1 Corinthians: October 2016

Saturday, October 22, 2016

1 Corinthians 12- Spiritual Gifts

Above image from:
https://www.insight.org/resources/bible/the-pauline-epistles/first-corinthians

Key verse is verse 25: This makes for HARMONY among the members, so that all the members care for each other.

In chapters 12 & 14, you might think that Paul has changed the subject from the divisions within the Corinthian church, but he has not. He's showing that they are using "spiritual gifts" to create differences - with some boasting their gift is better and more important than someone else's and some boasting they have more than one or even all of them - trying to outdo each other and many probably "faking it"! Notice that in between the two chapters on "spiritual gifts" is chapter 13 - the love chapter!

Chapter 12 is about "miraculous spiritual gifts". If you do an internet search on this chapter and this subject, you'll find two primary schools of thought - those that practice these "gifts" today (Charismatics) and those who say these gifts gradually died out over time because they are no longer needed. My question to the second group is simple - what is your Biblical evidence that these gifts aren't in operation today? In my opinion, the answer lies in "rightly dividing Word of Truth" (2 Timothy 2:15). If you study the Book of Acts and compare Paul's letters written before the end of Acts 28:28 - a total of 7 including Corinthians and Hebrews and his letters written after (Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon - also a total of 7), you find a startling difference. Where do you find miraculous healing, speaking in tongues, etc. in Paul's letters written after Acts 28:28 - you don't! In fact, Paul left Trophimus sick at Miletus (2 Timothy 4:20) and Paul told Timothy to take a little wine instead of just water because he was sick so often (1 Timothy 5:23). Yet, even in Acts 28:1-9 on Malta, Paul is not harmed by a poisonous snake and he heals every sick person brought to him.

Acts 28:1-9: Once we were safe on shore, we learned that we were on the island of Malta. The people of the island were very kind to us. It was cold and rainy, so they built a fire on the shore to welcome us. As Paul gathered an armful of sticks and was laying them on the fire, a poisonous snake, driven out by the heat, bit him on the hand. The people of the island saw it hanging from his hand and said to each other, “A murderer, no doubt! Though he escaped the sea, justice will not permit him to live.” But Paul shook off the snake into the fire and was unharmed. The people waited for him to swell up or suddenly drop dead. But when they had waited a long time and saw that he wasn’t harmed, they changed their minds and decided he was a god. Near the shore where we landed was an estate belonging to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us and treated us kindly for three days. As it happened, Publius’ father was ill with fever and dysentery. Paul went in and prayed for him, and laying his hands on him, he healed him. Then all the other sick people on the island came and were healed.
Acts 28:20-29 (KJV): For this cause therefore have I called for you, to see you, and to speak with you: because that for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain. And they said unto him, We neither received letters out of Judaea concerning thee, neither any of the brethren that came shewed or spake any harm of thee. But we desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest: for as concerning this sect, we know that every where it is spoken against. And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening. And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not. And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it. And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, and had great reasoning among themselves.
1 Timothy 5:23 (NLT): Don’t drink only water. You ought to drink a little wine for the sake of your stomach because you are sick so often.
2 Timothy 4:20 (KJV): Erastus abode at Corinth: but Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick.
2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV): Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

1 Corinthians 13:8-11: Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless. When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish thing

Sign Gifts: Valid Today?: http://doctrine.org/sign-gifts-valid-today/: "Paul taught sign gifts would cease when the “perfect” came. The “perfect” came with Paul’s completion of the Word of God. Sign gifts were helpful and valid during the early days of the church to provide guidance as to God’s will, to authenticate the message and ministry of God’s servants, and as a sign to the Jewish people:

Colossians 1:25 NET Bible: I became a servant of the church according to the stewardship from God--given to me for you--in order to complete the word of God."
God has given the Church, the Body of Christ, the completed Word of God. Our practical, Christian-life challenge is either to become mature by living a life of faith based upon the Word of God or remain immature and unstable, living a life of seeking God’s will through signs and experiences (1 Corinthians 1:22-24)."

Robertson and Plummer, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the First Epistle of St Paul to the Corinthians: "The Church is neither a dead mass of similar particles, like a heap of sand, nor a living swarm of antagonistic individuals, like a cage of wild beasts: it has the unity of a living organism, in which no two parts are exactly alike, but all discharge different functions for the good of the whole. All men are not equal, and no individual can be independent of the rest: everywhere there is subordination and dependence. Some have special gifts, some have none; some have several gifts, some only one; some have higher gifts, some have lower: but every individual has some function to discharge, and all must work together for the common good. This is the all-important point - unity in loving service."

(1) NOW, dear brothers and sisters, regarding your question about the special abilities the Spirit gives us. I don’t want you to misunderstand this.

NOW:
- Goes back to chapter 11 verse 2 praising them for following the teachings Paul had passed on to them: I am so glad that you always keep me in your thoughts, and that you are following the teachings I passed on to you.
Your question:
- Apparently, they were confused by some of the "miraculous" things going on in their "church" and the divisions and even arguments they were causing. When this question is picked up again by Paul, I sense that the meetings had frequently degenerated into total chaos, with many speaking at once and often in "unknown tongues".
Special abilities ... Spirit ("spiritual gifts" in the KJV) - pneumatikos - Strong's Greek #4152, from pneuma, breath, wind or spirit):
- There is nothing in the word pneumatikos that necessarily implies "spiritual gifts" - the word "gifts" in the KJV is not in the original here nor in verse 7. Verse 7 refers to the "manifestation of the Spirit..." (phanerosis tou Pneumatos). Paul does not want the Corinthians to be misusing or misunderstanding these phenomena.
- 1 Corinthians 1:7: Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.
- Hebrews 2:4: And God confirmed the message by giving signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit whenever he chose.

(2) You know that when you were still pagans, you were led astray and swept along in worshiping speechless idols.

Pagans ... led astray:
- Paul is speaking primarily here to the Corinthian Gentiles and reminds them that they had once been deceived into worshiping idols; so, they could not just trust their own judgment. They had been led astray before.
Swept along:
- The idea of being "swept along" was the "ecstasy" experienced by them when worshiping idols as they worked themselves up emotionally. One of Satan's greatest tools is to deceive people with their own emotions.
- www.divineviewpoint.com/sane/dbm/setup/1Corinth/1Cor087.htm: "There has been since ancient times the practice of religious utterance, ecstatic utterance, as the key to spirituality. Going back to at least 1000 BC we have evidence that in pagan religion there has been the attempt for the worshiper to become so identified with the god or goddess that he is worshiping that it has taken control of his vocal cords and speaks to him, and this was the sign of super spirituality. But that is not what happens biblically. Yet, because of a certain similarity on the surface many people in the ancient world confused the biblical gift of languages with this religious ecstatic utterance that they grew up with. The most ancient evidence that we have is from the report of Winamon, a young man who was the worshiper of the Egyptian God Amon. The report which is dated approximately 1100 BC says that as he was worshiping Amon in the temple he was overwhelmed in a state of frenzy which continued throughout the night and he spoke in some ecstatic language. We don’t know if it was a legitimate language or just religious frenzy, gibberish, but it is clear that the tongues was the direct result of this kind of possession and control by a god, although it just could have been brought on by emotion which is true in a lot of cases.
  Plato also reports religious ecstatics in roughly the 5th century BC. In the accounts we can observe that in each instance reported by Plato the speaker had no control over his mental faculties, he did not know what he was saying, there was the need for some sort of interpreter or diviner who would tell what was said, and the person was allegedly under the control of a god.
  Virgil, writing about 17-19 BC, mentions a Sibyline priestess who would go into an ecstatic state where she was unified with the spirit of Apollo, and she would begin to speak in tongues, in ecstatic utterance. They claimed that it was known language. This is in pagan Greek worship of Apollo that she was probably possessed by a demon and spoke in a legitimate or a known language as well as in incoherent gibberish."

(3) SO I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God will curse Jesus, and no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit.

