An Appeal to Love – 1 Corinthians 13

Posted on November 1, 2023 by dkoop

The thirteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians may be, from a literary viewpoint, the greatest passage Paul ever penned.  Studying it is somewhat like taking apart a flower; part of the beauty is lost when the components are separated. But when each part is understood more clearly, the whole can become even more beautiful.

This chapter is a breath of fresh air, an oasis in a desert of problems. It is a positive note in the midst of almost continual reproof and correction of wrong understandings, wrong attitudes, wrong behavior, and wrong use of God’s ordinances and gifts. Paul’s scribe must have breathed a sigh of relief and amazement when the apostle began dictating these beautiful, Holy Spirit-inspired words.

This gem is best understood in its original  setting. Its message is integral to what Paul says before and after it.  Chapter 13 is the central chapter in Paul’s lengthy discussion of spiritual gifts (chaps. 12-14). Chapter 12 discusses the endowment, receipt, and interrelatedness of the gifts. Chapter 14 presents the proper exercise of the gifts, especially that of languages. In this middle chapter we see the proper attitude and atmosphere, the proper motive and power, the “more excellent way” (12:31), in which God has planned for all of the gifts to operate.

LIFE APPLICATION –  THE ULTIMATE
According to 1 Corinthians 13, love provides the basis for all the spiritual gifts exercised in the church body. Love connects every act with God and makes our actions and gifts useful. Although people have different gifts, expressing God’s love should be the ultimate purpose of every gift. When you ask God for more love, realize that part of the answer comes in the form of spiritual gifts. When you ask God to show you your spiritual gifts, his answer will include a new awareness of the people around you who need his love.

 1. Love is the Greatest Gift

13:1 If I could speak in any language in heaven or on earth but didn’t love others, I would only be making meaningless noise like a loud gong or a clanging cymbal.NLT Great faith, acts of dedication or sacrifice, miracle-working power, or the ability to speak in any language in heaven or on earth will produce very little without love. This phrase is also translated “the tongues of men and of angels” (niv). The Corinthians believed that they had the angels’ language when they spoke in tongues. But their knowledge led to pride, which stripped them of love and consideration for others. Love makes believers’ actions and gifts useful. Although people have different gifts, love is available to everyone. Without love, speaking in another language, although a gift of the Spirit, becomes nothing more than meaningless noise. A cymbal was often used in ecstatic rites in pagan worship. The gift of tongues, used without love, is as valueless as pagan worship. Without love, the gifts do not build up other believers, so they are useless. Christians must not exalt gifts over character. Love is far more important.

The word for love used here is agape. The Greeks had different words that described different kinds of love. The word agape connotes a deep, abiding, self-sacrificing love—the kind that looks out for the other person first. God requires his people to have agape love for one another.

13:2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.NKJV Three gifts are mentioned in this verse: prophecy, knowledge, and faith. The gift of prophecy was described in the commentary on 12:10 as a gift that not only enables the person to see events in the future but also to bring God’s message to the church under the direction of the

Holy Spirit (see also 14:1-25; 1 Thessalonians 5:19-20). Paul explains in 14:3 that “The one who prophesies is helping others grow in the Lord, encouraging and comforting them” (nlt). While all believers ought to study in order to understand more and be able to teach others about what they believe, some people have been given a special measure of this gift with the ability to understand all mysteries and all knowledge (“knowledge” was another gift). Such understanding and even the ability to share it with others, however, are worth nothing without love. God requires mercy and love “from the heart,” not sacrifice, not the exercising of gifts. We must remember that Satan is a master at mimicking the gifts of the Spirit, but he cannot mimic the heart. He can set up a puppet teacher who is endowed with great knowledge, but he cannot give that person love for God and love for other Christians. This is solely a Christian grace and can only come by the Spirit of Christ.

R. C. Sproul

 

The gift of faith was described in 12:9. This does not refer to saving faith, whereby people come to believe in Jesus Christ as Savior; instead, this is an unusual measure of trust in the Holy Spirit’s power to do mighty works, much like Elijah received in 1 Kings 18. If a person has faith that could remove mountains but does not have love, the faith is worth nothing.

13:3 If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would be of no value whatsoever.NLT This verse says that love produces willingness to give sacrificially and to suffer. Acts of charity and self-sacrifice can be done for the sake of an ideal or with pride as a motivation. But they are of no value for the kingdom, wrote Paul, unless they are done from the foundation of love for others.

  1. Love Overcomes Sin

13:4 Love is patient.NIV Because love is so important among the believers, Paul went on to describe that love in more detail. How does such love look when lived out in the lives of believers? First of all, love is patient.

The expression “is patient” (makrothumei) is the opposite of being short-tempered. Patience (sometimes translated “long-suffering” or “slow to anger”) is an attribute of God (see Exodus 34:6; Numbers 14:18; Romans 2:4; 1 Peter 3:20). In many places, God’s people are called upon to be patient (see, for example, Ephesians 4:2; Colossians 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:14). Patience is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22).

What does patient love among believers look like? Such love bears with certain annoyances or inconveniences without complaint. Such love does

 Before we rush to trivialize these words about love by assuming they can easily fit us, let’s stop to consider that they actually describe God’s character. These are not sugary claims. They are hard-edged descriptions of God’s perfection-in-relationship. The Holy Spirit inspired the apostle to write a breathtakingly beautiful description of the nature of God. Only God can put His character in us.

Neil Wilson

 

not lose its temper when provoked. Such love steadily perseveres. Without love, no matter how wonderful the gifts in the church, people will be impatient with one another, short-tempered, and irritable.

Love is kind.NIV The Greek word translated “is kind” (chresteuetai) occurs only here in the New Testament. (“Kindness,” chrestotes, occurs in Galatians 5:22.) It probably means the same as a similar word (also translated as “kind”) in Ephesians 4:32: “Be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you” (nlt). Kindness takes the initiative in responding generously to others’ needs. The psalms and writings of the prophets say much about God’s kindness (Psalm 18:50; Isaiah 54:8; Jeremiah 9:24). Because believers have received kindness, they ought to act with kindness toward others.

How does “kind love” look among believers? Such love is considerate and helpful to others. Kind love is gentle and mild, always ready to show compassion, especially to those in need. Without love, even the great gifts cannot be exercised with an eye to helping others.

It does not envy.NIV “Envy” refers to strong jealousy of another person. The envious person desires what another person has. This seems to have been a particular problem in Corinth—those with “lesser” gifts envied those with “greater” gifts. The seed of envy can lead to seething anger and hatred. Those who are too busy envying each other’s gifts are unlikely to be using their own gifts in loving service to God and others. Envy stagnates the church, causing the envious believers to remain self-centered and self-focused, feeling sorry for themselves, and not fulfilling their God-given role. When there is love, believers will gladly use whatever gifts they have been given to work together for the advance of God’s kingdom. They will be glad that others have different gifts so that the entire job can get done.

