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1 Corinthians 11:17-22 – Paul admonishes them about a sin that they were committing when they come together for a “love feast.” The early church celebrated a feast meal prior to communion. They also had the Lord’s Supper at least weekly (if we understand correctly).
Paul is correcting them for selfishness and for lack of love. In this correction, Paul is correcting the tendency to create groups or classes of people in a church. Perhaps the rich and the poor, or the have and have nots or any other division that violates the broken body and shed blood of Christ.
Christ came to address everyone’s sins and needs. He came to form all into one body. This is only possible if we have the same attitude of self-giving and love that Jesus had in His death.
1 Corinthians 11:23-26 – Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper the same night that He was betrayed. Just as the Passover celebrated deliverance from slavery in Egypt. The Lord’s Supper is a celebration of deliverance from Satan and sin and everything that is against God’s Kingdom.
Christ offered His body as a sacrifice for our redemption. This is what we are remembering. Christ bore our sins and suffered unto death for our sins. Paul says that the “cup” is the covenant between God and humans, ratified by the blood that Christ shed.
The bread and cup remind us of Christ’s broken body and shed blood, freely offered on our behalf.
1 Corinthians 11:27-34 – Christ invites all to examine themselves and then to come and eat the bread, and drink the cup.
What does it mean to “eat unworthily” for what purpose are we to “examine ourselves?” Christ shed His blood for all people, even those who have not. Eating selfishly and viewing others as possibly “less redeemed.” Another way to eat unworthily is to not place the proper value on the blood and body of Christ.
As we commune let us remember all of Christ’s work on our behalf.