Is 1 Corinthians 11:28-29 a dire warning?
- Tony Vance
- Jun 28, 2016
- 5 min read
Christians of many stripes will affirm that Baptism and Communion are the two Christian sacraments or ordinances. I would throw in foot washing (see here), though it could be argued I am claiming it is part of the communion service itself. We, that is to say the Christian community, debate both of these issues. We debate how and when, or even how often (as with communion). Baptism is done one of two ways, generally (and I mean GENERALLY) speaking, either as ‘believer’s baptism’ or ‘infant baptism’. I fall on the side of ‘believer’s’, but recognize that the Paedobaptists (that is, those who baptize infants) have a strong argument from the idea of covenants. This article is not for debating the merits or mistakes of paedobaptism. I want to look at communion. Yet, it isn’t about the usual issues.
Sometimes you will hear the terms communion, the Lord’s Supper, Eucharist, or even breaking bread used interchangeably. Depending upon your denomination or tradition, the terminology will follow from that. Catholics and Protestants have had a serious divide over the essence of it. Catholic theology teaches that the elements, bread and the fruit of the vine, become the ACTUALLY body and blood of Christ. Protestants take a more symbolic approach, that the body and blood of Christ are symbolically represented in the elements. I fall hard to the symbolic side, and have very little sympathy for the Catholic position, though this article is not intended as a criticism for their theology. I really want to tackle the passage most often used in services all over the world in practicing this service, 1 Corinthians 11.
There are two verses in particular, which I was recently asked about. These verses, 28 and 29, are where we will concentrate. To get there we need to look at the context. In the eleventh chapter of 1 Corinthians, Paul begins the discussion on the subject of head covering and prayer. It would seem irrelevant, but I would point you to the summary verse of the first part, 1 Corinthians 11:16 (KJV) “But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.” Paul is clearly transitioning as we see in the verses that follow verse 16. In the next few verses he shows that the church was fellowshipping with a wrong attitude, especially those that had much. Notice here, what he said, 1 Corinthians 11:18 (KJV) “For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.” They were rubbing their excess in the face of those who had little. This prompted Paul to say, 1 Corinthians 11:22 (HCSB) “Don’t you have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you look down on the church of God and embarrass those who have nothing? What should I say to you? Should I praise you? I do not praise you for this!”
This was a problem in the Corinthian church Paul addressed early in this same epistle, 1 Corinthians 1:10 (NLT) “I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.” Some were claiming one faction and others, another. This, as well as many other things, plagued the church there. It manifested itself clearly at the taking of the Lord’s Supper, as we read in verses 17-22 of chapter 11. So this leads us up to the verses in question, verse 28 and 29. First, realize that Paul begins in verse 23 the instructions for the taking of Communion. He actually hearkens back to the night of Jesus’ betrayal and His instituting of the sacrament or ordinance. But I want us to keep in mind that Paul is in reality, dealing with contention and division and the ‘fellowship’ we are to practice as Christians, especially in the taking of the Lord’s Supper.
One of the most common excuses I hear for not taking the Lord’s Supper is based on the passage, 1 Corinthians 11:29 (KJV) “For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.” Of course it gets scarier, 1 Corinthians 11:30 (KJV) “For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.” Paul uses “sleep” here as a euphemism for death. So often some have said, “I’m not worthy to take the Lord’s Supper.” Paul encourages self-reflection, 1 Corinthians 11:28 (KJV) “But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.” I would actually argue that all Christians are ‘worthy’ based upon the righteousness of Christ, 2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV) “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” The question becomes how do we drink and eat (or take the Lord’s Supper) and bring “damnation” upon ourselves? Remember contention, division, and fellowship?
The Corinthians, and many saints today, were standing at the Lord’s Table out of fellowship with their fellow believers. This ‘division’ is dealt with in the later chapters as Paul talks about their contention over spiritual gifts and each person’s place within the body of Christ. Another translation helps us get a grasp of Paul’s emphasis, 1 Corinthians 11:29 (HCSB) “For whoever eats and drinks without recognizing the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself.” What is the “body” we are “recognizing?” It is the fellowship of believers, the church, that we are not ‘discerning’ or ‘recognizing’. Division and contention are a big danger to the vitality and health of a church. Jesus discussed this issue and gave a solution, Matthew 5:23-24 (NLT) “So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, 24 leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.” This should be the issues you are ‘examining’ yourself; contention, division, and/or broken fellowship.
I would actually argue that the context of the passage is claiming that their division and contentions were the reason for the sickness and death. It is possible that Paul was using this in a symbolic way, meaning that the fellowship was ‘sick’ and ‘dying’. Either way, this warning is more for the ones not fellowshipping rather that those that take the Lord’s Supper “unworthily.” As you receive Christ’s body and blood, examine your relationship with those around the table (whether an actual or symbolic one), are you in fellowship or not? This is the true question that should be our concern. Paul commended this same church, in his second letter (or some argue the third), 2 Corinthians 13:11 (ASV) “Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfected; be comforted; be of the same mind; live in peace: and the God of love and peace shall be with you.” This would seem to be good advice for our time at the Lord’s Table.