The Memorial of Christ
—1Corinthians 11
This lesson is about the Lord's Supper. We look at the last half of our chapter for study (1Corinthians 11). We examine verses 17 to 34. Paul discussed the problems in the church at Corinth to do with the memorial of Christ. The Christians at Corinth were acting very differently to the proper observance. Paul wrote about how they had lost sight of five principles.
1 UNITY
1Cor 11, Verses 17-19
Paul returned to his earlier concerns about the lack of unity in the congregation (1Corinthians 1:10-13). There were factions without authority who took their names from the apostles including Paul. He said that consequently they came together as a church not for the better but for the worse —because these factions were against the oneness of the church.
They would do better to take their factions out of the church, leaving those who belonged to no denomination, but only to Christ, to meet in unity even if small in number. Then Paul, and the Lord, could approve of them and praise them.
2 ORDER
1Cor 11, Verses 20-22
Disunity was not the only problem in the Corinthian church. There was disorder in the worship. They had given up observing the Lord’s supper and were eating their own suppers, not even sharing them with the poor members. Furthermore, some were getting drunk.
They should have eaten those suppers at home and invited the poor. In church they should have eaten the Lord’s Supper, all together. They should have each taken a small portion of unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine, as emblems of Christ’s body and blood, just as Jesus had commanded (Luke 22:17-20).
3 ORIGIN
1Cor 11, Verses 23-26
Paul had been told by Jesus how the memorial supper came to be. He had passed it on to the Corinthians, but they forgot all about it. He had to tell them again.
"23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, 'Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.' 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.' 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes." (NKJV)
4 JUDGMENT
1Cor 11, Verses 27-32
Having reminded the Corinthian Christians of the memorial supper’s origin, Paul then wrote plainly of how seriously they should have regarded their participation in it. The formula was simple...
- They had to partake in a worthy manner, appropriate to the solemnity of the supper.
- They were to examine and judge themselves to put them into a humble mind appropriate to the meaning of the emblems.
- They were to discern the Lord’s body, crucified as a sacrifice for their sins, and raised to glory.
- They were not to be spiritually weak or ill, or even worse, spiritually dead.
- They were to accept the Lord’s judgment and chastening, when he thought they had not properly judged themselves.
5 TOGETHERNESS
1Cor 11, Verses 33-34
Earlier in this letter, Paul wrote, "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?" (1Corinthians 10:16 NKJV).
That word "communion" translates the Greek word "koinonia" which means fellowship or sharing. The Lord wanted the Corinthian Christians to assemble together as a church to partake of the Lord’s Supper. There was to be a sharing, a fellowship, in the memorial of Christ.