins
The people offered tainted sacrifice
God calls the worship evil

We are to examine ourselves so we do not partake in an unworthy way (v28)

Bitterness
Unresolved anger
Non forgiveness

The Church in Corinth were full of strife – chapter 3

Purely mechanical
Coming with a miserly spirit
Factions in the Church (v19)

It is better to suspend temporarily communion to put things right

The love feast

When Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper it followed the Passover
Example
The Church in Corinth had people that either gorged or had very little, perhaps there was no sharing
There was no concern or love for each other

In factions – the mature Christians are “approved” and stand out (v19)
They do not come together to eat the Lord’s supper (v20)

They despised the Church of God (v22)
Thankfully not every Church was like this – just the Church in Corinth

We do not always need to read v17-22 but certainly the institution (v23-26)

Second slice of stale bread (v27-34)

When you come, you remember Christ’s sacrifice (v27)

If you eat in an unworthy manner (as above) – you are guilty of the body and blood of Christ
You are disrespecting the sacrifice of Christ

Examine yourself (v28)
Do not bring judgment on yourself (v29)

Because you have not considered the church is one body
Because you are not considering Christ

Sickness in judgment (v30-32)

Not a final judgment
Rather the chastening and the discipline of the Lord
If we self-judge/examine, we would not be judged

We are to wait for one another (v33)

The tasty filling (v23-26)

Instructions on how to conduct ourselves

Not to wear special robes, have bells or any other ceremony
A simple taking of bread and wine

It was a time of thanksgiving (v24)

That the disciples salvation had been secured

It was a time of remembrance (v24, 25)

We remember who it was that died on the cross

His person
His amazing love for sinners like us

This ordinance helps us focus on Christ and remember Him

He was a real man with a natural death
He was the Son of God and so it was an unnatural death – that the sinless one should die
It was a pre-natural death – Jesus was a Lamb slain before the foundation of the world
It was a supernatural death

Crying out to God in significant pain
He held up His head
He knew the Scripture had to be fulfilled
The rocks split open, the dead were raised and the temple curtain was torn in two

Remember the seven sayings of the cross

He never lost the sense of His Father
He prays for our forgiveness
He forgives the thief on the cross and promises him paradise
His treatment of His mother
His separation from the Father
His triumphal words

A triumphant service (v26)

Which we do until He comes