Paul tells them that they should eat their regular meals at home and show more respect for the church and then he explains what the coming together for the Lord’s Supper means. Paul quoted what the Lord said on the last night, when He sat down with His disciples for the last Passover meal.
“And when he had given thanks, he broke (it), and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also (he took) the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the New Testament in my blood: this do, as often as you drink (it), in remembrance of me,” (1 Corinthians 11:24-25.)
Paul said that the Lord told them to celebrate the occasion of this event “in remembrance of Him”. This is the reason to celebrate the Lord’s Supper; not to fill their bellies with food and drink. This was to be a solemn occasion to proclaim or declare the Lord’s death until He returns. He goes on to tell them if they take part in this event unworthily it is wrong and they will suffer for it. But just what does Paul mean by unworthily? It sounds as if you are not worthy to do it, then you shouldn’t. But this is not what Paul was saying. Let’s look at the 29th verse and see what it says.
I Cor 11:24 29 “For he that eats and drinks unworthily, eats and drinks damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.”
Paul is actually saying that if a person eats the bread and drinks of the cup for any other reason except to discern the Lord’s body, or to have some other motive except to do it in remembrance of Him, then it is wrong.
Many times believers are led to believe that they should not celebrate the Lord’s Supper if they have done something, or are engaged in something the church does not approve of. They are made to believe that because of their actions, they are not worthy to take part in the Communion. This is just not true and it’s wrong to lead people to believe that.
Part of this misunderstanding is due to the translators of the Bible not using the best word in their translation. Here is another case where they let their own understanding and doctrinal practices influence their decision. The Greek word “anaxios” can be translated into the English words “unworthily” or “irreverently”. And in this text it should have been translated into, “irreverently.”
Paul says that a believer should take part in the Lord’s Supper in remembrance of Him and to show respect for the Lord’s body being broken for us. To take part for any other reason is showing irreverence or disrespect for the Lord. Being unworthy has nothing to do with it. If we are believers, having repented for our sin and have been baptized in His name, then we are worthy to take part in the Lord’s Supper, for He has made us worthy.
Do not let someone rob you of the joy of your salvation by causing you to believe that you are unworthy to take part in any form of worship, just because of his or her misunderstanding of the scriptures.
This is just one example of what is wrong with using so many of the different versions of the Bible. Man too easily accepts, for the gospel, what another man says or writes, instead of being sure that what he is receiving is the unadulterated Word of God. We can only be sure we are receiving the true Word of God if we accept only what the original writers of the scriptures put down. Once man puts his hand to translating and/or interpreting the scriptures, he gives satan an opportunity to cause something to be changed or misrepresented.
No comments:
Post a Comment