New Life Bible Fellowship Church
8/16/2026

      • Psalm 9:1–2ESV

  • Come Celebrate Jesus
  • Break Thou the Bread of Life

      • Proverbs 30:1–14ESV

  • Introduction:

    If you remember from last week, we have now entered the section of 1 Corinthians on worship in the local church, which is not done in isolation from what we learned thus far. We’ve come from a series of Scriptures that declared our freedom, but a freedom that is controlled by love and service to one another, and a freedom with the ultimate purpose of God’s glory.
    We began last week with a rather difficult but important passage highlighting the importance of worshipping according to our God ordained gender distinctions, displaying before the world and the heavenly beings God’s glorious design and purpose.
    We will now look at a very well known passage of scripture which we must interpret within the context of freedom and love for each other. Paul begins with the statement, "When you come together, it is not the Lord's Supper that you eat."
    What a devastating statement. The Corinthians gathered for what they called the Lord's Supper—but Paul says it wasn't. They had the bread. They had the cup. They had the words of institution. But what they were doing was not the Lord's Supper at all.
    Today we come to one of the most searching passages in Paul's letters. Discerning the Lord's Body, challenges how we approach the Lord's Supper—and how we treat one another when we do.
    Let's open our Bibles to 1 Corinthians 11:17.

    Text: 1 Corinthians 11:17-34

    1 Corinthians 11:17–34 ESV
    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, 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 you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 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. 31 But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world. 33 So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for 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.

    Main Idea: The Lord's Supper must be observed with unity and self-examination, discerning the body of Christ.

    Background:

    1. The Lord's Supper in Corinth

    In the early church, the Lord's Supper was typically part of a larger communal meal—a "love feast" (ἀγάπη, agapē; cf. Jude 12). Christians gathered in homes, shared a meal together, and celebrated the bread and cup within that context.
    The Setting
    Corinthian house churches met in the homes of wealthier members—the only ones with space to host. A typical Roman house had a dining room that held perhaps 9-12 people reclining, and an courtyard for additional guests. This created a natural division: honored guests in the dining room, others in the courtyard.
    The Problem
    The wealthy hosts and their social peers arrived early (they controlled their own schedules), brought fine food and wine, and began eating in the dining room. The poor—slaves, freedmen, laborers—arrived later and found less food, cheaper fare, or nothing at all. Some were excluded from the dining room entirely.
    What was meant to be a unified meal became a display of social stratification. The very gathering that should proclaim unity in Christ (10:17: "we who are many are one body") reinforced worldly divisions.

    2. "Not the Lord's Supper"

    Paul's statement in verse 20 is striking: "When you come together, it is not the Lord's Supper that you eat."
    The Greek is emphatic: οὐκ ἔστιν κυριακὸν δεῖπνον φαγεῖν—"it is not to eat the Lord's Supper." Despite having the right elements and words, their practice contradicted the meal's meaning. Form without substance. Ritual without reality.

    3. The Institution Narrative (vv. 23-26)

    Paul provides the earliest written account of the Lord's Supper institution—earlier than any Gospel (roughly 20-25 years; 53-54 AD vs. 65-95 AD). He emphasizes that he "received" this tradition "from the Lord" and "delivered" it to them. This is authoritative apostolic tradition, not Paul's invention.

    4. "Unworthy Manner" and "Discerning the Body"

    Two phrases have generated much discussion:
    "Unworthy Manner" (ἀναξίως, anaxiōs)
    This is an adverb describing how one eats, not an adjective describing who may eat. The question is not "Am I worthy?" (no one is) but "Am I eating in a worthy way?"
    In context, "unworthy manner" means eating without regard for fellow believers—selfishly, divisively, contemptuously.
    "Discerning the Body" (διακρίνων τὸ σῶμα, diakrinōn to sōma)
    "Body" (σῶμα) could refer to:
    Christ's physical body given in death (the bread represents this)
    The church as Christ's body (10:17; 12:12-27)
    Both simultaneously
    Given the context—the problem is how they treat one another—the church-body meaning is primary. They fail to "discern the body" by failing to recognize fellow believers as members of Christ's body, a wonderful symmetry.

    5. Divine Discipline (vv. 30-32)

    Paul states that some Corinthians are weak, ill, or have died because of their abuse of the Supper. This is divine discipline—God judging His own people.