 LIFE APPLICATION – GENUINE LOVE
Society confuses love and lust. Often, so do believers. Unlike lust, God’s kind of love is directed outward toward others, not inward toward one’s self. It is utterly unselfish. This kind of love goes against natural inclinations. It is possible to practice this love only if God helps us set aside our own desires and instincts so that we can give love while expecting nothing in return. Thus the more we become like Christ, the more love we will show to others.

It does not boast, it is not proud.NIV While some believers may have a problem with envy, those with the “greater” gifts might have a problem with boasting or pride. Again, it seems that this may have been a problem in Corinth. When spectacularly gifted believers begin to boast, they have directed their energy toward themselves. The gift becomes not a tool of service for the kingdom but a way of self-advancement. Such believers are proud. While some pride can be positive, this kind of pride takes credit for an undeserved gift. Gifted believers who are caught up in pride and boasting over their gifts are unable to serve. Without love, they may feel that by using their gifts, they are doing someone a favor, that others should be grateful to them, and that they are far superior.

13:5 It is not rude.NIV The word translated “is rude” (aschemonei) refers to actions that are improper. Also translated as “love does not behave in an unseemly way,” this means that love does not behave impolitely, discourteously, or crudely. Believers who use their gifts with love will be careful to act in a manner worthy of their calling before God. They will never humiliate others. This may also have been a problem in Corinth, especially in their worship services (see 11:2-16).

It is not self-seeking.NIV People who are self-seeking always want their own way. They are selfish, self-centered, wanting what they think is best for them. This is the opposite of love. Love (agape) looks out for others, seeks their best interests, willingly gives up its own for the sake of another. A self-seeking person may use his or her gifts but not with a serving attitude or a desire to build the kingdom. Instead, the gifts are only used if they can somehow benefit the self-seeking person. This is not God’s way. Instead, because of love, the believers use their gifts to benefit others first, without “self” or selfish desires getting in the way.

It is not easily angered.NIV The word for “easily angered” could also be translated “touchy,” “irritable,” or “sensitive to slights.” Such people let things get on their nerves. One believer, in the process of exercising his or her gifts, may irritate another believer. These “easily angered” believers may not like the style or manner in which these others exercise their gifts. Or they may get easily angered at anyone who crosses them. This is not the way of love. When believers exercise their gifts in love, they will be able to give one another some latitude to follow God as they see fit. They will not let themselves be easily provoked over disagreements, but they will be able to always respond in a loving manner. This does not mean that anger is wrong, for anger can be a motivating factor when directed against wrongs or injustices. People who are “easily angered,” however, are usually upset about personal affronts or minor issues. This stifles their service for God and the use of their gifts.

 LIFE APPLICATION – IRRITABILITY
Paul says that true love isn’t easily angered. Sometimes we’re irritated or angered by others, and we don’t know why. Not all irritability stems from sinful or selfish motives, although the irritable treatment of others surely is wrong. Much irritability comes from a love of perfection, a deep desire that programs, meetings, and structures be run perfectly. A desire to run things perfectly can erupt into anger at events or people who get in the way or ruin that desire. Those who are easily irritated need to remember that perfection exists only in God. We need to love him and our fellow Christians, not the visions we have for perfection here on earth.

It keeps no record of wrongs.NIV Believers must not allow themselves to become easily angered, and they must not keep record of wrongs. Such people will remember every offense against them as though it were written in a book and tallied. These “wrongs” are not sins that need to be dealt with in the congregation (such as that described in chapter 5) but minor offenses or misunderstandings between believers. Those who keep record of these wrongs and personal injuries will harbor resentment against other believers. Love, however, makes allowances for people’s foibles and flaws and willingly forgets when wrongs were done. This frees all believers to grow and mature in Christ and to grow in their ability to serve and use their gifts. When mistakes are made, love overlooks them and allows believers to continue to serve with the gifts God has given them. God does not keep a record of believers’ wrongs (2 Corinthians 5:19).

13:6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.NIV When believers show love, they do not delight in evil, either by showing superior morality over it or by taking pleasure in another’s fall. Love does not take pleasure in any kind of evil. Instead, love does the exact opposite—it rejoices with the truth. Through their relationship with Jesus Christ, believers possess the one and only truth (John 14:6). Those who love should remain untainted by evil. Instead, they ought to always seek truth, desire that truth win out, protect the truth, and proclaim the truth whenever possible.

13:7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.NIV After explaining what love does not do (13:4b-6), Paul listed four positive attributes of love. First of all, love always protects. The word in Greek, stego, means “cover” or “hide by covering.” This does not refer to hiding hurtful sin but to protecting someone from embarrassment, gossip, or any other such harm. When believers love one another, they refuse harmful gossip and protect one another from those who would try to inflict harm.

Love always trusts. This means both that love never loses faith and that it is willing to think the best of others. It does not mean that believers must be gullible, trusting everyone; instead, it means that they are willing to think the best as opposed to the worst of others. Love gives the benefit of the doubt. With real love, believers can deal with conflict lovingly. When everyone willingly thinks the best of everyone else, people are freed to be honest and open.

Love always hopes. Believers who love look forward, not backward. They seek for growth and maturity in the church, knowing that God is working in every person. They know that failure is not the end, and they trust in God who promises “that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28 nrsv).

Love always perseveres. Believers who love are active and steadfast in their faith. They hold on, no matter what difficulties they face. Hardship and pain do not stop love. When believers persevere, they face suffering within the body. They face persecution. They hang on when the going gets tough. They strive to save their marriages despite disappointment, to continue to trust God despite setbacks, and to continue to serve God despite fear or sorrow. When believers truly persevere, nothing can stop them.

  1. Love is Lasting

13:8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.NIV All the spiritual gifts will eventually pass away, but love never fails. Love is permanent. There will be no end to love. Spiritual gifts will end because they are given to build God’s kingdom. When Jesus Christ returns, the kingdom will be established and the “building up” will no longer be necessary. Therefore where there are prophecies (12:10; 13:2), they will cease. This gift was to be used for speaking the gospel message boldly, telling the future, and helping others grow in the Lord. One day, evangelism will no longer be necessary, all prophecies will be fulfilled, and all believers will be made perfect in Christ (1 John 3:2).

For the same reason, where there are tongues (12:10; 13:1), they will be stilled. Tongues are meant for blessing or instruction in the church when an interpreter is present, but in eternity all will understand the same language. Finally, where there is knowledge (12:8; 13:2), it will pass away. No one will need teachers because everyone will be given perfect knowledge of all that God has done.

