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When We Come Together

February 2, 2020 Speaker: Brian Wilbur Series: The Lord's Supper

Topic: The Lord's Supper Passage: 1 Corinthians 11:17–34

WHEN WE COME TOGETHER

An Exposition of 1 Corinthians 11:17-34

By Pastor Brian Wilbur

Date:   February 2, 2020

Series: The Lord’s Supper

Note:   Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard   Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

 

THE SCRIPTURAL TEXT

Holy Scripture says:

17 But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse.18 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, 19 for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized. 20 When you come together, it is not the Lord's supper that you eat. 21 For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk.22 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.

23 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, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. 31 But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.

33 So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another— 34 if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home—so that when you come together it will not be for judgment. About the other things I will give directions when I come.” (1 Corinthians 11:17-34)

INTRODUCTION

First Corinthians 11:17-34 teaches us that it is possible to come together as a church for the stated purpose of worship and yet completely miss the point. It is possible to gather together “for the worse” (v. 17). It is possible to assemble ourselves in a way that expresses and promotes divisions and fractures (v. 18).

It is possible to come together and gather around the Table and handle the bread and the cup, and yet not actually eat the Lord’s Supper: “When you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper that you eat.” (v. 20) The point isn’t that they forgot to consume the bread and the wine; the point is that they forgot how to love. The Lord’s Supper is not the Lord’s Supper when brotherly love is absent. Failure to love cuts off the possibility of true worship.

Moreover, it is possible to come together with the result that God’s hand of discipline is heavy upon us (v. 31-34). One indication of His discipline might be physical weakness, illness, and even death within the church family (v. 30).

One gets to thinking that it would be better not to gather together at all, than to gather together like that.

And yet, not gathering together isn’t really an option for followers of Jesus. As Paul goes on to tell us in the next chapter, Christians “are one body” (1 Corinthians 12:12): “For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body” (1 Corinthians 12:13). As many members of the one “body of Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:27), we must gather together, love one another, and serve each other “for the common good” (1 Corinthians 12:7).

The goal, then, is to come together and make sure that we are hitting the mark. It is God’s will that we gather together “for the better” (v. 17); “not… for judgment” (v. 34) but for blessing; not in a divisive way but in a way that demonstrates true fellowship and worship.

We regularly hear Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 when we come to the Table. While it is fitting to do so, it is also important to understand the reason why Paul wrote these words here in the midst of verses 17-34. Verses 23-26 didn’t drop out of the sky in order to tell us what to say when we partake of the Lord’s Supper. Instead, what Paul is doing with verses 23-26 is teaching us what attitude we ought to have when we come together – specifically, what attitude we ought to have toward one another. To put it simply: the gospel, as displayed in the Lord’s Supper (v. 23-26), must shape our attitudes toward and relationships with each other. If the gospel is not shaping our attitudes and relationships, then our gatherings are a sham.

Let’s look at the big picture of our passage. We won’t deal with every verse, but we will seek to capture the overall flow of thought.  

THE PROBLEM: SELFISHNESS THAT DISREGARDS OTHERS (v. 17-22)

Let’s begin by considering the problem. In verses 17-22, we learn about Christians who are gathering together, but it is not pleasing to the Lord. Their gathering is not commendable, not praiseworthy (v. 17, 22). In fact, their gathering is counter-productive. Why? Because their attitudes are selfish and therefore they are damaging the relationships within the church family.

Paul highlights their fractured relationships in verses 18: “For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you.” There were, in fact, a number of unhealthy divisions that plagued the Corinthian congregation, and one of Paul’s main reasons for writing this letter was to establish these believers in the unity that is found in Christ.  

In terms of the passage in front of us, the Corinthian church was divided along the lines of rich versus poor: “… do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing?” (v. 22) Instead of displaying the unity that these brothers and sisters had in Christ, they were highlighting disunity on account of socio-economic status. The attempt to elevate social advantages or economic privileges at the expense of the church’s unity is an act of disloyalty to Christ and the church, and it humiliated the poorer brothers and sisters.  

These damaged relationships were rooted in selfish attitudes: “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?” (v. 20-22) It is a selfish mindset to go ahead with your own meal without regard for others.

The gap between the 21st century and the 1st century makes it difficult for us to appreciate the error that they were falling into. Their situation probably went something like this: They gathered together for worship, not in a church building but in a home of a wealthier member. Further, it was customary in the early church to celebrate the Lord’s Supper as part of a larger fellowship meal. The original Lord’s Supper was a meal within a meal: the symbolic meal with bread and wine took place as part of the larger Passover Feast. If we practiced communion in the midst of a potluck fellowship, you would get something of the idea. So picture a house with several rooms, not a large sanctuary or fellowship hall. And picture a full-blown meal, not only the loaf of bread and cup of wine set apart for Holy Communion. Finally, picture a community of rich and poor with very different circumstances. For the poorer members, they would have had to work on Sunday. They would have struggled to get to the church’s evening get-together on time after their workday. For the richer members, they had plenteous resources and they didn’t have the same demands of daily employment. So they were free to show up to the church’s worship feast early or on time. There was a wonderful spread of food for dinner, either provided by the host or by the contributions of the members, but who got to enjoy it? The wealthier members: they showed up first, brought more food to the dinner, took the best portions of food, and got the best seats. The poorer members showed up later, brought less food to the dinner, got leftover fragments, and got the worst seats. And Paul says: that is a terrible picture of what Christ’s church is supposed to be, and that is a mockery of what the Lord’s Table is all about.[1]

Even though this church gathered together for worship and instruction, for singing and praying, for fellowshipping and celebrating the Lord’s Supper, the way in which they gathered together fractured their unity and compromised their worship.

