1 Corinthians 11:17-34

Summary
In today’s reading, Paul instructed the Corinthians to walk in unity as the body of Christ. He urged the people to treat one another with brotherly loving kindness as the family of God.
Paul expressed concern on learning the divisions and factions between the haves and haves not. He warns believers to desist from humiliating the humble amongst them.
Nevertheless, Paul did not tolerate what was socially acceptable in ancient Corinth
Paul urges the Corinthians to remember the death of Christ by partaking of the bread and the cup. ” The Lord’s Supper is God’s way of getting us to keep the cross of Christ central in the life of the church
Paul warns us against abusing the Lord’s Supper, he urged us to examine ourselves before partaking in the communion. It is important we take the communion worthily to avoid judgement.

LIFE APPLICATION
Our life should be guided by God’s standard. Our fellowship with our brethren should be on the ground of equity, togetherness and love. Disunity will bring about dis-functionality of the church. The Church will lack God’s presence when fellowship is not genuine.

PERSONAL DECLARATION
I chose to align myself with the true purpose of the Lord . As I take the communion, I do so with a clean heart

Reading – 1 Corinthians 11:17-34

Correcting an Abuse of the Lord’s Supper

¹⁷ In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. ¹⁸ In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. ¹⁹ No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval. ²⁰ So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, ²¹ for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers. As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk. ²² Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God by humiliating those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? Certainly not in this matter!

²³ For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night 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, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” ²⁶ For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

²⁷ So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. ²⁸ Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. ²⁹ For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. ³⁰ That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. ³¹ But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment. ³² Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world.

³³ So then, my brothers and sisters, when you gather to eat, you should all eat together. ³⁴ Anyone who is hungry should eat something at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment.

And when I come I will give further directions.