SCRIPTURE: 1 CORINTHIANS 11
MEMORY VERSE:
“A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.” (1 Corinthians 11:28-29)
PROPRIETY IN WORSHIP (vs. 1-16)
Paul’s view on man and woman:
- The head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. (v. 3)
- Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. (v. 4)
- Every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head. (v. 5)
- If a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off, and if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut or shaved off, she should cover her head. (v. 6)
- A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. (v. 7)
- Man did not come from woman, but woman from man. (v. 8)
- Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. (v. 9)
- Because of the angels, the woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head. (v. 10)
- A woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. (v. 11)
- As woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. (v. 12)
- If a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory. (v. 14)
THE LORD’S SUPPER (vs. 17-33)
NEWS THAT PAUL HEARD CONCERNING THE LORD’S SUPPER IN CORINTHIAN CHURCH:
- There are divisions and differences among church members. (v. 18-19)
- They come to Lord’s Supper, each of them goes ahead without waiting for anybody else. Some were hungry while others got drunk. (v. 21)
WHAT JESUS DID ON THE NIGHT OF HIS BETRAYAL:
Then Lord Jesus took bread and gave thanks. He broke the bread and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, he took the cup saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, do this whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
WHAT IS REQUIRED BEFORE TAKING THE COMMUNION SERVICE? (vs. 26-29)
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. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgement to himself.
PAUL’S ADVICE TO THE CORINTHIAN BROTHERS:
When you come together to eat, wait for each other. If anyone is hungry, he should eat at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment. And when I come I will give further directions.
THOUGHTS:
The Corinthian church was composed of Jewish and Greek women with different cultural backgrounds. Jewish women always covered their heads in worship. For a woman to uncover her head in public was a sign of loose morals. On the other hand, Greek women were used to worship without head coverings. That was why there were divisions among them. Paul tried to suggest solutions for the unity of the church and for appropriateness in the worship service.
Submission is not surrender, withdrawal, apathy or inferiority because God created all people in his image and all have equal value. Submission is mutual commitment and cooperation. The wife should submit to the husband for the sake of their marriage and family. This kind of submission is submission by choice, not by force. We are serving God in these relationships if we are willing to submit to others in our church, to our spouses, and to our government leaders.
In the early church, celebration of the Lord’s Supper was preceded by a fellowship meal. In the church at Corinth, the fellowship meal had become a time when some ate and drank excessively while others went hungry. There was little sharing and caring. Paul condemned these actions and reminded the church of the real purpose of the Lord’s Supper.
Just as Passover celebrated deliverance from slavery in Egypt, so the Lord’s Supper celebrated deliverance from sin by Christ’s death. Eating the bread and drinking the cup shows that we are remembering Christ’s death for us and renewing our commitment to serve him.
The church is one in Christ. We must honor one another in love and unity. The rich must not embarrass the poor. When we meet to celebrate the Communion service, we must examine ourselves and confess our sins.
How should the Lord’s Supper be observed?
- Honor God for his sacrifice and thank Him for saving us from eternal death.
- Take the Lord’s Supper thoughtfully with reverence and respect.
- Examine ourselves for any unconfessed sin or resentful attitude.
- Be considerate with fellow believers, forgiving one another and worship together with love and in unity.