The Lord’s Supper: Its Proper Observation

Posted by on Sep 7, 2008 in Rev. Serven

Text: 1 Corinthians 11:17-26

The church in Corinth was a very troubled congregation. As a result, Paul’s first epistle reads more like a laundry list of maladies, than a letter of spiritual encouragement. Nevertheless, the Lord was busily building his church in Corinth—even through the intense fire of schism and selfishness.

It is also evident that the church combined a fellowship meal, or “love feast”, with the Lord’s Supper. In theory there was nothing wrong with this practice, but in reality it proved to be a stumbling-block in the life of the church.

Here was the basic problem—wealthy Christians would bring a sumptuous meal to church and refuse to share it with their poorer brethren. Thus, some went away full and others went away hungry. Moreover, some of the weaker brethren began drinking the wine served at the fellowship meal and actually became drunk! All reverence in the Lord’s Supper was lost, and it became a mockery of what the Lord intended it to be.

Therefore, Paul rebuked the Corinthians for these detrimental practices and instructed them in the proper manner of observing the Lord’s Supper.

[podcast]http://www.download.covenantfamilychurch.net/2008/mp3/2008_9_7_the_lords_supper_its_proper_observation.mp3[/podcast]

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