Principles from Paul's Epistles

Judging the Body Rightly

1 Cor. 11:17-34

Introduction

At any point in the history of any congregation, various problems could be identified, problems related to how the members understand doctrine and problems related to how the members practice doctrine. In reality, these two categories of problems are one in the same. Just as right practice follows correct understanding, so wrong practice follows incorrect understanding. This is one of those undeniable truths in life. You will not live in a manner that pleases the Lord if you don't know what His Word teaches. But then there is another factor we have to deal with-sometimes we know what the Word teaches, but we still live contrary to it. Sin not only clouds our understanding of doctrine, it also leads us to disobey that doctrine even when we know the right thing to do. The solution to such situations is, of course, repentance. Repentance begins with a recognition of wrongdoing and results in a correction of behavior so that the Word of God is being kept.

As we have seen thus far in our present sermon series, few congregations model this pattern of knowing the truth, but not always practicing the truth more consistently than the Christians who made up the church in Corinth. Time after time, Paul corrects their understanding as he observes problems in the ways in which they were treating one another. We come this morning to another prime example-perhaps the very best example in the epistle of First Corinthians-of practice detached from doctrine, or treatment of one another which was contrary to the faith.

In the eleventh chapter, Paul begins a lengthy treatment of issues related to the public worship of this congregation. The first half of the chapter is concerned with how members of the congregation presented themselves in the presence of God during worship. Basically, Paul's point is that women should look like women and men should look like men when they meet to worship God. The apostle reminds them of some fundamental truths concerning the roles of males and females, and he grounds his instruction in the creation of the first man and the first woman by which he indicates that there are principles which were established at that time which govern how men and women relate to one another in all times.

Following this matter, Paul immediately addresses yet another issue which had come to his attention. In this case, he is concerned about how the Corinthians were treating one another during those times when they came together for a congregational meal. These were, no doubt, occasions during which the Corinthians were observing the sacrament of the Lord's Supper. At this point in time, the sacrament was part of a meal which was shared by the whole church. As we're going to see, some in this congregation were behaving in a way that mocked the very significance of the Lord's Supper. The issue in this passage, therefore, is the lack of discernment Paul observed among the Corinthians as they came together for this meal.

After speaking to them regarding proper appearances in public worship, and some related matters, Paul continues and writes:

1 Cor. 11:17 But in giving this instruction, I do not praise you, because you come together not for the better but for the worse. 18 For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that divisions exist among you; and in part I believe it. 19 For there must also be factions among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among you. 20 Therefore when you meet together, it is not to eat the Lord's Supper, 21 for in your eating each one takes his own supper first; and one is hungry and another is drunk. 22 What! Do you not have houses in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? In this I will not praise you. 23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which 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 He took the cup also 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 Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. 28 But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. 30 For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. 31 But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world. 33 So then, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. 34 If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, so that you will not come together for judgment. The remaining matters I will arrange when I come.

01. The Issue (vv. 17-26)

This section contains some of Paul's most harsh words to the members of this congregation. When we understand the significance of the issue being addressed here, we will also understand why Paul speaks as he does. The issue this time touches the most fundamental aspects of this congregation's life and self-awareness. Certain behavior in this body revealed a disturbing and potentially destructive lack of perception regarding the nature of the church. Therefore, Paul says sternly, “I do not praise you.” (v. 17) Some faults can be corrected quickly and easily with just a brief word of instruction. Others are far more serious and require an unsympathetic approach. That is what we see here. Paul did not want the Corinthians to think for one minute that what he is about to discuss was anything less than critical.

Paul makes mention of the “coming together” of this congregation, by which he means their frequent gatherings at which meals were shared and the sacrament of the Lord's Supper was observed. But note carefully what Paul says about the gatherings in Corinth: “you come together not for the better but for the worse.” Normally, the gathering of a congregation is a good thing; normally, it is a beneficial act during which the people enjoy fellowship. But here in Corinth, at this time, the gatherings of this congregation were proving to be detrimental to their spiritual health. The big question is: why?

Paul cites two reasons for his present concern, one already mentioned and the other the heart of the matter for this passage. When they gathered, Paul tells them, divisions existed (v. 18). As stated, we already know about this. We already know that this congregation was divided into camps which claimed loyalty to one teacher or another. The apostle acknowledges these factions and even says that, ultimately, they can have a positive benefit in that such disturbances show the character of all involved and “those who are approved,” as he puts it, “become evident among you.” (v. 19) Although this is not my focus in this sermon, I will say that the word translated “approved” (dokimos) refers to that which has been tried and found pleasing or acceptable. So, Paul is saying that even though factions existed in this congregation, the process of identifying them and dealing with them was, in the final analysis, good for the body. It was an element in the course of their maturing.