Some have used this verse as the central passage for teaching that speaking in tongues came to an end in its usefulness with the death of the apostles and the writing of the New Testament. Therefore, they say, the focus today should be on the written word, not on tongues or prophecy. “When the end comes” (13:10), that is, when believers will be made perfect, “special gifts will all disappear.” These same scholars take “perfection” to mean the close of the New Testament canon or the completion of all the authentic New Testament books. This view is upheld by various groups and denominations. Others believe that the perfection will happen at the return of Christ; thus, these gifts (prophecies, tongues, and knowledge) still have a place. It is incongruous to argue that tongues have no value now while affirming that prophecy and knowledge are still important. Most likely, therefore, Paul was not teaching the cessation of tongues but the priority of love. “When the end comes” (13:10) is linked to seeing Christ face to face (13:12), and not to the completion of the New Testament.

13:9-10 Now we know only a little, and even the gift of prophecy reveals little! But when the end comes, these special gifts will all disappear.NLT On this earth, outside of heaven, everything is imperfect. No matter how much people may know, they know only a little. No matter how much prophecy is given, it still reveals little. Not until the arrival of God’s kingdom (the end, in Greek, teleion) will everything be made perfect and complete. At that time, all the special gifts of the Spirit will disappear (see 13:7-8). Because gifts are given for the building up of the body of Christ, they will no longer be needed. The body will be complete, and God’s kingdom will have arrived. Yet love will continue (13:8), because love is the very essence of God himself. “God is love,” wrote John (1 John 4:8, 16). God’s love caused him to reach out to undeserving humanity and send a Savior. His love saved people and will bring them into his kingdom to be with him forever. The kingdom rests on God’s love.

 LIFE APPLICATION – COMPLETE
When Paul wrote of the coming end, he was referring to when we must see Christ face to face. God gives believers spiritual gifts for their lives on earth in order to build up, serve, and strengthen fellow Christians. The spiritual gifts are for the church. In eternity, we will be made perfect and complete and will be in the very presence of God. We will no longer need the spiritual gifts, so they will come to an end. Then, we will have a perfect understanding and appreciation for one another as unique expressions of God’s infinite creativity. We will use our differences as a reason to praise God! Based on that perspective, let us treat each other with the same love and unity that we will one day share.

13:11 It’s like this: When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child does. But when I grew up, I put away childish things.NLT The contrast between believers’ spiritual understanding now, when they know only a little, and their lives in the future kingdom, when everything will be made clear, is illustrated in human terms. A child talks, thinks, and reasons like a child. His or her understanding is incomplete. But when a child grows up, he or she matures in speech, thought, and reason, putting away childish things. So now believers know only a little, like children, but one day they will be able to put their present understanding behind them because they will understand clearly.

13:12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.NIV By way of further metaphor, believers’ present spiritual understanding is like a poor reflection as in a mirror. They see very poorly now, compared to what they will understand when they see God face to face. Right now, they only know in part; at the time of Christ’s return, they shall know fully. The understanding will be complete, as is God’s present understanding of each individual. While believers’ knowledge is still growing and maturing, God already knows each person fully. Instead of boasting about their spiritual gifts, the Corinthian believers should realize that these gifts were nothing compared to what they would experience in heaven.

13:13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.NKJV In other places in Scripture, faith, hope, and love are presented together (see Romans 5:1-5; Galatians 5:5-6; Ephesians 4:2-5; Colossians 1:4-5; 1 Thessalonians 1:3; 5:8; Hebrews 6:10-12; 10:22-24; 1 Peter 1:3-8). Most likely, Paul was showing that love is a spiritual reality of a different kind, like hope and faith, and not to be considered as one of the spiritual gifts. In eternity, the gifts will drop away in significance, but faith, hope, and love will remain.

“Faith” sometimes refers to a spiritual gift (12:9; 13:2) or to saving faith that God has forgiven sins. In this context, it refers to trust in the goodness and mercy of the Lord. Such trust will see believers through until they live face to face in God’s presence. Believers also hope; they look forward to the arrival of God’s promised kingdom in its fullest form, knowing that God will deliver them in times of suffering.

Paul added that while these three remain, the greatest of these is love. How is love “the greatest”? Paul already had established that love would abide forever (13:8). Love is the greatest because it is one quality of the Christian life that will be fully active both in the present and for eternity. Believers’ faith in God will be realized when they see God face to face—for where there is sight, faith is no longer needed. Similarly, the believers’ hope will be fully realized. Love will endure forever as those in the new heaven and new earth continue to love God and his people.

 LIFE APPLICATION = THESE THREE
Paul wrote that love endures forever. In morally corrupt Corinth, love had become a mixed-up term with little meaning. Today, people are still confused about love. Love is the greatest of all human qualities and is an attribute of God himself (1 John 4:8). Love involves unselfish service to others. Faith is the foundation and content of God’s message; hope is the attitude and focus; love is the action. Faith informs action; hope influences action; love is action. When faith and hope are in line, you are free to love completely because you understand how God loves. Does your faith fully express itself in loving others?

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Sources:
Bruce B. Barton et al., Life Application Bible Commentary – 1 & 2 Corinthians, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 1999), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Under: “1 CORINTHIANS 13”.
John MacArthur, MacArthur New Testament Commentary – 1 Corinthians, (Chicago: Moody Press, 1984), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 328.
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Division Over Spiritual Gifts – 1 Corinthians 12

Posted on October 25, 2023 by dkoop

One of the marks of an individual’s maturity is a growing understanding of, and appreciation for, their own body. There is a parallel in the spiritual life: as we mature in Christ, we gain a better understanding of the church, which is Christ’s body. “Individual Christianity” can lead to isolation from the local church, we must think bigger.

Of course, the image of the “body” is not the only one Paul used in discussing the church, and we must be careful not to press it too far. The church is also a family, an army, a temple, and even a bride; and each image has important lessons to teach us. However, in three of his letters, Paul gave emphasis to the church as a body; and, in each of these passages, he brought out the same three important truths: unity, diversity, and maturity. The chart below makes this clear.

Unity Diversity Maturity
1 Corinthians 12:1-13 12:14-31 13:1-13
Romans 12:1-5 12:6-8 12:9-21
Ephesians 4:1-6 4:7-12 4:13-16

It is impossible to discuss the body without also discussing the ministry of the Holy Spirit.  It was the Spirit who gave birth to the body at Pentecost and who ministers in and through the body. In the Corinthian church, unfortunately, the members were grieving the Holy Spirit by the carnal ways in which they were using spiritual gifts. They were like children with toys instead of adults with valuable tools, and they needed to mature.