    I. The Problem at Corinth (vv. 17-22)

    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.
    Contrast with Verse 2 - In verse 2, Paul commended them (ἐπαινῶ). Now he does not commend (οὐκ ἐπαινῶ). The head covering issue required correction; the Lord's Supper abuse is worse.
    συνέρχομαι (synerchomai) — "To come together" - This verb appears five times in this passage (vv. 17, 18, 20, 33, 34), emphasizing the communal nature of the gathering. The problem is what happens when they come together.
    κρείσσων / ἥσσων (kreissōn / hēssōn) — "Better / Worse" - Their gatherings should make them better—spiritually edified, more unified. Instead, they leave worse—more divided, more sinful.
    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,
    σχίσμα (schisma) — "Division / Split / Tear" - The same word used in 1:10. The divisions Paul addressed in chapters 1-4 now manifest at the Lord's Supper.
    ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ (en ekklēsia) — "In church / As church / When assembled" - The phrase could mean "in the church" (the community) or "when you assemble as church." Either way, the gathering context is central.
    μέρος τι πιστεύω (meros ti pisteuō) — "I believe it in part" - Paul is cautious. He has heard reports; he believes them partly. He does not rush to full condemnation without investigation. Yet he believes enough to address the problem seriously.
    19 for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized.
    αἵρεσις (hairesis) — "Faction / Party / Sect / Choice" - Related to σχίσμα but perhaps stronger—formed parties or factions. Later the word comes to mean "heresy."
    δεῖ (dei) — "It is necessary / Must" - This divine necessity is mysterious. Paul does not say factions are good, but that they must come—perhaps as part of God's sifting process.
    δόκιμος (dokimos) — "Approved / Tested / Genuine" - Those who pass the test. Factions reveal who is genuine and who is not. The divisions serve a sorting function—they expose true character.
    The point isn’t that factions are good, but that they’re unavoidable in a fallen world and can serve God’s purposes by exposing authentic faith and leadership. Unity exposes genuine leadership, factions expose heresy.
    20 When you come together, it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat.
    κυριακός (kyriakos) — "Belonging to the Lord / The Lord's" - This adjective (from κύριος, "Lord") appears only here and in Revelation 1:10 ("the Lord's day"). The supper belongs to the Lord—it is His meal, not theirs to distort.
    The Devastating Verdict - Despite their ritual, they are not eating the Lord's Supper. The name does not make it so. Their conduct empties it of meaning.
    21 For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk.
    τὸ ἴδιον δεῖπνον (to idion deipnon) — "His own supper" - The contrast with "the Lord's Supper" (κυριακὸν δεῖπνον) is pointed. They eat their own meal, not the Lord's.
    προλαμβάνω (prolambanō) — "To take before / To go ahead" - The wealthy eat first, before others arrive. They don't wait.
    πεινάω (peinaō) — "To hunger" - Some leave hungry—they arrived late and found nothing.
    μεθύω (methyō) — "To be drunk" - Others are intoxicated. The disparity is shocking: some drunk, some starving, at the same "Lord's Supper."
    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.
    καταφρονέω (kataphroneō) — "To despise / To look down on / To think against" - A strong word. The wealthy despise the church—not the building but the people, especially the poor.
    καταισχύνω (kataischynō) — "To shame / To humiliate" - The same word used in verses 4-5 about head coverings. Now it describes the treatment of the poor.
    τοὺς μὴ ἔχοντας (tous mē echontas) — "Those who have not" - “The have-nots"—those without resources, without homes, without food to bring.
    Three Rhetorical Questions
    Don't you have houses for eating and drinking?
    Do you despise the church and shame the poor?
    What should I say—should I praise you?
    The answers are obvious: Yes, you do have houses. Yes, you are despising and shaming. No, I will not praise you.
    Now having exposed the problem, Paul declares the:

