First off, I apologize for the length of this entry, but there was just no good way to break it into two parts.
There was a Sunday that must have been communion Sunday, because I listened to two different ministries on the internet talking about the Lord’s Supper. One of those ministries taught on the shadow of the Lord’s Supper from an Old Testament perspective and did a really good job of showing how the OT foreshadowed the New Covenant of communion. At least it was good up until we got to 1 Corinthians 11. It was at this point that the guilt, shame, and condemnation came from the pulpit. Two verses were pulled out of context as a means to justify what the speaker was saying, but that’s the problem. It was taken out of context, and once again the major emphasis was on sin…. “our” sin.
I don’t listen to Sunday morning services broadcast over the web to pick apart preachers, but to keep me on my toes surrounding the revelation of grace. Many times I learn something that I never saw before, but most times I am burdened by the wrong teaching that’s presented. I don’t throw the baby out with the bath water, but it causes me to stay on my toes and fulfill the scripture in 2 Timothy 2:15. It is in that study time that I get new revelation or confirmation of a previous revelation. Here’s 2 Timothy 2:15 in the KJV:
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
And in the NAS:
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.
It is very difficult to find a ministry that’s on the web that does not present a sin conscious message that keeps people in bondage. It’s just shame management. It is so apparent when you listen. At least it is to me. But like I said. I can smell a legalist a thousand miles away.
So in this case, I did what the Lord prompted me to do many times before. That being, handle the word of truth accurately. Rightly divide the word of truth by using what I’ve coined as the before and after. Simply this, you cannot just read a verse and build a truth around it. The accurate thing to do is study what’s before that verse and what’s after it. If you simply take scripture out of context you could get something like this. “Judas hanged himself”. “Go and do likewise”. Now both of those scriptures are in the bible, but if you put them together you can see the problem.
Well, I went all the way back to verse 17 of 1 Corinthians 11 since I believe that’s where the Lord’s Supper discussion between Paul and the Corinthians begins. I want to add that verses 17 through 34 are totally about appropriate order during communion or at the Lord’s Supper. Before we go through those, I want to present a rough outline of what was said before leading up to 1 Corinthians 11.
First there was a several minute dialogue describing the importance of the blood. God killed innocent animals to provide clothing/covering for the guilty – Adam and Eve. God cut a blood covenant with Abraham. Blood was placed on the door post so that the death angel would passover and not kill the first born of the homes. Then a strong statement of truth about how our sin is no longer an issue. The statement made “it’s over” was said and yelled about five times.
I was encouraged by this, but knew something was missing, because the speaker said “you know that trouble, that sin, that mess you were in 30 years ago….well it’s over. The blood of Jesus washed you white as snow”. What I didn’t hear was anything about the mistakes that will be made in the future. Aren’t they over also?
So, after getting everyone hyped up about the power in the blood, which is true, the speaker moved on to the time of Yom Kippur. This was one of the great feasts for the Jews. The High Priest would have two goats brought to him for sacrifice. He would kill the first one and dip his thumb and index finger into the blood. He would then place his thumb and index finger with the blood, on the head of the second goat. This goat was taken out into the wilderness and shoved over a cliff to its death. Upon its death, all sin and disease was removed as a result of the sacrifice. Then the comment was made that Jesus was our scape goat. Although I’d like to study this further, for purposes of this study, I’m still okay with this.
Now, what I’ve heard up until this point is how all sin is over, Jesus took it for us, His blood set us free from sin and death. Your a child of the King. The royal blood of heaven flows through your veins. But then he transitions to taking of the communion, stating that in that precious act there is spiritual and supernatural things going on, which I believe. There’s healing in the breaking and taking of the bread and drinking of the wine. Yes, I agree.
So far so good. All of a sudden he reads 1 Corinthians 11:26,27 in the NKJV:
26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come. 27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
Then comes the bombshell. “So if you have unconfessed sin in your life when you take communion, you are taking it unworthily and you won’t get healed and some even die early, because there’s life giving strength in the Lord’s Supper”.
The only part of that statement with any truth at all is the life giving strength part. His scriptural backing for what he said about sickness and death is verse 30. Okay, out of context, but now lets put it in context and see what’s really being said by whom, to whom, about what, during what time, and in what category. Here’s verses 17-34 (NLT) with comments added.
Remember, I said earlier that this is Paul speaking to the Corinthians about proper order surrounding the Lord’s Supper. PROPER ORDER, NOT SIN. That’s not to say there isn’t something here for us to learn or know, just need to understand the context.
17 But in the following instructions, I cannot praise you. For it sounds as if more harm than good is done when you meet together.
First notice that Paul is about to give them some instructions. Pay attention to what the instructions are about. Clue here….they are not about sin.
18 First, I hear that there are divisions among you when you meet as a church, and to some extent I believe it.
Oh Oh. First there’s not unity as evidenced by the fact Paul says there’s divisions among them.
19 But, of course, there must be divisions among you so that you who have God’s approval will be recognized!
This is Paul being a bit “tongue in cheek”. The ERV reads this way – “because of your idea that you must have separate groups to show who the real believers are!”
20 When you meet together, you are not really interested in the Lord’s Supper.
Here comes a clue about what Paul is driving at. There seems to be a lack of interest in the Lord’s Supper and we’ll discover it’s because of selfishness and possibly pride.
21 For some of you hurry to eat your own meal without sharing with others. As a result, some go hungry while others get drunk.
