1 Corinthians 11:23 (ESV)
For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread,
Paul is writing to the church at Corinth, who at best, were great examples of how not to do something in faith. We have to love the genuineness of the Bible. Rather than just give us stories and reports of successes, the Word of God bares it all. The Holy Spirit crafted the message for the Church with the stories of success AND failure. The believers in this church had some great victories, but they are also the leading candidates for the hall of shame. Imagine a marketing strategy for a business in our society today taking this same approach. Telling us all the good about their product but also all the bad. God’s Word is so, so unique.
In the above verse we come to a place where Paul is now correcting how the church at Corinth was abusing the Lord’s Table (Communion; The Eucharist). They had turned the celebration of the Last Supper with Jesus into a disjointed, separated dinner time to please their own factions and feelings. He had just stated:
1 Corinthians 11:18-22 (ESV)
For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part, for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized. When you come together, it is not the Lord's supper that you eat. For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk. What! Do you not have houses 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 commend you in this? No, I will not.
Now he wants to set them straight on how to observe the Lord Table. There are three points in this verse that might be well to observe and learn something about in regard to both Paul’s purpose and his ministry in particular.
1. Paul was anxious to get it right. Paul had no thoughts that “you do it your way and I will do it my way.” He was anxious to assure that the church had explicit commands carried out (direct statements about believer’s life and conduct) or implicit teachers (implied principles to live our lives by). We live in an era of Christianity where we can “do it” anyway we want as long as it feels good and looks like love. Paul was not afraid to lay down standards.
2. Paul’s number one standard and/or priority was to make sure what Jesus had taught him, he would teach. Paul was not an originals Apostle. But, on the Damascus road and subsequent encounter with the risen Lord, he had been given revelation for the Church. He was not about to allow the church to live contrary to that teaching he received.
3. He wanted to take them back to a time that would not just authoritative to them (coming from Jesus) but to a time that would be the most meaningful to them. The historical fact of the Last Supper is a reality. We have four major books that record it, from four different authors. That is more eye witness testimony that a lot of the history we just take for granted. Men and women go to jail on less eye witness accounts.
But, this is not about the historical fact of the Last Supper that Paul is writing about. This is about the “personal” aspect of the Lord Table. This is, yes, an historical story. But, the Lord’s Table is a personal moment for the believer, as well. No, we are not actually eating part of Jesus’ body or actually drinking his blood. We are, however, memorializing it as a personal reminder that God sent His Son to die on the cross for us. Paul didn’t want the Table to be a common pot-luck dinner for the Church. He wanted them to realize that this was THE time to come together as a Body of Believers and celebrate what Jesus had done for them. The church at Corinth had trivialize this moment, this memorial. Paul was not about to let them turn it into their own private party. Like most things these believers missed the mark. Paul wanted them to know he knew it and would not allow it.
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