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1 Corinthians 11:26
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Context
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Carter Conlon
Bakht Singh
Charles AndersonBakht Singh
Stephen Kaung
G.W. NorthSummary
Commentary
- Adam Clarke
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
- Tyndale
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
Ye do show the Lord's death - As in the passover they showed forth the bondage they had been in, and the redemption they had received from it; so in the eucharist they showed forth the sacrificial death of Christ, and the redemption from sin derived from it.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
For--in proof that the Lord's Supper is "in remembrance" of Him. show--announce publicly. The Greek does not mean to dramatically represent, but "ye publicly profess each of you, the Lord has died FOR ME" [WAHL]. This word, as "is" in Christ's institution (Co1 11:24-25), implies not literal presence, but a vivid realization, by faith, of Christ in the Lord's Supper, as a living person, not a mere abstract dogma, "bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh" (Eph 5:30; compare Gen 2:23); and ourselves "members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones," "our sinful bodies made clean by His body (once for all offered), and our souls washed through His most precious blood" [Church of England Prayer Book]. "Show," or "announce," is an expression applicable to new things; compare "show" as to the Passover (Exo 13:8). So the Lord's death ought always to be fresh in our memory; compare in heaven, Rev 5:6. That the Lord's Supper is in remembrance of Him, implies that He is bodily absent, though spiritually present, for we cannot be said to commemorate one absent. The fact that we not only show the Lord's death in the supper, but eat and drink the pledges of it, could only be understood by the Jews, accustomed to such feasts after propitiatory sacrifices, as implying our personal appropriation therein of the benefits of that death. till he come--when there shall be no longer need of symbols of His body, the body itself being manifested. The Greek expresses the certainly of His coming. Rome teaches that we eat Christ present corporally, "till He come" corporally; a contradiction in terms. The showbread, literally, "bread of the presence," was in the sanctuary, but not in the Holiest Place (Heb 9:1-8); so the Lord's Supper in heaven, the antitype to the Holiest Place, shall be superseded by Christ's own bodily presence; then the wine shall be drunk "anew" in the Father's kingdom, by Christ and His people together, of which heavenly banquet, the Lord's Supper is a spiritual foretaste and specimen (Mat 26:29). Meantime, as the showbread was placed anew, every sabbath, on the table before the Lord (Lev 24:5-8); so the Lord's death was shown, or announced afresh at the Lord's table the first day of every week in the primitive Church. We are now "priests unto God" in the dispensation of Christ's spiritual presence, antitypical to the HOLY PLACE: the perfect and eternal dispensation, which shall not begin till Christ's coming, is antitypical to the HOLIEST PLACE, which Christ our High Priest alone in the flesh as yet has entered (Heb 9:6-7); but which, at His coming, we, too, who are believers, shall enter (Rev 7:15; Rev 21:22). The supper joins the two closing periods of the Old and the New dispensations. The first and second comings are considered as one coming, whence the expression is not "return," but "come" (compare, however, Joh 14:3).
