A Casual Observance with Obvious Consequences

1 Corinthians 11:27-29

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.  A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.  For anyone who eats and drinks without recognising the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgement on himself.

ewer and fewer people today believe the Word of God.  Nowhere is this observation more obvious than in our approach to the Lord's Table.  I am not a judge, but I am able to observe.  I am not an ecclesiastical policeman, but I do witness what transpires within the churches.  I am obligated to warn all who hear me speak each week, addressing the great issues of the Word of God and cautioning all that we must take care to avoid sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.  Merely because centuries separate us from the supernatural judgement of those who shared in Korah's rebellion, or the death of Ananias and Sapphira when they thought to lie to God, we must not think that we may ignore God's warnings in this day.  We are cautioned that we must worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for “our God is a consuming fire [Hebrews 12:28b, 29].  And we are also warned against presuming against the Lord whenever we approach His Table.  Though I issue this grave note of caution with regularity as we meet to observe this continuing ordinance, it is mandatory that we emphasise the cautionary note as we consider the text assigned this evening.

No church in the apostolic era was more gifted than was the Corinthian church; no church in the apostolic era was more self‑centred than was the Corinthian church.  Their failure to focus on the Lord of the church led them to assume an attitude which may only be termed exclusive.  They excluded other Christians within the same local fellowship and demonstrated arrogance toward believers outside the immediate congregation.  This attitude, unchecked and unjudged, caused them to presume against the Lord Himself.  Nowhere was their presumption more evident than in the observance of the continuing ordinance.  For them, the rite served as yet another opportunity to promote personal ambition.  No longer was Communion a time of worship, it was merely another opportunity to promote self while humiliating others.  In short, they had a casual attitude toward the ordinance of the Lord.

Principles for the Lord’s Supper — In chapters ten and eleven of Paul's first letter, I discover several terms used in reference to this continuing ordinance.  He speaks of the cup of thanksgiving [10:16], of the cup of the Lord [10:21a and 11:27], of the Lord's Table [10:21b], and of the Lord's Supper [11:20].  It is of interest to me that in the majority of references to the ordinance, Paul emphasises the Lord's ownership of the act.  The rite is the cup of the Lord, the Lord's Table, the Lord's Supper.  The fact that he has no hesitation to use the possessive should give pause in any rush toward participation in the observance.  If it is His Table, and if it is His cup, then He has the right to invite whom He wills to share in that meal.  I have a universally recognised right to invite whom I will to share a meal with me, restricting those uninvited from participating in sharing the hospitality of my table.  Therefore, it should be no great surprise that the Table of the Lord might have similar restrictions.  The first principle for the Communion Meal, often forgotten or ignored in this day, is that it is Christ's right to invite whom He wills to the Table.

Who is invited to the Lord's Table?  Clearly, from the context, non‑Christians are not invited to share in this commemorative meal.  Since they have not submitted to Christ as Master of life, how can they remember His sacrifice since it was not for them?  Unbelievers and the willingly self‑deluded have no invitation to the Lord's Table.  They neither own His sacrifice for themselves nor participate in the new covenant in His blood; therefore, they have no share in the Table which is spread to remember those very things.

Furthermore, the meal is a church ordinance, restricted to those who have openly identified with Christ through the first ordinance.  Paul, addressing the Corinthians, recognises that the Lord's Table was to be spread [sunercomevnwn uJmw`n ejn ejkklhsiva/] when you come together as a church [v. 18a]… when you meet as a congregation [Goodspeed]… or when your congregation assembles [Conybeare]… or again the ordinance was observed when you assemble as a church [RSV].  It is when you meet in assembly that the ordinance of Communion is to be observed.  The meal is, then, a church ordinance.

If I will honour God, I may not simply gather a few professed Christians together and decide I will have a communion meal.  I have no warrant to serve the meal to a sick or dying saint.  I could not serve the meal to a bride and groom because it is considered a beautiful gesture with which to conclude their wedding ceremony.  The Meal is reserved for the Body assembled, restricted to those who are openly identified as Christians through open identification with the Lord Jesus Christ.

We have received two ordinances—baptism and the Lord’s Supper.  As is true for the first Christian ordinance of baptism, this ordinance of the Lord’s Table was blessed by and instituted among the churches by command of our Lord.  On that night preceding His passion, gathered with His disciples, He forever altered the Passover observance, giving it a fullness of meaning unrealised prior to that time.  Read again Dr. Luke's account of the conclusion of that Pascal Meal.

After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you.  For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”

And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me” [Luke 22:17‑19].

