Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents

11:17-18 hear. Paul now departs from addressing issues raised in the Corinthians' letter to him (7:1) and goes back to commenting on what he has heard by word of mouth (1:11; 5:1).

11:19 there must be factions among you. In God's providential direction of the life of the church, he allowed controversy (see evidence of factions in 1:11-12; 3:4; 4:6-7) in order that the genuine spiritual quality of individual believers would be known. Those who are genuine . . . may be recognized thus refers to those who receive God's approval for how they act in the midst of controversy (Gk. dokimos, "genuine" in the sense of "tested and approved," is used several times to refer to approval by God; cf. Rom. 16:10; 2 Cor. 10:18; 2 Tim. 2:15; James 1:2). An alternative interpretation is that Paul is using "genuine" to refer to those who are true believers.

11:20 not the Lord's supper. Because of their selfish elitism, when the Corinthians observe the Lord's Supper they are not rightly representing the sacrificial death of Christ (vv. 24, 26) and the true character of the Lord.

11:21-22 Goes ahead reflects the Corinthians' self-centered disregard of others. The few who are wealthy in Corinth (1:26) have no regard for those who are hungry or who have nothing, while others have too much and some even get drunk.

11:23 received from the Lord. The traditions about Jesus that Paul delivered to the Corinthians (see also 7:10; 15:3) ultimately went back to Jesus himself, but Paul probably learned them from early followers of Christ such as Peter (Gal. 1:18). (See the other records of the Lord's Supper in Matt. 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-24; Luke 22:17-20.) Another possibility is that Paul received this information directly from Christ himself (see 2 Cor. 12:1-4; Gal. 1:12, 17).

11:24 The expression This is my body has been subject to widely varying interpretations throughout the history of the church. Roman Catholics understand it literally, and claim that the bread and wine actually become the body and blood of Christ. Lutherans hold that the literal body and blood of Christ are present "in, with, and under" the bread and wine (something like the way water is present in a sponge). Some Anglicans refer to the "real presence" of Christ in the bread and wine. Most other Protestants have argued that the body and blood of Christ are not literally, physically, or "really" present, but that Christ is present "symbolically"; most would also add that Christ is present spiritually, with and in the believing recipients of the bread and wine, strengthening their faith and fellowship in him, and thereby feeding their souls. Christ's spiritual presence can be supported from Matt. 18:20; 28:20. Do this in remembrance of me. Remembering the significance of Jesus' death is an important component of observing the Lord's Supper and of obedience ("do this") to Christ's command. Evangelical Protestant Christians have consistently been united on the importance of limiting participation in the Lord's Supper to those who have made a personal commitment to follow Jesus. Jesus' emphasis on remembering the significance of his death when observing the Lord's Supper, and his warnings to those who partake of the bread and the cup in an unworthy manner, both reveal the wisdom of this limitation (cf. notes on 1 Cor. 11:27; 11:28; 11:29).

11:25 The Mosaic covenant, made with Israel and constantly broken because of Israel's sin, was replaced with the new covenant, which provided complete atonement for all the sins of God's people, past, present, and future (Rom. 3:25-26; 2 Cor. 3:1-4:6; Heb. 8:6-13).

11:27 Unworthy manner probably refers to the incompatibility of the Corinthians' divisive arrogance as compared to the sacrificial, others-oriented nature of Jesus' death. A broader application of this principle would encourage believers to examine their own lives (see v. 28) and to repent and ask forgiveness for any unconfessed sin before partaking in the Lord's Supper. guilty concerning the body and blood. Jesus' body was broken and his blood shed for others. Thus the selfish behavior of the Corinthians is a sin against others, but it also represents a profaning disrespect for Jesus himself.

11:28 Whoever partakes of the Lord's Supper must examine himself to see whether he has properly understood the unselfish, atoning nature of Jesus' death "for" others, and how that should be imitated in his own life (cf. note on v. 27).

11:29 Without discerning the body is usually understood in one of two ways. Some hold that it means "not understanding that the bread represents the body of Christ that was sacrificed for us," with the result that such people do not act in a Christlike, self-sacrificial way. Others note that Paul does not mention the blood, and because of this they conclude that Paul has moved beyond the meaning of the bread to the idea of the church as a gathering of the body of Christ (see 12:12-27; cf. 10:16-17). According to this second view, "without discerning the body" would mean "not understanding that Christians, since they are the body of Christ, should act like Christ when they assemble." On either view, these people do not recognize the spiritual reality of what is happening at the Lord's Supper, and therefore they are acting in a way that dishonors Christ. Eats and drinks judgment on himself is a sober warning that the Lord will discipline those who dishonor the Lord's Supper (see 11:30), and therefore it should not be entered into lightly.

11:30 weak . . . ill . . . died. The discipline of the Lord sometimes has consequences in real life. See also 5:5 and note there.

11:31 if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. When Christians rightly discern their sins and turn from them and seek forgiveness, then (as a general principle) they will not experience God's disciplinary judgment. In specific application of this principle to the Corinthian situation, God would cease his discipline of the Corinthians if they would cease their misconduct regarding the Lord's Supper. This verse thus teaches Christians not to think that God will somehow punish them for their whole lives for sins committed long ago, if they have sincerely asked forgiveness and made right what they can with those whom they have wronged.

11:32 disciplined. When suffering alerts a Christian to the presence of sin and leads to repentance, it functions as an act of both disciplinary judgment and mercy. (See also 5:5; 2 Chron. 33:12-13; 1 Pet. 4:17.)