Paul then speaks of the second of the two matters he just mentioned-“Therefore when you meet together, it is not to eat the Lord's Supper...” (v. 20) The divisions noted in this chapter and earlier were hindering the Corinthians from enjoying the benefits which should have flowed from their gatherings. Although they intended to eat the Lord's Supper, as the apostle says here, something was making those occasions less than what they were supposed to be. The Corinthians aimed to meet and have the Lord's Supper together, but due to their attitudes and behavior, which Paul is going to mention momentarily, that aim was not being met. He indicates, therefore, that there is more to observing the Lord's Supper than simply receiving the elements and consuming them. There is a right way to approach and engage in this sacrament, Paul is going to teach, and some of the Corinthians were in error in these matters.

Paul says bluntly: “for in your eating each one takes his own supper first; and one is hungry and another is drunk.” (v. 21) The Corinthians were taking part in the meal of which the sacrament was a part, but the manner of their participation was nullifying the meaning of the sacrament. This is the issue on Paul's mind at this point. Some of the Corinthians were not exercising proper discernment in regard to the sacrament and what it taught about the body of Christ-later, in fact, the apostle says precisely this when he warns them about judging the body rightly (cf. v. 29). The Lord's Supper was not an occasion for selfish indulgence, but that is exactly what was taking place at the gatherings of this congregation. Some were showing obvious disregard for the community of the brethren. The behavior of some was marked by selfishness and overindulgence, not by selflessness and self-control. While the Lord's Supper should have been a time of peaceful fellowship as they contemplated what had been done for them, it was, instead, a time when the factious nature of this congregation became painfully clear.

We know that Paul's concern was for the symbolism of the sacrament and the thoughts that should have been filling the minds of these Christians when they came together; we know this from his next statement: “What! Do you not have houses in which to eat and drink?” (v. 22) The point of the gatherings was not so the Corinthians could fill their stomachs or drink. The point of the gatherings, during which they observed the sacrament, was the gathering itself and what their coming together told them about the work of Christ and their relationship to Him and to one another. Because some were rushing ahead of one another and eating all the food, others were going hungry and Paul implies that this was a time when all should be fed and all should share in the bounty of the body. That would have been the appropriate context in which to observe the sacrament-it was that sacrament which spoke to their unity in Christ and it was that sacrament, therefore, which spoke loudly regarding their duty to care for one another as fellow-members of His Church.

Again, therefore, Paul speaks sternly: “Do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing?” This is what their actions indicated, the apostle suggests. The behavior of some showed that the last thing on their minds was the unity and mutual affection which should be found in any gathering of those for whom Christ died. The conduct Paul describes was shameful because it so directly contradicted what the Savior had accomplished and so directly opposed the responsibility that belonged to every believer in Corinth. They had the responsibility to remember what Christ had done and then treat one another with tenderness and care and love and forbearance. Instead, as noted, some were running over others to get to the food and some were getting drunk at the very time when sobriety and thanksgiving should have filled the church.

So Paul repeats that he will not praise the Corinthians. They might be coming together for a meal and the observance of the Lord's Supper, but their conduct and their attitudes toward one another made a mockery of Christ's work. Paul's brief description of how some were behaving shows that they were not looking rightly at the body there in Corinth-if they had been, the kind of conduct Paul writes about would never have been taking place.

At this point, Paul reports to the Corinthians what the Savior Himself had said to him regarding the sacrament (vv. 23-25). He reminds his readers of how the sacrament had been instituted and of the significance of the elements. Jesus took bread on that last night, Paul writes, He gave thanks to the Father and then distributed the bread to His disciples. “This is My body, which is for you,” Jesus told them, “do this in remembrance of Me.” The breaking of the bread was to be an act which reminded Christ's disciples that the One Savior was giving Himself for each of them and all of them together. They would forever be united in His sacrifice of Himself for them.

Further, Paul writes that Jesus also took the cup that night and stated: “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” The wine in that cup became a symbol for the blood Jesus would shed in order to inaugurate the new covenant, that arrangement whereby He would pay for the sins of His people and they would have His righteousness imputed to them. The disciples would forever be united in the shedding of that precious blood on their behalf.

With this image in mind, Paul could have said to the Corinthians: “Now consider your behavior. You come together in the name of Christ and you take His bread and you drink His wine and all the time you are mistreating those who have less and you are trampling upon the souls of those who are just as much a part of the body as you, and you are acting as if you have no interest in one another. But the Savior said the bread you eat was His one body and the wine you drink was His blood. How can you mock His work by disregarding your brothers when you come together? How can you take what Christ appointed as a sign of His work and your participation in Him and turn it into an occasion for selfish extravagance?”

