Correcting an Abuse of the Lord’s Supper
17 In the following directives
I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. 18 In
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. 19 No doubt there
have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval. 20
So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat,
21 for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own
private suppers. As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk.
22 Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise
the church of God by humiliating those who have nothing? What shall I say to you?
Shall I praise you? Certainly not in this matter!
23 For I received from the
Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed,
took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said,
“This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In
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.” 26 For
whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until
he comes.
27 So then, 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. 28 Everyone ought to examine
themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. 29 For
those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment
on themselves. 30 That is why many among you are weak and sick,
and a number of you have fallen asleep. 31 But if we were more
discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment. 32
Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being
disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world.
33 So then, my brothers and
sisters, when you gather to eat, you should all eat together. 34 Anyone
who is hungry should eat something at home, so that when you meet together it may
not result in judgment.
And
when I come I will give further directions.
