“The Lord’s Supper” 1 Corinthians 11:17-29

For Baptists, we recognize two ordinances—baptism and the Lord’s Supper. In both instances, we recognize the ordinance as being symbolic in nature only, but holding a solemn purpose.

In the ordinance of baptism, we believe that a person can only come to Christ if the Holy Spirit leads them to salvation. We believe accepting Christ as a conscious decision, that can only be made by a person who has an awareness of their sinfulness and their need for salvation through Christ. We do not see baptism as being a saving event, but the result of salvation. That’s why we, as Baptists, hold to a believer’s baptism.

The act of the baptism is a statement of one’s commitment to Christ. It is one of the first steps in the road of a disciple’s walk. It is an act of obedience, because Jesus commanded us to be baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. It represents the death of the old self, the burial of that old self, and our resurrection to a new life as a new creation in Christ.

Just as we view the ordinance of baptism as symbolic in nature, so, too, do we see the Lord’s Supper as a symbolic act, also done in obedience to Jesus’ teaching. We see the supper as a fellowship of believers coming together in Jesus’ name to remind ourselves of what Jesus did for our salvation, of the price that was paid by Jesus in order to allow us to become children of God. We see the bread as representing Jesus’ human nature, and we see the juice as representing His blood which was shed to seal a new covenant between God and ourselves. Because we see the Lord’s Supper as a fellowship of believers, we hold that only those who have participated in the act of baptism should partake of the Lord’s Supper.

There was a time when Baptist churches practiced a closed communion. That is, we limited those who could take the Lord’s Supper to only those who were baptized members of the local church. We have relaxed our position to allow all who profess Christ as Savior to be welcome at the Lord’s table and each can take part in this solemn event.

Central Truth: The Lord’s Supper is a time of reflection and remembrance.

The improper practices of Corinth (17-22)

One of the main reasons to read Paul’s letters to the Corinthians is that we learn what not to do through their example. In 1 Corinthians, Paul is answering a series of questions that were delivered to him by a delegation from Corinth. The form of the letter seems to indicate he’s going down the list and responding to each question in turn.

As we turn to Chapters 11-14, Paul begins to address the issues of worship in the Corinthian church. In the first part of Chapter 11, Paul addresses the role of head cover for women and men in worship. Chapter 12 speaks to the issue of spiritual gifts and the unity of the body of the church. Chapter 13 addresses the meaning of love, and Chapter 14 compares the gifts of speaking in tongues versus prophecy in the worship service.

In the second part of Chapter 11, the section we’re looking at today, Paul addresses a troubling occurrence in the church regarding the Lord’s Supper. Paul introduces the matter by telling them he has absolutely no praise for them and their practice surrounding the Lord’s Supper. He tells them, “your meetings do more harm than good” (v. 17). He addresses first the accusation of divisions among them, a rumor he isn’t willing to completely believe, but let’s them know he thinks it’s possibly true. After all, Paul’s first question to answer addressed the issue that the church was dividing among whom each person claimed to be their leader—some claiming Paul, others Apollos, still others Peter and yet others professing to follow Christ. I think he references this in his next line—“No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval” (v. 19).

Then Paul addresses the problem about their Lord’s Supper. Apparently, their idea of the Lord’s Supper is to have a covered dish meal at the church that would either include the Lord’s Supper or be their version of the Supper. The problem wasn’t in having the feast; it was the way in which it was carried out.

Seemingly, people would bring their food and immediately start eating, not waiting for latecomers to arrive. In the Corinthian church, as well as most of the early churches at that time, the membership was made up of all classes of people, from the rich to the slaves of the society. Obviously, the slaves would have to complete all their duties before they could go to a church service, and when they arrived, they would only bring meager foods. The wealthy, on the other hand, could come when they felt like it and would probably bring ample food to feed themselves and their friends.

As a result of the “eat when you get there” mentality/practice, some of the attendees would eat as much as they wanted and drink as much as they wanted, while others would have to make do with small meals and drink. As Paul writes, “One remains hungry, another gets drunk” (v.21b).

Paul says such a practice is not in keeping with God’s will. He asks them, “do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing?” (v. 22b). He tells them he will not praise them, and he emphasizes his disgust with the idea of what they are doing.

The solemnity of the meal (23-26)

Paul wants the Corinthians to understand the full meaning of the Lord’s Supper, so he takes them on a journey to understand exactly what the Lord’s Supper is all about. I read a commentary that says the letters to Corinth came before the Gospels, and that this passage is therefore one of the first direct quotes of Jesus to ever be written down.

