June 29, 2012
REMEMBER
1 Corinthians 11
Lance Sisco
Central Truth
The Lord's Supper is not only an opportunity to remember the selfless sacrifice our Lord made to save us from sin, but also a reminder of our role in proclaiming the gospel daily, through word and deed, until His return.
Key Verse | 1 Corinthians 11:26
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes. (1 Corinthians 11:26)
1 Corinthians 11
1 Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.
Head Coverings
2 Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you. 3 But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife 1 11:3 Greek gun. This term may refer to a woman or a wife, depending on the context is her husband, 2 11:3 Greek anr. This term may refer to a man or a husband, depending on the context and the head of Christ is God. 4 Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, 5 but every wife 3 11:5 In verses 513, the Greek word gun is translated wife in verses that deal with wearing a veil, a sign of being married in first-century culture who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same as if her head were shaven. 6 For if a wife will not cover her head, then she should cut her hair short. But since it is disgraceful for a wife to cut off her hair or shave her head, let her cover her head. 7 For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man. 8 For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. 9 Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. 10 That is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. 4 11:10 Or messengers, that is, people sent to observe and report 11 Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman; 12 for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. And all things are from God. 13 Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14 Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him, 15 but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering. 16 If anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do the churches of God.
The Lord's Supper
17 But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. 18 For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part, 5 11:18 Or I believe a certain report 19 for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized. 20 When you come together, it is not the Lord's supper that you eat. 21 For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk. 22 What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in this? No, I will not.
23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for 6 11:24 Some manuscripts broken for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 7 11:24 Or as my memorial; also verse 25 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.
27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. 8 11:30 Greek have fallen asleep (as in 15:6, 20) 31 But if we judged 9 11:31 Or discerned ourselves truly, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined 10 11:32 Or when we are judged we are being disciplined by the Lord so that we may not be condemned along with the world.
33 So then, my brothers, 11 11:33 Or brothers and sisters when you come together to eat, wait for 12 11:33 Or share with one another— 34 if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home—so that when you come together it will not be for judgment. About the other things I will give directions when I come.
Footnotes
[1] 11:3 Greek gun&emacron;. This term may refer to a woman or a wife, depending on the context[2] 11:3 Greek an&emacron;r. This term may refer to a man or a husband, depending on the context
[3] 11:5 In verses 5–13, the Greek word gun&emacron; is translated wife in verses that deal with wearing a veil, a sign of being married in first-century culture
[4] 11:10 Or messengers, that is, people sent to observe and report
[5] 11:18 Or I believe a certain report
[6] 11:24 Some manuscripts broken for
[7] 11:24 Or as my memorial; also verse 25
[8] 11:30 Greek have fallen asleep (as in 15:6, 20)
[9] 11:31 Or discerned
[10] 11:32 Or when we are judged we are being disciplined by the Lord
[11] 11:33 Or brothers and sisters
[12] 11:33 Or share with
Dive Deeper | 1 Corinthians 11
I love Paul's letters because they always seem to be filled with a wonderful balance of encouragement and correction. In this passage, we find Paul offering up encouragement to the church in Corinth for its ability to remember him and maintain the traditions he had passed down to them. Soon after the praise, Paul lets them know that he's also disappointed, and it's kind of a big deal. He tells them that when they come together, it's not for the better, but for the worse; a far cry from the unity that defined the early church. (Acts 2:42-47)
Paul addresses this divide, between those who had plenty and those who were in need, in typical Paul form. He avoids behavior modification to address the issue of the heart. He first paints a picture for them of what he has heard their meeting together looks like. For the sake of simplification, he basically lets them know they're selfish and unfocused. They're more concerned with their own physical thirst and hunger than the spiritual nourishment that should come from this event. Stop and think about this for a minute. They were celebrating a selfless act, Christ's death on the cross, without concern for others. Have you ever missed it like this? I have regularly, and yet I'm thankful for grace-filled followers who shift my focus back to the gospel.
This passage reminds us through the church in Corinth that when we meet together, whether it be for communion, baptism, community, corporate worship, or even a simple meal, we should be reminded of the way Christ laid down His life for us. This sacrifice saves us from being slaves to sin and restores us to right relationship with the Father. He is our provider. He is our sustainer. And our remembrance of these truths should stir our hearts to proclaim the gospel until He returns.
"This is the normal movement of worship: the preciousness of Christ presses itself on our memory, and then that inner remembering breaks out in our proclaiming the worth of what we remember." --John Piper
Discussion Questions
1. Take some time to remember all that Christ has done for you through His death and resurrection. Make a list of everything His death provides to help sustain you daily. Use the following Scriptures to guide you on the journey: Hebrews 4:14-16, Titus 3:3-7, Galatians 5:1, Colossians 1:13-14, Ephesians 2:13, and Ephesians 1:1-14.
2. How will these truths transform the way you face each day?
3. As you think through all that Christ has done for you, what are you doing to keep these truths at the forefront of your mind? Pick a verse or two to memorize so that it is ingrained on your heart.
4. After yourself, who else do you know that needs to hear the message of the gospel proclaimed? What is your plan for pursuing them with this powerful message?
WEEKLY FAMILY ACTIVITY
1 Corinthians 7-11 (June 25-29)
Read 1 Corinthians 10:1-11.
• In verses 1-10, who is the writer talking about?
• Do you remember all the things that happened with to Israelites in the wilderness?
• What does verse 11 tell us about the Israelites?
• What does it mean for something to be an example for you? What about a warning for you?
• Have you ever thought about learning from someone else's mistakes or example?
• What are some things you have learned from other people just by watching them?
Activity: God gave us His Word so that we would have a clear guide on how to live in a way that brings Him great glory. Let's think back on the stories that He gave us as examples and what we can learn from them. For each story, have someone give a short version of what happened in the story and then everyone talk about what we can learn from them.
Stories: Noah and the Ark; Moses and the Red Sea; Eve in the Garden; Daniel in the Lion's Den; Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the Fiery Furnace; Joshua and the Wall of Jericho; David and Goliath.