A Meal to Remember – 1 Corinthians 11:17-34
Paul expresses strong disapproval of the Corinthian church’s observance of the Lord’s Supper, noting it’s doing more harm than good.
1 Corinthians 11:17-18 (CSB)
“Now in giving this instruction I do not praise you, since you come together not for the better but for the worse. For to begin with, I hear that when you come together as a church there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it.”
Their gatherings, which included a meal with communion, were marked by division and selfishness—not unity in remembering Christ, but a display of personal desires.
1 Corinthians 11:20-22 (CSB)
“When you come together, then, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper. For at the meal, each one eats his own supper. So one person is hungry while another gets drunk! Don’t you have homes in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What should I say to you? Should I praise you? I do not praise you in this matter!”
Some indulged while others went hungry, missing the point of Jesus’ institution. The Lord’s Supper is meant to unite us in remembering His sacrifice, not to highlight selfish differences.
Paul reminds them of communion’s true meaning:
1 Corinthians 11:23-26 (CSB)
“For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, broke it, and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, and said, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”
This sacred act proclaims Jesus’ death until He returns—a time for reverence and gratitude.
Paul then issues a warning:
1 Corinthians 11:27-30 (CSB)
“So, then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sin against the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself; in this way let him eat the bread and drink from the cup. For whoever eats and drinks without recognizing the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself. This is why many are sick and ill among you, and many have fallen asleep.”
Approaching communion unworthily—with unconfessed sin or selfishness—invites God’s discipline, even sickness or death. God takes this seriously because it diminishes Christ’s sacrifice.
How should we approach communion?
1 Corinthians 11:28, 33-34 (CSB)
“Let a person examine himself; in this way let him eat the bread and drink from the cup… Therefore, my brothers and sisters, when you come together to eat, welcome one another. If anyone is hungry, he should eat at home, so that when you gather together you will not come under judgment.”
We must come prepared—not physically hungry, but spiritually hungry to worship. Let’s examine our hearts, confess our sins, and approach the Lord’s Table with humility, unity, and gratitude, reflecting the full work of Christ who we are remembering. Let us honor the Lord in our communion services, ensuring our hearts and actions bring glory to His name.