Another question that arises is when Paul writes “For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you” (v. 23a). There are those who indicate Paul is simply repeating what he had heard from others, while others believe Paul is saying Jesus Himself told Paul about this. I am of this group of people. Paul went into the desert for three years, and there he was trained by Christ. It would only make sense that Jesus also told Paul about the Lord’s Supper if Jesus taught him other things.

What did Jesus tell Paul about the Lord’s Supper? First, it was instituted on the night that Jesus was betrayed. I think Paul’s words were carefully chosen to remind the readers of how such an event as the Lord’s Supper began on the night of tragedy and treachery. It was the night that Satan placed it in Judas’ heart to turn Jesus over to the authorities for the payment of 30 pieces of silver. Knowing what was to happen, Jesus, instead of turning on Judas, instituted this meal as a remembrance of what was about to happen over the next few hours.

Paul tells us that Jesus picked up the bread, gave thanks, and handed out the bread with the words, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me” (v. 24). There are those who suggest Jesus’ words here indicate that somehow, the bread mystically transforms into either the actual body of Christ or comingles with His body. We reject this interpretation, and I think so accurately. Jesus was speaking symbolically, just as He did in John 6, when He said He was the bread of life. To read the words of John 6, if we take them literally, then Jesus is talking about a form of ritual cannibalism, and that is not what Jesus was saying. Clearly, the John 6 passage is symbolic in nature, just as His words here are as well.

What Jesus meant was that the bread represented Jesus’ physical presence with the disciples. The bread is a reminder that Immanuel—God with us—was also the Son of Man. He was fully human, experiencing the same things any other man would experience. He willingly was going to let that body suffer great harm and humiliation as a demonstration of His deep love for the Father and for His people. We are called to remember this when we observe the Lord’s Supper, and it was something Paul wanted the Corinthians to understand.

Jesus then takes the cup and tells us that the drink is a symbol of the new covenant created between God and ourselves through Jesus’ sacrifice. We are to take this cup, and we are to remember how Jesus willingly shed His blood for our sins and for our salvation.

Paul concludes his lesson with the words, “For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He returns” (v. 26). Paul’s point is that the Lord’s Supper is not an excuse for a party, but a solemn occasion intended to bring us together in our awareness of Jesus’ sacrifice and to remind us that Jesus is coming again.

Reflection and examination (27-29)

Finally, Paul turns to what it all means for the Corinthians and for us.

He first warns against taking part in the Lord’s Supper in an “unworthy manner.” Again, there is some question what this means. In one sense, no one is truly worthy to partake of the Lord’s Supper. We are all sins, and we all fall short in our obedience to Christ. If we take this view, then no one would be worthy to take the Lord’s Supper.

Instead, I believe the meaning of the words “unworthy manner” suggests someone coming to the table in a flippant manner or in a cavalier way. It seems to be in keeping with the Corinthian practice discussed earlier in the chapter. If someone comes to the Lord’s table in a way that seems to mock the symbolism of the moment, then it is reasonable to wonder if such a person really has a relationship with Christ in the first place. For instance, on the night that Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper, Jesus was surrounded by His twelve disciples, including Judas. As Jesus passed the bread around and then the cup, eleven of those who took the bread and the drink had a devotion to Jesus that would stand the test of time. One—Judas—had no such devotion. To Judas, taking the bread and the drink were what was expected on the occasion, but it really had no bearing on what Judas was going to do.

The person who has an unworthy manner is a person who doesn’t see the ordinance as valid, doesn’t take the sacrifice of Christ seriously and is only going through the motions because of other’s expectations. Know what we’re doing and why.

The way to know what we’re doing is to examine ourselves. Take time to assess where we are in our relationship to Christ. Are we truly seeking to do His will? Are we committed to His mission, His calling?

Finally, a warning against judgment. Understand that this judgment doesn’t mean the loss of one’s salvation, nor does it mean that God will strike us dead. For the believer, the judgment will come in the form of discipline, as we can see in v. 32. For those who are not believers, they will have to give account on the Day of Judgment for their actions.

Conclusion

Coming to the Lord’s table is a great privilege. It is a remind for us that Jesus paid the high price for our salvation. Because of what Jesus did at Calvary, we are able to become children of God, joint heirs with Christ. Without the willing, loving sacrifice Jesus paid, there is no hope for us, no promise of tomorrow, no real reason to live.

But Jesus did pay that price, and we come together on a regular basis to remember and to honor and to worship our Savior and our Lord. We take the time to acknowledge that Jesus makes us worthy to come to the table and take the bread and the juice.

Because of the price, because of the significance, we must come to this table worthy of Him. Our worthiness is through the grace of God, the mercy of God.

Come to the table and know that Jesus is Lord.