  1. Unity: The Gift of the Spirit (1 Cor. 12:1-13)

Since there was division in the Corinthian church, Paul began with an emphasis on the oneness of the church. He pointed out four wonderful bonds of spiritual unity.

We confess the same Lord (vv. 1-3). Paul contrasted their experience as unconverted idolaters with their present experience as Christians. They had worshiped dead idols, but now they belonged to the living God. Their idols never spoke to them, but God spoke to them by His Spirit, and He even spoke through them in the gift of prophecy. When they were lost, they were under the control of the demons (1 Cor. 10:20) and were led astray (“carried away,” 1 Cor. 12:2). But now the Spirit of God lived in them and directed them.

It is only through the Spirit that a person can honestly say, “Jesus is Lord.” A sneering sinner may mouth the words, but he is not giving a true confession. (Perhaps Paul was referring to things they had said when influenced by the demons prior to conversion.) It is important to note that the believer is always in control of himself when the Holy Spirit is at work (1 Cor. 14:32) because Jesus Christ the Lord is in charge. Any so-called “Spirit manifestation” that robs a person of self-control is not of God; for “the fruit of the Spirit is… self-control” (Gal. 5:22-23).

If Jesus Christ truly is Lord in our lives, then there should be unity in the church. Division and dissension among God’s people only weakens their united testimony to a lost world (John 17:20-21).

We depend on the same God (vv. 4-6). There is a trinitarian emphasis here: “the same Spirit… the same Lord… the same God.” We individually may have different gifts, ministries, and ways of working, but “it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13). The source of the gift is God; the sphere for administering the gift is from God; and the energy to use the gift is from God. Why, then, glorify men? Why compete with one another?

We minister to the same body (vv. 7-11). The gifts are given for the good of the whole church. They are not for individual enjoyment, but for corporate employment. The Corinthians especially needed this reminder, because they were using their spiritual gifts selfishly to promote themselves and not to prosper the church. When we accept our gifts with humility, then we use them to promote harmony, and this helps the whole church.

The various gifts are named in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 and 28, and also in Ephesians 4:11 and Romans 12:6-8. When you combine the lists, you end up with nineteen different gifts and offices. Since the listing in Romans is not identical with the listing in 1 Corinthians, we may assume that Paul was not attempting to exhaust the subject in either passage. While the gifts named are adequate for the ministry of the church, God is not limited to these lists. He may give other gifts as He pleases.

12:8 To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice.

To one person, explained Paul, the Spirit gives the message of wisdom. The problem of wisdom (human versus divine) was a hot topic in Corinth. At the beginning of this letter (1:17-2:16), Paul spent several paragraphs explaining the difference between God’s wisdom and human “wisdom.”

All believers are given wisdom from the Spirit (2:15-16), but some are given the ability to give the “message of wisdom.” This may refer to the promise of Christ (see Luke 21:15) that the Spirit would give special wisdom to those facing adversaries and persecution. Based on Paul’s argument in chapter 1, it most likely refers to recognizing Christ crucified as the basis of God’s true wisdom, and proclaiming Christ in this way.

To another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit.NIV Another person might be given the message of knowledge. As with “wisdom,” the Corinthians also believed they had special “knowledge.” People may think they have all kinds of wisdom and knowledge, which leads to pride, but true wisdom and knowledge are found in Christ alone. But to some people the same Spirit gives extraordinary knowledge. This could mean a special knowledge of spiritual realities (see 13:2, 8-12; 14:6) or knowledge given to teachers who are training others in Christian truth.

12:9 The Spirit gives special faith to another.NLT All Christians have faith because the faith that brings a person to salvation is the work of the Holy Spirit. “God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God” (Ephesians 2:8 nlt; see also Galatians 5:22; 1 Timothy 4:12-14). Some people, however, have the spiritual gift of faith, which is an unusual measure of trust in the Holy Spirit’s power. In 13:2, Paul describes this gift further: “If I had the gift of faith so that I could speak to a mountain and make it move . . .” (nlt). This kind of faith is a supernatural trust in God’s miraculous power for specific situations. While the next two gifts, healing and doing miracles, are listed separately, this gift of faith is surely connected to the ability to do such acts through the Holy Spirit. This gift of faith could also be manifested in believers’ willingness to face persecution and martyrdom without renouncing what they believed.

To another gifts of healing by that one Spirit.NIV The next two gifts (healing and miracles) are visual manifestations of the Spirit. The gifts of healing had been manifested through Peter, Paul, and the other apostles.  A Christian today has the right to ask God for the healing of any illness. God may choose to heal in order to accomplish some purpose of His and to show His glory.

12:10 He gives one person the power to perform miracles.NLT As with the gifts of healing (12:9), the Spirit will give to some an extraordinary power to perform miracles. While performing a healing would be considered a miracle, the inclusion of this gift separately from healings refers to other miraculous manifestations of the Spirit.

And to another the ability to prophesy.NLT To some people, the Spirit gives a special ability to prophesy. “Prophesy” does not just refer to predicting the future; it can also mean giving a message received from God to the community of believers: “One who prophesies is helping others grow in the Lord, encouraging and comforting them” (14:3 nlt). The prophet Joel had written the words of the Lord, “I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy” (Joel 2:28 nlt). As with the gift of faith, the ability to share one’s faith with power is available to everyone (see 14:1-5), but to some the Spirit gives a special measure of this gift. Paul wrote in Romans, “God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out when you have faith that God is speaking through you” (Romans 12:6 nlt). Some have interpreted “prophecy” to be fulfilled in various sermons throughout church history. Others, however, say that prophecy is not a sermon, but a spontaneous, Spirit-inspired message that is orally delivered in the congregation for the edification and encouragement of the body of Christ.

He gives someone else the ability to know whether it is really the Spirit of God or another spirit that is speaking.NLT Because there are many false teachers who claim to “prophesy” for God, some in the church are given the ability to know whether it is really the Spirit of God or another spirit that is speaking. While some believers have a special gift to discern what is really from God’s Spirit and what is not, all believers are expected to have discernment: “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1 niv; see also 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21). But since the gift mentioned here is also described in 14:29 (“Let two or three prophesy, and let the others evaluate what is said”; nlt), this kind of spiritual discernment pertains specifically to oracular manifestations in Christian meetings. Paul’s mention of this shows his concern for the protection of the truth in the worship service. Those given the gift of special discernment can help separate truth from error.