Okay. What’s the chastisement about. Selfishness. Not sharing with others. There are some that are either not interested or not aware of the spiritual anointing that is on the Lord’s Supper. They are only interested in eating and drinking. So they selfishly run to the front of the buffet line to get there’s before all the good stuff is taken. They eat all the food and drink all the wine they can and lose sight of the true purpose of the Lord’s Supper. It has a strong spiritual meaning, but they reduced it to the satisfying of their flesh. By the time others get there, there is nothing left. People go hungry and others get drunk from drinking all the wine. More proof that it was not grape fruit juice.
22 What? Don’t you have your own homes for eating and drinking? Or do you really want to disgrace God’s church and shame the poor? What am I supposed to say? Do you want me to praise you? Well, I certainly will not praise you for this!
Wow. What a strong rebuke by the Apostle Paul. I like Paul. He never pulled any punches. He was not afraid to tell it like it was.
23 For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread
Paul is not passing on what he thinks the Lord meant or said, He’s passing on what the Lord himself gave to Paul.
24 and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you.Do this to remember me.”
Right here we see the quotes and we know that it is Jesus saying “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me.” Besides, the scripture says He said it. So this is a true logos Word of God.
25 In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this to remember me as often as you drink it.”
Again, we know that it is Jesus saying what is said about the cup. Another true logos Word of God. So what happened was, Paul broke away for a moment from his instructions to them regarding the Lord’s Supper to declare to them what Jesus said about the bread and the wine. What I don’t see as I study this is any reference to anyone’s sin. Okay. Now as we go into verse 26, it is once again Paul giving instructions on proper order at the Lord’s Supper.
26 For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again.
Have you ever thought that while you’re partaking of the Lord’s Supper that YOU are announcing something so strong as the Lord’s death until He comes. Wow!
27 So anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.
So now we’ve gotten to the crux of the matter. Here’s that word unworthily. It’s the Greek word “anaxios”, which means – in an unworthy manner. Can I just say that if you have half a brain, and have studied your salvation at all, there’s no way you can be unworthy, because you’re already accepted. Unworthy manner here does not mean because sin has found its way into your life. We are talking about proper order here. Unworthy means with the wrong intentions or with the absence of true purpose. By the way, the King James says it this way.
27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
It doesn’t even contain the word sin or sinning in it. Neither does the NAS. Nevertheless, the word sinning here simply means you’re missing the mark. You’re missing the true meaning of Jesus’ broken body and spilled blood. You basically are forfeiting what verse 26 says and that is you are NOT announcing the Lord’s death and coming. You’re giving off a completely different appearance of the Lord’s Supper and what it truly means.
28 That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup.
Examine here is the Greek Word dokimazō. It means to test, prove, or scrutinize (to see whether a thing is genuine or not). It means understanding what is genuine in the communion process. That being that you get to announce the truth about the Lord’s death and finished work at the cross each time you partake of the bread and wine. It’s proof of all that the cross has done and it’s worthy to be restated in the taking of communion.
29 For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself.
This makes the point very well. It is not sin that puts you in the unworthy category, it’s partaking in the Lord’s Supper without honoring the body of Christ. Come on. It couldn’t be clearer.
He could have said, For if you eat the bread or drink the cup with unconfessed sin in your life, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself. But He didn’t say that.
Now, I frankly got a bit concerned here when it talked about God’s judgment upon us. So I had a little side discussion with the Holy Ghost and said “I thought there was no judgment left for us other than grace, mercy, kindness, and favor” He said, “You haven’t finished the study yet. Keep going and it will become clear”.
30 That is why many of you are weak and sick and some have even died.
Why are they weak and sick and some have died. Not because of sin, but because they were gluttons and ate it all up, or drank too much wine, or a combination. That’s just my conclusion, but I think it fits with what Paul said earlier. It also fits that if the hungry and needy didn’t get to partake, then the result of that could also lead to weakness, sickness and death. Just saying. The important part is it was not in reference to sin as both the ministries I listened to today tried to portray it.
31 But if we would examine ourselves, we would not be judged by God in this way. 32 Yet when we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned along with the world.
Here’s where the Holy Ghost reminded me of my concern back in verse 29 about God’s judgment. He said “You see, you are not of this world, but you are a child of the Father. So His discipline is correction in the proper WAY of the Kingdom concerning His Supper. He brings you back to right believing gently by correcting you with gentle discipline. Remember? I had the writer of the book of Hebrews put this in there.” Hebrews 12:7,8.
7 It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.
I replied. Oh yeah. Thanks for reminding me. To which He replied, with an accepting smile “that’s what I’m here for. To guide and lead you into all truth”.
33 So, my dear brothers and sisters, when you gather for the Lord’s Supper, wait for each other.
Paul is concluding now. He doesn’t say when you gather together for the Lord’s Supper, make sure you don’t have any sin around. He says, wait for each other.
34 If you are really hungry, eat at home so you won’t bring judgment upon yourselves when you meet together. I’ll give you instructions about the other matters after I arrive.
Need I say anymore. Make certain when anyone comes to you with what feels like a burden, or with a statement like you have to or you need to, that they come to you with scripture first. If they come to you without scripture, just reject what they say out of hand. Tell them to bring the truth of scripture to you. When and if they do, make certain it’s in context. Don’t let them pull a scripture here and a scripture there, putting them together to condemn you into performance. That’s legalism at its finest. Grace and Peace.
40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and... more