Do you not realize, Paul writes, that when you observe this sacrament, you are engaging in a solemn act? (v. 26) Do you not realize that when you come together and you break the bread and drink the cup that you are participating in a holy ritual which is designed to comfort and strengthen all of those in the body? This is not just any meal, Paul teaches, this is a proclamation of the Lord's death. Here, he uses a word (katanggello) which means “to preach.” The sacrament of the Lord's Supper is a visible “preaching” of the Lord's death, Paul declares. This is a solemn time, a time for reflection and joy and thanksgiving, not a time for rowdy behavior and disregard for one another and secret hateful attitudes hidden away in the heart.

The issue, once again, is the lack of discernment in this congregation. They were not discerning the body of Christ rightly. They were not behaving in accordance with the nature of that body. Some were acting in ways which denied what Christ had accomplished; some were acting in ways which were destroying the unity and mutual concern that should have characterized this congregation.

02. The Response (vv. 27-34)

Since Paul has criticized the Corinthians for the manner in which they were behaving during their gatherings, at which time the Lord's Supper was observed, it is reasonable to assume that his response to this issue is going to center on that sacrament. Paul uses the phrase “unworthy manner” when summarizing the Corinthian conduct relative to the sacrament, and he warns that when a man receives the sacrament in an unworthy manner, he is “guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord” (v. 27).

The word translated “unworthy manner” (anaxios) is not complicated. It refers to doing something in a way that is not fitting. Paul is not saying a man can be worthy of the sacrament-that is not the point. In fact, that idea would be contrary to the meaning of sacrament. No one can be truly worthy of the sacrament because the sacrament speaks to us of the grace of God in Christ. As we prepare ourselves to come to the Lord's Table, we don't think about how worthy we are, we think about how undeserving we are of God's goodness and we think about the sacrifice of Christ made on our behalf.

And so, in this instance, the apostle means that the conduct of some of the Corinthians was contrary to what should have been apparent at the meal. The Corinthians should have been characterized by thankfulness, humility and appreciation for the whole body of which they were a part. Instead, as was pointed out before, some were showing disregard for the brethren and were, therefore, acting in ways which were contrary to the truths declared in the sacrament.

When some rushed ahead of others, when some ate too much, when some drank too much, when some were left behind and when some were going without food, the sacrament was being received in an unworthy manner-that is, some were participating in the sacrament in ways which denied the meaning of the sacrament. The unity of the body portrayed in the sacrament was being destroyed. The humility of the worshiper demanded by the sacrament was being replaced with self-promotion. The thankful attitude called for by the sacrament was set aside in favor of gluttony. That is what it means to eat in an unworthy manner. This kind of behavior, Paul says, brings guilt upon a man. To be “guilty of the body and blood of the Lord” is a way of saying that a man shows disdain for the work of Christ and is, therefore, liable to God's displeasure.

The solution, Paul says as he continues, is for the Corinthians to examine themselves for the purpose of correcting their misconduct and wrongful attitudes (v. 28). Self-examination is the key to avoiding the guilt just mentioned. If a man will consider his behavior and consider his attitude as he participates in the sacrament, he can avoid sinning against Christ, the apostle teaches. Many in Corinth apparently needed to go through this process of self-examination; many needed to hear Paul's words and act on them. They needed to correct themselves and start treating the sacrament in a proper manner. They needed to replace their self-centeredness with a concern for one another. Such a change would indicate that they had come to hold a proper view of the sacrament and, therefore, of the body of which they were a part.

Paul elaborates on the warning just given to those who failed to behave rightly in this congregation (cf. v. 29). Judgment comes to the one who does not “judge the body rightly.” The word rendered “judgment” (krima) refers very plainly to divine punishment. The word translated “judge” (diakrino) refers to the exercise of discernment. Paul teaches that God brings judgment upon the one who does not view the body of Christ rightly and who, therefore, mistreats that body or behaves in a way which harms that body. And the one place or time when the nature of the body of Christ is evident is at the Lord's Supper. That is the one time when you do not want to have an attitude toward the body of Christ which is dishonoring to Him.

The sacrament declares the sacrifice of the One for the many; the sacrament declares the participation of the many in the one body; the sacrament declares that all are sinners and owe their redemption to the same Savior. There is no room for pride or division in body of Christ. Behavior which is contrary to those principles is sinful. Attitudes held which are contrary to those principles are sinful. And God judges sin among His people. That is Paul's point. When the body of Christ, in this case, represented in that congregation in Corinth, is abused, disrespected, and divided by those who will not treat the body rightly, judgment comes, according to Paul. And, in the case of the Corinthians, the occasion of the Lord's Supper was when these kinds of unacceptable attitudes were being displayed and that made the matter all the more serious.