John Gill Bible Commentary
Wherefore,.... Since this is the plain institution of the Lord's supper, the form and manner of administering of it; and since the bread and wine in it are representations of the body and blood of Christ, and the design of the whole is to remember Christ, and show forth his death; it follows, that whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. The bread and cup are called the bread and cup of the Lord; because ate and drank in remembrance of him, being symbols of his body and of his blood, though not they themselves; these may be eaten and drank "unworthily", when they are eaten and drank by unworthy persons, in an unworthy manner, and to unworthy ends and purposes. The Lord's supper may be taken unworthily, when it is partook of by unworthy persons. This sense is confirmed by the Syriac version, which renders it , "and is not fit for it", or is unworthy of it, and so the Ethiopic version; now such are all unregenerate persons, for they have no spiritual life in them, and therefore cannot eat and drink in a spiritual sense; they have no spiritual light, and therefore cannot discern the Lord's body; they have no spiritual taste and relish, no spiritual hungerings and thirstings, nor any spiritual appetite, and can receive no spiritual nourishment, or have any spiritual communion with Christ: and so are all such persons, who, though they may profess to be penitent ones, and believers in Christ, and to have knowledge of him, and love to him; and yet they have not true repentance, neither do they bring forth fruits meet for it, and so as they are improper subjects of baptism, they are unworthy of the Lord's table; nor have they faith in Christ, at least only an historical one, and so cannot by faith eat the flesh, and drink the blood of the Son of God, nor perform the ordinance in a way well pleasing to God; nor have they any spiritual knowledge of Christ, only what is speculative and notional, and so cannot discern the Lord's body; nor any real love to him, and therefore very improper persons to feed on a feast of love; nor can they affectionately remember Christ, or do what they do from a principle of love to him, and therefore must be unworthy receivers: as likewise are all such professors, whose lives and conversations are not as become the Gospel of Christ; such crucify Christ afresh, and put him to open shame, and are therefore unfit to show forth his crucifixion and death; they bring a reproach on the Gospel and ordinances of Christ, and cause his name, and ways, and truths to be blasphemed, and grieve the members of the churches of Christ, and therefore ought not to be admitted to the table of the Lord: indeed, no man is in himself worthy of such an ordinance, none but those whom Christ has made so by the implantation of his grace, and the imputation of his righteousness; and whom he, though unworthy in themselves, invites and encourages to come to this ordinance, and to eat and drink abundantly. Moreover, this ordinance may be attended upon in an unworthy manner; as when it is partook of ignorantly, persons not knowing the nature, use, and design of it; or irreverently, as it was by many of the Corinthians, and it is to be feared by many others, who have not that reverence of the majesty of Christ, in whose presence they are, and who is both the author and subject of the ordinance; or without faith, and the exercise of it on Christ, the bread of life, and water of life; or unthankfully, when there is no grateful sense of the love of God in the gift of his Son, nor of the love of Christ, in giving himself an offering and sacrifice for sin; or when this feast is kept with the leaven of malice and wickedness, and with want of brotherly love, bearing an ill will to, or hatred of, any of the members of the church, To all which may be added, that this bread and cup are ate and drank unworthily, when they are partook of to unworthy ends and purposes; as to qualify for any secular employment, and to gain any worldly advantage; or to be seen of men, and to be thought to be devotional and religious persons; or to commemorate anything besides Christ; as the "judaizing" Corinthians did the "paschal" lamb; or to procure eternal life and happiness thereby, fancying that the participation of this ordinance gives a meetness for, and a right to glory: now such unworthy eaters and drinkers are "guilty of the body and blood" of the Lord; not in such sense as Judas, Pontius Pilate, and the people of the Jews were, who were concerned in the crucifixion of his body, and shedding of his blood, the guilt of which lies upon them, and they must answer for another day; nor in such sense as apostates from the faith, who, after they have received the knowledge of the truth, deny it, and Christ, the Saviour; and so crucify him afresh, and put him to open shame, count the blood of the covenant a common or unholy thing, and tread under foot the Son of God; at least, not every unworthy receiver of the Lord's supper is guilty in this sense; though there might be some among the Corinthians, and is the reason of this awful expression, who looked upon the body and blood of Christ as common things, and made no more account of them than of the body and blood of the passover lamb; but in a lower sense, every unworthy communicant, or that eats and drinks unworthily, may be said to be guilty of the body and blood of Christ, inasmuch as he sins against, and treats in an injurious manner, an ordinance which is a symbol and representation of these things; for what reflects dishonour upon that, reflects dishonour on the body and blood of Christ, signified therein.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
11:26 In taking the Lord’s Supper, Christians proclaim the saving significance of the Lord’s death to those around them until he comes again (see 1:7-8; cp. 1 Thes 1:9-10; 3:12; 4:13-18; 5:23).
1 Corinthians 11:26
Sharing in the Lord’s Supper
25In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”26For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
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(1 Peter - Part 31): Christian's Trial and His Committal
By A.W. Tozer9.3K26:07TrialsMAT 6:331CO 11:261TI 2:41PE 1:22JUD 1:20In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of holding onto correct doctrine and teaching the truth as it is. He encourages believers to build themselves up in their faith and not rely solely on external sources for their spiritual growth. The speaker also highlights the need to acknowledge and accept the reality of God's creation, both in the physical and spiritual realms. He urges believers to remain steadfast in their faith and not give in to the pressures of the world or compromise with false teachings. Overall, the sermon emphasizes the importance of staying true to God's word and standing firm in the face of opposition.