Still another person is given the ability to speak in various languages, and another is given the ability to interpret what is being said.NLT Opinions differ over exactly what Paul meant by various languages. Some believe that this refers to earthly languages that a person did not know before (the same as the gift described in Acts 2:4, 7-8). Other scholars say that this refers to an “ecstatic” language, a “heavenly” language.  The word “tongues” refers to other earthly languages when describing Pentecost (Acts 2:4, 7-8). Sometimes in the New Testament, the word refers to ecstatic languages unknown to anyone—”tongues of angels” (13:1). Speaking in tongues is a legitimate gift of the Spirit. The exercise of the gift demands some guidelines (as noted in chapter 14) so that the purpose of the gift—to help the body of Christ—is not lost. Those who speak in tongues should follow the guidelines; those who do not speak in tongues ought not seek the gift as a sign of salvation or as a sign of special closeness with God, for it is neither. It is a gift of God, given only to whomever God chooses. If a person has not experienced the gift of tongues, he or she ought not seek it but seek what gifts God has given.

Some students have categorized the various gifts as the speaking gifts, the sign gifts, and the serving gifts. However, we should not be so fascinated by the individual gifts that we forget the main reason why Paul listed them: to remind us that they unite us in our ministries to the one body. The Holy Spirit bestows these gifts “as He will” (1 Cor. 12:11), not as we will. No Christian should complain about his or her gifts, nor should any believer boast about his or her gifts. We are many members in one body, ministering to each other.

We have experienced the same baptism (vv. 12-13). It is unfortunate that the term “baptism of the Spirit” has been divorced from its original New Testament meaning. God has spoken to us in Spirit-given words which we must not confuse (1 Cor. 2:12-13). The baptism of the Spirit occurs at conversion when the Spirit enters the believing sinner, gives him new life, and makes his body the temple of God. All believers have experienced this once-for-all baptism (1 Cor. 12:13). Nowhere does the Scripture command us to seek this baptism, because we have already experienced it and it need not be repeated.

The “filling of the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18ff) has to do with the Spirit’s control of our lives. (In Scripture, to be filled by something means “to be controlled by.”) We are commanded to be filled, and we can be if we yield all to Christ and ask Him for the Spirit’s filling. This is a repeated experience, for we constantly need to be filled with spiritual power if we are to glorify Christ. To be baptized by the Spirit means that we belong to Christ’s body. To be filled with the Spirit means that our bodies belong to Christ.

The evidence of the Spirit’s baptism at conversion is the witness of the Spirit within (Rom. 8:14-16). It is not “speaking in tongues.” All of the believers in the Corinthian assembly had been baptized by the Spirit, but not all of them spoke in tongues (1 Cor. 12:30). The evidences of the Spirit’s filling are: power for witnessing (Acts 1:8), joyfulness and submission (Eph. 5:19), Christlikeness (Gal. 5:22-26), and a growing understanding of the Word (John 16:12-15).

Because of the gift of the Spirit, which is received at conversion, we are all members of the body of Christ. Race, social status, wealth, or even sex (Gal. 3:28) are neither advantages nor handicaps as we fellowship and serve the Lord.

2. Diversity: The Gifts of the Spirit (1 Cor. 12:14-31)

Unity without diversity would produce uniformity, and uniformity tends to produce death. Life is a balance between unity and diversity. As a human body weakens, its “systems” slow down and everything tends to become uniform. The ultimate, of course, is that the body itself turns to dust.

This helps to explain why some churches (and other Christian ministries) have weakened and died: there was not sufficient diversity to keep unity from becoming uniformity. Dr. Vance Havner has expressed it, “First there is a man, then a movement, then a machine, and then a monument.” Many ministries that began as a protest against “dead orthodoxy” became dead themselves; because in their desire to remain pure and doctrinally sound, they stifled creativity and new ideas.

However, if diversity is not kept under control, it could destroy unity; and then you have anarchy. We shall discover in 1 Corinthians 13 that it is maturity that balances unity and diversity. The tension in the body between individual members and the total organism can only be solved by maturity.

Using the human body as his illustration, Paul explained three important facts about diversity in the body of Christ. Why are there different members?

The body needs different functions if it is to live, grow, and serve (vv. 14-20). No member should compare or contrast itself with any other member, because each one is different and each one is important. I suppose I could learn to walk on my hands, but I prefer to use my feet, even though I have not yet learned to type or to eat with my feet. The ear cannot see and the eye cannot hear, yet each organ has an important ministry. And have you ever tried to smell through your ears?

There is a tendency today for some people to magnify the “sensational” gifts. Some believers feel very guilty because they possess gifts that do not put them into the limelight. It is this attitude that Paul opposed and refuted in this paragraph. Diversity does not suggest inferiority. Are we to believe that the sovereign Lord made a mistake when He bestowed the gifts?

The members promote unity as they discover their dependence on one another (vv. 21-26). Diversity in the body is an evidence of the wisdom of God. Each member needs the other members, and no member can afford to become independent. When a part of the human body becomes independent, you have a serious problem that could lead to sickness and even death. In a healthy human body, the various members cooperate with each other and even compensate for each other when a crisis occurs. The instant any part of the body says to any other part, “I don’t need you!” it begins to weaken and die and create problems for the whole body.

Paul may be referring to the private parts of the body in 1 Corinthians 12:23-24. If so, then to “bestow honor” on them refers to the use of attractive clothing. The more beautiful parts of the body need no special help.

God’s desire is that there be no division (“schism”) in the church. Diversity leads to disunity when the members compete with one another; but diversity leads to unity when the members care for one another. How do the members care for each other? By each one functioning according to God’s will and helping the other members to function. If one member suffers, it affects every member. If one member is healthy, it helps the others to be strong.

Diversity of members fulfills the will of God in the body (vv. 27-31). It is God who bestows the gifts and assigns the offices. He has a perfect plan, not only for the church as a whole, but also for each local congregation. We have no reason to believe that each congregation in the New Testament possessed all of the gifts. The church at Corinth was an especially gifted assembly (1 Cor. 1:4-7; 2 Cor. 8:7). However, God gives to each congregation just the gifts it needs when they are needed.

In this paragraph, Paul pointed out that there is a “priority list” for the gifts, that some have more significance than others. But this fact does not contradict the lesson already shared—that each gift is important and each individual believer is important. Even in the human body, there are some parts that we can do without, even though their absence might handicap us a bit.

The Apostles and prophets, of course, appeared first on the scene because they had a foundational ministry (Eph. 2:20). Teachers were needed to help establish believers in the faith. The other gifts were needed from time to tone to help individual believers and to build the church.

The construction of the Greek in 1 Corinthians 12:29-30 demands “no” as the answer to each of these questions. No individual believer possesses all the spiritual gifts. Each believer has the gift (or gifts) assigned to him by the Lord and needed at that time.

