1 Corinthians 11 - Corrupting the blessing

Just a Guy and his Journey Back to God

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. Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. 1 Corinthians 11:27-29
Kent Hughes in his Preaching the Word commentary says about the issue facing the Corinthians, "Few acts are more expressive of companionship than the shared meal. . . . Someone with whom we share food is likely to be our friend, or well on the way to becoming one.” In an ideal world the dinner table is far more than a functional space where human beings mechanistically refuel by themselves. The dinner table is a place where community is created and sustained. The dinner table is a place where hospitality is extended and conversation experienced. It is also a place where communal dysfunction or breakdown is seen and felt. Meals carry values; they tell stories about the people who have prepared them, the people who partake of them, and even about the people who are excluded."
It was this situation that Paul needed to address in the second half of chapter 11. The people had taken a solemn, blessed event and corrupted it. I think about how many times I or society have done that. Just take our dinner time. Do we still meet together and bond. Or, do we have a meal for the kids and something else for the parents that they grab. Meanwhile, no fellowship happens. Or, what about our sexual relationship with a spouse? Has porn or other societal norms corrupted that blessing?
Paul reminds the Corinthians (and us) that Jesus meant for to be blessings and corrupting them for our own glory, isn't acceptable. Join me in reading 1 Corinthians 11 and be encouraged!

Just a Guy and His World