The Broken Body of Christ
By Carter Conlon1.6K50:30EZK 34:1MAT 26:39ROM 12:11CO 11:26In this sermon, the preacher addresses the issue of false shepherds in Israel who are exploiting the people for their own gain. He quotes from Ezekiel 34, where God condemns these shepherds for not feeding the flock and instead feeding themselves. The preacher emphasizes that God is fed up with these charlatans and is going to send a word to deliver His people from their grip. He also highlights the importance of true shepherds who seek the lost, heal the sick, and strengthen the weak, contrasting them with the selfish and cruel leaders.
Worship and Lord's Table - Part 2
By Bakht Singh1.2K46:00CommunionMAT 5:11ROM 8:181CO 11:26PHP 1:6COL 1:271PE 4:13REV 22:12In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes that Jesus Christ has become our spiritual food and our source of life through faith. He highlights that Jesus is not only our boss but also our wisdom and righteousness. The preacher encourages believers to come together in the name of Jesus, as the Lord has promised to be present among them. He also emphasizes the importance of confessing and making things right before God, so that believers can experience true peace and rest. The sermon concludes with a reminder of God's promises and the imminent return of Jesus Christ.
The Lord's Return
By Charles Anderson98100:00Second ComingPRO 16:24PRO 27:17ISA 53:5MAT 5:13MAT 6:33JHN 14:21CO 11:26In this sermon, the speaker shares a story about a substitute teacher who asked a question about the walls of Jericho and a student confidently volunteered to knock them down. The speaker then transitions to discussing signs that indicate the nearness of the tribulation period. He recommends a book by Charles Colson called "Against the Night" which highlights the corruption and potential collapse of Western civilization. The speaker also emphasizes the importance of paying attention to what is happening in Israel, as it relates to God's covenant people. Additionally, the speaker mentions the increasing ignorance of the word of God in general society as a preparation for the great tribulation period.
Worship and Lord's Table - Part 6
By Bakht Singh85021:58CommunionPSA 44:4PSA 145:13DAN 2:44MAT 6:331CO 11:261TI 1:19REV 21:27In this sermon delivered by Lord Sarvant, the message focuses on the importance of examining ourselves and searching our hearts as we begin a new year. The Lord's table, symbolized by the bread and cup, is ordained by Jesus Christ to keep us pure and ready for His second coming. The sermon references Psalm 145:13 and Daniel's prophecy of the rise and fall of great world kingdoms. The overall message emphasizes the need to be wise, stand for God with a good conscience, and be prepared for the day of glory when Jesus returns.
Celebrate the Lord
By Stephen Kaung74911:12PSA 111:1MAT 6:331CO 11:261TH 5:18HEB 10:24REV 5:11In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of celebrating the Lord's table and remembering the finished work of Christ. He encourages believers to share their personal experiences and testimonies of how Jesus has impacted their lives. The preacher urges the congregation not to be self-centered but to focus on exalting and appreciating Jesus during the celebration. He compares the believers' love for Jesus to the Shulamite's love for her beloved in the Song of Songs, highlighting the uniqueness and beauty of their relationship with Christ.
We Have Fellowship
By G.W. North0CommunionFellowshipMAT 26:26JHN 6:51JHN 15:12ACT 2:42ROM 12:51CO 10:161CO 11:26HEB 10:241PE 2:91JN 1:3G.W. North emphasizes the profound significance of Communion as a representation of both Christ's sacrifice and the Church's unity. He explains that through the act of breaking bread, believers proclaim their shared identity as a broken yet whole body, reflecting on Christ's death and their own spiritual journey. North highlights the teachings of Peter and John, illustrating that true fellowship with one another stems from fellowship with the Father and the Son. The sermon underscores that Communion is not only a remembrance but also the foundation of the priesthood and a central theme in the New Testament. Ultimately, it calls believers to walk in the light to maintain their communion with God and each other.
