Monthly Archives: February 2008

“Not discerning the body”

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For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 1 Corinthians 11:29 (KJV)

I grew up in a worship-three-times-a-week-take-communion-every-Sunday Christian home, and I still believe most of what I was taught as a young Christian. Such is not the case with this verse. I was taught this verse meant that if you didn’t have the right attitude when you partook, if you weren’t thinking about the right things, you were eating and drinking damnation to yourself because you weren’t properly respecting the physical body of our Lord. There are at least 2 reasons I don’t believe that’s what this verse teaches.

First, look at a fuller context of that verse — 1 Corinthians 11:26-29 (NIV)

26For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. 27Therefore, 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. 28A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. 29For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.

A total of 3 times in verses 26 through 28 Paul talks about eating the bread and drinking the cup—always both of them together. In verse 29 he again says “eats and drinks” (both), but he says “without recognizing the body”. If he were talking about the physical body of the Lord, why only the body? Why not the blood? He’s talking about the Lord’s Body, the Church.

Second, the whole second half of the chapter (verses 17-34) is devoted to “body life”, and what a cruddy job they were making of it there in Corinth. It’s important that Christians treat each other as the loving family Christ called us to be, and not like animals who tear and devour one another. This parallels Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:23-24, “…if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.”

This passage very definitely teaches us that we are to observe the Lord’s Supper in proper conduct, and indeed it also teaches we are to remember the sacrifice of our Lord as we partake. It goes further than that though, and teaches that we are to have proper relationships with our Christian brothers and sisters, and we’d best get it straight before we partake. If we partake every week (and I believe Apostolic and historical example teaches us to do just that), then that gives us at most 6 days to put out any brush fires between us and others in the Body. Is that what we practice?

Love, Christian Style

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Thursday was Valentine’s Day and of course romantics all over the world searched for clever ways to express love to their Valentine. Some expressed it with chocolates, some with flowers and some with other gifts. Still others attempted to express love through poetry. I, for one, am no poet. The only poem I know is “Roses are red, violets are blue, sugar is sweet and so are you!” Christy is getting tired of hearing that one! That’s why I turn to Hallmark. They’re great with words, but as we all know, “actions speak louder than words.” The Bible says in 1 John 3:18 “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” If we really want to know how to express love, we can look not only to the words of God, but also to the example of God. John 3:16 says: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son…” God expressed his love for us in word and in deed. Romans 5:8 says: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” The cross is the greatest expression of love there is and it serves as a powerful example for all those who want to love Christian style. 1 John 3:16: “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.”

“Led by the Spirit”

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“…those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” Romans 8:14

What does it mean to be “led by the Spirit”? If you’re in the camp who sees the Spirit working in our lives only through the Word, does this mean that in order for the Spirit to lead us, he helps us remember an appropriate scripture to guide us through a difficult situation? If so, what of the new Christian who only knows enough scripture to realize he’s a sinner, that Christ died for his sins, and the only way out of his predicament was to be washed in the blood of the Lamb? This brother doesn’t know enough for the Spirit to help him recall the “right scripture”.

If you believe in the bodily indwelling of the Spirit, how do you interpret this passage? Does the Spirit literally, physically guide us out of harm’s way? We know God will not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13), so does this mean the Spirit physically prevents us from getting into situations we can’t handle?

So what does it really mean to be “led by the Spirit of God”? I’d like to hear other thoughts on this passage.