Curse Jesus:
- The first test to apply to any "manifestation of the Spirit" is to ask, “Does it glorify Jesus?” The Holy Spirit will never lead anyone to defame Jesus in any way. Jesus made it very clear that the Holy Spirit would only glorify Him (John 15:26). Any utterance or act that denies Jesus as the son of God is not from the Holy Spirit.
- Evidently, some of the tongue speaking Corinthians had blasphemed Christ. This proved that some of those claiming to speak by the Spirit of God were not being led by the Spirit of God at all, but by demons.
- Anyone, such as the Methodist Church leaders who attacked my wife, who says that Jesus Christ was just a great man is saying "Jesus be cursed" because the Bible tells us that the whole human race is cursed because of Adam. Because of the Virgin Birth, Jesus was preserved from the curse of sin of Adam. Therefore, all teaching that demeans Jesus, that denies his Deity, that says he is not our Redeemer but only a great teacher, is cursing Jesus.
Jesus is Lord (Greek: Kurios Iesous):

There is more to saying “Jesus is Lord” than just the repeating of these words. In Mark 1:24, demons cried out that Jesus was the Holy One of God - but, demons aren’t inspired by the Holy Spirit. Paul was saying that any utterance that glorifies Jesus as Lord is directed by the Holy Spirit. It is only through the Holy Spirit that anyone can recognize and glorify Jesus as Lord.

Mark 1:24: “Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are - the Holy One of God!”

After the resurrection, saying “Jesus is Lord” meant “Jesus is God.” “Jesus is Lord” was the basic creed of the early church. The Romans called Caesar "lord", and in the early persecutions they forced Christians to choose between saying, “Caesar is lord,” for which they could be set free, or, “Jesus is Lord,” for which they would meet the lions or be burned at the stake.
Charles Stanley “Lord of the Living and the Dead”:
"In the New Testament, Lord is the most frequently used title for Jesus Christ. Although we rarely use this term in our daily lives, we are all quite familiar with another word: boss. That is basically what Lord means - one possessing authority, power, and control. The Word of God describes Jesus as the head of the church, the ruler over all creation, and the Lord of lords and King of kings (Colossians 1:15-18; Revelation 3:14, 17:14).
The realm of Christ’s reign covers everything that happens in heaven and on the earth. No one - not even those who deny His existence - can be free of His rule or outside His sphere of authority. Although Satan tries to convince us that liberty is found in doing what we want, true freedom is acquired only through submission to Christ’s loving lordship.
Even death cannot release anyone from the authority of God’s Son. He is Lord of both the living and the dead. All people must decide to either yield or rebel against Him, but they have the opportunity to make this choice only while they are still living. After death, they will acknowledge Christ’s lordship through accountability to Him. If we have not bowed the knee to Jesus in life, we will be forced to bend it in the judgment."
Luke 2:11: The Savior - yes, the Messiah, the Lord - has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!
John 20:28: “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed.
Acts 2:36: “So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!”
Romans 1:3-4: The Good News is about his Son. In his earthly life he was born into King David’s family line, 4 and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 10:9: If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
1 Corinthians 8:6: But for us, There is one God, the Father, by whom all things were created, and for whom we live. And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things were created, and through whom we live.
2 Corinthians 4:5: You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake.
Philippians 2:9-11: Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Colossians 3:17: And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.
1 Peter 3:15: Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.
Revelation 17:14: Together they will go to war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will defeat them because he is Lord of all lords and King of all kings. And his called and chosen and faithful ones will be with him.”

(4) There are DIFFERENT kinds of spiritual gifts, but the SAME Spirit is the source of them all.

DIFFERENT ... SAME:

Notice the pairing of these two words as an emphasis in verses 4, 5 and 6. These "gifts" were meant to unify the "church", not divide it - they came from the same Holy Spirit.

Spiritual gifts - Greek charismaton pneuma:
- The root word of charismaton is charis which is the Greek word for grace. When the word charismaton is used in this chapter in parallel with pneuma, you come up with the idea of a grace gift that has to do with the spiritual life. So, Paul is saying in verse 1: "Now we are going to address the spiritual things that are gift-given to the church."
- Romans 1:11: For I long to visit you so I can bring you some spiritual gift that will help you grow strong in the Lord.
- Romans 12:6-8: In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.
- 1 Corinthians 12:28: Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the church: first are apostles, second are prophets, third are teachers, then those who do miracles, those who have the gift of healing, those who can help others, those who have the gift of leadership, those who speak in unknown languages.
- 1 Timothy 4:14: Do not neglect the spiritual gift you received through the prophecy spoken over you when the elders of the church laid their hands on you.

(5) There are DIFFERENT kinds of service, but we serve the SAME Lord.

DIFFERENT ... SAME: Repeated from verse 4 for emphasis.
Service:
- The Greek word translated “service” here is “diakonia,” and it means “attendance...aid...service” (Strong’s Concordance). It comes from the root word “diakonos.” Diakonos was translated in the KJV “deacons”, “minister” and “servant”. From these different ways that these Greek words were translated, we can see that Paul was speaking of different ways of ministering, or using, these gifts. There are different ways of ministering the same gift, but it is the same Lord controlling them all. Therefore, they must conform to these guidelines that Paul was giving.

(6) God works in DIFFERENT ways, but it is the SAME God who does the work in all of us.

DIFFERENT ... SAME: Repeated from verses 4 and 5 for emphasis.
God:

The Trinity is clearly referred to in these verses: Verse 4 says these are the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Verse 5 says Jesus administers the gifts. Verse 6 says God the Father is the one who is at work through the gifts.

Does the work:
- The words “does the work” was translated from the Greek word “energema”. Fritz Rienecker’s “Linguistic Key to the Greek New Testament” says this Greek word means “performance.... These are the results or effects of the working through energy”.

(7) A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.

A spiritual gift:
- phanerosis tou Pneumatos - manifestation of the Spirit. As in verse 1, the word "gift" is not in the original. Notice that it's singular, not plural!
To each of us:
- Each believer in the Corinthian church had been given a spiritual gift - without exception. He or she was to learn what it was and use it to help others.
Help each other:
- Paul was saying that these manifestations of the Holy Spirit are given to help others, not for themselves and to bring unity to the church. But, the Corinthians were using them for self-advancement and pride.
- 1 Peter 4:10-11: God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.

(8) To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the SAME Spirit gives a message of special knowledge.

Wise advice:
- Ephesians 1:17: asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.

(9) The SAME Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the ONE Spirit gives the gift of healing.