The New Israel's Passover
By T. Austin-Sparks0The Lord's TableSpiritual VictoryEXO 12:13MAT 26:26JHN 12:31JHN 17:16ROM 8:11CO 11:26COL 2:15HEB 12:231PE 1:18REV 5:9T. Austin-Sparks emphasizes the significance of the Lord's Table as the new Israel's Passover, highlighting its universal presence in Christianity and the danger of losing its profound meaning. He explains that the Lord's Supper represents not only what Christ has done for us but also the implications of our participation in His victory over evil. The sermon draws parallels between the Passover in Exodus and the Lord's Table, illustrating how the blood of the Passover Lamb signifies our deliverance from judgment and our identity as the Church of the First-born. Sparks urges believers to recognize their separation from the world and the Lord's absolute authority in their lives as they partake in the communion. He calls for a deeper spiritual understanding of the Lord's Table, reminding us of our commitment to Christ and the victory we celebrate.
Considerations on the Nature & Unity of the Church of Christ
By John Nelson Darby0Unity in the ChurchSpiritual CommunionISA 43:10MAL 3:16LUK 12:36JHN 11:52JHN 17:21ROM 12:11CO 11:26GAL 3:28EPH 4:3PHP 2:2John Nelson Darby emphasizes the importance of the unity of the Church of Christ, arguing that true communion among believers transcends denominational differences and is rooted in the Spirit of God. He points out that the current state of division among professing Christians hinders the manifestation of the Church's true nature and purpose, which is to reflect the glory of Christ. Darby calls for believers to focus on their common identity in Christ and to remove barriers that prevent unity, urging them to witness to the world through their love and shared faith. He stresses that the unity of the Church is not about formal affiliations but about spiritual oneness in Christ, which is essential for the Church to fulfill its mission. Ultimately, he challenges believers to seek the glory of the Lord and to act in accordance with His will to achieve true unity.
Prophetic Poems by Horatius Bonar
By Arno Clemens Gaebelein0PSA 30:51CO 11:261TH 4:16REV 22:20Arno Clemens Gaebelein preaches about eagerly anticipating the day when shadows will flee away, urging believers to remain steadfast in faith and love, keeping their focus on Christ amidst life's challenges and chaos. The sermon emphasizes the longing for Christ's return to establish His reign on earth, reminding believers to stay faithful and obedient to His will. Gaebelein also highlights the importance of remembering Christ's sacrifice, resurrection, and the promise of His second coming, encouraging believers to partake in the communion with anticipation and joy.
The Lord's Supper. Cont.
By George Cutting0GEN 40:23ACT 20:71CO 11:261CO 11:281PE 2:5REV 1:6George Cutting preaches about the importance of partaking in the Lord's supper with reverence and gratitude, reflecting on the sacrifice of Jesus and eagerly anticipating His return. He highlights the neglect and ingratitude shown by some towards this sacred act, contrasting it with the deep love and sacrifice of Christ. Cutting emphasizes the need for self-judgment before partaking in the Lord's supper, acknowledging our unworthiness and focusing on the worthiness of Christ who died for us.
Holy Days Observed in the English Church
By J.H. Newman0DEU 27:26LUK 18:13ACT 13:31CO 11:26HEB 12:2J.H. Newman preaches about the Holy days observed by the Church of England, categorizing them into Festivals, days of joy, and fasts, days of sorrow. The Festivals include significant events like the Nativity of our Lord, Easter Day, Ascension Day, and Trinity Sunday, each commemorating crucial aspects of Christ's life and victory over darkness. The sermon also highlights the importance of fasting before certain festivals to prepare our hearts for the joyful celebrations and to remember the struggles and sufferings of the saints and apostles. Additionally, the sermon emphasizes the significance of Ember Days and the practice of fasting on Fridays throughout the year to reflect on Christ's sacrifice and love for us.
The True Starting Point of Enquiry
By W.H. Griffith Thomas0MAT 16:21JHN 6:511CO 2:131CO 11:26W.H. Griffith Thomas preaches on the significance of the Lord Jesus Christ's death and His promised return, emphasizing how these two events are intricately linked and form the foundation of Christian faith and hope. He highlights the sad reality of how the Lord's Supper, meant to be a symbol of love, unity, and hope, has been marred by controversy and division within the Church over the centuries. Thomas urges a return to the original institution of the Lord's Supper as outlined in the New Testament, emphasizing the importance of understanding its true meaning and adhering to it faithfully to foster unity and peace within the Church.
