Offense in Communion
1 Corinthians 11:17-34
Message #9
This message is part of our “Bait of Satan” series, but this one is not following the book by that same name.
Today is Communion Sunday. So, I thought we’d dig into this topic of offense as it relates to Communion. Communion is a wonderful, glorious, beautiful thing for us to embrace and be in awe of. And contrasting offense and Communion and looking at the possibility of offense in Communion is a great way for us to continue learning how to avoid taking the Bait of Satan in offense.
Jesus instituted Communion at the Last Supper on the night before his death. Communion was a part of the Last Supper – it came at the end of the Last Supper. And one thing for sure, that first Communion “put on display” was the unity and sharing of life of each of the Disciples with Jesus, and the unity and sharing of life the Disciples had with each other, through the life of Jesus. We say all the time, no matter where we’re at, everything comes down to two relationships – a vertical love relationship with God and horizontal love relationships with others. Communion is the same thing. It is sharing Jesus’ life and sharing the life of Jesus with others.
Matthew 26:26–29 (NLT)
26 As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.”
27 And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it,
28 for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant (new) between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many. (meaning all who would receive it)
29 Mark my words—I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it new with you in my Father’s Kingdom.”
There is such huge significance in this act that it has become one of only two sacraments in the Church (with Baptism being the other one). And both Communion and Baptism are so significant because they are both described as the visible gospel – meaning the gospel message is “put on display” – it is dramatized in both of these sacraments.
Communion is the visible gospel.
Communion puts on display our sharing in the very life of Jesus and our sharing in his payment for our sin.
Communion puts on display our unity (oneness) with the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
Communion puts on display what unites us as the Body of Christ because we have been made one by our common sharing in the life of Jesus.
Sharing in the life of Jesus both unites us to Jesus and unites us to one another, and that is what the act of Communion puts on display.
The biblical concept of KOINONIA plays a huge role in both the Communion meal and the Sacrament of Communion. The Greek word KOINONIA is most often translated “fellowship” in the Bible. But the meaning of KOINONIA also includes “sharing in common and communion” as in communing with God and communing with one another.
1 Corinthians 10:16 (NLT)
16 When we bless the cup at the Lord’s Table, aren’t we sharing (Koinonia, sharing in common) in the blood of Christ? And when we break the bread, aren’t we sharing (Koinonia, sharing in common) in the body of Christ?
The context of 1 Corinthians 10 is actually an awesome example of how to avoid causing offense in the Church. But for time’s sake, we’ll have to save that for another day.
And so, the act of Communion is us sharing in the life of Jesus and us sharing the life of Jesus in common with one another. And so, (obviously) the words discord, division, and offense are 180 degrees opposite of everything Communion is meant to convey by God.
Within good Bible-believing churches, there are many different views on the hows, whens, and whos of Communion. But isn’t it interesting how all these different views on Communion tend to cause more division and offense than they cause unity? (When Communion is all about unity?)
So, let’s look at how we can avoid bringing offense into Communion. And I mean vertically with God, and horizontally in the Church with the Body of Christ. In 1 Corinthians Chapter 11, Paul is addressing instructions for public worship. And we’ll pick it up in verses 17-18.
1 Corinthians 11:17-18 (NLT)
17 But in the following instructions, I cannot praise you. For it sounds as if more harm than good is done when you meet together. (this can totally be true in church)
18 First, I hear that there are divisions among you when you meet as a church, and to some extent I believe it.
Paul’s beginning a most awesome display of unity and oneness both with the Lord and with each other – being Communion, and he starts with this unbelievable statement, that instead of coming together in unity and common good, Paul says,
I hear that there are divisions among you when you meet as a church – (there’s our first sign of Offense in Communion)
And then we read in verse 19,
1 Corinthians 11:19 (NLT)
19 But, of course, there must be divisions among you so that you who have God’s approval will be recognized!
I love the ESV’s translation here.
1 Corinthians 11:19 (ESV)
19 for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized.
Meaning those who are genuine will not be involved in the divisions and factions in the Church. (I love that.)
And so, Paul comes to this conclusion.
1 Corinthians 11:20 (NLT)
20 When you meet together, you are not really interested in the Lord’s Supper. (those are pretty hard words)
This “Lord’s Supper” is what the “Last Supper” was. It came before Communion which was at the end of this meal. This meal became known as the Agape Feast, and it was meant to share life and Communion in the Church. But, verse 20 says some are coming not interested in the real meaning or purpose of this Communion meal. These are the people who are causing offense in Communion. Doesn’t it always come down to our heart? The motivation for coming into this environment was not right.
