The Lord's Supper
14. The Lord's Supper
"Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord." - 1 Corinthians 11:27
Here we find the Lord extends to the Christian the choice of examining himself. Again, notice the whosoever in this verse. Then in 1 Corinthians 11:28 :
"But let a man examine himself..."
God gives the right to every Christian to determine what condition they are in and what their motives are for partaking of the Lord's Supper. The decision is ours. God had instructed the Apostle Paul through the Holy Spirit to write and instruct those at Corinth concerning the reason that judgment had been brought upon some of these Christians. The record is found in 1 Corinthians 11:29; 1 Corinthians 11:32 :
"For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body." (29) The word "damnation" is the Greek word "krima" and it means "judgment" not "damnation to Hell." In other words, when they partook of the Lord's Supper unworthily they drank to themselves judgment. 1 Corinthians 11:30 explains the judgment that was rendered:
"For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep." In other words, many have died. This was the Lord's chastening for the way they had partaken of the Lord's Supper. The admonition is given in 1 Corinthians 11:31-32 :
"For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. (31) But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world." (32)
One of the reasons that initiated this chastening was their preparation of a "love feast" prior to the Lord's Supper. They would call together all the dignitaries and the "big shots" and actually get themselves drunk! They would stuff themselves with food, use the vomitoriums, then re-eat, making a mockery out of the Lord's Supper. This is made clear from 1 Corinthians 11:20-22 :
"When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's Supper. (20) For in eating every one taketh before his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken. (21)
What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not." (22)
Then God tells them to judge in themselves to eliminate God's judgment and chastening. Again, the reason many of them died and were sick, physically, was because of God's chastening.
Notice man's free will in these verses. 1 Corinthians 11:31 :
"...if we would judge ourselves."
Then in 1 Corinthians 11:28 :
"...let a man examine himself,"
Also in 1 Corinthians 11:27 :
"Whosoever shall eat of this bread and drink of this cup of the Lord unworthily." The choice is entirely left to the individual Christian as to how and in what manner he partakes of the Lord's Supper. Each Christian is held responsible for their actions by the Lord. The Holy Spirit within us will always convict us to do the right thing. It is the Spirit that convicts of sin, righteousness and judgment and the Holy Spirit always seeks for us to yield to the will of God. It is God's will but our choice whether we use our mind and lives for Jesus Christ, that we may be found "unto the praise of His glory at his returning." If election to service is true, then how could these Christians resist God's will in doing what they did?