The Lord's Supper in the Epistles
By W.H. Griffith Thomas0JHN 14:15ROM 12:61CO 10:161CO 11:261CO 11:29HEB 10:22HEB 13:10W.H. Griffith Thomas delves into the significance of the Lord's Supper as described in 1 Corinthians 10:14–22 and 1 Corinthians 11:23–29. St. Paul emphasizes the importance of Christians being separated from idol feasts and highlights the communion of the body and blood of Christ during the Lord's Supper. The Lord's Supper is portrayed as a sacrificial meal, not a sacrifice, and is a remembrance of Christ's death. Self-examination, discerning the Lord's body, and anticipation of His Second Coming are crucial aspects of partaking in the Lord's Supper.
Summary of New Testament Teaching
By W.H. Griffith Thomas0LUK 22:19JHN 6:531CO 10:161CO 11:231CO 11:26W.H. Griffith Thomas emphasizes the significance of the Holy Supper, highlighting its simplicity and spiritual meaning. The ordinance is a remembrance of Christ's sacrifice, calling believers to recall His death and partake in the benefits through faith. Participation in the Lord Jesus Christ is essential, symbolized through the bread and wine. The Supper also signifies unity among believers, confession of faith, and anticipation of Christ's return, encapsulating the Gospel message in a tangible way.
Homily 3 on Ephesians
By St. John Chrysostom0PSA 128:31CO 1:251CO 11:26EPH 1:15COL 3:1John Chrysostom preaches about the importance of understanding the blessings and power available to believers through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. He emphasizes the need for spiritual wisdom and revelation to grasp the hope of God's calling and the riches of His glory. Chrysostom highlights the exalted position of Christ, seated at the right hand of God, far above all rule and authority, emphasizing the significance of Christ as the Head of the Church. He urges believers to approach the Eucharist with purity and reverence, reminding them of the great honor and responsibility of partaking in the body and blood of Christ.
Homily 21 on the Acts of the Apostles
By St. John Chrysostom0MRK 14:21ACT 9:261CO 11:261TI 2:1HEB 13:16John Chrysostom preaches on the conversion of Saul, highlighting the fear and disbelief of the disciples towards him, the role of Barnabas in bringing Saul to the Apostles, and the transformation of Saul from a persecutor to a disciple. Chrysostom delves into the significance of Paul's journey and interactions, emphasizing the need for humility, forbearance, and the power of witnessing for Christ boldly. He reflects on the miraculous healings performed by Peter in Lydda and Joppa, showcasing the power of faith and the impact of these miracles on the communities. Chrysostom also discusses the importance of almsgiving, prayers for the departed, and the commemoration of martyrs during the celebration of the Eucharist.
The Fact of the Redeemer's Return
By A.W. Pink0Hope and AnticipationThe Second Coming of ChristZEC 14:4MAL 4:2JHN 14:3ACT 1:11ROM 5:201CO 11:262CO 5:211TH 4:16HEB 10:37REV 22:20A.W. Pink emphasizes the certainty of the Redeemer's return, outlining three key facts from the New Testament: Christ's first coming, the Holy Spirit's presence, and the promise of His return. He explains that Christ's return will occur in two stages: first, to gather His saints, and second, to establish His kingdom on earth. Pink highlights the significance of this promise for both the church and the world, urging believers to await this glorious event with hope and anticipation. He draws parallels between the lives of Joseph and Solomon as types of Christ's return, illustrating the fulfillment of God's promises throughout Scripture.
The Passover
By Henry Law0EXO 12:11ISA 53:7MAT 25:6JHN 1:29JHN 19:361CO 5:71CO 11:26HEB 9:141PE 1:19REV 19:7Henry Law preaches on the significance of the Lord's Passover, reflecting on the night of Israel's deliverance from Egypt's bondage. The sermon emphasizes the importance of trusting in God's promises for ultimate triumph and redemption. It vividly describes the contrasting experiences of Egypt's despair and Israel's protected joy during that fateful night, pointing to Jesus as the ultimate sacrificial Lamb appointed for salvation. The sermon urges believers to partake in Christ fully, embracing His sacrifice, purity, and strength, and to live in repentance and sincerity, always prepared for His return.