1 Corinthians 11:21 (NLT)
21 For some of you hurry to eat your own meal without sharing with others. As a result, some go hungry while others get drunk.
The Communion meal was about KOINONIA. It was about sharing life in common with one another. It was not about gluttony and drinking and getting the best food before anyone else could. So, verse 22 says,
1 Corinthians 11:22 (NLT)
22 What? Don’t you have your own homes for eating and drinking? Or do you really want to disgrace God’s church (bring offense) and shame the poor? (do you really WANT to offend others) What am I supposed to say? Do you want me to praise you? Well, I certainly will not praise you for this!
Paul is lighting the Corinthian church up for bringing offense into the Communion meal by being only interested in themselves and their desires and their divisions and their factions and not being interested at all in the meaning and purpose of the Communion meal.
And so, then we get to the famous Communion passage where Paul is reminding this self-centered church what Jesus instituted Communion as.
1 Corinthians 11:23-24 (NLT)
23 For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread
24 and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
Paul is saying, remember what Jesus said about Communion, remember why Jesus gave his life for us, and remember that we share in the life of the Lord Jesus, and we share the life of the Lord Jesus with one another.
And then,
1 Corinthians 11:25 (NLT)
25 In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it.”
Remember, this is about sharing in the life of Jesus that was poured out for us and sharing in the New Covenant of salvation between God and his people.
And Paul is saying, remember, remember, remember what the Communion meal and the act of Communion is about. It is a solemn display of what it cost Jesus Christ to save us from our sins and for us to be able to commune with him in a real relationship.
And Communion is a visual gospel to those around you.
1 Corinthians 11:26 (NLT)
26 For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing (proclaiming) the Lord’s death until he comes again.
Who are you announcing it to? Who are you proclaiming it to? Those around you. It’s like, together we are all proclaiming what Jesus has done for us, and how we are not citizens of this world, but citizens of Heaven. And we’re longing for him to come back and take us home. Communion is the acting out of the wonderful plan of salvation – every time we do it. And when we take Communion, we are announcing our union with Jesus and with one another as believers, and all of that is what makes Communion so awesome.
So then, who is bringing offense into Communion? (the vertical half of Communion.) Remember, there are only two types of relationships – a vertical relationship with God and horizontal relationships with others. This is why Christ lives in us – to correct both of those relationships. (We dealt with the horizontal, now we deal with the vertical offense.)
1 Corinthians 11:27 (NLT)
27 So anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.
Whoa! That is definitely an offense to those in the Church and to Jesus.
So, what does this word unworthily mean? Well, first, the context here is directed at believers. Unbelievers are not the primary context, though there is certainly application to unbelievers here as well.
The word unworthily is an adverb. It describes how you are partaking of Communion. Your heart is what is at issue here. Your heart determines whether you are communing with the Lord or sinning against him. Remember, the context is believers coming to the Communion meal with division, and factions, and self-interest. Coming into the Communion meal with no thought of sharing in the life of Christ or sharing the life of Christ with others.
And so,
1 Corinthians 11:28 (NLT)
28 That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup.
Before taking Communion, just…slow down, take a minute, and examine yourself. Examine how am I about to do this? Am I doing it flippantly, shallowly? Or is this a moment between me and the Lord? Am I connecting with God right now? Before taking Communion, slow down and deal with God for a minute. What do I need to do to commune with you? Before you take part in this solemn and significant act, take a minute to examine yourself and deal with God.
And then comes the hammer, which clearly implies the seriousness of Communion.
1 Corinthians 11:29 (NLT)
29 For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself.
Whoa! And again, the context here is believers – or at least “assumed believers.” And the scholars are in agreement here. The judgment here is not referring to a believer losing their salvation. But instead, this judgment is referring to God’s disciplinary judgment (which I’d rather avoid as well).
Paul is talking about believers coming to this solemn act without examining their own heart and own lives before God, and thereby dishonoring the Lord by just “going through the motions.”