Great faith:
- Most commentators agree that this was a special "miracle-working" or "wonder-working" faith. The spiritual gift of faith is not to be confused with saving faith. All Christians have been given saving faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), but not all receive this special gift of faith. The word for faith in the New Testament is pistis. In the Bible, the gift of faith is often accompanied by great works of faith. In Acts 3:1-10, we see this gift in action when Peter sees a lame man at the Beautiful Gate and calls on him to stand up and walk in the Name of Jesus - did you ever notice that Peter did not ask him if he believed! Another mighty example of the gift of faith was the Christian leader and philanthropist George Mueller, who in nineteenth century England provided for thousands of orphans completely by prayer, without ever asking for donations. Jesus said even a small amount of this faith could move mountains (Matthew 17:20; 21:21). Those with the gift of faith take Him at His Word and put the full weight of their lives in His hands. They expect God to move and are not surprised when He answers a prayer or performs a miracle.
- Hebrews 11:1: Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.
Gift of healing:
- John MacArthur, Jr., The Charismatics, page 134: "But strangely enough, the people who claim to have the gift of healing never seem to get out of their tents, their tabernacles, or their TV studios. They always seem to have to exercise their gift in a controlled environment, staged their way, run according to their schedule. Why don't we hear more of the gift of healing being used right in the hospital hallways? Why aren't healers using their gift in places like India and Bangladesh? Why aren't they right out in the street where masses of people are racked by disease?"
- The New Testament instances of miraculous healing were usually in public, instantaneous, complete and obvious to all - with preliminaries, healing meetings or incantations. The man crippled from birth had never walked, but he was instantly able to walk and jump. The instances of miraculous healing in the apostolic age never failed regardless of the faith of the recipient. The Book of Acts is full of concrete examples of this. When modern healing campaigns are compared to this, their pitiful inadequacy is only too obvious. And yet they claim to be fulfilling the same ministry as performed in the Book of Acts!
- The gift of healing operated in Paul’s ministry until about 60 A.D. The last account we have of Paul’s ability to heal is in Acts 28:8-9 when he was on Malta, where he healed Publius’ father as well as many others. After he reached Rome, Paul could no longer heal. Paul left Trophimus sick at Miletus (2 Timothy 4:20) and Paul told Timothy to take a little wine instead of just water because he was sick so often (1 Timothy 5:23).
- Matthew 4:23-24: Jesus traveled throughout the region of Galilee, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. News about him spread as far as Syria, and people soon began bringing to him all who were sick. And whatever their sickness or disease, or if they were demon possessed or epileptic or paralyzed - he HEALED THEM ALL.
- Matthew 10:1: The Lord Jesus Christ healed all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people."
- Matthew 10:5-8: Jesus sent out the twelve apostles with these instructions: “Don’t go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans, but only to the people of Israel - God’s lost sheep. Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!
- Mark 16:18: They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.”
- Acts 3:1-16: Peter and John went to the Temple one afternoon to take part in the three o’clock prayer service. As they approached the Temple, a man lame from birth was being carried in. Each day he was put beside the Temple gate, the one called the Beautiful Gate, so he could beg from the people going into the Temple. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for some money. Peter and John looked at him intently, and Peter said, “Look at us!” The lame man looked at them eagerly, expecting some money. But Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!” Then Peter took the lame man by the right hand and helped him up. And as he did, the man’s feet and ankles were instantly healed and strengthened. He jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk! Then, walking, leaping, and praising God, he went into the Temple with them. All the people saw him walking and heard him praising God. When they realized he was the lame beggar they had seen so often at the Beautiful Gate, they were absolutely astounded! They all rushed out in amazement to Solomon’s Colonnade, where the man was holding tightly to Peter and John.
- Acts 5:15-16: As a result of the apostles’ work, sick people were brought out into the streets on beds and mats so that Peter’s shadow might fall across some of them as he went by. Crowds came from the villages around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those possessed by evil spirits, and they were ALL healed.
- Acts 19:11-12: God gave Paul the power to perform unusual miracles. When handkerchiefs or aprons that had merely touched his skin were placed on sick people, they were healed of their diseases, and evil spirits were expelled.
- Acts 28:8-9: As it happened, Publius’s father was ill with fever and dysentery. Paul went in and prayed for him, and laying his hands on him, he healed him. Then ALL the other sick people on the island came and were healed.
- Philippians 2:25-27: Meanwhile, I thought I should send Epaphroditus back to you. He is a true brother, co-worker, and fellow soldier. And he was your messenger to help me in my need. I am sending him because he has been longing to see you, and he was very distressed that you heard he was ill. And he certainly was ill; in fact, he almost died. But God had mercy on him - and also on me, so that I would not have one sorrow after another.
- 1 Timothy 5:23: Don’t drink only water. You ought to drink a little wine for the sake of your stomach because you are sick so often.
- 2 Timothy 4:20: Erastus stayed at Corinth, and I left Trophimus sick at Miletus.
- James 5:14-15: Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.

(10) He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said.

Power to perform miracles (Greek energēmata dynameōn):

Miraculous powers were exhibited by Paul (Acts 19:11-12), Peter (Acts 3:6), Stephen (Acts 6:8) and Phillip (Acts 8:6-7), among others.
During the Tribulation period, there is no indication that believers, other than the two witnesses of Revelation 11:3-12, will perform miracles. Those performed by the two witnesses are comparable to those of Old Testament prophets rather than to those of the apostles. The two witnesses are not part of the church, and if they were, they could hardly be considered typical of the church.
The Cessation of the Sign Gifts by Prof. Thomas R. Edgar: "There is ample biblical evidence that the miraculous gifts ceased with the apostolic age. To assume that such gifts are permanent is contrary to the Scriptures in general and to the biblical precedent that some gifts such as full apostles of the Lord definitely ceased. History is against the charismatic claims. The dissimilarity between the New Testament gifts and the alleged gifts of the charismatics also contradicts their claims. The assumption that because these gifts existed in the apostolic age they should also exist today is a gratuitous assumption contrary to objective evidence. It is also an assumption contrary to scriptural principles and specific biblical evidence. There is no teaching in Scripture that the church should look for such miraculous gifts, nor are they referred to in the passages discussing the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6:10-18), the life of faith (Ephesians 5:18; Colossians 3:12-17), and requirements for church leaders (1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9) as necessary for the believer to lead a spiritual life."
Mark 16:20: And the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs.
Acts 5:12: The apostles were performing many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers were meeting regularly at the Temple in the area known as Solomon’s Colonnade.
Acts 6:8: Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed amazing miracles and signs among the people.
Acts 8:6-7: Crowds listened intently to Philip because they were eager to hear his message and see the miraculous signs he did. Many evil spirits were cast out, screaming as they left their victims. And many who had been paralyzed or lame were healed.

Did you notice in Acts 6 & 8 that these miracles were "signs": For whom were the signs? - Israel: 1 Corinthians 1:21-22: Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom.

Acts 19:11: God gave Paul the power to perform unusual miracles.
Galatians 3:5: I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ.
Hebrews 2:4: And God confirmed the message by giving signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit whenever he chose.
Performance of a miracle is not solid proof of divine source:

2 Thessalonians 2:9: This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles.
Revelation 13:11-13: Then I saw another beast come up out of the earth. He had two horns like those of a lamb, but he spoke with the voice of a dragon. He exercised all the authority of the first beast. And he required all the earth and its people to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. He did astounding miracles, even making fire flash down to earth from the sky while everyone was watching.
Revelation 16:13-14: And I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs leap from the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet. They are demonic spirits who work miracles and go out to all the rulers of the world to gather them for battle against the Lord on that great judgment day of God the Almighty.

Prophecy: Strong's Greek Concordance # 4394 - prophéteia, which is derived from pró (before) and phēmí (to make clear, assert as a priority):
- Prophéteia means to declare the will of Christ, to make known God's truth or to interpret God's purposes. When people think of prophecy, they generally think of telling the future. While that is a part of prophecy, it is actually only a small part of prophecy. The essential idea is to make God's word shine forth.
- Acts 11:28: One of them named Agabus stood up in one of the meetings and predicted by the Spirit that a great famine was coming upon the entire Roman world. (This was fulfilled during the reign of Claudius.)
- Acts 21:11: He came over, took Paul’s belt, and bound his own feet and hands with it. Then he said, “The Holy Spirit declares, ‘So shall the owner of this belt be bound by the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem and turned over to the Gentiles.’”
- Romans 12:6: In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you.
- 1 Corinthians 13:2: If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing.
- 1 Corinthians 14:3-5: But one who prophesies strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them. A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally, but one who speaks a word of prophecy strengthens the entire church. I wish you could all speak in tongues, but even more I wish you could all prophesy. For prophecy is greater than speaking in tongues, unless someone interprets what you are saying so that the whole church will be strengthened.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21: Do not scoff at prophecies, but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good.
- Ephesians 4:11: Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers.
- 2 Peter 1:20-21: Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.
- Revelation 1:3: God blesses the one who reads the words of this prophecy to the church, and he blesses all who listen to its message and obey what it says, for the time is near.
- Revelation 11:6: They have power to shut the sky so that no rain will fall for as long as they prophesy. And they have the power to turn the rivers and oceans into blood, and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they wish.
- Revelation 19:10: Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said, “No, don’t worship me. I am a servant of God, just like you and your brothers and sisters who testify about their faith in Jesus. Worship only God. For the essence of prophecy is to give a clear witness for Jesus.”
- Revelation 22:7, 10, 18: “Look, I am coming soon! Blessed are those who obey the words of prophecy written in this book.” ... Then he instructed me, “Do not seal up the prophetic words in this book, for the time is near. ... And I solemnly declare to everyone who hears the words of prophecy written in this book: If anyone adds anything to what is written here, God will add to that person the plagues described in this book.
Discern:

Jesus said many would come in His name and would deceive many. Satan appears as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). He deceives with a false, tempting message (Genesis 2:16-3:5). There can be lying spirits in the mouths of prophets (1 Kings 22:21-23 and 2 Chronicles 18:20-22). Sometimes people who seem to say the right things are really from the devil (Acts 13:6-12 and 16:16-18). It is important to test the word of anyone who claims to speak from God (1 John 4:1-3). Satan can work deceiving miracles (2 Thessalonians 2:9-10 and Revelation 13:11-14). The devil will try to infiltrate the church with false teachers (Jude 4 and 2 Peter 2:1-2).
There are false spirits as well as the Holy Spirit. We must be certain of the source:

