Partaking Lord's Supper in unworthy manner

These are parts of an ongoing discussion in reference to the 1 Corinthians 11 passage I had with a friend

For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself, IF HE DOES NOT JUDGE THE BODY RIGHTLY. FOR THIS REASON many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. 1 Corinthians 11:29-30

Notice the order. Your question is answered by whatever it means to judge the body rightly. You didn't answer my questions from yesterday ... maybe you missed them. Here is that part from yesterday's letter:

So, then, how would that play out if they were to heed Paul's advice and discern the other believers in regards to their partaking of the supper? Don't look too deep for this as it is the most obvious reality about the meaning of the partaking as a body. Understanding this will answer the rest: the "unworthy manner" of partaking, as well as being "guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord" and the "examining" of oneself. from previous discussion

In other words, what were their PERCEPTIONS, and therefore, what were they DOING, or NOT DOING because they didn't judge the body rightly? Their false perceptions were causing them to treat one another in specific detrimental ways. What were those ways in which they were treating each other?

There was a discrepancy between THEIR perception of the supper and the actual meaning of the supper. What was it? In other words, WHY did Paul say...

Therefore, when you meet together, it is NOT to eat the Lord's Supper 1 Corinthians 11:20

Not just the fact that they were getting drunk or going hungry ... but what was the CAUSE of this?

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Consider the body of Christ. It is not fragmented, or divided, it is one. We have been made ONE. But their coming together did not reflect this reality. Their coming together reflected the division of man's wisdom.

The supper is all about forgiveness and unity, and yet because they had been sucked in by the deception of divisive men their partaking of the supper was done in an unworthy manner.

The cup, picturing the blood of Christ, was declaring forgiveness - that is, no remembrance of sins - while their partaking of it was done spitefully while holding grudges AGAINST one another. Just think on all the things Paul had dealt with up to that point of the letter. They didn't accidentally leave some people out of their celebration, their arrogance forced them to deliberately reject those they deemed losers. They were not being reminded of their common forgiveness by the cup, they had turned it into some kind of validation of their own super-spirituality. Those who had the wine drank it in proportion to their arrogance which had been caused by a sense of superiority inflated by the lure of wisdom. They had forgotten their calling that there had not been many wise according to the world's standards, nor had there been many powerful men among them, nor had there been many noblemen.

On the other hand, those who submitted to the place of the less spiritual from a lack of knowledge (the cloaked wisdom of the world, that is) or blessings (physical or social, no doubt) did so in view of comparing themselves to those who seemed obviously blessed by God. I'm sure there was a lot of false humility just like there is today (I might not be as spiritual, but I can be more humble, you know). This is also unworthy of the blood because it had no respect of persons.

They were taking the cup as if it had been some kind of testimony to the greatness of some, instead of having been the all-gracious expunger of their guilt. The only worthy manner of partaking the cup is to let it declare the forgiveness and cleansed conscience of all.

The bread - the body - of Christ pictured the ONENESS, the UNITY of all believers. Each was part of the other by virtue of the fact that all were joined to Christ. And while the more blessed were greedily hoarding it amongst themselves they were eating a meal that screamed out the reality brought to pass by Christ as He gave His body on the cross and had it raised to new life.

The picture of the wine: NO SIN THROUGH CHRIST

The unworthy partaking of the wine: FOCUSED ON SIN THROUGH MAN

The picture of the bread: UNITY THROUGH CHRIST

The unworthy partaking of the bread: FACTIONS THROUGH MAN

But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

Examine in view of sin? Heavens no! Examine, or discern oneself in view of CHRIST!!! For then he will be partaking of it in a worthy manner. For as I perceive MYSELF in the reality of the shed blood and the body of Christ I WILL SEE YOU IN THE SAME WAY.

Eating and drinking judgment to himself.

What judgment? The judgment of each other through the LAW. Law begets more law. If I throw something at you then you will eventually throw something back at me. As in the letter to the Galatians, they had been caught up in biting and devouring one another. For that is exactly what we find ourselves running to and attempting to live by. It is what the Corinthians did. And in the process they were doing damage to themselves and to each other. And it was showing itself in all its ugliness during their celebrations.

For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep

I think he was referring to their obvious conditions during the celebration (something you had asked me about as I remember). These were probably all-day affairs. Some came hungry and left hungry. Others ate and drank all day.