The word translated best in 1 Corinthians 12:31 simply means “greater.” Some spiritual gifts are greater in significance than others, and it is proper for the believer to desire these gifts (1 Cor. 14:1). Paul put a high value on prophecy, but the Corinthians valued the gift of tongues. Paul put tongues at the end of the list.

Unity and diversity must be balanced by maturity, and that maturity comes with love. It is not enough to have the gift of the Spirit and gifts from the Spirit. We must also have the graces of the Spirit as we use our gifts to serve one another.

www.Upwards.Church

Message Audio/Video and Outline: https://upwards.church/watch-now/leander-campus-videos

Watch Messages: YouTube-Upwards Church

Facebook: Upwards Church

Sources:
Bruce B. Barton et al., Life Application Bible Commentary – 1 & 2 Corinthians, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 1999), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Under: “1 CORINTHIANS 12”.
John MacArthur, MacArthur New Testament Commentary – 1 Corinthians, (Chicago: Moody Press, 1984), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 301.
Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary – New Testament, Volume 1, (Colorado Springs, CO: Victor, 2001), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 607-610.
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Different Views of Communion

Posted on October 24, 2023 by dkoop

Today we will examine the different views of communion held by various denominations and churches.  Our church has a belief on each view but we do not consider these views “essential beliefs,” meaning as Christians we can hold different beliefs and agree to disagree.

What is Communion?

The account of the institution of this ordinance is given in Matthew 26:26-29 , Mark 14:22-25 , Luke 22:19 Luke 22:20 , and 1 Corinthians 11:24-26 .

It was designed:
1. To commemorate the death of Christ: “This do in remembrance of me.”
2. To signify, seal, and apply to believers all the benefits of the New Covenant.
3. To be a badge of the Christian profession.
4. To indicate and to promote the communion of believers with Christ.
5. To represent the mutual communion of believers with each other.

The elements used to represent Christ’s body and blood are bread and wine. The kind of bread, whether leavened or unleavened, is not specified. Christ used unleavened bread simply because it was at that moment at the Passover Meal.  Jesus used wine but He also calls it “the fruit of the vine,” so grape juice may be used as well. ( Matthew 26:26-29 ).

Different Names?

Communion is also known as the “Lord’s Supper” (1 Cor.11:20) or the “Lord’s Table” (1 Cor. 10:21), the “Eucharist” (Greek) (1 Cor. 11:24a), “Remembrance” (1 Cor.11:24b) or “Breaking Bread” in the Early Church (Acts 2).

 Open or Closed or Close?

The difference between “open” and “closed” communion hinges on a church’s view of the purpose of communion and the authority of the church.

  1. Churches that practice “open” communion invites all professed believers in Christ to join them in observing the ordinance.
  2. Churches that practice “closed” communion limit involvement in the Lord’s Supper to their own local body—only official members in good standing are allowed to partake.
  3. Some churches practice a third type, which they call “close” communion; in “close” communion members of other churches in the same denomination are allowed to break bread together with the members of the local church.

VIEWS OF COMMUNION?

TRANSUBSTANTIATION (Catholic):The bread and wine of the Lord’s Supper actually become the body and blood of Jesus Christ.

This is the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church, which takes the words of Christ in the Gospels literally. Each time the elements of the Lord’s Supper are consecrated by a priest, a literal metaphysical change takes place. The substance of the bread and the wine are transformed into the literal body and blood of Christ.

When this “change” (transubstantiation) takes place, according to the Catholic Church, the bread and wine become the real body and blood of Jesus. Additionally, grace is imparted through the elements to those practicing Catholics participating in the ceremony. And finally, in each mass, a real sacrifice takes place and Christ is sacrificed again and again on behalf of the participants. Only an ordained priest can actually consecrate the bread and wine. Unless an ordained priest follows a set formula, the bread and wine are not changed.  At the Fourth Lateran Council [5] in 1215, the Church established the doctrine of transubstantiation concerning Holy Communion. By this view, bread and wine during communion literally transforms into the body and blood of Christ.

CONSUBSTANTIATION (Lutheran): Martin Luther did not believe that the bread and wine were actually changed into the body and blood of Christ, but he believed that the body and blood were present in the elements.

According to the consubstantiation view, the bread and wine maintain their physical identities and the Real Presence of Christ’s body and blood co-exist with these elements during communion.

SYMBOLISM (Reformed): The body and blood of Christ is present in the bread and wine only in a figurative and symbolic sense.

The Reformed view of John Calvin and many other Reformers took yet another step away from the Roman Catholic view regarding the literal presence of Christ in the Lord’s Supper. Calvin suggested that the bread and wine did not change into the body and blood of Christ (the Catholic View), nor did they contain the body and blood of Christ (the Lutheran view). Rather, Calvin believed that there is the presence of Christ at the Lord’s Supper, but it is spiritual and not physical.

MEMORIALISM:The Lord’s Supper is commemoration of Christ’s death

Another early reformer, Ulrich Zwingli, is regarded as the author of this view. Zwingli, like Calvin, believed that the physical body of Jesus was in no way present in the elements of the Lord’s Supper. However, his view was different from Calvin’s, in that he saw the Lord’s Supper as a commemoration of Christ’s death. It is celebrated by the believer as an act of “remembrance” of Christ’s death and his sacrifice. This view emphasizes that the Lord’s Supper is a devotional act on the part of the believer.

What Do We Believe about Communion? 

As a church we typically observe “The Lord’s Supper” or “Communion” at least once a month.  We have “Open Communion” meaning all Christ followers or believers can participate.  We believe that the elements (the bread and wine) are “symbolic” of Jesus body and blood, but we do believe that “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there.” Matthew 18:20 NKJV.  In other words, Jesus has promised He is present when we gather in His name.

I look forward to seeing you the next time we gather in Jesus’ name.

Darrell

www.Upwards.Church

Message Audio/Video and Outline: https://upwards.church/leander-campus/watch-now-message-videos

Watch Messages: YouTube-Upwards Church

Facebook: Upwards Church

Read Along Daily Bible Reading: YouVersion (https://www.bible.com/organizations/370f8a6e-16bc-464f-8c43-0b7623fd2952)

Sources:

https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/what-is-communion-and-why-is-it-celebrated-differently.html

https://grace.sc/resources/articles/the-lords-supper-four-major-views/

https://apatchworkofperceptions.wordpress.com/2018/07/12/holy-communion-different-views-from-different-denominations

https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-communion.html

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Division Over Order in the Church – 1 Corinthians 11

Posted on October 20, 2023 by dkoop

Is God a God of order or disorder? One of the biggest problems in the Corinthian church was disorder in the public meetings. Some of the women were assuming more freedom than they should have, there was selfishness at their gatherings and there was disorder at the Lord’s Supper.