The Prints of the Nails
By J.W. McGarvey0MAT 18:20JHN 20:271CO 11:26HEB 9:22REV 19:12J.W. McGarvey preaches about the profound significance of the prints of the nails in Jesus' hands as a symbol of His enduring physical agony and ultimate sacrifice for our redemption. The hymn mentioned reflects on the deep gratitude and praise that will flow from our hearts in heaven as we recognize Jesus by the marks of His suffering. McGarvey emphasizes the importance of partaking in communion to remember and honor Jesus' suffering, uniting with believers worldwide in this sacred act of love and remembrance.
- Adam Clarke
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
- Tyndale
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
Ye do show the Lord's death - As in the passover they showed forth the bondage they had been in, and the redemption they had received from it; so in the eucharist they showed forth the sacrificial death of Christ, and the redemption from sin derived from it.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
For--in proof that the Lord's Supper is "in remembrance" of Him. show--announce publicly. The Greek does not mean to dramatically represent, but "ye publicly profess each of you, the Lord has died FOR ME" [WAHL]. This word, as "is" in Christ's institution (Co1 11:24-25), implies not literal presence, but a vivid realization, by faith, of Christ in the Lord's Supper, as a living person, not a mere abstract dogma, "bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh" (Eph 5:30; compare Gen 2:23); and ourselves "members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones," "our sinful bodies made clean by His body (once for all offered), and our souls washed through His most precious blood" [Church of England Prayer Book]. "Show," or "announce," is an expression applicable to new things; compare "show" as to the Passover (Exo 13:8). So the Lord's death ought always to be fresh in our memory; compare in heaven, Rev 5:6. That the Lord's Supper is in remembrance of Him, implies that He is bodily absent, though spiritually present, for we cannot be said to commemorate one absent. The fact that we not only show the Lord's death in the supper, but eat and drink the pledges of it, could only be understood by the Jews, accustomed to such feasts after propitiatory sacrifices, as implying our personal appropriation therein of the benefits of that death. till he come--when there shall be no longer need of symbols of His body, the body itself being manifested. The Greek expresses the certainly of His coming. Rome teaches that we eat Christ present corporally, "till He come" corporally; a contradiction in terms. The showbread, literally, "bread of the presence," was in the sanctuary, but not in the Holiest Place (Heb 9:1-8); so the Lord's Supper in heaven, the antitype to the Holiest Place, shall be superseded by Christ's own bodily presence; then the wine shall be drunk "anew" in the Father's kingdom, by Christ and His people together, of which heavenly banquet, the Lord's Supper is a spiritual foretaste and specimen (Mat 26:29). Meantime, as the showbread was placed anew, every sabbath, on the table before the Lord (Lev 24:5-8); so the Lord's death was shown, or announced afresh at the Lord's table the first day of every week in the primitive Church. We are now "priests unto God" in the dispensation of Christ's spiritual presence, antitypical to the HOLY PLACE: the perfect and eternal dispensation, which shall not begin till Christ's coming, is antitypical to the HOLIEST PLACE, which Christ our High Priest alone in the flesh as yet has entered (Heb 9:6-7); but which, at His coming, we, too, who are believers, shall enter (Rev 7:15; Rev 21:22). The supper joins the two closing periods of the Old and the New dispensations. The first and second comings are considered as one coming, whence the expression is not "return," but "come" (compare, however, Joh 14:3).
