1 Corinthians 11:17-34 - This Sunday (Cupcakes too...)

Downtown Monroe

On this coming Sunday I'll preach out of 1 Corinthians 11:17-34. One of the things I will share is how I can now see that I have consistently misinterpreted one of these verses. We'll celebrate the Lord's Table after preaching about the Lord's Table as a wordless event in which something is done.

A main theme will be, as Ben Witherington writes, the deconstruction of social stratification and a great social leveling. I may or may not use the word 'deconstruction'. And, I'm not sure Ben is using it correctly anyway.

This Sunday our RMS students will graduate! A few of them will share Sunday morning, and we'll have our graduation ceremony at 6 PM Sunday night. Yay! (Plus cupcakes baked by the incredible H.H.)


1 Corinthians 11:17-34

¹⁷In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good.

¹⁸In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. ¹⁹No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God's approval. ²⁰When you come together, it is not the Lord's Supper you eat, ²¹for as you eat, each of you goes ahead without waiting for anybody else. One remains hungry, another gets drunk. ²²Don't you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you for this? Certainly not!

²³For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, ²⁴and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." ²⁵In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." ²⁶For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

27Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. 29For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. 31But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. 32When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.

33So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for each other. 34If anyone is hungry, he should eat at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment.
And when I come I will give further directions.