Psalm 86:15 (NLT)
15 But you, O Lord, are a God of compassion and mercy, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.
That is so true of God. HE IS a God of compassion and mercy, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness, and…living a life of sin has consequences – including for believers, and some of those consequences are serious. As the next verse says,
1 Corinthians 11:30 (NLT)
30 That is why many of you are weak and sick and some have even died.
What?? Yeah – but?? How do you explain this verse? I think the best way to explain it is we should probably approach communing with the Lord and our communing with other believers more seriously. It’s you and God going one-on-one and you opening your heart to the Lord. If you don’t do that before taking Communion, verse 30 says that’s why. Because you’re living a life in disobedience, in rebellion, in rejection, in pushing God out. So, it’s not hard for us to say the person who is living a life of rejection and rebellion and belligerence toward God could easily go down this path of becoming weak and sick, and some have even died.
Remember, the context here is believers causing offense to other believers and thereby offense to the Lord…by how they approach the Communion meal and the Sacrament of Communion. But there is partial application to non-believers. My strong encouragement to non-believers is, be a believer. Just tell God, I believe. I want you in my heart, and I want you in my life, and then – he is.
The good news is in verse 31.
1 Corinthians 11:31 (NLT)
31 But if we would examine ourselves, we would not be judged by God in this way.
Whew! There’s the answer. Examine yourself – so you will not be judged by God in this way.
And then, there is more good news. This judgment of God is discipline so that we will not be condemned. This judgment of God is intended to draw us back to him.
As verse 32 says,
1 Corinthians 11:32 (NLT)
32 Yet when we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned along with the world.
That is actually really good news.
Here’s what King David says in Psalm 32.
Psalm 32:3–4 (NLT)
3 When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long.
4 Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat.
That is the kind of judgment Paul is talking about in 1 Corinthians 11. God’s hand of discipline heavy upon us.
And then King David says in the next verses,
Psalm 32:5-6 (NLT)
5 Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.
6 Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there is still time . . .
There is still time! There is still time for us today, and we are about to take the time to get our hearts right before we take Communion.
Finally, in 1 Corinthians 11, Paul returns to the original subject to confirm he is still in the same context.
1 Corinthians 11:33-34(a) (NLT)
33 So, my dear brothers and sisters, when you gather for the Lord’s Supper, wait for each other.
34 If you are really hungry, eat at home so you won’t bring judgment upon yourselves when you meet together . . .
Whoa! All of this really is about how we approach sharing in the life of Jesus Christ – in Communion.
Guys, the meaning and the significance of Communion is so big that we must take a minute to examine ourselves, to get our heart right, to truly deal with God before we take Communion.
Today is Communion Sunday. So, I thought we’d dig into this topic of offense as it relates to Communion. Communion is a wonderful, glorious, beautiful thing for us to embrace and be in awe of. And contrasting offense and Communion and looking at the possibility of offense in Communion is a great way for us to continue learning how to avoid taking the Bait of Satan in offense.
Jesus instituted Communion at the Last Supper on the night before his death. Communion was a part of the Last Supper – it came at the end of the Last Supper. And one thing for sure, that first Communion “put on display” was the unity and sharing of life of each of the Disciples with Jesus, and the unity and sharing of life the Disciples had with each other, through the life of Jesus. We say all the time, no matter where we’re at, everything comes down to two relationships – a vertical love relationship with God and horizontal love relationships with others. Communion is the same thing. It is sharing Jesus’ life and sharing the life of Jesus with others.
Matthew 26:26–29 (NLT)
26 As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.”
27 And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it,
28 for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant (new) between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many. (meaning all who would receive it)
29 Mark my words—I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it new with you in my Father’s Kingdom.”
There is such huge significance in this act that it has become one of only two sacraments in the Church (with Baptism being the other one). And both Communion and Baptism are so significant because they are both described as the visible gospel – meaning the gospel message is “put on display” – it is dramatized in both of these sacraments.
Communion is the visible gospel.
Communion puts on display our sharing in the very life of Jesus and our sharing in his payment for our sin.
Communion puts on display our unity (oneness) with the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
Communion puts on display what unites us as the Body of Christ because we have been made one by our common sharing in the life of Jesus.
Sharing in the life of Jesus both unites us to Jesus and unites us to one another, and that is what the act of Communion puts on display.
The biblical concept of KOINONIA plays a huge role in both the Communion meal and the Sacrament of Communion. The Greek word KOINONIA is most often translated “fellowship” in the Bible. But the meaning of KOINONIA also includes “sharing in common and communion” as in communing with God and communing with one another.
1 Corinthians 10:16 (NLT)
16 When we bless the cup at the Lord’s Table, aren’t we sharing (Koinonia, sharing in common) in the blood of Christ? And when we break the bread, aren’t we sharing (Koinonia, sharing in common) in the body of Christ?