Notice in particular that final imperative which Jesus issued, [D]o this in remembrance of me. These words are the same which the Apostle cites in 1 Corinthians 11:24b and 25b.  Do this in remembrance of me, reminds us of our Lord's purpose for the meal.  We are to remember Him, actively calling to mind His sacrifice because of us.  The meal becomes an act of commemoration—a meal of remembrance—for each of us as we eat it.

Paul teaches us as well that this is a statement of anticipation when he reminds us that whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes [v. 26].  The meal is to continue until our Lord returns.  This is our Lord's own word, recorded both by Luke [Luke 22:18], by Mark [Mark 14:25], and by Matthew [Matthew 26:29].  In each instance recorded, Jesus spoke of a future date when He would again eat the meal with His disciples.  Therefore, at the Lord's Table, we express our anticipation at His return.

Again, by the teaching of the apostle, the Lord's Table provides opportunity to make a statement of communion.  In our older translations, we find the act of sharing in the rite referred to as a communion.  In the translation which many of us employ, we find this observance referred to as a participation [10:16], translated from the Greek word koinwniva, usually translated fellowship.  The meal is, then, a statement of fellowship—fellowship both with the Lord and with His saints.  The principle enshrined and which we are obligated to understand as we share in the meal, is that the Lord's Table is because grace has been conferred, and not to receive grace.

Nowhere in all the Word of God is found so much as a hint that the meal is more than that, and in particular there is no mention that in some way the meal is a means of conferring grace either in whole or in part.  We are not made acceptable to God through sharing in the meal—that is a late addendum by an apostate, or at the least, an apostatising church.  Such a teaching is utterly foreign either to the spirit of the Word or the text of the Word.  Yet, multitudes gather weekly, in observance of a ritual which they suppose makes them acceptable to God, or at the least more holy, ignoring the instruction of the Word of God.

Practise at the Lord’s Table — With one arresting phrase, the Apostle forces us to examine our practise at the Lord's Table.  [W]hoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, rivets attention on our attitude at and our approach to the Lord's Table.  Many reading this verse have assumed that since the word unworthy is an adjective, they are excluded from the Communion Meal.  After all, who among us is worthy to sit at the Lord's Table?  I have actually had people absent themselves from the Communion Table because they were unworthy.

“Pastor,” began one woman, “I'm not worthy to take Communion.”

I knew her to be a Christian, but I nevertheless replied to her statement.  “That's right,” I shot back.  “You are not worthy, but Christ has made provision for you anyway.”  Innately we recognise that we have no inherent goodness to recommend ourselves to God.  We are not worthy.  But for focus is not on our worth, but on our attitude.

In the Greek language, unworthy is an adverb, modifying the compound predicate eats or drinks.  While unworthy is an adjective, notice that it modifies the noun manner and not the pronoun whoever.  For clarity of translation, the translators rendered the adverb by an adverbial phrase; unworthily is translated in an unworthy manner.  Rather than moral quality, it is our manner of life, our attitude toward Christ and the instruction of the Word, which is under scrutiny.  Neither personal worth nor character is in view; our attitude as we approach the Lord's Table is in view.  The question is not “Am I fit to come before the Lord?”  I am not worthy!  The question is whether I hold the proper sense of humility, obedience and reverence as I come before Him to share in His table.

The issue goes back to principles previously enunciated: it is Christ's right to invite whom He wills to His Table or to exclude whom He wills from His Table; the observance of the ordinance is because grace has been conferred, and not to confer grace.  If we hold opinions other than these clearly taught, we err, inviting divine judgement of our attitude.  This is the reason the apostle will insist shortly that a man ought to examine himself.

Our examination must first insure that we belong at the Table, that we are indeed a Christian.  Have you trusted Christ as your Lord?  Is He Master of your life?  Are you saved?  Knowing that we are saved we must insure that we have openly identified with Him, proving obedient in first things and having been baptised as He commanded.  Have you openly proclaimed your faith, identifying through baptism since you believed?  Have you obeyed His command in this first issue of Christian living?  Then, having openly put on the Faith once delivered to the saints, we are responsible to insure that we remember why we come to the Lord's Table.  At this Table we are to focus on Him, remembering His love and His sacrifice for us, renewing our hope as we express our anticipation of His return, confessing our fellowship both with Him and with His people.  This is the Lord's Table.  Examine yourselves.

Punishment for Unworthy Observance — Paul issues a stern warning, if we will but see it.  The issue of judgement may well be the most neglected doctrine in Christian circles today.  Our failure to acknowledge that God does judge is less a mark of our freedom in Christ than it is an example of our wilful ignorance.  Paul is adamant that to eat or drink in an unworthy manner is to invite judgement. 

