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1 Corinthians 11:27
Verse
Context
Sharing in the Lord’s Supper
26For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes. 27Therefore, 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.28Each one must examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.
Sermons





Summary
Commentary
- Adam Clarke
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
- Tyndale
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
Whosoever shall eat - and drink - unworthily - To put a final end to controversies and perplexities relative to these words and the context, let the reader observe, that to eat and drink the bread and wine in the Lord's Supper unworthily, is to eat and drink as the Corinthians did, who ate it not in reference to Jesus Christ's sacrificial death; but rather in such a way as the Israelites did the passover, which they celebrated in remembrance of their deliverance from Egyptian bondage. Likewise, these mongrel Christians at Corinth used it as a kind of historical commemoration of the death of Christ; and did not, in the whole institution, discern the Lord's body and blood as a sacrificial offering for sin: and besides, in their celebration of it they acted in a way utterly unbecoming the gravity of a sacred ordinance. Those who acknowledge it as a sacrificial offering, and receive it in remembrance of God's love to them in sending his Son into the world, can neither bring damnation upon themselves by so doing, nor eat nor drink unworthily. See our translation of this verse vindicated at the end of the chapter, (Co1 11:34). Shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. If he use it irreverently, if he deny that Christ suffered unjustly, (for of some such persons the apostle must be understood to speak), then he in effect joins issue with the Jews in their condemnation and crucifixion of the Lord Jesus, and renders himself guilty of the death of our blessed Lord. Some, however, understand the passage thus: is guilty, i.e. eats and drinks unworthily, and brings on himself that punishment mentioned Co1 11:30.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
eat and drink--So one of the oldest manuscripts reads. But three or four equally old manuscripts, the Vulgate and CYPRIAN, read, "or." Romanists quote this reading in favor of communion in one kind. This consequence does not follow. Paul says, "Whosoever is guilty of unworthy conduct, either in eating the bread, or in drinking the cup, is guilty of the body and blood of Christ." Impropriety in only one of the two elements, vitiates true communion in both. Therefore, in the end of the verse, he says, not "body or blood," but "body and blood." Any who takes the bread without the wine, or the wine without the bread, "unworthily" communicates, and so "is guilty of Christ's body and blood"; for he disobeys Christ's express command to partake of both. If we do not partake of the sacramental symbol of the Lord's death worthily, we share in the guilt of that death. (Compare "crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh," Heb 6:6). Unworthiness in the person, is not what ought to exclude any, but unworthily communicating: However unworthy we be, if we examine ourselves so as to find that we penitently believe in Christ's Gospel, we may worthily communicate.
John Gill Bible Commentary
But let a man examine himself,.... Whether he has a true sense of sin, sorrow and repentance for it; otherwise he will see no need of a Saviour, nor will he look to Christ for salvation, or be thankful to him for redemption by him; all which are necessary in a due observance of this ordinance; also, whether he is in the faith, whether he is a partaker of the true grace of faith, which is attended with good works, and shows itself by love to Christ, and to the saints; whereby a man goes out of himself to Christ for spiritual food and strength, peace and comfort, righteousness, life, and salvation; and by which he receives all from Christ, and gives him all the glory: this is absolutely necessary to his right and comfortable partaking of the Lord's supper, since without faith he cannot discern the Lord's body, nor, in a spiritual sense, eat his flesh, and drink his blood, nor attend on the ordinance in a manner acceptable unto God. Let him also examine and try whether he is sound in the doctrine of faith; or let him prove himself to be so, or show that he is one that is approved thereby; to whom the word of faith has come with power, and who has received it in the love of it, and firmly believes it; since an heretic is to be rejected from the communion of the church, and to be debarred the ordinances of it: let him examine himself, whether Christ is in him, whether he is revealed to him, and in him, as God's way of salvation, and the hope of glory; whether he is formed in his soul, his Spirit put, and his grace implanted there; since if Christ is not within, it will be of no avail to partake of the outward symbols of his body and blood. But if a man, upon reflection, under the influence and testimony of the Spirit, can come to a satisfaction in these things, however mean and unworthy he may seem in his own sight, let him come to the table of the Lord, and welcome. And so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup; none should discourage or hinder him; nor should he deprive himself of such a privilege, to which he has an undoubted right. There seems to be an allusion in these words to what the master of the family used at the passover, when he said (z), "everyone that is hungry, , "let him come and eat", and everyone that hath need or ought, let him keep the passover.'' (z) Haggadah Shel Pesach, p. 4.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
11:27 To take the Lord’s Supper without recognizing its significance or with unconfessed sin in one’s life is to take it unworthily (see 11:28-31). It is equivalent to sinning against the body and blood of the Lord himself; it treats his sacrificial death as trivial (cp. Heb 10:29).