Isaiah 8:19-20: Someone may say to you, “Let’s ask the mediums and those who consult the spirits of the dead. With their whisperings and mutterings, they will tell us what to do.” But shouldn’t people ask God for guidance? Should the living seek guidance from the dead? Look to God’s instructions and teachings! People who contradict his word are completely in the dark.
Matthew 24:4-5: Jesus told them, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many.
Acts 13:6, 8: Afterward they traveled from town to town across the entire island until finally they reached Paphos, where they met a Jewish sorcerer, a false prophet named Bar-Jesus. ... Then he said, “You son of the devil, full of every sort of deceit and fraud, and enemy of all that is good! Will you never stop perverting the true ways of the Lord?
Acts 16:16-18: One day as we were going down to the place of prayer, we met a slave girl who had a spirit that enabled her to tell the future. She earned a lot of money for her masters by telling fortunes. She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved.” This went on day after day until Paul got so exasperated that he turned and said to the demon within her, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And instantly it left her.
2 Corinthians 11:13-15: These people are false apostles. They are deceitful workers who disguise themselves as apostles of Christ. But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no wonder that his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. In the end they will get the punishment their wicked deeds deserve.
1 Thessalonians 5:20-21: Do not scoff at prophecies, but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good.
2 Thessalonians 2:9-10: This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them.
1 John 4:1-3: Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world. This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God. But if someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here.
Revelation 13:11-14: Then I saw another beast come up out of the earth. He had two horns like those of a lamb, but he spoke with the voice of a dragon. He exercised all the authority of the first beast. And he required all the earth and its people to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. He did astounding miracles, even making fire flash down to earth from the sky while everyone was watching. And with all the miracles he was allowed to perform on behalf of the first beast, he deceived all the people who belong to this world. He ordered the people to make a great statue of the first beast, who was fatally wounded and then came back to life.

Unknown languages:
- Chapter 14 goes into greater depth on the subject of tongues; so, I'll hold off my notes till then!

(11-12) It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He ALONE decides which gift each person should have. The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ.

This starts a new paragraph that uses the parts of the human body as a metaphor for the church. It emphasizes unity amidst diversity. The focus is not on any part, but on the functioning whole; not the individual, but the family.
One and only Spirit:

Unlike the many spirits (actually demons) in pagan religions, there is only Holy Spirit and it is He alone who distributes the gifts.

Body of Christ: See verse 27 more details about the body of Christ or Christ's body.

(13) SOME of us are Jews, SOME are Gentiles, SOME are slaves, and SOME are free. But we have ALL been baptized into ONE body by ONE Spirit, and we ALL share the SAME Spirit.

Notice the repeated words for emphasis of unity: SOME ... SOME ... SOME ... SOME ... ALL ... ONE ... ONE ... ALL ... SAME.
Baptized ... by one Spirit:
- Matthew 3:11 (John the Baptist speaking): “I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am - so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
- Acts 1:5: John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
One body:

See verse 27 for more in-depth study.

ALL share the same Spirit:
- This equality would have been shocking to Roman society in Corinth, where the man was the supreme authority over his wife, his children and his slaves. There was a rigid social hierarchy. Paul's radical theology, based on Jesus' teachings and actions, was a drastic paradigm shift and shocking new worldview which had to be lived out in the fellowship of the church.

(14) Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part.

Different parts:
- Paul now gets back to the problem of "division" in the Corinthian church. The Corinthians understood about spiritual gifts and the Corinthians understood they had them. The problem had to do with jealousy, that some wanted gifts they didn't have and some of the members of the church were "lording it over" those who didn't speak in tongues, etc. The analogy used is body parts. The idea is that each of them was different, but at the same time, each of them was an equal part of the church. For their church to be healthy, there had to be unity.

(15-16) If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body?

Ear ... Eye:
- These parts are in the head of the body -- this is a very different metaphor than that used in Ephesians and Colossians of the body - since Christ is the head of the Church which is His body.

(17-18) If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything? But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it.

Each part where he want it:
- Knowing this, how can we complain if someone else gets the recognition or applause or has a "more important" job with more recognition and applause in the church?

(19-20) How strange a body would be if it had only one part! Yes, there are many parts, but only one body.

One part:

If all the members of the human body were the same ("only one part"), it would be unable to function as a body. It would be incapable of getting anything accomplished. For example, if all had the gift of tongues, the gift that the Corinthians valued above the others, the church would not function.

One body:

Uniformity (all one member or function) is not the case in the human body, however. It has "many parts" and many functions, but it is one unified organism.

(21) The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”

I don't need you:
- God needs even the most insignificant of us!

(22) In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary.

Weakest ... least important:
- The idea is there are parts of our physical body that have skeletal protection. If we lose a hand or an eye, we will still be able to live. If we lose internal organs like a heart, we would no longer live. Those internal organs are protected by a surrounding skeletal system. Paul is saying that while we give greater "thought" to our eyes and hands, God thinks of the "whole body" including the parts of the body we don't think about, unless we need quadruple heart bypass surgery!

(23-24) And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity.

Less honorable:
- Paul may have been referring to the sexual organs. A. Coffman wrote, “Eisenhower reprimanded a general in the army for speaking of a soldier as ‘just a private,’ adding that, ‘The private is the man who wins the war.

(25) This makes for HARMONY among the members, so that all the members care for each other.

The key verse for this chapter and HARMONY is the key word for the section.
Care for each other:
- Spurgeon: "I want every member of this church to be a worker. We do not want any drones. If there are any of you who want to eat and drink, and do nothing, there are plenty of places elsewhere, where you can do it; there are empty pews about in abundance; go and fill them, for we do not want you. Every Christian who is not a bee is a wasp. The most quarrelsome persons are the most useless, and they who are the most happy are peaceable, are generally those who are doing most for Christ."

(26-27) If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. ALL of you TOGETHER are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.

Chist's body
Above image from https://rightdivision.com/sites/default/files/pictures/Slide12.JPG

You ... together:

"You" is emphatic in the Greek text and is plural.

Christ's body (Body of Christ):
- Charles Welch, "The Body and the Bride": Most who share an understanding of Acts 28 Right-Division believe that the “Church which is His Body” (Ephesians 1:22-23) is unique. Did the Church which is His Body exist during the Acts Period? Are the Church which is His Body (Ephesians 1:22-23) and Christ's body or the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27) the same entity?
- The local Corinthian body was likened metaphorically to the human body in "total" - eyes, ears, etc. whereas the joint body of Ephesians and Colossians has Christ the head. The Corinthian body is very different from that which is taught in Ephesians. The body in Paul's prison books had not been revealed in Acts.
- Romans 12:4-5: Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.
- Ephesians 1:22-23: God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.
- Ephesians 3:6: And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus.
- Ephesians 4:4,16: For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. ... He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

(28) Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the church: first are apostles, second are prophets, third are teachers, then those who do miracles, those who have the gift of healing, those who can help others, those who have the gift of leadership, those who speak in unknown languages.

Notice that the list is much shorter in Ephesians, written by Paul from prison after the close of the Book of Acts:

Ephesians 4:11-16: Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

Church:

Ray Stedman: "If you were a visitor from another planet and visited churches across this country today, you would probably draw the conclusion that the church operates to run meetings on Sunday morning. Everything is aimed toward that; all the work of leadership is directed toward that, and when it is over, it starts all over again. But that is a far cry from God's concept of the church. The church consists of all those who have truly been born of the Spirit and are thereby a living body, growing and developing within the world (not apart from it), to touch the hurt and death of the world with the life and love of God."

Apostles:
- The term literally means, "sent one" as one person sent by another. Originally this referred to the Twelve and Paul, but was used of others too:
- Ephesians 2:20: Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself.
- 2 Timothy 1:11: And God chose me to be a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of this Good News.
Prophets - Greek - prophetes, which means "one who speaks forth":
- There are no God-gifted prophets in the church today, although there are many false prophets. Most Charismatics believe that the gift of prophecy is still for today.
- God's definition of a prophet:
- What is a prophet? A prophet is God's mouthpiece through whom God spoke and gave His perfect, infallible revelation.
Teachers:
- Ephesians 4:11: Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers.
Those who do miracles:
- Miracles = Power. (dunameis).
- Galatians 3:5: I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ.
Those who can help others:
- The Greek word here is antilepsis. This term was originally used of a ship's pilot. It comes from a preposition meaning “in exchange for” and a verb which mean “to take hold of.” It has the idea of taking hold of another person’s burden. To “help” someone in this sense is to lift a load off that person’s shoulders.
Those who have the gift of leadership - Greek kubernēseis:
- This word is derived from kuberiaō “to govern;” and is usually applied to the government or “steering” of a ship. Lightfoot contends that the word which is used here does not refer to the power of ruling, but to a person endued with a deep and comprehensive mind, one who is wise and prudent. Calvin refers it to the elders to whom the exercise of discipline was entrusted.
Those who speak in unknown tongues:

Since Paul listed these in order of importance, he considered this gift actually to be the least important.

