establish setting...
love feasts
the corinthian church may be meeting for a whole meal
instead of just communion.
(paul speaks of supper and 'one going hungry' in 11:21)
at these 'meals', the factions within the church show very strongly...
and 'each one takes his own supper first; and one is hungry and another is drunk.'
(since some are hungry all are not getting this supper obviously)
history TODO
this is so different from communnion that paul says it hardly bears to be called such;
"when you meet together, it is not to eat the Lord's Supper, "
1. factionalism
v18 "I hear that divisions exist among you; and in part I believe it"
recall chapter 1...
1Cr 1:11 For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe's {people,} that
there are quarrels among you.
1Cr 1:12 Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, "I am of Paul," and "I of Apollos,"
and "I of Cephas," and "I of Christ."
2. selfish excess
v22 "do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing?"
a. the rich are eating and getting drunk and leaving the poor with nothing
- violates the idea of taking care of the poor
- violates the idea of togetherness in communion
3. the net effect? the purpose is denied
11:18 when you come together as a church, I hear that divisions exist among you
when they come together they are divided; the lords supper, with their 'love feast' attached,
becomes not an occasion for greater unity but for increased division.
(jhurley's point)
a. the importance of communion
1. the practice of communion was "received from the lord" and delivered by paul v23
this establishes the importance of communion and how paul has said to take it.
2. the practice of communion was instituted by christ v23,24
again, estabishing the importance of the act, paul points out that christ
initiated the tradition
b. the elements of communion
communion passages
matthew 26:26-29, mark 14:22-25, luke 22:14-20
the bread
symbolizes the body of christ; his sacrifice "which is for you"
the wine
symbolizes the new covenant we have with christ; our salvation and
the hope we have of eternal communion with god.
TODO the cups of passover
a. what are the bread and wine?
transubstantiation
takes the phrase "this is my body" to literally mean that the bread
becomes christ body (and the wine the blood)
catholic view
consubstantiation
takes the phrase "this is my body" to mean that the 'essence' of the bread
becomes christ's 'essence' (or some other similar explanation)
lutheran view (and some other protestants...)
symbolic meaning
takes the phrase "this is my body" to be a metaphor
the view of most modern protestants (including me)
c. the significance of communion
a. the practice of communion proclaims the "lord's death until he comes"
unlike the old testament, we now have only two symbollic events/traditions,
baptism and communion.
the practice of communion reminds us of of the cross and of the fact that
christ redeemed us from hell with his own suffering.
two halves that need to be kept in mind
the lord's death the bread
we remember the cost of our salvation and the suffering
christ bore.
until he comes the wine
our new covenant that is fulfilled with the second coming of christ;
our hope.
is there 'something else' in communion?
a. a means of receving grace
catholic view...
b. a means of receving 'something good'
some protestants believe that there is something 'weird' about communion
(because some die when they take it improperly)
c. purely a means of remembering christ until he comes
this is the idea that the bread is just bread and the wine is just wine,
and all you are doing is proclaming 'the lord's death until he comes'
3. the chastisement of god v27-34
a. whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup...in an unworthy manner shall be guilty
1. v29 you eat and drink judgement to yourself if you do not judge the body correctly
a. TODO - 'judge the body correctly'
2. god will discipline those who do not judge correctly
1 cor 11:30-32
a. "for this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep"
sleep == death
no weirder than ananias and sapphira (acts 5:1-11)
1. wait for one another (avoid the selfish excess)