It may interest you, and it will assuredly be of benefit to you, to know that multiple judgements are mentioned in the Word of God.  Christ was judged in our place at the cross, because of our sinful, helpless condition [Galatians 3:13 and 2 Corinthians 5:21].  There awaits a judgement of believers before the Bema of Christ to reveal all that is commendable in the life of each saint [1 Corinthians 3:10‑15 and 2 Corinthians 5:10].  There is an ultimate judgement of the wicked at the conclusion of the millennial reign of Christ, delivering eternal condemnation of those who would not receive Him as Master of life [John 5:29b and Revelation 20:11‑15].  This is essentially the formal pronouncement of the final condemnation, for even now unbelievers are under the condemnation of God [John 3:18b, 36b].  Sinners are now judged, but shall yet be judged as they are exposed for what they are.  Likewise, the saints have already been judged at the Cross of Christ, but they shall yet be judged as they are revealed for what they are in Christ.

Here Paul speaks of a current self‑examination which each Christian is urged to conduct as he or she comes to the Lord's Table.  Whether we realise it or not we invite the One whose Table it is to judge us each time we come before Him in Communion.  Coming to His Table, we appeal to Him to examine us, judging our attitudes.  I would err in my ministry if I did not caution all who hear me against presuming against the Lord's Table.  When we attempt to force ourselves on the Table or when approach this ordinance with an arrogant attitude seeking personal benefit instead of declaration of those things God has commanded, we sin against the body and blood of the Lord.

When we fail to recognise His ownership and His conditions for approaching Him, we sin against Him.  If we choose to sin against Him, and especially if we know that He is pledged to judge us in our sin, must we not anticipate that He shall indeed judge us?  If we are not His, we are but adding sin to our already great load of sin for which we are even now under judgement.  If we are His, however, we invite His discipline so that we might avoid being judged with the world.

The situation confronting Christians observing the ordinance today is somewhat different from that in the days of the apostle.  Those professing the Faith in that day could not afford to be casual in embracing the Faith.  The appellation Christian was not adopted without knowledge of potential serious consequence.  Recall the apostolic observation that, no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit [1 Corinthians 12:3b].  Those attending the meetings of the congregation were obviously taking a degree of risk.  Therefore, it would have been most unusual for an unbeliever to share in a service of Communion at the time Paul wrote.

Later, when Christianity attained a degree of respectability, those professing faith, though not necessarily possessing faith, began to frequent the meetings of the saints.  In earlier days, baptism was recognised as the distinguishing sign between believers and unbelievers; therefore, the commonly accepted instruction in the church was to insure that no unbaptised person shared in the Eucharist.  We read in The Didache, an ancient work of the post‑apostolic era, these words of instruction.  But let no one eat or drink from your Eucharist except those who are baptised in the Lord's Name.  For the Lord also has spoken concerning this:  “Do not give what is holy to dogs” [The Didache 9:5]. Today, there is no one name by which believers are known, though there is but one doctrine.

In Scripture, I find no warrant to serve as a policeman, scrutinising those who share in our worship, though I was saved in a church which believed and taught that such was their responsibility.  I would feel compelled to exclude those under discipline of the church, primarily for their own sake; but I find no command to exclude believers who are not part of our particular body from this meal.  At the same time, I am constrained to warn in the strongest possible language against profaning the Lord's Table through ignoring what He Himself has said through His holy apostle.  I am very careful to warn that the Lord is holy, and that He shall judge according to His holiness as we present ourselves before Him.

If we sin against Him, presuming against His Word, what will He do?  Those words which follow should give us pause.  For anyone who eats and drinks without recognising the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgement on himself.  That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep [vv. 29, 30].  Those are chilling words.  The attitude most frequently demonstrated today has revealed an air of disbelief concerning these words.  Do you believe God has spoken the truth?  Knowing His warning, will you truly challenge Him?  Have you examined yourself?

These truths I have spoken in your presence, not to exclude anyone from the Lord's Table, but to provide sound, biblical instruction for everyone.  We see the instruction and warnings provided, not as that which would rob us of joy, but as that given to insure our joy.  When we know that we are in a right standing, that our motives are correct and that we revere and honour the Lord, there is a freedom to approach His Table.  As the apostle John has said, perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment [1 John 4:18a], and This is love for God: to obey his commands [1 John 5:3a].  Confidence arises out of love; and where there is confidence, there is freedom.  That sense of freedom cannot be worked up or prayed down, but it is the result of confidence given by the Holy Spirit as we, in love, obey the Lord.  Amen.