The context of 1 Corinthians 10 is actually an awesome example of how to avoid causing offense in the Church. But for time’s sake, we’ll have to save that for another day.
And so, the act of Communion is us sharing in the life of Jesus and us sharing the life of Jesus in common with one another. And so, (obviously) the words discord, division, and offense are 180 degrees opposite of everything Communion is meant to convey by God.
Within good Bible-believing churches, there are many different views on the hows, whens, and whos of Communion. But isn’t it interesting how all these different views on Communion tend to cause more division and offense than they cause unity? (When Communion is all about unity?)
So, let’s look at how we can avoid bringing offense into Communion. And I mean vertically with God, and horizontally in the Church with the Body of Christ. In 1 Corinthians Chapter 11, Paul is addressing instructions for public worship. And we’ll pick it up in verses 17-18.
1 Corinthians 11:17-18 (NLT)
17 But in the following instructions, I cannot praise you. For it sounds as if more harm than good is done when you meet together. (this can totally be true in church)
18 First, I hear that there are divisions among you when you meet as a church, and to some extent I believe it.
Paul’s beginning a most awesome display of unity and oneness both with the Lord and with each other – being Communion, and he starts with this unbelievable statement, that instead of coming together in unity and common good, Paul says,
I hear that there are divisions among you when you meet as a church – (there’s our first sign of Offense in Communion)
And then we read in verse 19,
1 Corinthians 11:19 (NLT)
19 But, of course, there must be divisions among you so that you who have God’s approval will be recognized!
I love the ESV’s translation here.
1 Corinthians 11:19 (ESV)
19 for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized.
Meaning those who are genuine will not be involved in the divisions and factions in the Church. (I love that.)
And so, Paul comes to this conclusion.
1 Corinthians 11:20 (NLT)
20 When you meet together, you are not really interested in the Lord’s Supper. (those are pretty hard words)
This “Lord’s Supper” is what the “Last Supper” was. It came before Communion which was at the end of this meal. This meal became known as the Agape Feast, and it was meant to share life and Communion in the Church. But, verse 20 says some are coming not interested in the real meaning or purpose of this Communion meal. These are the people who are causing offense in Communion. Doesn’t it always come down to our heart? The motivation for coming into this environment was not right.
1 Corinthians 11:21 (NLT)
21 For some of you hurry to eat your own meal without sharing with others. As a result, some go hungry while others get drunk.
The Communion meal was about KOINONIA. It was about sharing life in common with one another. It was not about gluttony and drinking and getting the best food before anyone else could. So, verse 22 says,
1 Corinthians 11:22 (NLT)
22 What? Don’t you have your own homes for eating and drinking? Or do you really want to disgrace God’s church (bring offense) and shame the poor? (do you really WANT to offend others) What am I supposed to say? Do you want me to praise you? Well, I certainly will not praise you for this!
Paul is lighting the Corinthian church up for bringing offense into the Communion meal by being only interested in themselves and their desires and their divisions and their factions and not being interested at all in the meaning and purpose of the Communion meal.
And so, then we get to the famous Communion passage where Paul is reminding this self-centered church what Jesus instituted Communion as.
1 Corinthians 11:23-24 (NLT)
23 For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread
24 and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
Paul is saying, remember what Jesus said about Communion, remember why Jesus gave his life for us, and remember that we share in the life of the Lord Jesus, and we share the life of the Lord Jesus with one another.
And then,
1 Corinthians 11:25 (NLT)
25 In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it.”
Remember, this is about sharing in the life of Jesus that was poured out for us and sharing in the New Covenant of salvation between God and his people.
And Paul is saying, remember, remember, remember what the Communion meal and the act of Communion is about. It is a solemn display of what it cost Jesus Christ to save us from our sins and for us to be able to commune with him in a real relationship.
And Communion is a visual gospel to those around you.
1 Corinthians 11:26 (NLT)
26 For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing (proclaiming) the Lord’s death until he comes again.
Who are you announcing it to? Who are you proclaiming it to? Those around you. It’s like, together we are all proclaiming what Jesus has done for us, and how we are not citizens of this world, but citizens of Heaven. And we’re longing for him to come back and take us home. Communion is the acting out of the wonderful plan of salvation – every time we do it. And when we take Communion, we are announcing our union with Jesus and with one another as believers, and all of that is what makes Communion so awesome.