(29) Are we ALL apostles? Are we ALL prophets? Are we ALL teachers? Do we ALL have the power to do miracles?

Are:

This series of questions all begin with a Greek negative particle (mē), which denotes that the questions expect a "no" answer.

ALL: Repeated four times for emphasis.

(30) Do we ALL have the gift of healing? Do we ALL have the ability to speak in unknown languages? Do we ALL have the ability to interpret unknown languages? Of course not!

ALL ... unknown languages ... Of course not!:
- Why is it then that in Charismatic circles everyone is encouraged and persuaded to speak with tongues? Why is it recommended to all if it was only given to some in the transitional Acts period?

(31) So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts. But now let me show you a way of life that is best of all.

Best of all:
- Look at Galatians 5:22-23 where Paul lists the fruits of the Spirit, where the first is agape (love). Evidently, agape was lacking at Corinth.
- Gordon Fee: "What Paul is about to embark on is a description of what he calls 'a way that is beyond comparison.' The way they are going is basically destructive to the church as a community; the way they are being called to is one that seeks the good of others before oneself. It is not 'love versus gifts' that Paul has in mind, but 'love as the only context for gifts'; for without the former, the latter have no usefulness at all-but then neither does much of anything else in the Christian life."

This subject of "spirituals" (pneumatikos) continues in chapter 13 and then on to chapter 14:

1 Corinthians 13: If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of PROPHECY, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all KNOWLEDGE, and if I had such FAITH that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. 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 have gained nothing. Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. PROPHECY and speaking in UNKNOWN LANGUAGES and SPECIAL KNOWLEDGE will become useless. But love will last forever! Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of PROPHECY reveals only part of the whole picture! But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless. When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. Three things will last forever - faith, hope, and love - and the greatest of these is LOVE.

NOTES:

Except otherwise noted, the scripture version used is the New Living Translation, Tyndale House Publishers,Inc., Wheaton, Illinois.
Disclaimer: Source material for this study has been gleaned from many different sources. If you want further study, I have attempted to acknowledge these sources at http://1corinthiansblog.blogspot.com/2016/01/1-corinthians-references.html
Index to all our 1 Corinthian studies are at 1corinthiansblog.blogspot.com/2016/02/index-to-1-corinthians.html
Index to all our studies are at oakview-bible-fellowship.blogspot.com/

Sunday, October 9, 2016

1 ;Corinthians 11:17-34

1 Corinthians

A new section begins with verse 17 in Chapter 11.
Here, instead of praising them as in verse 2, Paul criticizes some of them for their self-centeredness in connection with their love feast and not recognizing that they are all equal in Christ before God.

(17) BUT in the following instructions, I cannot praise you. For it sounds as if more harm than good is done when you meet together.

BUT: In verse 2, Paul praised the Corinthians because they maintained the teachings he passed on to them. But, here in these first six verses, Paul rebukes the Corinthian believers for not treating one another as equals in Christ.
More harm than good: Paul is implying it would be better if they'd just eliminate their love feasts and communion if they continued the way they were maintaining their class distinctions in their meetings.
Meet together (Greek - sunercomai):

The verb translated here “meet together” (sunercomai) is used five times in this passage (verses 17, 18, 20, 33, 34). Here again is the context - in their "church" meetings! In fact, this is what "church meetings" were during the Acts period. Paul would barely recognize many present-day church meetings - especially the ritualistic meetings of the roman and orthodox churches which would more resemble pagan services.

(18) First, I hear that there are divisions among you when you meet as a church, and to some extent I believe it.

Divisions (Greek schismata):

Instead of treating one another with brotherly love and as equals in Christ, there are divisions among them. What Paul has in mind is a division between those who have more than enough to eat and drink at the Lord’s Supper and those who have insufficient quantities - rich versus poor, free versus slave. This is evident from the contrast in verses 21-22 between the "hungry” and the "drunk".

Meet as a church:

The word “church” here does not mean, as it frequently does with us, a “building.” No instance of such a use of the word occurs in the New Testament; but it means when they came together as a Christian assembly. The "church" would gather in a home, most likely the home of a wealthy person since it would provide the space and the provisions. The dining room, called the triclinium, averaged to be about 36 square feet with room for about 9-12 people for a meal. A larger room, the atrium, was similar to a courtyard in the house. This area could hold about 30-50 people for a meal. Church meetings of hundreds or thousands would have been unheard of, in contrast to pagan worship in temples. Jesus defines a church meeting in Matthew 18:20: For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.”

(19) BUT, of course, there must be divisions among you so that you who have God’s approval will be recognized!

Divisions (Greek haireseis):

The Romans were a society heavily based on social class. Mixing of the classes would have been not only unusual, but strongly criticized - just as Jesus was criticized for eating with rich tax collectors and associating with undesirables. Paul wants the rich and the poor, the free and the slave, the Greek and the Jew, to recognize that they all belong to the body of Christ and are equals before Christ.
Ray Stedman: "When Paul speaks of the church 'coming together,' or 'assembling as a church,' he is not primarily talking about a Sunday morning church service. He has in view the agape, the feast of love and of sharing. This grew out of that atmosphere in the early church (described in the Book of Acts) where no one counted anything as belonging to himself alone but shared with others the resources and riches that God had provided so that no one was left out. This rapidly grew into a common meal which they all shared together. We would call it a 'pot luck' supper. (I do not like that term because I do not believe in luck and I am sensitive to the word pot! I prefer "multiple-choice dinners." They are wonderful occasions where everyone brings something, and all share together.) This is what the early church was doing, too. It was a perfectly proper and beautiful thing to do, but unfortunately, here in Corinth it was being spoiled by cliques, by divisions among them. The cliques and divisions that Paul mentions earlier in this letter had ruined the gathering of the church together, so that he could say, as he does here, 'It is not for the better that you come together, but for the worse.' 'You are actually injuring one another and destroying the character of the church by the way you are conducting yourselves at these love feasts which terminate in the celebration of the Lord's table together.'"
Paul had already spoken to the problem of divisions among the Corinthian Christians in 1 Corinthians 1:10-17. There, the approach was more theological. Here, the approach is more practical, dealing with the problem of division as it shows itself in the Corinthian Christians during their gatherings.
Romans 16:17: And now I make one more appeal, my dear brothers and sisters. Watch out for people who cause divisions and upset people’s faith by teaching things contrary to what you have been taught. Stay away from them.
1 Corinthians 1:10-11: I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose. For some members of Chloe’s household have told me about your quarrels, my dear brothers and sisters.
Galatians 3:28: There is no longer Jew nor Gentile, lave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Colossians 3:11: In this new life, it doesn't matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, slave or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.
James 2:1, 9: My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others? ... if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law.

(20) When you meet together, you are not really interested in the Lord’s Supper.

The New International Version translates this verse as “When you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat.” The Amplified Bible reads, “It is not the supper instituted by the Lord that you eat.” The point that Paul made is that the way these Corinthians were observing the Lord’s Supper was not consistent with the way the Lord instructed. So, Paul in this chapter gives the proper method of taking communion, if at all.
Meet together:

These were the social meals of the early church, called love feasts, followed by the Lord's Supper. According to the Greek custom, each brought his own provisions, and while the rich fared sumptuously, the poor sometimes had little or nothing.
Acts 2:42-47: All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity - all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.
2 Peter 2:13: Their destruction is their reward for the harm they have done. They love to indulge in evil pleasures in broad daylight. They are a disgrace and a stain among you. They delight in deception even as they eat with you in your fellowship meals.
Jude 1:12: When these people eat with you in your fellowship meals commemorating the Lord’s love...