John Gill Bible Commentary
Wherefore,.... Since this is the plain institution of the Lord's supper, the form and manner of administering of it; and since the bread and wine in it are representations of the body and blood of Christ, and the design of the whole is to remember Christ, and show forth his death; it follows, that whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. The bread and cup are called the bread and cup of the Lord; because ate and drank in remembrance of him, being symbols of his body and of his blood, though not they themselves; these may be eaten and drank "unworthily", when they are eaten and drank by unworthy persons, in an unworthy manner, and to unworthy ends and purposes. The Lord's supper may be taken unworthily, when it is partook of by unworthy persons. This sense is confirmed by the Syriac version, which renders it , "and is not fit for it", or is unworthy of it, and so the Ethiopic version; now such are all unregenerate persons, for they have no spiritual life in them, and therefore cannot eat and drink in a spiritual sense; they have no spiritual light, and therefore cannot discern the Lord's body; they have no spiritual taste and relish, no spiritual hungerings and thirstings, nor any spiritual appetite, and can receive no spiritual nourishment, or have any spiritual communion with Christ: and so are all such persons, who, though they may profess to be penitent ones, and believers in Christ, and to have knowledge of him, and love to him; and yet they have not true repentance, neither do they bring forth fruits meet for it, and so as they are improper subjects of baptism, they are unworthy of the Lord's table; nor have they faith in Christ, at least only an historical one, and so cannot by faith eat the flesh, and drink the blood of the Son of God, nor perform the ordinance in a way well pleasing to God; nor have they any spiritual knowledge of Christ, only what is speculative and notional, and so cannot discern the Lord's body; nor any real love to him, and therefore very improper persons to feed on a feast of love; nor can they affectionately remember Christ, or do what they do from a principle of love to him, and therefore must be unworthy receivers: as likewise are all such professors, whose lives and conversations are not as become the Gospel of Christ; such crucify Christ afresh, and put him to open shame, and are therefore unfit to show forth his crucifixion and death; they bring a reproach on the Gospel and ordinances of Christ, and cause his name, and ways, and truths to be blasphemed, and grieve the members of the churches of Christ, and therefore ought not to be admitted to the table of the Lord: indeed, no man is in himself worthy of such an ordinance, none but those whom Christ has made so by the implantation of his grace, and the imputation of his righteousness; and whom he, though unworthy in themselves, invites and encourages to come to this ordinance, and to eat and drink abundantly. Moreover, this ordinance may be attended upon in an unworthy manner; as when it is partook of ignorantly, persons not knowing the nature, use, and design of it; or irreverently, as it was by many of the Corinthians, and it is to be feared by many others, who have not that reverence of the majesty of Christ, in whose presence they are, and who is both the author and subject of the ordinance; or without faith, and the exercise of it on Christ, the bread of life, and water of life; or unthankfully, when there is no grateful sense of the love of God in the gift of his Son, nor of the love of Christ, in giving himself an offering and sacrifice for sin; or when this feast is kept with the leaven of malice and wickedness, and with want of brotherly love, bearing an ill will to, or hatred of, any of the members of the church, To all which may be added, that this bread and cup are ate and drank unworthily, when they are partook of to unworthy ends and purposes; as to qualify for any secular employment, and to gain any worldly advantage; or to be seen of men, and to be thought to be devotional and religious persons; or to commemorate anything besides Christ; as the "judaizing" Corinthians did the "paschal" lamb; or to procure eternal life and happiness thereby, fancying that the participation of this ordinance gives a meetness for, and a right to glory: now such unworthy eaters and drinkers are "guilty of the body and blood" of the Lord; not in such sense as Judas, Pontius Pilate, and the people of the Jews were, who were concerned in the crucifixion of his body, and shedding of his blood, the guilt of which lies upon them, and they must answer for another day; nor in such sense as apostates from the faith, who, after they have received the knowledge of the truth, deny it, and Christ, the Saviour; and so crucify him afresh, and put him to open shame, count the blood of the covenant a common or unholy thing, and tread under foot the Son of God; at least, not every unworthy receiver of the Lord's supper is guilty in this sense; though there might be some among the Corinthians, and is the reason of this awful expression, who looked upon the body and blood of Christ as common things, and made no more account of them than of the body and blood of the passover lamb; but in a lower sense, every unworthy communicant, or that eats and drinks unworthily, may be said to be guilty of the body and blood of Christ, inasmuch as he sins against, and treats in an injurious manner, an ordinance which is a symbol and representation of these things; for what reflects dishonour upon that, reflects dishonour on the body and blood of Christ, signified therein.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
11:26 In taking the Lord’s Supper, Christians proclaim the saving significance of the Lord’s death to those around them until he comes again (see 1:7-8; cp. 1 Thes 1:9-10; 3:12; 4:13-18; 5:23).