Paul could have tried to solve these problems by issuing apostolic edicts, but instead he patiently explained the spiritual principles that supported the teachings he had given the church. He founded his arguments on the Word of God.

Paul dealt with three particular areas of confusion in their public worship.

  1. Women Praying and Prophesying (1 Cor. 11:3-16)

The Christian faith brought freedom and hope to women, children, and slaves. It taught that all people, regardless of race or sex, were equal before their Creator, and that all believers were “one in Jesus Christ” (Gal. 3:28). The local church was perhaps the only fellowship in the Roman Empire that welcomed all people, regardless of nationality, social status, sex, or economic position.

It was to be expected that there would be some who would carry this newfound freedom to excess. A new movement always suffers more from its disciples than from its enemies, and this was true in Corinth. Some of the women flaunted their “freedom” in the public meetings by refusing to cover their heads when they participated.

Paul did not forbid the women to pray or to prophesy. (Prophesying is not quite the same as our “preaching” or “expounding the Word.” A person with the gift of prophecy proclaimed God’s message as it was given to him immediately by the Spirit. The modern preacher studies the Word and prepares his message.) While the New Testament does not seem to permit women elders (1 Tim. 3:2), women in the early church who had the gift of prophecy were allowed to exercise it. They were also permitted to pray in the public meetings. However, they were not permitted to usurp authority over the men (1 Tim. 2:11-15) or to judge the messages of the other prophets (1 Cor. 14:27-35). If they had any questions, they were to ask their husbands (or other men) outside of the church meeting.

Eastern society at that time was very jealous over its women. Except for the temple prostitutes, the women wore long hair and, in public, wore a covering over their heads. (Paul did not use the word veil, i.e., a covering over the face. The woman put the regular shawl over her head, and this covering symbolized her submission and purity.) For the Christian women in the church to appear in public without the covering, let alone to pray and share the Word, was both daring and blasphemous.

Paul sought to restore order by reminding the Corinthians that God had made a difference between men and women, that each had a proper place in God’s economy. There were also appropriate customs that symbolized these relationships and reminded both men and women of their correct places in the divine scheme. Paul did not say, or even hint, that difference meant inequality or inferiority. If there is to be peace in the church (1 Cor. 15:33), then there must be some kind of order; and order of necessity involves rank. However, rank and quality are two different things. The captain has a higher rank than the private, but the private may be a better man.

God’s order in the church is based on three fundamentals that Paul considered to be self-evident.

Redemption (vv. 3-7). There is a definite order of “headship” in the church: the Father is the Head over Christ, Christ is the Head of the man, and the man is the head of the woman. Some interpret head to mean “origin,” but this would mean that the Father originated Christ—something we cannot accept. In His redemptive ministry, the Son was subject to the Father even though He is equal to the Father (John 10:30; 14:28). Likewise, the woman is subject to the man even though in Christ she is equal to the man (1 Cor. 3:21-23; Gal. 3:28; Eph. 5:21-33).

Keep in mind that Paul was writing about the relationship within the local assembly, not in the world at large. It is God’s plan that in the home and in the local church, the men should exercise headship under the authority of Jesus Christ.

The important fact is this: both women and men must honor the Lord by respecting the symbols of this headship—hair and the head-covering. Whenever a woman prays or prophesies in the assembly, she must have long hair and must wear a covering. The man should have short hair and not wear any covering. (This would be a change for Paul, for devout Jewish men always wore a cap when they prayed.) The man honors his Head (Christ) by being uncovered, while the woman honors her head (the man) by being covered. She is showing her submission both to God and to the man.

The Corinthian women who appeared in the assembly without the head-covering were actually putting themselves on the low level of the temple prostitutes. The prostitutes wore their hair very short, and they did not wear a head-covering in public. Their hairstyle and manner announced to others just what they were and what they were offering. “If you are going to abandon the covering,” wrote Paul, “then why not go all the way and cut your hair?”

In Jewish law, a woman proved guilty of adultery had her hair cut off (Num. 5:11-31). Paul used two different words in 1 Corinthians 11:5-6: shaved means exactly that, all the hair shaved off; shorn means “cut short.” Either one would be a disgrace to a woman.

Both man and woman are made in the image of God and for the glory of God; but since the woman was made from the man (Gen. 2:18-25), she is also the “glory of the man.” She glorifies God and brings glory to the man by submitting to God’s order and keeping her head covered in public worship. Thus, Paul tied together both local custom and biblical truth, the one pointing to the other.

Creation (vv. 8-12). We have already touched briefly on this truth. God’s order is based on the fact that man was created first (1 Tim. 2:13), and that the woman was created for the man. Again, priority does not imply inferiority; for Paul made it clear in 1 Corinthians 11:11-12 that there is partnership as well as headship in God’s creation. The man and the woman are spiritually one in the Lord (Gal. 3:28) and one cannot do without the other. Furthermore, the woman may have come from the man at the beginning, but today, it is the man who is born of the woman. Man and woman belong to each other and need each other.

Why did Paul bring up the angels in 1 Corinthians 11:10? He was arguing from the facts of Creation, and the angels were a part of that Creation. The angels also know their place and show respect when they worship God, for they cover their faces (Isa. 6:2). Finally, in some special way, the angels share in the public worship of the church and learn from the church (Eph. 3:10; 1 Peter 1:12). Public worship is a serious thing, for the angels are present; and we ought to conduct ourselves as if we were in heaven.

*The main point is that these Christian women had an equal status with men because of their union with Christ. They were free in Christ, equal before God, and able to pray and prophesy in the worship services. They were no longer to be regarded as inferior, which would have been their previous status in both Greek and Jewish cultures  The head covering at Corinth was not a sign of subjection but a sign of women’s willingness to be under the authority of God, just as men were under the authority of God.

Nature (vv. 13-16). In a general way, it is true that nature gives women longer hair and men shorter hair. The Romans, Greeks, and Jews (except for the Nazarites) pretty much followed this custom. Nowhere does the Bible tell us how long our hair should be. It simply states that there ought to be a noticeable difference between the length of the men’s hair and the women’s hair so that there be no confusion of the sexes. (This principle eliminates the so-called “unisex” styles.) It is shameful for the man to look like a woman or the woman to look like a man.

The woman’s long hair is her glory, and it is given to her “instead of a covering” (literal translation). In other words, if local custom does not dictate a head-covering, her long hair can be that covering. I do not think that Paul meant for all women in every culture to wear a shawl for a head-covering; but he did expect them to use their long hair as a covering and as a symbol of their submission to God’s order. This is something that every woman can do.

As I have done mission work in different parts of the world, I have noticed that the basic principle of headship applies in every culture; but the means of demonstrating it differs from place to place. The important thing is the submission of the heart to the Lord and the public manifestation of obedience to God’s order.