    II. The Institution of the Supper (vv. 23-26)

    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,
    For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you
    παραλαμβάνω / παραδίδωμι (paralambanō / paradidōmi) — "To receive / To deliver" - Technical terms for the transmission of authoritative tradition. Paul received this from the Lord and passed it on faithfully (20-25 years earlier then the gospels).
    ἀπὸ τοῦ κυρίου (apo tou kyriou) — "From the Lord" - Direct revelation from the risen Christ
    that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread,
    ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ ᾗ παρεδίδετο (en tē nykti hē paredideto) — "On the night He was being betrayed" - The historical anchor; the Passover Meal (Matthew 26:17 “17 Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?”” ). The imperfect tense (παρεδίδετο) suggests the betrayal was in process—Judas was already about his work.
    24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
    and when he had given thanks, εὐχαριστέω (eucharisteō) — "To give thanks" - From this word comes "Eucharist." Jesus gave thanks before breaking the bread.
    “This is my body, which is for you.
    τοῦτο... ἐστιν (touto... estin) — "This is" - The nature of this "is" has been debated for centuries. Is the bread literally Christ's body (transubstantiation)? Does it become so in the eating (consubstantiation)? Is it symbolic (memorial view)? Paul does not explain the mechanism; he affirms the identification.
    τὸ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν (to hyper hymōn) — "Which is for you" - Christ's body given for you—on your behalf, for your benefit. This is substitutionary language.
    Do this in remembrance of me. ἀνάμνησις (anamnēsis) — "Remembrance / Memorial" - Not mere mental recollection but active, participatory remembrance (1 Corinthians 10:16 “16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?”). In the Old Testament, memorial meals (like Passover) involved re-presenting the saving event, entering into its reality.
    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.”
    In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, μετὰ τὸ δειπνῆσαι (meta to deipnēsai) — "After supper" - The cup came after the meal proper. This indicates the Supper's setting within a larger meal.
    This cup is the new covenant in my blood.
    ἡ καινὴ διαθήκη (hē kainē diathēkē) — "The new covenant" - An allusion to Jeremiah 31:31-34. The new covenant promised through the prophets is now inaugurated in Christ's blood.
    Jeremiah 31:31–34 ESV
    31 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. 33 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
    διαθήκη (diathēkē) — "Covenant / Testament" - This word can mean covenant (a binding agreement) or testament (a will). Both nuances are present: Christ's death establishes a covenant and activates the inheritance.
    ἐν τῷ ἐμῷ αἵματι (en tō emō haimati) — "In my blood" - The new covenant is ratified in Christ's sacrificial death. Covenants were sealed with blood (cf. Exod 24:8); the new covenant is sealed with Christ's own blood.
    Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me. ὁσάκις ἐάν (hosakis ean) — "As often as / Whenever" - No frequency is prescribed. Whenever they eat and drink, they do so in remembrance of Christ.
    26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
    καταγγέλλω (katangellō) — "To proclaim / To announce publicly" - The Lord's Supper is proclamation. Every celebration announces Christ's death—not merely to the participants but to the world, to the spiritual realm, to all who witness.
    τὸν θάνατον τοῦ κυρίου (ton thanaton tou kyriou) — "The Lord's death" - The Supper proclaims His death—His sacrifice, His atonement, His self-giving love.
    ἄχρι οὗ ἔλθῃ (achri hou elthē) — "Until He comes" - The Supper has an eschatological horizon. We eat in the time between Christ's first and second coming. The meal looks back (remembrance) and forward (until He comes).
    Paul now takes the problem the Corinthians had, and having described the purpose of the actual institution of the Lord’s Supper, he issues:

