Putting Others First

Theme: Body of Christ

Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 11:17-34

               

Objectives: (From the D6 Fusion Sunday School Lesson book)

Know: Divisions in the church in Corinth were demonstrated by the way they celebrated communion. Paul instructed the believers to unite around the sacrifice of Christ represented by the bread and cup.

Think: Let a constant awareness of Christ’s sacrificial love drive my interaction with all of my church family.

Do: Do my part to build unity in my local body of Christ.

Notes and questions

B1 The Corinthian believers had questions about Communion, the Lord’s Supper.

B2 Their remembrance of the Lord was badly flawed: 1 Corinthians 11:17-22 NKJV  Now in giving these instructions I do not praise you, since you come together not for the better but for the worse.  18  For first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it.  19  For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you.  20  Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord's Supper.  21  For in eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of others; and one is hungry and another is drunk.  22  What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I do not praise you. They

C1 Had divisions. These are splits (schisms) maybe due to socio-economic reasons.

C2 Had factions. This is believing and teaching false doctrine.

C3 Had the Lord’s Supper for the wrong reasons. Utley, in his commentary on this passage, writes: It is possible to understand this phrase in several ways.

1. The wealthy/educated/influential/high-born came early and ate their meal quickly so that when the poor arrived there was nothing, or hardly anything, left to eat.

2. Each person was to bring his own meal. The elite believers ate theirs quickly in the presence of the poor, or slave members of the church, who brought little or nothing.

C4 Had selfish motives and actions

C5 Had despise for the church of God (the people)

C6 Were shaming those who are poor. Utley gives further comment: The problem was selfishness and gluttony based on social distinctions instead of self-giving love, as Jesus' actions and precedent clearly taught. The Corinthian church did not believe that they were one in Christ. There was a radical dichotomy between

1. social haves vs.  have nots

2. wealthy vs. poor

3. men vs. women

4. freedmen vs. slaves

5. Romans vs. all others

6. spiritual elite vs. common believer

C7 The word drunk in 1 Corinthians 11:21 means intoxication.

C8 Questions

D1 What is their main problem?

D2 What happened to the oneness of the group? Oneness as

E1 John 13:34 NKJV  A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

E2 John 17:11 NKJV  Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.

E3 Oneness is understood to be one in beliefs, gospel, doctrine, goals, etc. as in being one team.

B3 Paul set about to correct this.

B4 Basics of Communion

C1 In remembrance of what Jesus has done for us: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 NRSV  For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread,  (24)  and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me."  (25)  In the same way he took the cup also, 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.

D1 In remembrance of Me.

E1 Remembering the prophecies about Him, His birth, His baptism, His ministry, His teaching, His attributes, His warnings, His death, His resurrection, His ascension, His present ministry, His promises, His coming for us soon, His reign as King of Kings, etc.

E2 His suffering for our sins, the penalty paid, His offer of salvation, and His call to us.

E3 His love, His compassion, and His seeking us who were lost.

D2 Old and New Covenant

Comparing Old and New Covenant
Old Covenant	New Covenant
Was given to Israel Exodus 19:1-5	Was given to Abraham and cannot be annulled: Galatians 3:13-18
Given at Mt. Sinai Exodus 19:1-5	Given at the Last Supper as a memorial to remember the sacrificial gift of the Lord Jesus for the sins of the world
Conditional Exodus 19:5	Unconditional
Given to the nation of Israel	Promised to the nation of Israel: Jeremiah 31:31-34
Failed and is fading away Hebrews 8:3	Successful and everlasting Jeremiah 32:40 with Is everlasting and perfect: Hebrews 13:20
	Promised and guaranteed by Jesus Christ: Hebrews 7:21-22
Inaugurated with blood of animals Hebrews 9:18	Inaugurated with blood of Christ 1 Corinthians 11:25
Must keep the whole law perfectly in thoughts, desires, words, and deeds Galatians 5:3	Jesus Christ kept the whole law perfectly in thoughts, desires, words, and deeds John 19:28 and Hebrews 4:15
Perfect obedience is required in thoughts, desires, words, and deeds Exodus 19:5	Faith is required Romans 4:5 and Romans 5:1
Was given to convict people of their sinful condition: Galatians 3:19-24
Moses was the mediator: Galatians 3:19	Jesus is the mediator: Hebrews 8:6
The covenant with Israel had problems: Hebrews 8	The Old Covenant has been replaced: Hebrews 8:13

D3 If you want to read more about the New Covenant, read Jeremiah 31 and Hebrews 8-10.

D4 You proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.

E1 We do not see Him today.

E2 We have this reminder from when He ate with His Apostles until He returns for us.

E3 It is for all believers until He returns.

E4 There is a promise that He will return.

B6 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 NKJV  For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread;  24  and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me."  25  In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."  26  For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes.

C1 The word received has the idea that Paul learned this from the Lord Jesus.

C2 John 6:51-56 NKJV  I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world."  52  The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?"  53  Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.  54  Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.  55  For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.  56  He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.

D1 This is somewhat related to the passage we are studying.

D2 The idea is that we eat food and drink fluids to live physically. It is a source of life for us.

D3 Jesus Christ is our food and fluid to live spiritually. He is our source of life.

D4 Jesus created Adam and Eve (and us). Jesus recreates us in the New Birth. Without Jesus, there is no spiritual life. Spiritual life is only in Jesus. There is no other way. We cannot do this ourselves. 2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

C3 From our passage what night was this supper?

C4 Jesus took the bread. What did He do next? How can we apply that for us today?

C5 How was Jesus’s body broken?

C6 Is blood necessary for salvation? Hebrews 9:22-28 NKJV  And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.  23  Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.  24  For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us;  25  not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another—  26  He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.  27  And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,  28  so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.

C7 The idea of remembrance is recollection. Why do we need to be reminded?

C8 What are we proclaiming?

C9 How long is the church to do this?

B7 1 Corinthians 11:27-32 NKJV  Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.  28  But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.  29  For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.  30  For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.  31  For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.  32  But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.

C1 How do we eat unworthily?

C2 With what do we examine ourselves? What is this standard?

C3 What is happening to the people in 1 Corinthians 11:30?

D1 Chastening

D2 Psalm 38 is one passage that answers the question. Here is Psalms 38:3 NKJV  There is no soundness in my flesh Because of Your anger, Nor any health in my bones Because of my sin.

C4 What is the solution, the healing of the problem?

C5 According to 1 Corinthians 11:32, what is a purpose of chastening?

B8 1 Corinthians 11:33-34 NKJV  Therefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another.  34  But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest you come together for judgment. And the rest I will set in order when I come.

C1 What is the importance of waiting for one another?

C2 What judgment might one experience if we do not the right thing?

C3 Do we do the Lord’s Supper as a family or as individuals? The family is referring to the whole congregation.

C4 Is the Lord’s Supper a necessary ritual, a rule for salvation?

C5 How does loving our neighbor as ourself apply to this passage?

C6 How are we to do this principle this week?

B9 Next week:

C1 Gifted to serve

C2 Theme: Spiritual Gifts

C3 Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 12