What is the meaning of 1 Corinthians 11:27? Therefore Paul has just rehearsed the words of institution (1 Corinthians 11:23-26) and reminded the church that “as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.” The little word “therefore” ties those truths to a sober conclusion. Because the Supper visibly proclaims Christ’s finished work (Luke 22:19-20; 1 Corinthians 10:16-17), whatever follows is not optional advice but a necessary response to what God Himself established. whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord “Whoever” throws the net wide—every believer who comes to the Table is included. • The elements are called “the bread” and “the cup of the Lord,” reminding us they belong to Him, not to us (Matthew 26:26-28; Acts 2:42). • The bread and cup represent Christ’s body given and blood shed (John 6:54-56; 1 Corinthians 10:16), so participating is a direct engagement with the gospel. Because Christ is present by His Spirit when His people gather (Matthew 18:20), this simple meal is holy ground. in an unworthy manner The issue is not personal worthiness—no one is worthy in himself—but the manner in which one partakes. An “unworthy manner” includes: • Treating the meal as ordinary food or a social event, as some in Corinth did (1 Corinthians 11:20-22). • Harboring unconfessed sin or divisions (Psalm 66:18; 1 John 1:9). • Ignoring the needs of fellow believers, thus denying the unity the Supper proclaims (1 Corinthians 10:17; James 2:1-4). • Mixing pagan practices with the Lord’s Table (1 Corinthians 10:21). Paul will soon urge self-examination so that believers can come cleansed and reconciled (1 Corinthians 11:28-32; 2 Corinthians 13:5). will be guilty To come lightly is to incur real liability before God. • Old-Testament worshipers who mishandled sacred things bore guilt (Leviticus 5:14-19; Numbers 15:30-31). • Under the New Covenant, disregard for Christ’s sacrifice brings even sterner warning (Hebrews 10:26-31). The Supper is God’s ordinance; He alone sets the terms. Disregarding them exposes a believer to divine discipline (1 Corinthians 11:30). of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord The seriousness climaxes here: contempt for the elements equals contempt for Christ Himself. • When Saul persecuted the church, Jesus said, “Why do you persecute Me?” (Acts 9:4). In the same way, dishonoring the Supper dishonors the Savior whose death it proclaims. • Hebrews 6:6 speaks of those who “crucify the Son of God afresh and subject Him to public disgrace,” showing how careless treatment misrepresents the cross. • Because the church is also called Christ’s body (1 Corinthians 12:27), to sin against fellow believers at the Table is to sin against Him (Matthew 25:40). God’s remedy is immediate repentance and renewed reverence, so the meal remains a life-giving proclamation, not an occasion for judgment (1 Corinthians 11:31-32). summary 1 Corinthians 11:27 warns that the Lord’s Supper is holy, Christ-centered, and communal. Every believer who approaches it must do so with reverence, repentance, and love for the body of Christ. To partake casually is to offend the Lord whose body and blood the elements announce, bringing guilt and discipline. Approached rightly—by faith, in unity, and with grateful remembrance—the Table continues to proclaim the gospel and nourish God’s people until Jesus returns. |
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