Paul's response to this issue in Corinth, therefore, is simple: judge the body rightly. Look at the congregation and consider your behavior, he says. Look at your brothers and think about your attitudes. Are you treating this body rightly? Are you treating your brothers rightly? Are you behaving in such a way as to preserve the unity which the members of this body have in Christ? Is your perspective on this body one which cherishes what Christ has done for all in the body or is it one which allows you to abuse your brother and treat him as if he doesn't matter? These are the questions some in Corinth needed to ask themselves. They were not judging the body rightly; they were not seeing the body in Corinth for what it was-a gathering of those for whom Christ died and a gathering of those who had been equally condemned but now were equally redeemed.

Sometimes warnings can be given and they are just warnings. Sometimes warnings can be given and evidence can be pointed to in order to demonstrate the seriousness of the warning. The latter was the case in Corinth. Paul warns that God's judgment comes against those who abuse the body of Christ, especially in connection with the sacrament which declares the unity of that body. In Corinth, that judgment had already fallen. Because of the sin in this congregation, Paul says that sickness had come and even death (v. 30). Yes, it is a serious matter when you come to the Table of the Lord and do so with disregard for your brothers or with malice in your heart toward another or do so without recognizing that you do not stand alone before the Lord, but stand with other sinners saved by grace.

The remedy, as Paul stated before, is self-examination. By examining ourselves and, presumably, changing our behavior and attitudes if necessary, we avoid the displeasure of God (cf. v. 31). One thing is certain, when believers fail to judge the body rightly, they can be sure that God will intervene. Either a man judges himself and brings himself into line with what is symbolized in the sacrament, or God will deal with him. In the end, the body of Christ will be preserved and what is symbolized in the sacrament will be honored. Paul assures the Corinthians that God will discipline His people by His judgments (v. 32).

Paul closes with some practical advice: act properly when you come together (v. 33). It's that simple-act rightly, stop rushing ahead of one another, stop eating too much, stop drinking too much, and start treating one another like brothers. Show preference for another instead of self; ensure that your brother has food before you take your own. Model what is taught in the sacrament-model humility, self-sacrifice and thankfulness for the body of Christ. If you're truly hungry, eat at home. The gathering at church is not just to satisfy your appetites-it has a greater meaning. Do this, the apostle advises, and you will avoid God's judgment (v. 34).

Application

In terms of application, my words will be brief because this passage is about one thing above all others-it is about the attitude toward the body of Christ which we bring with us to His Table. Some in Corinth participated in the sacrament while demonstrating that they did not care for the body of Christ and while demonstrating that the last thing on their minds was their brother or sister who also was a part of the congregation. This was shameful conduct, Paul teaches. It was shameful because the very act which should have produced an appreciation for the body had turned into an occasion for the display of self-centeredness and mistreatment. Not only was this shameful conduct, it was costly conduct. It cost the congregation the experiences of fellowship which should have characterized their gatherings. Instead of being times of fellowship, their gatherings were times when some behaved in such a way as to deny what Christ had accomplished.

Our response to Paul's teaching requires that we consider our own attitudes toward this body. We have to be willing to look at our hearts this morning and determine what perspective we have brought to the Lord's Table. Are we judging the body rightly? Right now, as we sit here, are you judging the body rightly? Do you have the attitude toward your brothers and sisters sitting around you which pleases the Lord? Is your perspective on others in this congregation one which reflects the fact that their sin has been paid for by the same Savior who paid for your sin?

The sacrament is not about recognizing faults in one another and it is not about separating ourselves from one another. The sacrament is about recognizing that in spite of our faults and our sin, Christ has made us part of His body. The sacrament is about appreciating the union that we have in Him and with one another in spite of the fact that we are so many individuals. The sacrament is a time to give thanks, not criticize. It is a time to forgive, not concentrate on wrongs. It is a time to be glad in what we have been given. The sacrament calls us back every week to a right perspective on this local body of believers. It calls us back to that point where we are to love one another even as we struggle together; it calls us back to that point where we are to look at ourselves even more critically than we look at our brother.

The sacrament of the Lord's Supper is a check on all those harmful attitudes which develop in us-if we will allow it to be. The sacrament will correct our thinking and our behavior if we will participate in it as we should. Approach the sacrament with bitterness in your heart, and it will condemn you. Approach the sacrament with humility and it will edify you. Come to the Table with malice toward others and God will judge you. Come to the Table with forgiveness and thankfulness and God will bless you.

Let's pray...

As we prepare to receive the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, we're going to sing hymn number 400, Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing. This hymn is a plea that Christ would fill us with an awareness of His grace so that we might, in turn, praise Him with our words. Think upon the grace of God in Christ as you sing. Think upon the sin God has forgiven and the blessings which belong to us in Christ. Think upon the beauty of this body gathered here today before God. We are here and able to think on such things because of His mercy.

Conclusion