The Lord's Supper:

The early church enjoyed a meal together before celebrating the Lord’s Supper. The meal was called an agape, a love feast, which has its origin in Acts 2:42-47. Disorders had arisen and now Paul commands that the agape be discontinued.
Bob Deffinbaugh: "The second half of chapter 11 deals with misconduct at the Lord’s Table. When the early church met to observe the Lord’s Table, they did so in the midst of a shared (potluck?) meal. It would seem that the rich arrived at church earlier than the poor. Instead of waiting for the poor to arrive before beginning the meal, some of the Corinthians began to gorge themselves with food and wine. By the time the poor arrived, the food was gone, and those who arrived early were drunk. The result was that the Lord’s Table – the most solemn event of the church’s gathering – was conducted in a way that must have been similar to the heathen rituals the Corinthian saints were forbidden to attend. Because of the seriousness of this sin, a number of the Corinthians had become ill, and some had died (11:30). Paul instructs the Corinthians to wait for one another, to search their hearts, and to commemorate the Lord’s Supper in a manner befitting the body and blood of our Lord."

(21) For some of you hurry to eat your own meal without sharing with others. As a result, some go hungry while others get drunk.

Hurry to eat:

The rich and those who were not slaves could arrive earlier as they had more free time in their day and would eat and get drunk before everyone else showed up! Further, they would eat all of their food before some of the poor could show up later and share in those meals! The poorer Christian who had to work longer hours couldn't share in the meals because most of the food would be gone even before they showed up.

Drunk:

Deuteronomy 21:20: The parents must say to the elders, ‘This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious and refuses to obey. He is a glutton and a drunkard.’
Proverbs 21:17: Those who love pleasure become poor; those who love wine and luxury will never be rich.
Proverbs 23:20-21: Do not carouse with drunkards or feast with gluttons, for they are on their way to poverty, and too much sleep clothes them in rags.
Proverbs 23:29-35: Who has anguish? Who has sorrow? Who is always fighting? Who is always complaining? Who has unnecessary bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes? It is the one who spends long hours in the taverns, trying out new drinks. Don’t gaze at the wine, seeing how red it is, how it sparkles in the cup, how smoothly it goes down. For in the end it bites like a poisonous snake; it stings like a viper. You will see hallucinations, and you will say crazy things. You will stagger like a sailor tossed at sea, clinging to a swaying mast. And you will say, “They hit me, but I didn’t feel it. I didn’t even know it when they beat me up. When will I wake up so I can look for another drink?”
Proverbs 31:4-5: It is not for kings, O Lemuel, to guzzle wine. Rulers should not crave alcohol. For if they drink, they may forget the law and not give justice to the oppressed.
Habakkuk 2:15: What sorrow awaits you who make your neighbors drunk! You force your cup on them so you can gloat over their shameful nakedness.
Luke 21:34: “Watch out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life. Don’t let that day catch you unaware,
Romans 13:13-14: Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.
Ephesians 5:18:Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit,
1 Thessalonians 5:7-8: Night is the time when people sleep and drinkers get drunk. But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation.

(22) What? Don’t you have your own homes for eating and drinking? Or do you really want to disgrace God’s church and shame the poor? What am I supposed to say? Do you want me to praise you? Well, I certainly will not praise you for this!

Shame the poor:

Their treatment of the poor, some of whom were probably slaves, would embarrass them and tell them that they weren't welcome. Can you imagine the impact on a poor unbeliever visiting the "church" and seeing the inequality?
Barclay: "The early Church was the one place in all the ancient world where the barriers which divided the world were down. The ancient world was very rigidly divided; there were the free men and the slaves; there were the Greeks and the barbarians - the people who did not speak Greek; there were the Jews and the Gentiles; there were the Roman citizens and the lesser breeds without the law; there were the cultured and the ignorant. The Church was the one place where all men could and did come together. . . . A Church where social and class distinctions exist is no true Church at all. A real Church is a body of men and women united to each other because all are united to Christ. A Church is not true Church where the art of sharing is forgotten."

Not praise you: Repeated three times in this brief section for emphasis. Paul is pretty upset with the Corinthian Christians about this abuse!

(23) For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread

I pass on:

1 Corinthians 15:3: I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said.
2 Thessalonians 2:15: With all these things in mind, dear brothers and sisters, stand firm and keep a strong grip on the teaching we passed on to you both in person and by letter.

I received from the Lord himself:

WHEN did Paul receive this DIRECTLY from the Lord?
Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek: "Paul had doubtless heard the account of the institution of the Lord's Supper from the eleven, but he also had it by revelation from the Lord. He received his gospel by direct revelation in Arabia."
1 Corinthians 15:8: Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him.
2 Corinthians 12:2-4, 7: I was caught up to the third heaven fourteen years ago. Whether I was in my body or out of my body, I don’t know - only God knows. Yes, only God knows whether I was in my body or outside my body. But I do know that I was caught up to paradise and heard things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words, things no human is allowed to tell. ... even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.
Galatians 1:12, 17: I received my message from no human source, and no one taught me. Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ. ... Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to consult with those who were apostles before I was. Instead, I went away into Arabia, and later I returned to the city of Damascus.

Bread:

The unleavened bread used at a Passover meal would have the scorch marks "stripes" and holes from baking that would look like "pierce" marks. In the same way, the body of Jesus was broken for us. He was without sin (as the bread had no leaven), and His body bore stripes and was pierced (as the bread). It definitely looked nothing like the wafer used by the Roman church, which is more like a symbol of the full moon.

(24) and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

Gave thanks: eucharisteo, from which we get the word eucharist. Strong's Greek # 2168.

Acts 27:35: Then he took some bread, gave thanks to God before them all, and broke off a piece and ate it.

Broke it in pieces:

In the Roman church, instead of breaking a loaf of bread, the priest holds up a round wafer. Even in Evangelical churches, there is no actual "breaking the bread in pieces" as part of the tradition - that would be unsanitary. According to the custom of ancient times, bread was broken (by hand), not cut, and the pieces were passed out to share with others at the meal.

Is = represents.
This is my body:

Remember that those at The Lord’s Supper were Jews and the supper was connected with the Jewish feast of the Passover. Jesus is changing the meaning of Passover from not only reminding them of the deliverance of Israel from Egypt, but ‘announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again’, which is further interpreted in 1 Corinthians 5:7 by the words, ‘Christ, OUR PASSOVER LAMB, has been sacrificed for us’.
The use of this phrase is in the context of Semitic imagery. It is completely out of context for the disciples at the Last Supper to have thought that the bread Jesus passed around the table had turned into his flesh. They could not have understood that when he said “This is my body” that somehow the bread had replaced Jesus’ body or had miraculously somehow become an extension of his body. Other examples of this type of imagery are:

John 8:12: “I am the Light of the world.”
John 10:7-&:9 “I am the gate.”
John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”
John 15:1: “I am the true grapevine.”
1 Corinthians 5:7: “Christ, our Passover Lamb.”
1 Corinthians 10:4 “That rock was Christ.”

Isaiah 53:12 (KJV): Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
John 6:32-63: Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven. The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” “Sir,” they said, “give us that bread every day.” Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. But you haven’t believed in me even though you have seen me. However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them. For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will. And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day. For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.” Then the people began to murmur in disagreement because he had said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” They said, “Isn’t this Jesus, the son of Joseph? We know his father and mother. How can he say, ‘I came down from heaven’?” But Jesus replied, “Stop complaining about what I said. For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up. As it is written in the Scriptures, ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. (Not that anyone has ever seen the Father; only I, who was sent from God, have seen him.) “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes has eternal life. Yes, I am the bread of life! Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died. Anyone who eats the bread from heaven, however, will never die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.” Then the people began arguing with each other about what he meant. “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” they asked. So Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. I live because of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, anyone who feeds on me will live because of me. I am the true bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will not die as your ancestors did (even though they ate the manna) but will live forever.” He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. Many of his disciples said, “This is very hard to understand. How can anyone accept it?” Jesus was aware that his disciples were complaining, so he said to them, “Does this offend you? Then what will you think if you see the Son of Man ascend to heaven again? The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And THE VERY WORDS I HAVE SPOKEN TO YOU ARE SPIRIT AND LIFE.

Pay close attention to the last sentence that I put in all-caps - Jesus is explaining His words are SPIRITUAL, not physical!

1 Corinthians 10:16b: “And when we break the bread, aren’t we sharing in the body of Christ?”

Teaching on the Lord's Supper by various religious groups:

Roman Catholicism:

In the Roman church's teaching of the Eucharist (from Greek "eucharistia", meaning "thanksgiving"), the body is miraculously transformed into the body of Christ, which is termed transubstantiation. If that were actually physically true, what does one do with Jesus' saying that he was "the door" or "the gate" - is His body physically also a door?