The fact that we meet in a sanctuary (and not a home), and the fact that we celebrate the Lord’s Supper by itself (and not as part of a larger fellowship meal), doesn’t get us off the hook. The basic principle that we must take to heart is this: how we treat one another affects our ability to worship at the Table.

If we think that the main purpose of a fellowship meal is to feed self; if we think that the main purpose of a worship service is to inspire self; if we think that the main purpose of a ministry team is give self a role that fulfills self; if we think that the main purpose of a church meeting is expressing self – then Paul’s critique of the Corinthians also critiques us. This is the attitude of thinking that it is all about you, and that it is okay to “despise the church of God” and humiliate those who are less classy, less savvy, less gifted, or less articulate. Go ahead and take it for yourself! Who cares about the others who are lagging behind? If we do not have genuine care for one another, especially our weaker members, then our Lord is not pleased.

SOLUTION: THE GOSPEL OF JESUS’ UNSELFISH GIVING AND SHARING (v. 23-26)

Next, in verses 23-26, Paul turns to the solution to rotten attitudes and broken relationships. This solution is a fresh grasp of gospel truth.

What does the selfish man do in verse 21? He takes the bread and the cup and the food at the dinner buffet for himself! That’s why he’s glutted and others get left behind. But what does the Lord Jesus do in verses 23-25? He takes the bread and the cup for others! That’s why His body is broken and His blood is poured out! That’s why everyone at the Table gets nourished. Do you see the difference?

The selfish man rushes ahead to serve himself. He seeks his own comfort at the expense of others. He breaks fellowship to build up himself. But the Savior sits down at the Table to serve others. He seeks the comfort of others at His own expense. He allows Himself to be broken in order to build fellowship. Do you see the difference?

It is understanding and internalizing that radical difference, and being captivated and humbled by the Lord’s self-giving love, that changes everything.

Who am I, that I should take for myself, when my entire life and my entire eternity depends on the grace of the Man Christ Jesus who took for others? He took the bread for me and for you; He lifts up the cup for me and for you. Can I dare to elevate myself or my ambitions or my preferences or my socio-economic status or my opportunities above the broken body and shed blood of our Lord Jesus Christ? My pride is shattered and my heart is moved as I sit around His Table with my brothers and sisters. The ground is level, and the Table is full, at the foot of the cross!

By His blood Jesus created “the new covenant” (v. 25). New covenant blessings – the gift of forgiveness, the gift of knowing God, the gift of the Holy Spirit, the gift of a transformed heart, the gift of everlasting joy – are poured out on every believer. There is simply nothing that I bring to the Table that even comes close to the value of these new covenant blessings, so the best thing to do is to leave all of ‘my stuff’ at the door, and then come to the Table and to the worship service and to the fellowship meal and to the ministry team meeting with nothing except admiration for and confidence in Jesus, and transparent love for my brothers and sisters.

Jesus took the bread for others, and that changes everything.

APPLICATION: GET ALIGNED WITH THE GOSPEL (v. 27-34)

Finally, Paul tells us in verses 27-34 to get our attitudes aligned with the gospel of Jesus’ self-giving love for the sake of others. Each one of us must examine our own heart (v. 28) in light of the gospel that Paul has just proclaimed in verses 23-26. In the context of verses 17-34, the key ‘examination question’ is this: Am I treating my Christian brothers and sisters in a way that is worthy of Jesus’ sacrificial love? In verse 27, “[eating] the bread or [drinking] the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner” means coming to the Table without love for my brothers and sisters. If you have broken relationships because of your selfish attitudes and actions, don’t come to the Table unless you are repenting of those attitudes and repairing those relationships.

If you let the gospel shape your attitudes and relationships, then the exhortation in verse 33 follows as a matter of course: “So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another.” So esteem the worth of your brothers and sisters, that you value their presence. Be patient, and wait. Slow down, and serve. Say ‘No’ to the rumblings of your own appetites and ambitions, and say ‘Yes’ to the holy presence of your brothers and sisters. They are members of the same body. They have been redeemed by the same blood. They are participants in the same covenant. Therefore, care for them accordingly.

FINAL WORD: FAITHFUL PROCLAMATION

Verse 26 says: “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” Verses 17-34 make it clear that we cannot “proclaim the Lord’s death” with integrity and credibility unless our lives are actually being shaped by the Lord’s death. The Lord’s Supper celebrates the glorious truth that Jesus died for the sake of others. We cannot celebrate this glorious truth if we are in the habit of living for self.

If I am living for myself, I cannot authentically proclaim the gospel of Jesus’ love for others. If I am living for myself, then my eating the bread and drinking the cup is a sham; Jesus is not pleased; and I undermine our proclamation of the gospel. 

But if Jesus’ death has begun to transform us into a people who love each other for Jesus’ sake – especially those who are poorer or weaker among us – then there is an authentic participation in “the body and blood of the Lord” (v. 27; also see 1 Corinthians 10:16) and the gospel shines forth now even as we anticipate that glorious future day when He comes again and invites us to sit down and dine with Him in His Father’s everlasting kingdom.

 

ENDNOTES

[1] For this likely portrayal of the situation in Corinth, I am especially indebted to two commentaries: a) Craig Blomberg. 1 Corinthians (The NIV Application Commentary). Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994: p. 228-229. b) Roy E. Ciampa and Brian S. Rosner. The First Letter to the Corinthians (The Pillar New Testament Commentary). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2010: p. 545.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Craig Blomberg. 1 Corinthians (The NIV Application Commentary). Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994.

Roy E. Ciampa and Brian S. Rosner. The First Letter to the Corinthians (The Pillar New Testament Commentary). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2010.

Simon J. Kistemaker. Exposition of the First Epistle to the Corinthians (New Testament Commentary). Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1993

Leon Morris. 1 Corinthians: Revised Edition (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1985.

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