A Check-Up Regarding Division

1 Corinthians 11:17–34 NIV84

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 When you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, 21 for as you eat, each of you goes ahead without waiting for anybody else. One remains hungry, another gets drunk. 22 Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you for this? Certainly not! 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 Therefore, 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 A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. 31 But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. 32 When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world. 33 So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for each other. 34 If anyone is hungry, he should eat at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment. And when I come I will give further directions.

You Are Not Commended (17a)

Paul’s Instructions

Paul was instructing them on how they should properly be taking the Lord’s Supper.

There isn’t a magical formula. No set amount of times to do it throughout the year.

He’s instructing them because they are abusing something that is supposed to be a wonderful remembrance for the Church.

No Commendation

Paul reminds them of what he said earlier in the letter.

1 Corinthians 1:10–12 NIV84

I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.”

1 Cor.

They are being contentious.

Paul is assigning blame to them.

How does it feel when you are rebuked? We don’t like it.

But if the rebuke is righteous and we want to be righteous, we will accept it, repent, and live according to God’s Word.

Are We Following His Instructions?

An interesting tidbit about the word “instruction” here is that the NIV probably gets it closest because it is translated as “directive.”

This is more than an instruction. When I think of instructions, I think about the thin paper with Chinese lettering that comes with the new grill. You kinda look at it and use it only when you need too.

This word is an “all-encompassing” word. More fully, it means to command, or to give orders.

Paul is saying, “this is how you ARE doing it, but this is how you MUST to it.”

When we read scripture, what do we struggle with?

Is there a hidden sin in our lives that we need to deal with?

Are we picking and choosing what we want scripture to say?

When You Gather It Is For The Worse (17b)

Coming Together

Paul is referring to their worship gatherings here. Not their home fellowships, for coffee, or at the Rose, but regular worship gatherings.

Church, when we come together as a church, it is under the headship of Christ.

He is the bridegroom, and we are the bride.

But Paul says it’s not for the better, but for the worse.

Better or Worse?

When the church gathers, we should be seeing fruit. A progression. Getting better. More holy.

Instead the church at Corinth we getting worse.

Think about coming here to Concord each week.

Can you

Imagine if that overall, everything we did got worse instead of better?

How long to you think you’d stick around?

Can it truly be defined as a church when the people who covenant together are so selfish, that they would spend more time tearing down than building up?

Do We Edify the Lord Through Our Meeting?

Church, how is our spiritual heart when we gather?

Inwardly, do we have an agenda we are trying to push, or are here to worship with our brothers and sisters?

If we could hear one another’s thoughts, would we be embarrassed, or would they glorify the Lord?

Can we say we edify the Lord while we meet?

There Are Divisions (18-19)

What Kind?

We know from earlier in the book that there are divisions in the church.

1 Corinthians 1:11 NIV84

My brothers, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you.

They fought about who baptized them.

1 Corinthians 1:12 NIV84

What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.”

They had class divisions.

1 Corinthians 11:21 NIV84

for as you eat, each of you goes ahead without waiting for anybody else. One remains hungry, another gets drunk.

1 Cor. 11:

The “each of you” here in v.21 is referring to those who have things. They may have been wealthy.

As opposed to “one remains hungry.” The ones with status are eating and drinking everything before the less socially inclined receive anything.

Strong Language

How Do We Work To Curtail Divisions?

You Are Not Eating The Lord’s Supper (20-22)

Selfishness

Attitude Adjustments

Has God Convicted You Of Habitual Sin?

What is habitual sin?

What did it look like to the church at Corinth?

What might it look like in your life?