  1. Selfishness at the “Love Feasts” (1 Cor. 11:17-22)

Since the beginning of the church, it was customary for the believers to eat together (Acts 2:42, 46). It was an opportunity for fellowship and for sharing with those who were less privileged. No doubt they ended this meal by observing the Lord’s Supper. They called this meal “the love feast” since its main emphasis was showing love for the saints by snaring with one another.

The “agape feast” (from the Greek word for “love”) was part of the worship at Corinth, but some serious abuses had crept in. As a result, the love feasts were doing more harm than good to the church. For one thing, there were various cliques in the church and people ate with their own “crowd” instead of fellowshipping with the whole church family. While Paul condemned this selfish practice, he did take a positive view of the results: at least God would use this to reveal those who were true believers.

Another fault was selfishness: the rich people brought a great deal of food for themselves while the poorer members went hungry. The original idea of the “agape feast” was sharing, but that idea had been lost Some of the members were even getting drunk. It is likely that the weekly “agape feast” was the only decent meal some of the poorer members regularly had; and to be treated so scornfully by the richer members not only hurt their stomachs, but also their pride.

Of course, the divisions at the dinner were but evidence of the deeper problems in the church. The Corinthians thought they were advanced believers, when in reality they were but little children. Paul did not suggest that they abandon the feast, but rather that they restore its proper meaning. “Let the rich eat at home if they are hungry. When you abuse believers who are less fortunate than you are, then you are actually despising the church!” The “agape feast” should have been an opportunity for edification, but they were using it as a time for embarrassment.

A drinking party is hardly the best way to prepare for the Lord’s Supper. Scorning others is certainly not the way to remember the Saviour who died for all sinners, rich and poor. How important it is that we prepare our hearts when we come to the Lord’s Table!

  1. Abuses at the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 11:23-34)

Evangelical churches recognize two ordinances established by Jesus Christ for His people to observe: baptism and the Lord’s Supper. (The Supper is also called The Communion as in 1 Corinthians 10:16, and The Eucharist which means “the giving of thanks.”) Jesus Christ took the cup and the loaf—the ingredients of a common meal in that day—and transformed them into a meaningful spiritual experience for believers. However, the value of the experience depends on the condition of the hearts of those who participate; and this was the problem at Corinth.

It is a serious thing to come to the Communion with an unprepared heart. It is also a serious thing to receive the Supper in a careless manner. Because the Corinthians had been sinning in their observing of the Lord’s Supper, God had disciplined them. “For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep [have died]” (1 Cor. 11:30).

The Lord’s Supper gives us an opportunity for spiritual growth and blessings if we approach it in the right attitude. What, then, must we do if the Supper is to bring blessing and not chastening?

First, we should look back (vv. 23-26a). The broken bread reminds us of Christ’s body, given for us; and the cup reminds us of His shed blood. It is a remarkable thing that Jesus wants His followers to remember His death. Most of us try to forget how those we love died, but Jesus wants us to remember how He died. Why? Because everything we have as Christians centers in that death.

We must remember that He died, because this is a part of the Gospel message: “Christ died… and was buried” (1 Cor. 15:3-4). It is not the life of our Lord, or His teachings, that will save sinners—but His death. Therefore, we also remember why He died: Christ died for our sins; He was our substitute (Isa. 53:6; 1 Peter 2:24), paying the debt that we could not pay.

We should also remember how He died: willingly, meekly, showing forth His love for us (Rom. 5:8). He gave His body into the hands of wicked men, and He bore on His body the sins of the world.

However, this “remembering” is not simply the recalling of historical facts. It is a participation in spiritual realities. At the Lord’s Table, we do not walk around a monument and admire it. We have fellowship with a living Saviour as our hearts reach out by faith.

Second, we should look ahead (v. 26b). We observe the Supper “till He comes.” The return of Jesus Christ is the blessed hope of the church and the individual Christian. Jesus not only died for us, but He arose again and ascended to heaven; and one day He shall return to take us to heaven. Today, we are not all that we should be; but when we see Him, “we shall be like Him” (1 John 3:2).

Third, we should look within (vv. 27-28, 31-32). Paul did not say that we had to be worthy to partake of the Supper, but only that we should partake in a worthy manner.

If we are to participate in a worthy manner, we must examine our own hearts, judge our sins, and confess them to the Lord. To come to the table with unconfessed sin in our lives is to be guilty of Christ’s body and blood, for it was sin that nailed Him to the cross. If we will not judge our own sins, then God will judge us and chasten us until we do confess and forsake our sins.

The Corinthians neglected to examine themselves, but they were experts at examining everybody else. When the church gathers together, we must be careful not to become “religious detectives” who watch others, but who fail to acknowledge our own sins. If we eat and drink in an unworthy manner, we eat and drink judgment (chastening) to ourselves, and that is nothing to take lightly.

Chastening is God’s loving way of dealing with His sons and daughters to encourage them to mature (Heb. 12:1-11). It is not a judge condemning a criminal, but a loving Father punishing His disobedient (and perhaps stubborn) children. Chastening proves God’s love for us, and chastening can, if we cooperate, perfect God’s life in us.

Finally, we should look around (vv. 33-34). We should not look around in order to criticize other believers, but in order to discern the Lord’s body (1 Cor. 11:29). This perhaps has a dual meaning: we should discern His body in the loaf, but also in the church around us—for the church is the body of Christ. “For we being many are one bread, and one body” (1 Cor. 10:17). The Supper should be a demonstration of the unity of the church—but there was not much unity in the Corinthian church. In fact, their celebration of the Lord’s Supper was only a demonstration of their disunity.

The Lord’s Supper is a family meal, and the Lord of the family desires that His children love one another and care for one another. It is impossible for a true Christian to get closer to his Lord while at the same time he is separated from his fellow believers. How can we remember the Lord’s death and not love one another? “Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another” (1 John 4:11).

No one ought to come to the table who is not a true believer. Nor should a true believer come to the table if his heart is not right with God and with his fellow Christians. This is why many churches have a time of spiritual preparation before they observe the Lord’s Supper, so that none of the participants bring chastening on themselves.

The Communion is time of personal reflection, but it is also a time of thanksgiving and joyful anticipation of seeing the Lord! Jesus gave thanks, even though He was about to suffer and die. Let us give thanks also.

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Sources:

Bruce B. Barton et al., Life Application Bible Commentary – 1 & 2 Corinthians , (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 1999), WORD search CROSS e-book, Under: “1 CORINTHIANS 11”.
Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary – New Testament, Volume 1, (Colorado Springs, CO: Victor, 2001), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 602-607.
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