27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 30 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world. 33 Therefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. 34 But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest you come together for judgment. And the rest I will set in order when I come.
Commentary
Vs. 27 "Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord."
The Apostle Paul now moves into the manner with which we are to partake of the Lord's Supper. Reverence then is the only disposition and behavior to have when we partake of it. For it's not just a meal, or a ceremony, it is our solemn remembering the Lord's suffering Crucifixion death for us all. Therefore to eat or drink of this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. For only one who has not received Christ's Substitionary death for themselves would be so reckless as to observe it in an unworthy and irreverent manner.
Vs. 28 "But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup."
Thus each believer is to examine themselves, to see if their hearts are right with God before partaking of it. And thus confess whatever sins need confessing, make right whatever wrongs need to be made right, and generally make a self-assessment of oneself to see if one is living right and true with the Lord. Because the Lord's Supper is holy. And when we partake of it we should likewise be reverent in our hearts, minds, and lives. Now all believers are invited to eat of the bread and drink of the cup once they have examined themselves, and thus have prepared themselves to do so in reverent way.
Vs. 29 "For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body."
To knowingly partake of the Lord's Supper in an unworthy manner (that is not treating it, and thus the Lord's death for oneself with reverence) is to only drink and eat judgment upon oneself! Because one does not discern the Lord's body, that is the bread we eat and cup we drink symbolizes the reality of the Lord Jesus Christ's broken body for the remission of our sins. Thus to partake of it in an unworthy manner is at the very least to treat the Lord's Crucifixion with irreverence, and at the very worse as a common thing (Heb. 10:29-30), and thus is only to eat and drink judgment upon oneself.
Vs. 30 "For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep."
Sleep here is a polite way of saying many have died for their irreverence. These then must have been the worst of the offenders. For just as God judged Israel in their wilderness sojourn, so He still judges His people today when they take hold of irreverence, which in the Corinthians case had become extreme.
Vs. 31-32 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.
Again a honest self-assessment is always a good idea. For as the Apostle Paul says, "if we would judge ourselves we would not be judged." Now the Lord's judgment here was not eternal, for no believer will ever be condemned for their irreverence or anything else. That said, God may have to chasten us if we continue on in our sin. God doesn't want too, but if an individual believer will not judge themselves, and thus take a corrective action to move out of it, then God may have too so that we are not condemned with the world.
Vs. 33 "Therefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another."
The Apostle Paul now lightens and brightens things up with a simple exhortation to wait for each other, that is don't take your remembrance before others, because the Lord's Supper is a communal meal, and thus a communal remembrance.
Vs. 34 "But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest you come together for judgment. And the rest I will set in order when I come."
Paul's finial word on the matter is if there are any who are hungry let them eat at home rather than turn the Lord's Table into a place of self-indulgence, and thus turn their coming together into a time of judgment rather then blessing.
Word Studies
Vs. 27 unworthy; Str 371; GK 397; LN 65.19; 66:7 (2x). Though this word focuses on the individual, it is the individuals heart and mind, and thus their attitude towards the Lord's Supper that is at question. Thus to treat the Lord's Supper as if it were just a "common meal" or some sort of ceremonial religious ordinance that people have to observe is to be utterly disqualified from partaking of it. For the Lord's Supper is our recalling Christ's broken body and shed blood for our sins and transgressions and should be treated as such at all times and in all places.
Additional Resources Consulted
Swanson, J. (1997). Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek (New Testament) (electronic ed.). Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
The Apostle Paul now moves into the manner with which we are to partake of the Lord's Supper. Reverence then is the only disposition and behavior to have when we partake of it. For it's not just a meal, or a ceremony, it is our solemn remembering the Lord's suffering Crucifixion death for us all. Therefore to eat or drink of this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. For only one who has not received Christ's Substitionary death for themselves would be so reckless as to observe it in an unworthy and irreverent manner.
Vs. 28 "But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup."
Thus each believer is to examine themselves, to see if their hearts are right with God before partaking of it. And thus confess whatever sins need confessing, make right whatever wrongs need to be made right, and generally make a self-assessment of oneself to see if one is living right and true with the Lord. Because the Lord's Supper is holy. And when we partake of it we should likewise be reverent in our hearts, minds, and lives. Now all believers are invited to eat of the bread and drink of the cup once they have examined themselves, and thus have prepared themselves to do so in reverent way.
Vs. 29 "For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body."
To knowingly partake of the Lord's Supper in an unworthy manner (that is not treating it, and thus the Lord's death for oneself with reverence) is to only drink and eat judgment upon oneself! Because one does not discern the Lord's body, that is the bread we eat and cup we drink symbolizes the reality of the Lord Jesus Christ's broken body for the remission of our sins. Thus to partake of it in an unworthy manner is at the very least to treat the Lord's Crucifixion with irreverence, and at the very worse as a common thing (Heb. 10:29-30), and thus is only to eat and drink judgment upon oneself.
Vs. 30 "For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep."
Sleep here is a polite way of saying many have died for their irreverence. These then must have been the worst of the offenders. For just as God judged Israel in their wilderness sojourn, so He still judges His people today when they take hold of irreverence, which in the Corinthians case had become extreme.
Vs. 31-32 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.
Again a honest self-assessment is always a good idea. For as the Apostle Paul says, "if we would judge ourselves we would not be judged." Now the Lord's judgment here was not eternal, for no believer will ever be condemned for their irreverence or anything else. That said, God may have to chasten us if we continue on in our sin. God doesn't want too, but if an individual believer will not judge themselves, and thus take a corrective action to move out of it, then God may have too so that we are not condemned with the world.
Vs. 33 "Therefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another."
Vs. 34 "But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest you come together for judgment. And the rest I will set in order when I come."
Paul's finial word on the matter is if there are any who are hungry let them eat at home rather than turn the Lord's Table into a place of self-indulgence, and thus turn their coming together into a time of judgment rather then blessing.
Word Studies
Vs. 27 unworthy; Str 371; GK 397; LN 65.19; 66:7 (2x). Though this word focuses on the individual, it is the individuals heart and mind, and thus their attitude towards the Lord's Supper that is at question. Thus to treat the Lord's Supper as if it were just a "common meal" or some sort of ceremonial religious ordinance that people have to observe is to be utterly disqualified from partaking of it. For the Lord's Supper is our recalling Christ's broken body and shed blood for our sins and transgressions and should be treated as such at all times and in all places.
Additional Resources Consulted
Swanson, J. (1997). Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek (New Testament) (electronic ed.). Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
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