Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

1 Corinthians 11:28

Instead of reverently memorializing the death of their Savior, Corinth was treating the Lord’s Supper as if they were simply having a meal together…a meal they weren’t even willing to share with each other (11:17-22).  After reminding them of the proper way to treat communion (11:23-26), Paul warns them, “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” (11:27).  “In an unworthy manner” refers to partaking of communion while not remembering Christ’s death and how his body and blood were given to save us from the eternal consequences of our sins (11:23-25).  Partaking of the Lord’s Supper while your mind does not gratefully revere the fact that Jesus died to save you from hell will make you “guilty concerning” his “body and blood” as far as God is concerned.

This is why the apostle then tells them that they must “examine (themselves)” while eating the bread and drinking the cup (11:28).  We must consciously decide and determine that our thoughts focus on what they should be centered upon while partaking of the Lord’s Supper, as we must with all other acts of worship (cf. Matt. 15:8-9a).  Personally, it helps me to take time during partaking of communion to honestly reflect on my Christian walk during the past week while also focusing on Christ’s sacrifice as a motivation to continue serving God in the areas in which I please him and repent of the parts of my life where I fall short of his will.

Paul continues, “For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.  This is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died” (11:29-30).  Since he had just directed them to partake of communion by remembering Christ’s death while warning them of severe eternal penalties if they failed to do so (11:23-27), it makes sense that he is now reiterating that warning by telling them that their failure to “discern” (diakrino, make distinct, set apart) Christ’s body (i.e., his sacrifice) during communion will bring God’s “judgment” on themselves.  He then hints that God’s providential discipline, possibly seen in the form of physical detriment, illness, and death among some of them, might have already been at work for this very reason (11:30).  It’s also possible that the weakness, illness, and death alluded to here is spiritual in nature, making Paul’s point to be that their failure to reverently honor Christ’s death is a reason for their spiritual immaturity and the condemnation in hell it will bring in eternity without repentance.

He then brings out a major factor of human nature as proof for the reason for his admonishment and God’s discipline:  “But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged.  But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world” (11:31-32).  We often do not judge ourselves in the right way, failing to see the danger of the temptations we give into while then choosing to overlook or downplay the seriousness of our sins.  This is why God’s discipline is often exactly what we need to motivate us to return to the light (cf. Heb. 12:5-13).

The apostle now ends his rebuke of their handling of communion by saying, “So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another – 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 direction when I come” (11:33-34).  In other words, “Partake of communion as an act of worship memorializing Jesus’ death.  If you’re hungry, wait until you get home to eat a regular meal, and in the meantime make sure none of you are left out of this act of worship.  There are other things I need to say about this matter, but I’ll wait until I see you in person to bring those up.”

It’s easy to be distracted by other things while communion is observed.  We must make sure this act of worship gets the proper reverence and attention it deserves.

— Jon