1 Corinthians 11:27

[Dr. Shane]

Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.

Does the word "unworthily" refer to "whosoever" or to "eat" and "drink"? The entire meaning of this verse rests on the answer to that question.

[there buster]

"Unworthily" is an adverb, therefore it modifies the verb.

"Whosoever" is a noun, so "unworthily" must modify the verb of the sentence, "eat and drink."

[Dr. Shane]

A common misreading of the verse applies "unworthily" to "whosoever" which would mean one has to be worthy in order to take part in communion or the Lord's supper.

However when we understand the adverb to modify the verbs "eat" and "drink" it becomes an issue of how we, as a church, take communion.

[cricket]

It doesn't speak of a church though, it just speaks of "whosoever". Doesn't it then become an issue of how whosoever takes communion?

What encompasses the "how"? Our hearts or the method of ritual?

[Dr. Shane]

From what I understand, it is saying that communion is to be a sacred service. This is not something to be done lightly like at a banquet or a party.

[David Koot]

The Greek word is 'anaxsiws' which is, indeed, an adveb. However, I would think that it applies accordingly to those who perform the action, i.e., eating and drinking. Note this reference in Louw-Nida:

"‘anyone who eats the Lord’s bread and drinks from his cup without being worthy’"

(Louw, Johannes P. and Nida, Eugene A., Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains, (New York: United Bible Societies) 1988, 1989.)

It would seem to this student, an extremely serious matter to come to the Lord's supper with unrepented of, unconfessed sins. Doing so would seem to do violence to the service, and to the Lord Jesus Christ, bringing upon the person some consequences.

Dave

[Planey]

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...an extremely serious matter to come to the Lord's supper with unrepented of, unconfessed sins.

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That is how I have always understood that text, David. It seems to make sense of the context, I believe.

Is that how you see it too, Ed? Or is there some fuller meaning, that is, some extension of this idea that we could consider?

Graeme

[LifeHiscost]

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Shane said:

From what I understand, it is saying that communion is to be a sacred service. This is not something to be done lightly like at a banquet or a party.

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Taking into consideration that there were those who were eating and drinking without consideration for others trying to eat and drink worthily, it would appear that either conclusion could be correct to fulfill righteousness, without doing violence to the other.

[:"red"] "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves" [/] Philippians 2:3 NASB

<img src="/adventist/images/graemlins/DOVE.gif" alt="" />

[Stan]

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Shane said:

Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.

Does the word "unworthily" refer to "whosoever" or to "eat" and "drink"? The entire meaning of this verse rests on the answer to that question.

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So who is worthy?

[David Koot]

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Stan Jensen said:

So who is worthy?

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We are worthy because of the Lord Jesus Christ, Who covers us with His rightoeusness. That blessing is freely given to all who will surrender their lives, and their sins, to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. We are not worthy BECAUSE we do so. Christ is worthy, Who stands in our place.

Dave

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

I know Jesus said, "Do this in remembrance of Me." But the Lord's Supper ritual has always seemed vaguely heathen to me. Why do people want to drink His blood and eat His body? Isn't there a better way to remember what Jesus did for us? ... Maybe not. Just my musings.. <img src="/adventist/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

[Dr. Shane]

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Why do people want to drink His blood and eat His body?

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I understand this to be symbolic. In order to be transformed we must let Jesus live in us. "I am crucified with Christ, therefore I no longer live, but Jesus Christ now lives in me.

[David Koot]

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rudywoofs said:

the Lord's Supper ritual has always seemed vaguely heathen to me. Why do people want to drink His blood and eat His body?

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Indeed. The Romans accused the Christians of being cannibals for that very reason, misunderstanding the symbolism of the service. Although, for traditional Catholics, it goes beyond symbol. 'hoc est corpus meum' is taken quite literally--transubstantiation.

You have raised a very interesting question, IMO.

Dave

[Dr. Shane]

The idea that one needs to be without any known sin in order to participate in the Lord's Supper is what causes attendence to be so low on communion Sabbaths. I started this thread after watching a program on SkyAngel dedicated to this subject.

Some of us have sins that we struggle with. Sins we know are wrong but, for whatever reason, have yet to give up. These may be watching bad TV programs, listening to bad music, indulging in appetitie, not paying a faithful tithe, being too lazy to participate in outreach work, etc. The only way we are going to gain victory is to become willing to let go of these sins. I believe that starts with being willing to become willing. That, of course, comes due to the moving of the Holy Spirit. It is a process.

So how far into this process does one have to go before they can count themselves "worthy" to participate in the Lord's Supper? My experience has been that as soon as I feel "worthy" the Holy Spirit reveals another sin in my life that I have been clinging to and the process starts all over. Which means if I wait until I feel worthy, that day is likely to never come. I simply ask myself, am I willing to become willing?

[melvin mccarty]

Just consider the type of people who partook of the first communion supper. That should be encouraging

mel

[there buster]

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always seemed vaguely heathen to me. Why do people want to drink His blood and eat His body? Isn't there a better way to remember what Jesus did for us?