So then, who is bringing offense into Communion? (the vertical half of Communion.) Remember, there are only two types of relationships – a vertical relationship with God and horizontal relationships with others. This is why Christ lives in us – to correct both of those relationships. (We dealt with the horizontal, now we deal with the vertical offense.)
1 Corinthians 11:27 (NLT)
27 So anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.
Whoa! That is definitely an offense to those in the Church and to Jesus.
So, what does this word unworthily mean? Well, first, the context here is directed at believers. Unbelievers are not the primary context, though there is certainly application to unbelievers here as well.
The word unworthily is an adverb. It describes how you are partaking of Communion. Your heart is what is at issue here. Your heart determines whether you are communing with the Lord or sinning against him. Remember, the context is believers coming to the Communion meal with division, and factions, and self-interest. Coming into the Communion meal with no thought of sharing in the life of Christ or sharing the life of Christ with others.
And so,
1 Corinthians 11:28 (NLT)
28 That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup.
Before taking Communion, just…slow down, take a minute, and examine yourself. Examine how am I about to do this? Am I doing it flippantly, shallowly? Or is this a moment between me and the Lord? Am I connecting with God right now? Before taking Communion, slow down and deal with God for a minute. What do I need to do to commune with you? Before you take part in this solemn and significant act, take a minute to examine yourself and deal with God.
And then comes the hammer, which clearly implies the seriousness of Communion.
1 Corinthians 11:29 (NLT)
29 For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself.
Whoa! And again, the context here is believers – or at least “assumed believers.” And the scholars are in agreement here. The judgment here is not referring to a believer losing their salvation. But instead, this judgment is referring to God’s disciplinary judgment (which I’d rather avoid as well).
Paul is talking about believers coming to this solemn act without examining their own heart and own lives before God, and thereby dishonoring the Lord by just “going through the motions.”
Psalm 86:15 (NLT)
15 But you, O Lord, are a God of compassion and mercy, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.
That is so true of God. HE IS a God of compassion and mercy, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness, and…living a life of sin has consequences – including for believers, and some of those consequences are serious. As the next verse says,
1 Corinthians 11:30 (NLT)
30 That is why many of you are weak and sick and some have even died.
What?? Yeah – but?? How do you explain this verse? I think the best way to explain it is we should probably approach communing with the Lord and our communing with other believers more seriously. It’s you and God going one-on-one and you opening your heart to the Lord. If you don’t do that before taking Communion, verse 30 says that’s why. Because you’re living a life in disobedience, in rebellion, in rejection, in pushing God out. So, it’s not hard for us to say the person who is living a life of rejection and rebellion and belligerence toward God could easily go down this path of becoming weak and sick, and some have even died.
Remember, the context here is believers causing offense to other believers and thereby offense to the Lord…by how they approach the Communion meal and the Sacrament of Communion. But there is partial application to non-believers. My strong encouragement to non-believers is, be a believer. Just tell God, I believe. I want you in my heart, and I want you in my life, and then – he is.
The good news is in verse 31.
1 Corinthians 11:31 (NLT)
31 But if we would examine ourselves, we would not be judged by God in this way.
Whew! There’s the answer. Examine yourself – so you will not be judged by God in this way.
And then, there is more good news. This judgment of God is discipline so that we will not be condemned. This judgment of God is intended to draw us back to him.
As verse 32 says,
1 Corinthians 11:32 (NLT)
32 Yet when we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned along with the world.
That is actually really good news.
Here’s what King David says in Psalm 32.
Psalm 32:3–4 (NLT)
3 When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long.
4 Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat.
That is the kind of judgment Paul is talking about in 1 Corinthians 11. God’s hand of discipline heavy upon us.
And then King David says in the next verses,
Psalm 32:5-6 (NLT)
5 Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.
6 Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there is still time . . .
There is still time! There is still time for us today, and we are about to take the time to get our hearts right before we take Communion.
Finally, in 1 Corinthians 11, Paul returns to the original subject to confirm he is still in the same context.
1 Corinthians 11:33-34(a) (NLT)
33 So, my dear brothers and sisters, when you gather for the Lord’s Supper, wait for each other.
34 If you are really hungry, eat at home so you won’t bring judgment upon yourselves when you meet together . . .
Whoa! All of this really is about how we approach sharing in the life of Jesus Christ – in Communion.
Guys, the meaning and the significance of Communion is so big that we must take a minute to examine ourselves, to get our heart right, to truly deal with God before we take Communion.