1 Corinthians 11:27
Sharing in the Lord’s Supper
26For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes. 27Therefore, 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.28Each one must examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.
- Scripture
- Sermons
- Commentary
Spirit Controlled Temperament
By Tim LaHaye2.4K1:07:41TemperamentMAT 6:33ROM 6:11ROM 12:11CO 11:272CO 5:171JN 1:9In this sermon, the preacher discusses the theory of the four temperaments, which suggests that there are four basic kinds of people born with certain temperaments. He emphasizes that when a person has the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit within them, it should manifest in their everyday lives. The preacher believes that the true test of being born again is how one behaves at home. He also highlights the importance of guarding one's mind and filling it with things that are pleasing to God, as it affects one's feelings and actions.
Necessity of Reforming the Church 4 of 4 (1544)
By John Calvin1.5K25:081CO 11:27In this sermon, the speaker begins by describing the current state of the church as a fearful calamity, with a squalid and unsightly form and widespread devastation. The speaker urges the audience, including the emperor and princes, to take action and protect the church, as even worse calamities are looming. The speaker emphasizes the importance of this work, stating that it should take precedence over other concerns. The sermon concludes with a warning that without immediate intervention, the church in Germany will face final destruction.
Why Many Are Weak and Sick (Clip)
By Shane Idleman75208:391CO 11:27This sermon emphasizes the importance of examining ourselves before partaking in communion, highlighting the seriousness of taking the body and blood of Christ in a worthy manner. It warns against mocking the Lord's Supper by living in continual sin and unrepentance, which can lead to weakness, sickness, or even death as a form of God's judgment. The message stresses the need for sincere repentance, self-reflection, and letting go of besetting sins to approach communion with a right heart and reverence for what Christ sacrificed.
Sin in the Camp - Part 2
By Shane Idleman68051:081CO 11:27This sermon delves into the importance of addressing sin within the church community, emphasizing the need to confront sin in a loving and biblical manner. It highlights the consequences of taking communion in an unworthy manner, urging believers to examine themselves and repent before partaking in the Lord's Supper.
Bishop Cosin on the Doctrine of the Eucharist
By J.H. Newman0MAT 26:26LUK 22:19JHN 6:551CO 10:161CO 11:27John Cosin, Bishop of Durham, preaches about the spiritual presence of Christ in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, emphasizing the true and infallible nature of Christ's words in instituting the Eucharist. He explains that the Bread and Wine are consecrated by Christ's words to communicate His blessed Body and Blood to believers in a sacramental and mystic sense, not in a gross and carnal manner. Cosin contrasts the Protestant belief in a spiritual and true presence of Christ in the Sacrament with the Roman Catholic doctrine of Transubstantiation, highlighting the Protestants' reverence for the mystery of the Sacrament and their refusal to inquire into the manner of Christ's presence with perplexing inquiries.
The Lord's Supper in Current Teaching (Iii)
By W.H. Griffith Thomas0JHN 4:24JHN 6:631CO 10:161CO 11:241CO 11:27PHP 3:3COL 2:8HEB 13:151PE 2:5W.H. Griffith Thomas delves into the teachings of the Tractarian School, particularly focusing on Eucharistic Adoration and the ambiguity surrounding it. He emphasizes the importance of worshiping our Lord as God during Holy Communion but warns against the dangers of localizing His presence in the elements. Thomas challenges the notion of the Eucharist as the highest act of Christian worship, urging a deeper understanding of worship as surrender, praise, and thanksgiving. He critiques the concept of Sacramental Grace, highlighting the need for a clear interpretation of terms and a Scriptural basis for beliefs surrounding the Holy Communion.