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Since circumstances have changed, I am posting again.

Communion is a symbolic recommitment to Christ the wine symbolizes his blood shed for us, and the bread symbolizes his body broken for us. So when we drink the wine, and eat the bread, we are once again accepting his death for our sins.

But Christianity has always taught that in accepting Christ, we do not simply have our sins forgiven, but our lives begin to be changed. Eating the bread and drinking the wine symbolizes that we are taking Christ's substance into ourselves, that we are assimilating his nature into our own.

So, for any one to partake of these symbols in a frivolous manner would be frightfully disrespectful, and demonstrate that person's spiritual depravity.

[Morning Glory]

I like the way that you state this, Ed.

In order to remain alive and healthy, we must eat and drink. To remain healthy in a spiritual sense, we must "feed" on God's word.

Actually, the language used in the text is HIGHLY symbolic. There are many referrences to these symbols in the Old Testament. He, Jesus, called himself the Bread of Life in more than one place, if memory serves, in New Testament writings. So, by following what He has told us to do, and by "feasting" on his word, we ARE in a way, "eating" Him. What He has taught us becomes part of us.

The Living Water that He brought out of the rock in the Wilderness wanderings of the ancient Israelites also symbolizes Him and His life giving qualities. So, with those symbols in mind, the disciples would have had no problem understanding the symbolism, IMO.

If taken literally the words DO sound heathen and cannabilistic; however, when taken in context of the symbolic, and building on the literature of the early Biblical writings, they make perfect sense.

Morning Glory

[David Koot]

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Shane said:

So how far into this process does one have to go before they can count themselves "worthy" to participate in the Lord's Supper?

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The answer, good fellow, is quite simple IMO. Simply borrowing the words of a hymn, "All to Jesus I surrender, all to Him I freely give . . . I surrender all"

Giving the heart to Jesus, surrendering the life to His Lordship. You mentioned sins that are being struggled with. Give them to Jesus. I have kind of a hunch about something here. Do I perceive that being 'worthy' for you, means to achieve victory over any of those temptations? I suppose if that were the case, it would be a long, long way to Tipperary indeed. I believe that readiness for communion means turning one's sins over to Jesus, not hanging on to them, giving them to His Lordship. Remember, Shane, that a person cannot cling to his sins and, at the same time, cling to Jesus. If we choose to cling to Jesus, then the blood of Jesus, symbolized by the communion 'wine,' cleanses us, purifies us from all sin. That is the work of God which He accomplishes, in the heart. I don't believe that God expects you to do it by yourself. I believe that what He asks of you, is your consent to allow Him to work in your life, without holding out on Him. Another Christian song says, 'Put Jesus first in your life, let Him take the burdens away . . ."

Dave

[LifeHiscost]

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Stan Jensen said:

So who is worthy?

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Good point.

[:"red"] "And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God" [/] Matt 19:17 KJV

OTOH, he who has washed his garments in the blood of Jesus is accounted worthy.

[:"red"] "...And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

" [/] Revelation 7:14 KJV

<img src="/adventist/images/graemlins/DOVE.gif" alt="" />

[LifeHiscost]

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David Koot said:

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Stan Jensen said:

So who is worthy?

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We are not worthy BECAUSE we do so. Christ is worthy, Who stands in our place.

Dave

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<img src="/adventist/images/graemlins/amen2.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/adventist/images/graemlins/untitled.bmp" alt="" />

[LifeHiscost]

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rudywoofs said:

I know Jesus said, "Do this in remembrance of Me." But the Lord's Supper ritual has always seemed vaguely heathen to me. Why do people want to drink His blood and eat His body? Isn't there a better way to remember what Jesus did for us? ... Maybe not. Just my musings.. <img src="/adventist/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

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These questions are probably further answered in subsequent posts, Pam, but looking at the Word as bread from heaven, when you read the Bible and accept it you are essentially building the spiritual life in Christ. Take Jesus' words about eating His body and drinking His blood as a metaphor that has a reality in your life that gives full assurance of a home in heaven for eternity with Him.

[:"red"] "He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." [/] 1 John 5:12

KJV

[:"red"] "For the life of the flesh is in the blood" [/] Leviticus 17:11 KJV

[:"red"] "Jesus saith..., I am the....the life"[/]

John 14:6 KJV

Your confusion is not without precedent.

[:"red"] "As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.

This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.

Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?

When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?

What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?

And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.

From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?

Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.

And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God." [/] John 6:57-69 KJV

<img src="/adventist/images/graemlins/DOVE.gif" alt="" />

Blessings!!

[there buster]

I recently had someone ask me what value there was to diagramming a sentence. As it happens, this is a case which demonstrates that value.

[:"red"] 27Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. [/]

Whether in Greek or in English the emphasis is on the manner of participation rather than the status of the partaker. Put as simply as I can, it's about "how" rather than "who."

There's no question of us being worthy--if we were it would make the whole exercise pointless. The context is the Cprinthian love fesasts, in which some wealthy members would come early and share their abundance, while the poor showed up late for the scraps. that surely wasan "unworthy manner."