Guilty Concerning the Body and Blood of the Lord
Notes
Transcript
Guilty Concerning the Body and Blood of the Lord
Guilty Concerning the Body and Blood of the Lord
Very few statements are more crushing and heartbreaking than to be told one is “guilty”. The one exception might be when the sentence or penalty is pronounced.
Here the Apostle Paul explained the conditions under which those eating the bread and drinking the cup would be guilty.
The condition that makes one guilty is eating unworthily, in an unworthy manner. All translations agree on the word “unworthy”. That is encouraging.
So what might Paul mean by “sinning against the body and blood of the Lord?
Could mean sinning against those who were part of that local body of Christ.
Could mean sin against the New Covenant, which the Lord’s Supper represents.
In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
Both of these would be valid.
The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The First Letter to the Corinthians iii. Warnings and Instructions to Correct the Abuses at the Lord’s Supper, 11:27–34
To worship Christ in a way that shows disrespect toward those who are have been “united with the Lord,” have become “one with him in spirit” (6:17), and who share or participate in his body and blood (10:16) is to sin not just against them but also against the covenant reaffirmed in the meal, against the Lord of the meal and of those brothers and sisters in Christ.
The context of this portion of Paul’s provides us insight in what he probably meant by eating in an unworthy manner. When we consider that which would make us guilty, we must not, dare not consider only one aspect of what Paul explained and then conclude that we are worthy and therefore not guilty.
It is even more encouraging that we are not left to our own devices or a commentary in order to understand what Paul probably meant by eating in an unworthy manner. When we consider that which would make us guilty, we must not, dare not consider only one aspect and then conclude that we are worthy and therefore not guilty.
To avoid guilt with regard to the Lord’s Supper, we must:
Partake of this bread and cup being careful to avoid affirming idols and demons - ,
For those of whose Bibles have section headings, most of us have “Warning against idolatry” . Some others are more direct, “Do not be idolaters” 10:6 or “Flee from idolatry” - 10:14.
About this time the believers in Corinth were asking - “Why are you warning us about idols?” We remember the 10 Commandments . We remember,
“You shall have no other gods before me.
“You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
Ex
- We would probably say the same thing. How does this apply to us.
Please consider Paul’s explanation.
At the outset, we need to remember that “the most serious problem in the Corinthian church was worldliness, an unwillingness to divorce themselves from the culture around them.” (MacArthur Study Bible)
Knowing God, being His people, enjoying His care, understanding the source that care even today does not = God being please with us - 10:1-5 - with most of them God was not well pleased.
Trusting in God’s faithfulness does not guarantee that we are not vulnerable to temptation. The examples given by Paul might not catch us off guard but we need to remember that we all have an Achilles’ heal as far as temptation. To those who affirm that they stand and are strong, Paul would plead,
Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.
1 Cor 10:
Paul first warned them not to indulge in sexual immorality.
The example that referred to was recorded in .
The Israelites were invited to the Moabites to sacrifice to their Gods
Moses’ account was graphic.
While Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab. These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods.
God commanded Moses to command the judges to have all of those yoked themselves with Baal - those who died 24,000. In one 23,000 of the 24,000 were killed.
Most today would say that God was too narrow and vindictive, not too worry, there are no Baal worship to tempt us today. That’s probably true but there are those who worship others gods or no god.
There are many idols that can lead to sexual immorality.
Economic
Companionship
Acceptance
Security
Internet - dating sites, pornography
Other believers - living together okay as long as committed
THEREFORE MY BELOVED, FLEE FROM IDOLATRY - whatever you are tempted to worship. Whatever you worship - recreation, fitness, food, independence, education, certain doctrines, certain topics, societies etc.
When we gather for the Lord’s Supper, the body and the blood are not part of an eclectic buffet to which we can pick and choose and so doing suggest that Jesus Christ is only one of the lords that I serve. THERE IS ONLY ONE BODY AND BLOOD . If are part of the body of Christ and come to remember we dare not be part of other relationships that set up idols in our lives.
Pastors, churches even theologies can be idols.
YOU ASK ME IF YOU HAVE AN IDOL OTHER THAN CHRIST. I WOULD ASK YOU, “WHAT DO YOU TALK ABOUT MOST?” IF YOU TALK ABOUT ANYTHING MORE CHRIST, I WOULD SUGGEST TO YOU THAT WHAT YOU TALK ABOUT HAS BECOME YOUR IDOL.
Allowing idols to be set up, settle down in our lives create slippery slopes. In Paul’s day, most idol worship involved sacrifices and meals. Centuries have passed and all idols today aren’t made out stone or metal. But multitudes still sacrifice to idols. They sacrifice money, time, relationships. family, daily time with the Lord, testimony, a day of rest, gathering with other believers.
When that happens, even some believers set aside times to worship and remember when they first they allowed that idols to slip into their lives.
They eat to it, they drink to it and they bow to it without really realizing that it has claimed as much or more prominence than Christ the Lord.
When that has been allowed to happen and the idol(s) are not cut down and thrown out, the one who innocently allowed something to become an idol is not worthy and become guilty of the body and blood of Christ.
2. Carefully weigh our liberty in Christ -
3. Honour God by living as under authority -
4. Be impartial to other believers and unbelievers -