Homily 82 on Matthew
By St. John Chrysostom0EZK 33:8MAT 26:26LUK 22:31CO 10:161CO 11:27John Chrysostom preaches on the significance of the Last Supper, emphasizing the solemnity and importance of partaking in the body and blood of Christ. He highlights the betrayal of Judas, the need for humility and faith, and the warning against partaking unworthily. Chrysostom stresses the unity believers have with Christ through the sacrament, urging vigilance, purity, and reverence during communion. He addresses both recipients and ministers, emphasizing the responsibility to discern and safeguard the sanctity of the Eucharist, urging the exclusion of those living in open sin from partaking in the mysteries.
The Great Reverence With Which We Should Receive Christ
By Thomas a Kempis0PSA 24:7MAT 11:28JHN 6:531CO 11:27HEB 13:8Thomas a Kempis, in 'The Disciple,' reflects on the profound invitation of Jesus to come to Him, receive His Body, and find rest for our weary souls. He contemplates on the contrast between the great devotion shown by biblical figures like Noah, Moses, and King David in preparing to honor God, and his own shortcomings in preparing for communion. Kempis emphasizes the hidden grace and transformative power of the Sacrament of the altar, calling for a deeper reverence and love for Christ present in the Eucharist.
God's Great Goodness and Love Is Shown to Man in This Sacrament
By Thomas a Kempis0PSA 34:18JHN 6:511CO 11:27HEB 13:151PE 1:18Thomas a Kempis preaches about the humility and reverence required when approaching the Lord in Communion, acknowledging our unworthiness and praising God's mercy and love. He emphasizes the great gift of receiving the Body of Christ in the Eucharist, highlighting the profound mystery and the need for constant preparation and reflection on the work of redemption. Kempis marvels at the condescension of God to dwell in us through the Sacrament, urging believers to keep their hearts and bodies clean to partake in this everlasting memorial with joy and thanksgiving.
Many Blessings Are Given Those Who Receive Communion Worthily
By Thomas a Kempis0PSA 34:8JHN 6:531CO 10:161CO 11:271PE 2:24Thomas a Kempis delivers a powerful sermon on the significance of approaching the Sacrament with reverence, faith, and a deep desire to be united with God. He acknowledges the limitations of human understanding in comprehending the great mystery of the Sacrament, emphasizing the need for divine grace to truly experience the spiritual benefits it offers. Through communion, believers find healing for their souls and bodies, strength to overcome weaknesses, and a deepening of virtues like faith, hope, and charity.
Correspondence-the Lord's Table
By H.J. Vine01CO 11:27H.J. Vine preaches on the importance of maintaining consistency and reverence in partaking of the Lord's cup and table, emphasizing the need for a worthy state of heart and mind during communion. He highlights the consequences of eating unworthily and the Lord's discipline towards inconsistency, rather than the assembly's judgment. Vine stresses the significance of communion with Christ's death and the call for a consistent walk, drawing lessons from Israel's past misconduct and punishment as a warning for believers today.
Day 93, 1 Corinthians 11
By David Servant0PRO 3:111CO 11:271CO 11:32EPH 5:23EPH 5:33David Servant discusses the importance of understanding the underlying spiritual principles behind Paul's words on women's head coverings, emphasizing the significance of honoring one's spouse above mere symbols. He highlights the need for wives to always honor their husbands, as instructed in Scripture. Additionally, he delves into the proper observance of the Lord's Supper, emphasizing the importance of waiting for one another, self-examination, and avoiding selfish behaviors that detract from the sacredness of the meal.
