Concerning the Lord’s Supper 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: He does not want the saints at Corinth to be ignorant in the matter of spiritual manifestations or gifts. The literal reading here is “Now concerning ‘spirituals,’ brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant.” Most versions supply the word gifts to complete the sense. However, the next verse suggests that Paul might have been thinking not only of manifestations of the Holy Spirit but of evil spirits as well. 1 Corinthians 12:2 You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led. Before conversion the Corinthians had been idolaters, enslaved by evil spirits. They lived in fear of the spirits and were led about by these diabolical influences. They witnessed supernatural manifestations of the spirit world and heard spirit-inspired utterances. Under the influence of evil spirits, they sometimes surrendered self-control, and said and did things beyond their own conscious powers. 1 Corinthians 12:3 Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. Now that they are saved, the believers must know how to judge all spirit-manifestations, that is, how to discern between the voice of evil spirits and the authentic voice of the Holy Spirit. The crucial test is the testimony that is given concerning the Lord Jesus. If a man says, “Jesus is accursed,” you can be sure that he is demon-inspired, because evil spirits characteristically blaspheme and curse the name of Jesus. The Spirit of God would never lead anyone to speak of the Savior in this way; His ministry is to exalt the Lord Jesus. He leads people to say that Jesus is Lord, not just with their lips, but with the warm, full confession of their hearts and lives.Notice that the three Persons of the Trinity are mentioned in verse 3 and also in verses 4–6. 1 Corinthians 12:4 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. These categories of giftedness are not natural talents, skills, or abilities, such as are possessed by believers and unbelievers alike. They are sovereignly and supernaturally bestowed by the Holy Spirit on all believers (vv. 7, 11), enabling them to spiritually edify each other effectively and thus honor the Lord.