July 11, 2023 | Be On Mission
Proper Communion with God
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 11(NIV)
1 Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.
2 I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the traditions just as I passed them on to you. 3 But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. 4 Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. 5 But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is the same as having her head shaved. 6 For if a woman does not cover her head, she might as well have her hair cut off; but if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, then she should cover her head.
7 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 did not come from woman, but woman from man; 9 neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. 10 It is for this reason that a woman ought to have authority over her own head, because of the angels. 11 Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. 12 For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God.
13 Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14 Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, 15 but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering. 16 If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice—nor do the churches of God.
17 In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. 18 In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. 19 No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval. 20 So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, 21 for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers. As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk. 22 Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God by humiliating those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? Certainly not in this matter!
23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night 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, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
27 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. 28 Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. 29 For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. 30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. 31 But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment. 32 Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world.
33 So then, my brothers and sisters, when you gather to eat, you should all eat together. 34 Anyone who is hungry should eat something at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment.
And when I come I will give further directions.
Devotional
In Galatians 3:28, Paul wrote, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” But here in 1 Corinthians 11 he says there is a vast difference between male and female. What gives?
In Corinth, all women wore head coverings. That is all women except the “Corinthian girls,” who were the temple prostitutes and other promiscuous women. Just as with eating meat offered to idols was a bad witness to the community, women who used their Christian freedom to dress like “Corinthian girls” would be a bad witness to their neighbors and fellow worshipers. Worship should be a time of reverence for and focus on God alone.
Likewise, men of their culture made sure all head coverings were removed when they spoke or prayed in worship. This was an act of reverence to God. Wearing their culture’s version of a “backwards hat” in church was disrespectful at least, and irreverent at worst. So Paul encouraged the women to wear head coverings in worship, and the men to do just the opposite. It was hard enough for them to minister to their corrupt culture without looking like it!
In the Early Church, the Lord’s Supper was often celebrated at the conclusion of a huge meal, known as a Love Feast. Apparently, this meal became a time for the societal classes to be divided. The wealthier Corinthians stuffed themselves on food and drink, while their poorer congregants went hungry. By the time it came to share the Lord’s supper, some of the people were in a drunken food coma, while others were starved. Paul gave them a stark warning: “For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (v. 26). Proper communion is a somber remembrance of Christ’s death for our sins.
Paul went on, “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” (v. 27). Coming to the Lord’s Table gorged and tipsy while others are famished and parched is out of line with what the Lord’s Supper represents.
This chapter of 1 Corinthians is about proper worship. How we dress and how we act and how we live matters to God. We are to offer our best to the Lord as we come before Him in worship. How can you offer your best to God in worship?
Poem
Mimic
1 Corinthians 11:1
At the zoo
In full view
Monkey see
Monkey do
As I gape
Mimic ape
Monkey see
Monkey do
In this world
Culture hurls
Monkey see
Monkey do
There’s a voice
Attention choice
Monkey see
Monkey do
Here’s the call
To Christians all
Christ you see
Christ you do
Mimic pure
This your lure
Christ you see
Christ you do