Day 33, Acts 5
By David Servant01CO 11:27David Servant preaches on the consequences of hypocrisy as seen in the sudden deaths of Ananias and Sapphira, highlighting God's disapproval of sin and the importance of genuine devotion. He emphasizes the need for self-examination, repentance, and the inclusion of key elements like repentance and forgiveness of sins in the gospel message. The sermon also touches on divine discipline, the manifestation of spiritual gifts like the word of knowledge, and the power of healing in the church through God's supernatural intervention.
Homily 7 on Matthew
By St. John Chrysostom0MAT 2:41CO 7:41CO 11:271CO 14:341TI 4:2John Chrysostom preaches on the significance of the events surrounding the birth of Jesus, emphasizing how even the enemies of the truth unwittingly contributed to the fulfillment of prophecies and the revelation of Christ's divinity. He highlights the contrast between the wise men's reverence and the Jews' indifference, urging the congregation to emulate the magi's dedication in seeking and worshipping Christ. Chrysostom warns against the dangers of succumbing to worldly temptations, particularly the lure of immoral entertainment like the theater, and calls for a life of chastity, decency, and devotion to Christ, regardless of one's marital status or occupation.
The Lord's Supper
By Thomas Watson0ISA 53:5HOS 13:14MAT 26:26ROM 5:81CO 11:27COL 3:22TH 1:9HEB 9:17Thomas Watson preaches about the significance of the Lord's Supper, emphasizing the deep meaning behind Jesus' sacrifice of His body and blood for the forgiveness of sins. He delves into the bitter, lingering, painful, shameful, and cursed aspects of Christ's death on the cross, highlighting the immense love displayed by God the Father and Jesus Christ in giving Himself for humanity. Watson urges believers to surrender to God with self-examination, seriousness, intelligence, longing, penitence, sincerity, humility, heavenly-mindedness, zeal, and universal subjection to Christ, reflecting the gratitude for Christ's sacrifice through courage, fruitfulness, zeal, and heavenly living.
Making Your Home a Worship Center
By Jack Hayford0PSA 119:1051CO 11:27PHP 2:9COL 3:16JAS 5:16Jack Hayford emphasizes the importance of making our homes centers of worship, providing practical guidelines to enhance the spiritual atmosphere within our households. He encourages kneeling as a symbol of submission to Christ's dominion, singing praises to fill our homes with worship, incorporating prayer and spiritual discussions into family meals, and having communion available with reverence. Hayford also stresses the significance of personal and family devotion times, sharing answered prayers and insights from the Word to enrich each family member's spiritual journey.
Good or Bad at the Table?
By E.A. Adeboye0MAT 26:26JHN 13:271CO 11:271CO 11:31HEB 10:25E.A. Adeboye emphasizes the importance of partaking in Holy Communion regularly as a way to dine with the King of Glory and prepare for heaven by examining ourselves and making necessary adjustments. Communion serves as a reminder of Jesus' sacrifice, granting us victory over life's challenges. Adeboye highlights the significance of taking the Lord's Supper in the right manner, free from strife, unforgiveness, or sinful habits, to avoid desecrating the sacred act and instead receive blessings and preparation for heaven.
The Bread of the Covenant
By Richard E. Bieber0MAT 26:26LUK 22:19JHN 6:51ROM 12:11CO 10:161CO 11:27Richard E. Bieber delves into the profound message in John 6 where Jesus speaks about eating His flesh and drinking His blood, causing many to stumble and turn away. The sermon emphasizes that partaking in the sacrament of communion is not just a ritual but a covenant that binds us to Jesus, compelling us to live out His grace by showing mercy, compassion, and love to others. It challenges believers to discern the Body of Christ not only in the bread and wine but also in the people around them, reminding them that they are called to be broken bread and poured out wine for those they encounter.
