The Lord's Supper, part 1

Good morning all,
I'm on vacation starting today, so Lea Smith has agreed to send out the readings while I'm away. Thank you Lea. Drop her an email if you're not getting the readings or you can email me (I'll have email access some of the time). This is a fascinating passage because it's beautiful language about communion, but it is also a strong reprimand to the church. Paul is concerned about divisions and argues that when the church is divided communion isn't really the Lord's supper.

The divisions he's talking about here are economic and social divisions. It seems that people brought their dinner to the gatherings for the Lord's supper and that people weren't sharing what they had evenly. Paul says that eating and drinking too much while another doesn't have enough is humiliating to the poor and an insult to God's church. He follows that up with a basic review of what the Lord's supper means, which we still use at the table today.

Blessings,
Sam

1 Corinthians 11:17-26

17Now in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. 18For, to begin with, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you; and to some extent I believe it. 19Indeed, there have to be factions among you, for only so will it become clear who among you are genuine. 20When you come together, it is not really to eat the Lord’s supper. 21For when the time comes to eat, each of you goes ahead with your own supper, and one goes hungry and another becomes drunk. 22What! Do you not have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you show contempt for the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What should I say to you? Should I commend you? In this matter I do not commend you!

23For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, 24and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.