The Council of Trent (1545-1563): "If anyone denies that the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the whole Christ is truly, really, and substantially contained in the sacrament of the most holy Eucharist, but says that Christ is present in the Sacrament only as in a sign or figure, or by his power: let him be anathema. ... If anyone says that Christ present in the Eucharist is only spiritually eaten and not sacramentally and really as well: let him be anathema. ... If anyone denies that each and everyone of Christ's faithful of both sexes, is bound, when he reaches the age of reason, to receive Communion at least every year during the Paschal season according to the command of holy Mother Church: let him be anathema."

Some contend that "hocus-pocus" is a play on the words in the Latin mass "hoc est corpus" during transubstantiation.

The Roman Catholic priest raises the "host" up high at the climax of the Mass. He then speaks the mystical Latin words, which mean, "This is my Body." In the modern Mass the priest may say, "Behold your Lord." The wine is also supposed to become the literal blood of Jesus. In this way, the priests of Rome create and kill Jesus every time they do the Mass.

The Eastern Catholic, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox Churches agree that the bread and wine truly and actually become the body and blood of Christ.
Martin Luther held the idea of consubstantiation, which teaches the bread remains bread and the wine remains wine, but by faith they are the same as Jesus' actual body. Luther did not believe in the Roman Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation, but he did not go far from it. He said, "It is not the doctrine of transubstantiation which is to be believed, but simply that Christ really is present at the Eucharist. ... transubstantiation — certainly, a monstrous word for a monstrous idea".
John Calvin taught that Jesus' presence in the bread and wine was real, but only spiritual, not physical.
Zwingli, the Swiss reformer, taught that the bread and wine are mere symbols that represent the body and blood of Jesus.
The 39 articles of 1563, the Church of England declared: "Transubstantiation (or the change of the substance of Bread and Wine) in the Supper of the Lord, cannot be proved by holy Writ; but is repugnant to the plain words of Scripture, overthroweth the nature of a Sacrament, and hath given occasion to many superstitions".
Most Protestants believe there are two ordinances, baptism and the Lord's Supper. A few Protestant groups include "foot-washing" as a third ordinance on the basis of John 13:12-17 (e.g., the Grace Brethren, some Mennonites and others).
Baptists usually use the term “ordinances” rather than “sacraments” when referring to baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Baptists consistently declare that baptism and the Lord’s Supper are symbols and are not necessary for salvation. In eating the bread and drinking from the cup, a person does not actually partake of Christ’s flesh and blood. Rather, it is an opportunity to obey a command of Christ and to recall his sacrifice for us, his presence with us and his certain return (1 Corinthians 11:24-28).
Quaker theology rejects outward observances as unchristian and unspiritual. Thomas Clarkson writes in his book, Quaker Baptism: "... baptism and the supper were both of them outward Jewish ceremonies, connected with the Jewish religion." (www.worldspirituality.org/quaker-baptism.html).
Acts 9 & 13 Dispensationalists do not observe water baptism, but most do observe the Lord's Supper (communion).
Most Acts 28 Dispensationalists observe none of the ordinances believing they are strictly for Israel and have been done away with as mentioned in Ephesians 2:15 and Colossians 2:14.

Charles Welch: "We note that we find mention of the Lord’s Supper in those Scriptures written before the beginning of this dispensation of grace which began at Acts 28:28, but not even a hint of it afterwards. The Lord’s Supper is connected with the Jewish feast of the Passover, and by reading 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 we see that henceforth this feast was not merely to remind them of the deliverance from Egypt, but to ‘show the Lord’s death till He come’, which is further interpreted in 1 Corinthians 5:7 by the words, ‘For even Christ our Passover hath been sacrificed for us’. Both Matthew 26 and 1 Corinthians 11, tell us that the wine typified the ‘blood of the new covenant’. What is this new covenant? The New Covenant is related to a greater, though parallel, exodus than that from Egypt, that it is specifically connected with the future gathering of Israel back to their land, and that the church of the Mystery of Ephesians 3 finds no place therein whatsoever. In Matthew 26, the Lord Jesus looks forward to ‘that day’, to ‘His Father’s kingdom’; the kingdom in which the Father’s will shall be done on earth; ‘I appoint unto you a kingdom, as My Father hath appointed unto Me; that ye may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel’ (Luke 22:29,30). Where in all this is room and place for, or hint of, the church of the Mystery? When we pass the dispensational boundary of Acts 28 we read in Ephesians not of the kingdom of the heavens, nor of the kingdom of the Father, but of ‘the kingdom of Christ and of God’ (Ephesians 5:5). In Colossians 1:13 we read, ‘The kingdom of the Son of His love’ (R.V.), which is in operation now, and is entirely distinct from the kingdom that hinges upon the restoration of Israel. We search in vain for the faintest allusion to the ordinances in the epistles written after Acts 28. If we read 1 Timothy, we find the apostle giving Timothy detailed instructions, that he may know how to behave in the house of God. The apostle repeats some of his instructions regarding the ministry of women (e.g. 1 Timothy 2 and 1 Corinthians 11:1-17), and yet, although the Lord’s Supper is the very next item in 1 Corinthians 11, he finds no place for it in his instruction to Timothy. The simple reason is that when the kingdom became in abeyance, everything connected therewith necessarily went with it. Spiritual gifts, the Lord’s Supper, the covenants, all went with the kingdom teaching. The apostle was then commissioned to set out the new economy. To him was the grace given ‘to make all men see what is the dispensation of the Mystery which from all ages hath been hid in God’ (Ephesians 3:9 R.V.). Is it not striking then that the Lord’s Supper, so fully described and enjoined in Matthew, the kingdom gospel, is omitted by John who above all should have taught it if he had a message for believers today? It is not as though the feast does not come into the subject of his writing. It does. John 13 tells of the betrayal and many incidents which took place at that supper. This omission must not be lightly set aside; it adds its weight to the evidence we seek to bring from the Word on this important subject. We have seen that the Lord’s Supper is the memorial feast of the New Covenant. The people with whom that New Covenant was made, are the people of Israel, the Gentile participating only as a wild graft ‘contrary to nature’, during the period covered by the Acts."
If we believe the Lord's Supper and water baptism belong to this present dispensation, why not spiritual gifts, tongues, miracles?

In remembrance of me:

This refers to remembering what his body was for. It was a sacrifice for sins. Hebrews 10:19-21 (NIV): – “living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body.”

(25) In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people - an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it.”

Cup of wine:

In the Jewish ritual meal of Passover, there are four times everyone is to have a drink of wine together. The third drink, the cup of redemption, is for Jews to remember their collective redemption by God and the fact they were saved from slavery. We know that this is the "third" cup is right after the Passover meal and Luke emphasized that fact in Luke 22:20. (The fourth cup is used to remember God will return to the world one day and the fact He will "wrap up life as we know it" one day.)
Luke 22:20: After supper he took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people - an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.

"After supper" suggests that Jesus distributed the bread before the meal and the wine after the meal. This was probably the pattern that the Corinthian Christians were following when some ate their fill while others went hungry.
New covenant:

The word "covenant" in Greek is diathéké - Strong's # 1242 defined as a covenant between two parties, (the ordinary, everyday sense [found a countless number of times in papyri]) a will, testament.
What is this new covenant? Is it connected with the Mystery hidden since the age-times and revealed to the Gentiles by Paul after the Acts period ended in Acts 28:28? Let us turn to Jeremiah 31. The one reference to a covenant in Ephesians 2:12 refers back to ‘the time past’ when these Ephesian believers were aliens and strangers, or at most guests, with regard to the ‘covenants of the promise’. No covenant is ever mentioned in relation to the ‘church which is His body’. There is a promise and a purpose given before the age-time (Titus 1:1-3), but not a covenant old or new. The new covenant is God’s gracious provision for the very people who failed under the old covenant - ISRAEL.
What is the new covenant all about and with whom was the covenant?

It is about an inner transformation, that cleanses from all sin: I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins. (Jeremiah 31:34)
It is about God's Word and will: I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. (Jeremiah 31:33)
It is about a new, close, relationship with God: I will be their God, and they will be my people. (Jeremiah 31:33)
It was with Israel: The day is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. (Jeremiah 31:31). I suggest reading Jeremiah chapters 30 & 31 all the way through to understand the context of the "new covenant".