Many were weak - it was in direct relation to the arrogance of those who despised them. Many were sick - while some had nothing, others were gorging themselves on food and drink. A number sleep - drunk and passed out.

All because of how they viewed themselves and each other. The coming together for judgment is the very real performance-based judgment they were manifesting toward one another. If we judged ourselves rightly this wouldn't be happening among us because we would be viewing one another through Christ. But even when this happens God is not forsaking us but is continually disciplining (training as children) us. For if He didn't stay with us in this we would be condemned along with the world.

Listen to the simplicity of this one thing that Paul suggests: wait for one another. It is a message of their common unity in Christ.

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As far as the word Paul used for sleep (koimaomai), it means sleep. It is ALSO used to refer to the death of those in Christ. The fact is that those who want to argue the point need to deal with the definition as they are insisting that a word that MEANS sleep wouldn't possibly be used by Paul to refer to someone who is sleeping from effects of alcohol. To say that Paul ONLY used it in reference to death isn't saying much since he didn't use the word all that much. The best support that he used the word in reference to one being passed out is found in the fact that he had just referred to some as being drunk. It turns out that Paul did NOT always use the word to refer to death since this passage doesn't support that statement. :)

What I have learned numerous times from a Greek and Hebrew scholar is that context ends up determining the meaning of words. This was from a guy who didn't like my interpretation and so he challenged my definitions based on the original language. When I pursued the issue with him by asking a few more questions about the other uses of the same Greek or Hebrew word in other passages that favored how I saw it he backed off by agreeing that context is really what defines words for us.

I haven't heard from him in quite a while now (he gets the Shoveletter) and I'm sure he still takes issue with me, but I think he was surprised that such a Greek and Hebrew illiterate could even support his view. :) Take heart! You don't need to be a scholar. The real understanding comes from revelation. Those who don't RESIST God's revelation of grace may not know what all the words mean, but they do know that the written word is not going to contradict the reality of Christ.

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A few thoughts to some of yours:

I know we're not to judge other's according to their sins but we are to judge righteously, which I take to mean judge from scripture. Mark

I used to see it this way, but not anymore. Judging by scripture has only caused arguments, nit-picking, schisms and self-righteousness. Thought we can LEARN of the righteous judgment from scripture, there's a HUGE difference! Judging righteously comes ONLY by viewing all through Christ, and this comes by revelation of the Spirit which we have received.

To judge from scripture has to do with lining up according to words and interpretations and points of view, but seeing all though Christ breaks down every barrier and doesn't hinge upon differences of opinion. Paul said,

For I determined to know nothing among you except Christ, and Him crucified 1 Corinthians 2:2

Righteous judgment is: dead in sins vs. alive in Christ; man's righteousness vs. God's righteousness, etc. It comes down to UPON WHAT REALITY do I view people? Sin is no longer an issue either toward the believers or unbelievers. The good news of Jesus raises those still dead and also convinces those who have been made alive as to the life that is in them. Don't let anybody sidetrack you into worthless discussion or arguments.

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Disregarding my sin?

My dear friend, Mark ...

I think you are looking too hard for sin, that's what I think! You said:

I starting reading 1 Cor 11:26 -32. I zeroed in on verse 30, "For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep." Thats something to be frightened of. I know I've been there, I've felt the discipline of my Heavenly Father and it sure hurts. The message seems clear....God is not kidding when He tells us to pursue righteousness. If we disregard our sin eventually the discipline will come. Mark

Why did you take that verse out of context? Hmmmmm? Why? Fear make you do that?

What I'm asking you is: FOR WHAT reason were they weak, sick & sleeping? You have that built-in assumption learned in earlier days forcing itself in here. Did Paul really suggest that this happened because they weren't pursuing righteousness ... or that they were disregarding their sin? Well .......... did he? I'm waiting. :) Read the whole passage again, okay? You know, it's rather odd that in MY Bible I didn't even notice the word "sin" in the whole discussion. What do you think? I didn't notice a phrase even similar to "pursue righteousness". Do you? Huh?

Get back with me after you read it about 10 times! hahahahaha!

Don't forget that folder called, Stuff that will be cleared up as I view my life and the Bible through the reality of the finished work of Christ

Don't worry, Paul didn't change his tune in this passage!! :)

Love, Jim