- Adam Clarke
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
- Tyndale
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
Whosoever shall eat - and drink - unworthily - To put a final end to controversies and perplexities relative to these words and the context, let the reader observe, that to eat and drink the bread and wine in the Lord's Supper unworthily, is to eat and drink as the Corinthians did, who ate it not in reference to Jesus Christ's sacrificial death; but rather in such a way as the Israelites did the passover, which they celebrated in remembrance of their deliverance from Egyptian bondage. Likewise, these mongrel Christians at Corinth used it as a kind of historical commemoration of the death of Christ; and did not, in the whole institution, discern the Lord's body and blood as a sacrificial offering for sin: and besides, in their celebration of it they acted in a way utterly unbecoming the gravity of a sacred ordinance. Those who acknowledge it as a sacrificial offering, and receive it in remembrance of God's love to them in sending his Son into the world, can neither bring damnation upon themselves by so doing, nor eat nor drink unworthily. See our translation of this verse vindicated at the end of the chapter, (Co1 11:34). Shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. If he use it irreverently, if he deny that Christ suffered unjustly, (for of some such persons the apostle must be understood to speak), then he in effect joins issue with the Jews in their condemnation and crucifixion of the Lord Jesus, and renders himself guilty of the death of our blessed Lord. Some, however, understand the passage thus: is guilty, i.e. eats and drinks unworthily, and brings on himself that punishment mentioned Co1 11:30.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
eat and drink--So one of the oldest manuscripts reads. But three or four equally old manuscripts, the Vulgate and CYPRIAN, read, "or." Romanists quote this reading in favor of communion in one kind. This consequence does not follow. Paul says, "Whosoever is guilty of unworthy conduct, either in eating the bread, or in drinking the cup, is guilty of the body and blood of Christ." Impropriety in only one of the two elements, vitiates true communion in both. Therefore, in the end of the verse, he says, not "body or blood," but "body and blood." Any who takes the bread without the wine, or the wine without the bread, "unworthily" communicates, and so "is guilty of Christ's body and blood"; for he disobeys Christ's express command to partake of both. If we do not partake of the sacramental symbol of the Lord's death worthily, we share in the guilt of that death. (Compare "crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh," Heb 6:6). Unworthiness in the person, is not what ought to exclude any, but unworthily communicating: However unworthy we be, if we examine ourselves so as to find that we penitently believe in Christ's Gospel, we may worthily communicate.
John Gill Bible Commentary
But let a man examine himself,.... Whether he has a true sense of sin, sorrow and repentance for it; otherwise he will see no need of a Saviour, nor will he look to Christ for salvation, or be thankful to him for redemption by him; all which are necessary in a due observance of this ordinance; also, whether he is in the faith, whether he is a partaker of the true grace of faith, which is attended with good works, and shows itself by love to Christ, and to the saints; whereby a man goes out of himself to Christ for spiritual food and strength, peace and comfort, righteousness, life, and salvation; and by which he receives all from Christ, and gives him all the glory: this is absolutely necessary to his right and comfortable partaking of the Lord's supper, since without faith he cannot discern the Lord's body, nor, in a spiritual sense, eat his flesh, and drink his blood, nor attend on the ordinance in a manner acceptable unto God. Let him also examine and try whether he is sound in the doctrine of faith; or let him prove himself to be so, or show that he is one that is approved thereby; to whom the word of faith has come with power, and who has received it in the love of it, and firmly believes it; since an heretic is to be rejected from the communion of the church, and to be debarred the ordinances of it: let him examine himself, whether Christ is in him, whether he is revealed to him, and in him, as God's way of salvation, and the hope of glory; whether he is formed in his soul, his Spirit put, and his grace implanted there; since if Christ is not within, it will be of no avail to partake of the outward symbols of his body and blood. But if a man, upon reflection, under the influence and testimony of the Spirit, can come to a satisfaction in these things, however mean and unworthy he may seem in his own sight, let him come to the table of the Lord, and welcome. And so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup; none should discourage or hinder him; nor should he deprive himself of such a privilege, to which he has an undoubted right. There seems to be an allusion in these words to what the master of the family used at the passover, when he said (z), "everyone that is hungry, , "let him come and eat", and everyone that hath need or ought, let him keep the passover.'' (z) Haggadah Shel Pesach, p. 4.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
11:27 To take the Lord’s Supper without recognizing its significance or with unconfessed sin in one’s life is to take it unworthily (see 11:28-31). It is equivalent to sinning against the body and blood of the Lord himself; it treats his sacrificial death as trivial (cp. Heb 10:29).