Of the 33 usages of diathéké in the New Testament, more than half (17) occur in the book of Hebrews. This should not be surprising since the covenants belonged to the Jews. The key word of the book of Hebrews is “better.” Hebrews teaches the New Covenant is better than the Old (Mosaic) Covenant. Of the 17 verses in which diathéké occurs, 5 are direct quotes from the Old Testament prophets about God’s promise to establish a New Covenant with national Israel. Jesus initiated the establishment of the New Covenant at the last supper. The Twelve disciples were representatives of the nation since the Lord had promised they would rule over the nation (Matthew 19:28). But while the Lord inaugurated the New Covenant, it has not yet taken full effect. For that to occur Israel must repent. The covenants belonged to Israel alone – Gentiles had no part of them.
Jeremiah 31:31-34, 38-40: “The day is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his wife,” says the Lord. “But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those days,” says the Lord. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the Lord.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already,” says the Lord. “And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.” ... “The day is coming,” says the Lord, “when all Jerusalem will be rebuilt for me, from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. A measuring line will be stretched out over the hill of Gareb and across to Goah. And the entire area - including the graveyard and ash dump in the valley, and all the fields out to the Kidron Valley on the east as far as the Horse Gate - will be holy to the Lord. The city will never again be captured or destroyed.”

So, when is the day that "is coming" from Jeremiah's viewpoint. Notice this new covenant replaces the old covenant given in the wilderness - between God and ISRAEL!

Romans 9:4: They are the people of Israel, chosen to be God’s adopted children. God revealed his glory to them. He made covenants with them and gave them his law. He gave them the privilege of worshiping him and receiving his wonderful promises.
Romans 11:25-27: I want you to understand this mystery, dear brothers and sisters, so that you will not feel proud about yourselves. Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last only until the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ. And so all Israel will be saved. As the Scriptures say, “The one who rescues will come from Jerusalem, and he will turn Israel away from ungodliness. And this is my covenant with them, that I will take away their sins.”
2 Corinthians 3:6: He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life.
Galatians 3:15-18: Dear brothers and sisters, here’s an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or amend an irrevocable agreement, so it is in this case. God gave the promises to Abraham and his child. And notice that the Scripture doesn’t say “to his children,” as if it meant many descendants. Rather, it says “to his child” - and that, of course, means Christ. This is what I am trying to say: The agreement God made with Abraham could not be canceled 430 years later when God gave the law to Moses. God would be breaking his promise. For if the inheritance could be received by keeping the law, then it would not be the result of accepting God’s promise. But God graciously gave it to Abraham as a promise.
Galatians 4:24-26: These two women serve as an illustration of God’s two covenants. The first woman, Hagar, represents Mount Sinai where people received the law that enslaved them. And now Jerusalem is just like Mount Sinai in Arabia, because she and her children live in slavery to the law. But the other woman, Sarah, represents the heavenly Jerusalem. She is the free woman, and she is our mother.
Ephesians 2:11-12: Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope.
Hebrews 8:10; 10:16: But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. ... “This is the new covenant I will make with my people on that day, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.”

Notice in Jeremiah and confirmed in Hebrews that the new covenant (testament) is WITH ISRAEL!

Confirmed with my blood:

Exodus 24:8: Then Moses took the blood from the basins and splattered it over the people, declaring, “Look, this blood confirms the covenant the Lord has made with you in giving you these instructions.”

(26) For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again.

For returns us to Paul’s words to the Corinthians. Paul now gives his reason for quoting the tradition he handed down to the Corinthians.
Comes again:

During the Acts period , the coming of the Lord was imminent as practically all the early epistles clearly teach (cp. Acts 3:19-26). Paul expected to see and participate in this great event. Therefore this supper was a proclamation of the nearness and reality of his return. This sacrificial meal then linked both the comings together. While the Lord's Supper does look back to what Jesus did on the cross, it also looks forward to the return of Jesus, and the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9). In Matthew 26:29, Jesus spoke of His longing expectation for the day when He would take communion with His people in heaven, which is the ultimate Lord's Supper.
Matthew 26:29: Mark my words - I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it new with you in my Father’s Kingdom.”
Acts 3:19-26 (Peter speaking on Pentecost): Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away. Then times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord, and he will again send you Jesus, your appointed Messiah. For he must remain in heaven until the time for the final restoration of all things, as God promised long ago through his holy prophets. Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from among your own people. Listen carefully to everything he tells you.’ Then Moses said, ‘Anyone who will not listen to that Prophet will be completely cut off from God’s people.’ “Starting with Samuel, every prophet spoke about what is happening today. You are the children of those prophets, and you are included in the covenant God promised to your ancestors. For God said to Abraham, ‘Through your descendants all the families on earth will be blessed.’ When God raised up his servant, Jesus, he sent him first to you people of Israel, to bless you by turning each of you back from your sinful ways.”
Revelation 19:9: And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” And he added, “These are true words that come from God.”

(27) SO anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.

SO:

resuming his main discussion from 11:22

the manner in which the Lord’s Supper was observed.

This cup:1 Corinthians 10:21: You cannot drink from the cup of the Lord and from the cup of demons, too. You cannot eat at the Lord’s Table and at the table of demons, too.
Unworthily:

(28) That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup.

Examine is dokimazo. It means to examine and to approve after examination. This word refers to testing metals of a coin to see if they are genuine. In this case, when dokimazo is applied to the believer in Jesus Christ, that believer should examine himself to see if he is what he says he is.
Eating the bread: Notice the reference to “eating the bread” and not to “eating the body.” Another verse that undermines the concept of transubstantiation.

(29) For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself.

Honoring the body:

David Guzik: "The words not discerning the Lord's body have been used by Roman Catholics to support their doctrine of transubstantiation. Their thinking is, "see, the Corinthians did not understand they were actually receiving the real body and the real blood of Jesus, and that is why they were guilty." But this is a very narrow foundation, that a huge building has been built upon! It is just as easy - and just as valid - to see the Lord's body as a reference to the church family, and it was the lack of respect and love for the church family that was causing the problems of selfishness among the Corinthian Christians."
“Honoring the body” means not to honor or recognize his death. “Honoring” is the word “dokimazo” which was translated "examine" in verse 28.
This is not a reference to the bread but to what the bread represents – the death of the Lord.

Judgment Krima - Strong's Greek # 2917:

Reconnects with Paul's presentation of the judgment on Israel because of their sins and all but two died - just as in verse 30.
Paul is not referring to eternal judgment, but to corrective judgment. There is no article "the" before "judgment," so it is not the judgment. So this chastening is not a judge condemning a criminal; it is a father dealing with disobedient children.
1 Peter 4:17: For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin with God’s household. And if judgment begins with us, what terrible fate awaits those who have never obeyed God’s Good News?

(30) That is why many of you are weak and sick and some have even died.

Sick:
Died:

(31) BUT if we would examine ourselves, we would not be judged by God in this way.

Examine ourselves:

If the believers at Corinth would only turn the searchlight of judgment upon themselves instead of on others, they would have disciplined themselves and avoided the Lord having to discipline them, although this discipline, even if severe, was better than being condemned with the unsaved world around them.

(32) Yet when we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned along with the world.

Disciplined:

Hebrews 12:8-11: If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever? For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening - it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.

Not condemned:

This makes it clear Paul knew none of the Corinthian Christians - even those who had died as a result of God's corrective judgment - had lost their salvation. They were chastened so that they would not be condemned with the world.

(33) SO, my dear brothers and sisters, when you gather for the Lord’s Supper, wait for each other.

Wait Greek - ekdechomai:

The phrase translated “wait for each other” more likely means “welcome one another.” If the Corinthians merely “wait for one another” the problem is not corrected because there is no real love or fellowship between the individual believers and the Lord. The poor are without food and are not treated as equals in Christ. Paul is instructing the Corinthians to receive each other as equals in Christ.

(34) If you are really hungry, eat at home so you won’t bring judgment upon yourselves when you meet together. I’ll give you instructions about the other matters after I arrive.

After I arrive: Paul knows he isn't dealing with the whole issue here. There is more to say, but Paul will leave it for another time.

NOTES:

Except otherwise noted, the scripture version used is the New Living Translation, Tyndale House Publishers,Inc., Wheaton, Illinois.
Disclaimer: Source material for this study has been gleaned from many different sources. If you want further study, I have attempted to acknowledge these sources at http://1corinthiansblog.blogspot.com/2016/01/1-corinthians-references.html
Index to all our 1 Corinthian studies are at 1corinthiansblog.blogspot.com/2016/02/index-to-1-corinthians.html
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