    III. The Warning and Instruction (vv. 27-34)

    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.
    ἀναξίως (anaxiōs) — "Unworthily / In an unworthy manner" - This is an adverb—it modifies how one eats, not who may eat. No one is "worthy" to eat; the question is whether we eat in a manner worthy of the meal's significance.
    In context, eating "unworthily" means eating divisively, selfishly, contemptuously toward other believers.
    ἔνοχος (enochos) — "Guilty / Liable / Answerable" - Legal language. The person becomes guilty of a crime against Christ's body and blood. To abuse the Supper is to sin against Christ Himself.
    τοῦ σώματος καὶ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ κυρίου (tou sōmatos kai tou haimatos tou kyriou) — "Of the body and blood of the Lord" - Guilty of (genitive of crime)—culpable for violating, profaning, dishonoring Christ's body and blood.
    So what should we do, how should we prepare?
    28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
    δοκιμάζω (dokimazō) — "To test / To examine / To approve after testing" - This verb implies careful evaluation. Before eating, examine yourself.
    καὶ οὕτως (kai houtōs) — "And so / And in this way" - The sequence: first examine, then eat. Self-examination precedes participation.
    What to Examine - Not "Am I worthy?" but "Am I eating in a worthy manner?" In context: Am I treating my brothers and sisters rightly? Am I discerning the body?
    29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.
    διακρίνω (diakrinō) — "To discern / To distinguish / To judge between" - The one eating does not properly discern/distinguish the body.
    τὸ σῶμα (to sōma) — "The body" - Which body? Options:
    Christ's physical body (the bread represents His sacrificial death)
    The church as Christ's body (fellow believers)
    Both
    Given the context—the problem is mistreatment of fellow believers—the church-body meaning is primary. They fail to see fellow believers as members of Christ's body.
    Paul’s call to discern the body means recognizing the church gathered as one unified body at the meal, and remembering whose body the church is and who belongs to it.
    κρίμα (krima) — "Judgment" - This can be neutral (a decision) or negative (condemnation). Here it is clearly negative: the person eats judgment upon himself.
    30 That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.
    ἀσθενής (asthenēs) — "Weak" - Could be physical weakness or spiritual weakness; here probably physical.
    ἄρρωστος (arrōstos) — "Sick / Ill" - More specifically ill, diseased.
    κοιμάω (koimaō) — "To sleep" - A common euphemism for death (cf. 15:6, 18, 20, 51). Some have died.
    Divine Judgment in the Present - Paul attributes the Corinthians' physical ailments to divine judgment for their abuse of the Supper. This is not karma or impersonal consequence but the Lord's direct discipline.
    31 But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged.
    διακρίνω (diakrinō) — "To judge / To discern" - The same root as verse 29. If we discerned/judged ourselves properly, we would not be judged by God.
    Contrary-to-Fact Conditional - The εἰ + imperfect... οὐκ ἄν + imperfect construction indicates a present contrary-to-fact condition: "If we were judging ourselves (but we're not), we would not be judged (but we are)."
    32 But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.
    παιδεύω (paideuō) — "To discipline / To train / To educate" - The verb used for child-training. God disciplines His children—not to destroy but to correct.
    κατακρίνω (katakrinō) — "To condemn" - A stronger word than κρίνω. Final condemnation—the world's fate—is what God's discipline prevents.
    The Purpose of Discipline - Divine judgment on believers is corrective, not final. God disciplines His children so they will not share the world's condemnation. Better to be chastened now than condemned later.
    Paul now gives the final solution to their probvlem…
    33 So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another—
    ἐκδέχομαι (ekdechomai) — "To wait for / To expect" - The simple solution: wait for each other. Don't rush ahead. Let everyone arrive before eating. This addresses the core problem of the wealthy eating before the poor arrived.
    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.
    ἐν οἴκῳ (en oikō) — "At home" - If you're too hungry to wait, eat at home first. Don't bring your hunger to the assembly and use it as an excuse for selfish behavior.
    εἰς κρίμα (eis krima) — "For judgment" - The purpose of not eating at home is so that the gathering does not result in judgment. Coming together should be for blessing, not condemnation.
    τὰ λοιπά (ta loipa) — "The remaining things" - Paul had more to say but would address it when he arrived. This suggests the letter did not cover everything about their worship practices.

    So What?

    Do we understand that the Lord's Supper is about others, not just yourself, and we should therefore examine yourself before you eat?
    Your relationship with fellow believers matters at the table. If you despise, ignore, or humiliate others, you contradict what the meal means.
    Not "Am I worthy?" but "Am I discerning the body?" Am I recognizing Christ's sacrifice? Am I treating His people rightly? Is there unconfessed sin, unresolved conflict, contempt for a brother or sister?
    Do we understand that unity is not optional, and that social distinctions have no place at Christ's table?
    The Supper creates and expresses unity. Divisions at the table are not merely unfortunate but sinful. Do everything possible to come to the table in peace with your brothers and sisters.
    The wealthy Corinthians treated the poor with contempt. In the church, there is no rich or poor, slave or free. At the table, we are all equally sinners saved by grace.
    Do we understand that God takes the Supper seriously—and so should we, by remembering whose table it is, and looking forward, not only backward?
    Divine judgment fell on the Corinthians for their abuse. This is not a casual meal but a holy one. Approach with reverence, self-examination, and faith.
    It is not our table but the Lord's. We are guests at His table, eating His meal, proclaiming His death. All glory belongs to Him.
    We eat "until He comes." Every celebration is a reminder that this age is temporary. Christ will return. The meal is a foretaste of the wedding supper of the Lamb.

      • 1 Corinthians 11:17–34ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 11:17ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 11:18ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 11:19ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 11:20ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 11:21ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 11:22ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 11:23ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 11:24ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 11:25ESV

      • Jeremiah 31:31–34ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 11:26ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 11:27ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 11:28ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 11:29ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 11:30ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 11:31ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 11:32ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 11:33ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 11:34ESV

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