Concerning the Lord’s Supper 1 Corinthians 11:27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. Having discussed the origin and purpose of the Lord’s Supper, the apostle now turns to the consequences of participating in it wrongly. Whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. We are all unworthy to partake of this solemn Supper. In that sense, we are unworthy of any of the Lord’s mercy or kindness to us. But that is not the subject here. The apostle is not speaking of our own personal unworthiness. Cleansed by the blood of Christ, we can approach God in all the worthiness of His own beloved Son. But Paul is speaking here of the disgraceful conduct which characterized the Corinthians as they gathered together for the Lord’s Supper. They were guilty of careless, irreverent behavior. To act thus is to be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 1 Corinthians 11:28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. As we come to the Lord’s Supper, we should do so in a judged condition. Sin should be confessed and forsaken; restitution should be made; apologies should be offered to those we have offended. In general we should make sure that we are in a proper state of soul. 1 Corinthians 11:29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. To eat and to drink in an inconsistent manner is to eat and drink judgment to oneself, not discerning the Lord’s body. We should realize that the Lord’s body was given in order that our sins might be put away. If we go on living in sin, while at the same time partaking of the Lord’s Supper, we are living a lie. 12 Patterson writes, “If we eat the Lord’s Supper with unjudged sin upon us, we do not discern the Lord’s body which was broken to put it away.” 1 Corinthians 11:30 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. Failure to exercise self-judgment resulted in God’s disciplinary judgment upon some in the church at Corinth. Many were weak and sick, and not a few slept. In other words, physical illness had come upon some, and some were taken home to heaven. Because they did not judge sin in their lives, the Lord was required to take disciplinary action against them. 1 Corinthians 11:31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. On the other hand, if we exercise this self-judgment, it will not be necessary to so chasten us. 1 Corinthians 11:32 But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world. God is dealing with us as with His own children. He loves us too dearly to allow us to go on in sin. Thus we soon feel the shepherd’s crook on our necks pulling us back to Himself. As someone has said, “It is possible for the saints to be fit for heaven (in Christ) but not fitted to remain on the earth in testimony.” 1 Corinthians 11:33 Therefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. When the believers come together for the love feast, or agapē, they should wait for one another, and not selfishly proceed without regard for the other saints. “Waiting for one another” is in contrast to verse 21, “each one takes his own supper ahead of others.“ 1 Corinthians 11:34 But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest you come together for judgment. And the rest I will set in order when I come. But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home. In other words, the love feast, linked as it was with the Lord’s Supper, was not to be mistaken for a common meal. To disregard its sacred character would be to come together for judgment. And the rest I will set in order when I come. Undoubtedly there were other minor matters which had been mentioned to the apostle in the letter from the Corinthians. Here he assures them that he will deal with these matters personally when he visits them. Spiritual Gifts: Unity in Diversity 1 Corinthians 12:1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant: