Lesson 24 – 1 Corinthians Chapter 11:27-34 & Chapter 12:1-3

In our last meeting, we covered the subject of communion and love feasts, how both were instrumental in the melding of a spirit filled oneness among the believers. The Corinthian believers had perverted these gatherings by turning it into nothing more than drunken parties.

This must have been depressing for Paul, to see the church he planted become so dishonoring to the Lord. It proved to be a symptomatic sign on how one’s flesh can manipulate a person’s behavior so easily. The Corinthians were focused on satisfying their fleshly wants and not their spiritual needs.

Paul gave us the descriptive language about how Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper, which became the model wording for us in sharing communion throughout the centuries.

We ended with verse 26, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.” When we take communion together, we are indeed proclaiming the Lord’s death, which translates into the Lord’s victory and promise. Jesus’ victory defeated death, sin, and satan all at once, closing the chasm between God and man ever since man’s fall in the garden. His promise to us is He is coming back for us, and until He comes, Jesus is preparing heaven for us… where we will spend all eternity with God. Come soon Lord Jesus!

1 Cor. 11:27:
“Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord.”

This is a very important precept for everyone who comes to partake of the Lord’s Supper. This is indeed a warning from Paul, which none of us should ever take lightly.

The danger lies in taking communion in a ritualistic manner, where it becomes some kind of spiritual habit, rather than a heartfelt action of devotion to Christ. To merely go through the motions is to take God’s salvation for granted, an unholy way of making God’s grace very cheap, especially when we know that our redemption came at a very high price.

The Catholics have a ritual of going to confession with a priest on Saturday so they can take communion on Sunday, which shows they’re on the right track. To take communion in an unworthy manner as Paul states, is to take communion with sin in your heart. Most common might be the sin of unforgiveness.

Matthew 5:23-24:
“Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.”

Sin is real, and every believer battles against it, but it shouldn’t keep us from communion. The Lord’s table is the very place for the person struggling with sin, wrestling with temptation, or being caught up in their flesh. In preparing for communion we can say, “Lord, I desperately need you in my life. I eat your body and drink your blood, knowing I am forgiven. Thank You, Lord. Right now I celebrate what you did for me.”

Shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord…

This is the person who comes to communion in an unworthy manor.

To trample or burn our country’s flag is not to dishonor a piece of cloth, but it dishonors our country, which it represents. To come unworthily to communion does not simply dishonor the ceremony of communion, it dishonors Jesus, the very One we’re celebrating.

Hebrews 6:4-6 (NLT):
“For it is impossible to bring back to repentance those who were once enlightened – those who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come… and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the cross once again and holding him up to public shame.”

To be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord is to be guilty of mocking and treating with indifference the person of Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 10:29:
“How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?”

Gal. 6:7:
“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.”

Clearly, the one who hasn’t made Jesus Lord of their life should step back from communion until they do.

1 Cor. 11:28:
“But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup.”

How can we avoid coming to the Lord’s table in an unworthy way? By having a contrite heart, willing to examine ourselves. Communion is the great unifier for the church when it comes together with an attitude of confession, thus becoming one before the Lord. The church will continue in this holy celebration until the day of glorification, when all the saints will truly be one without the stain of sin… and what a day that will be!

1 Cor. 11:29:
“For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly.”

(NLT) “For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself.”

If we do not judge our own sins, then God will judge and discipline us until we do confess and forsake our sins. The Corinthians avoided examining themselves, but they were experts in examining everyone else.

Eats and drinks judgment to himself…

Judgment… (kree’-mah) in this context, it doesn’t mean condemnation as to the lost, but as a discipline to the saved. For those who participate in communion in a flippant manor, they should expect God’s discipline to follow.

To avoid this, one should properly discern and respond to the holiness of the Lord’s table.

1 Cor. 11:30:
“For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep.”

Now Paul describes some of the disciplines who fell among them. Remember, we’ve been talking about believers who are foolish enough to partake of communion in an unworthy manor.

Romans 8:1:
“Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

It’s important to understand that God doesn’t eternally condemn those who come in an unworthy manor. Then, what are the consequences for them? To be sure, this is not like a judge condemning a criminal, but a loving Father punishing His disobedient (and perhaps stubborn) children.

Many among you are weak and sick… the Lord isn’t inflicting condemnation upon them, but His punishment may come in the form of severe illness.

And a number sleep… (koy-mah’-o) this can mean to fall asleep, to sleep or to die.

We see an example of this in the book of Numbers.

Numbers 21:6-8 (NLT):
“So the Lord sent poisonous snakes among the people, and many were bitten and died. Then the people came to Moses and cried out, “We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take away the snakes. So Moses prayed for the people. Then the Lord told him, “Make a replica of a poisonous snake and attach it to a pole. All who are bitten will live if they simply look at it!”

God actually put to death a number of believers in Corinth because they continually reviled and corrupted the Supper of His Son. They thus became examples to all the others. Most would agree, it’s not good that God would use you as an example. We see this in Acts 5, where He had put to death Ananias and Sapphira for lying to the Holy Spirit.

But, there’s a way out…

1 Cor. 11:31:
“But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged.”

Judged ourselves rightly…

This involves discerning what we are and what we ought to be.

Isaiah 53:6:
“All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.”

1 John 1:9:
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

It’s much easier if we judged ourselves rightly, then if we push God to do it.

1 Cor. 11:32:
“But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world.”

God is Sovereign, and His ways are not our ways, but discipline is needed to keep us aligned with His ways… even if it means death. That’s something to think about.

R.C. Sproul, “To say that God’s sovereignty is limited by man’s freedom is to make man sovereign.”

John MacArthur, “We are kept from condemnation not only by decree, but also by divine intervention. God chastens us to keep us from falling from salvation, and will even take our life, if need be, before that could happen.”

1 Cor. 11:33-34:
“So then, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, so that you will not come together for judgment. The remaining matters I will arrange when I come.”

Some in the congregation were running roughshod over the others, meaning doing what they wanted without giving any attention to other people or their wishes.

Paul is addressing the ones who had such a veracious appetite and couldn’t handle their hunger pangs, that it would be best if they just stayed home to eat. I think at this point the love feasts were still a part of what was going on. The main purpose of coming together for the “love feast” and the Lord’s Supper wasn’t to satisfy their physical appetites, but their spiritual hunger.

To carry on as they were, meant they were really gathering together to sin… that is a setup for failure. In essence they were simply coming together for judgment. Which is pure folly.

Paul ends by saying, The remaining matters I will arrange when I come…

Paul’s closing thoughts here probably refer to other things going on pertaining to worship, the Lord’s Supper, or maybe both. His intentions were that he would address those matters when he got to Corinth.

CHAPTER 12

1 Cor. 12:1:
“Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware.”

To start out with an interesting note, the word “gifts” doesn’t appear in the original Greek manuscripts.

Paul actually said, “Now concerning (p)neumatikos.” Which literally means “spirituals,” or “spiritualities,” referring to that which has spiritual qualities or characteristics or is under spiritual control.

There’s much to be said when it comes to spiritual gifts in the church, and it’s important that we understand what God’s Word has to say on the subject.

We also need to keep in mind the problems Paul was dealing with in the Corinthian church, things like division, immorality, lack of spiritual growth, and a general confusion in the congregation. Perhaps this is where we get the term, “he has the patience of a saint,” because Paul was certainly patient with the Corinthian believers.

Here in chapter 12, Paul will explain the work of the Holy Spirit within the body of Christ as He imparts spiritual gifts upon the members.

It’s not surprising, considering all the problems within the Corinthian church, that the way they were handling their spiritual gifts was more like a bunch of kids with toys, rather than adults with valuable tools.

We have talked about spiritual gifts before, and some of you have even taken a spiritual gifts test, but as it goes with expository teaching, we leave not one stone unturned. I’m sure as we explore Paul’s teachings on spiritual gifts, God will reveal important precepts to apply to our lives.

John MacArthur writes, “Every member of Christ’s church has been given supernatural endowments, gifts of the Holy Spirit, which through the Spirit are God’s divine means of ministering His Word and power among His people and to the world. They are God’s supernatural provision for the edification of the church and the evangelization of the world. They are the means through which believers are to grow, worship, witness, and serve.”

True to form, satan has a counterfeit to what God has put in place, and his goal is to divide, disrupt, weaken, and destroy. God’s gifts edify, meaning they build up and cause growth, as where satan’s counterfeits do nothing but tear down and demolish.

When it came to spiritual gifts, the Corinthians had many questions, as do believers today. What are spiritual gifts? How many are there? Does every believer receive them? How can we know what kind of gift we have? How important are they for the church? What is the baptism of the Holy Spirit? Are spiritual gifts for today, or were they just at the beginning of the church? As we study this, Paul will give us the answers we’re looking for.

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware.

The Corinthians needed understanding, just as we do. Paul says, I do not want you to be unaware. It’s an “idiomatic” term meaning, having a specific meaning in a particular language or culture. Paul’s conveying to his readers that this subject matter is exceptionally important. In other words, he wants to make sure they’re paying close attention.

I know Paul has our attention. Most believers have a great interest when it comes to the spiritual gifts. It’s much like the world’s curiosity when looking into mystical things and the mysteries of life. Understanding the truth about spiritual gifts is key to unlocking our potential in serving God and others.

Again, satan will try to counterfeit the Spirit’s gifts, and he will try to induce believers to ignore, neglect, misunderstand, abuse, and pervert them.

1 Cor. 12:2:
“You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols, however you were led.”

(NLT) “You know that when you were still pagans, you were led astray and swept along in worshiping speechless idols.”

At this time, to be called a pagan meant that you weren’t a Jew, but basically a Gentile. In this case, Paul is referring to pagan as non-Christians. In our previous chapters we talked about meat being sacrificed to idols, and with that we learned that idol worship was a very real part of the Corinthian’s history… they were led astray to the mute idols.

Led astray (apagō) is an interesting phrase in the Greek, it was often used of prisoners being taken under armed guard to prison or even their execution.

Mark 14:44:
“Now he who was betraying Him (Jesus) had given them a signal, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the one; seize Him and lead Him away (apagō) under guard.”

Paul was looking back to when the Corinthian believers were considered “pagans,” before they received Christ, and he’s explaining how they didn’t really have a choice back then. He says, “however you were led.” This is something we as believers can all relate to. You were led means they had no choice in the matter, which also applies to us as well.

Romans 6:17 (NLT):
“Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you.”

Before Christ, we were all slaves to sin. As unbelievers, we were captives of sin and satan at the same time. In this state, we had no choice as to whether or not to sin, just the choice of what kind of sin. Perhaps this will give you a greater understanding about those who belong to the world… that they are behaving in ways that come natural to them.

Paul is saying to the Corinthians, “Whether you went into idolatry willingly or not, you couldn’t help it.” Unbelievers are not only enslaved by sin, they are blinded by sin.

Eph. 4:17-19 (NLT):
“With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.”

Minds full of darkness speaks of how we were locked in by the chains of sin. A hard heart really gives no thought to God.

Eph. 2:1-3 (NLT):
“Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil… the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.”

A day shouldn’t go by when we give thanks to the Lord God Almighty for breaking the chains of sin, for blessing us with His salvation.

So, Paul serves up a reminder to the Corinthians that idolatry was in their past and they pretty much didn’t choose that path.

You were led astray to the mute idols… the NKJV uses the word “dumb” instead of mute, but mute is a more accurate translation. The point is that idols are a figment of man’s imagination, and with that, they obviously can’t speak. Idols can’t reveal truth, nor can they forgive anyone’s sin.

Bible commentary says, “Tragically, many of the Corinthian Christians had fallen back into some of their old idolatrous beliefs and practices. They could no longer distinguish the work of God’s Spirit from that of demonic spirits, God’s true spiritual gifts from satan’s counterfeits, or true worship of God from perverted worship of idols. They forfeited God’s blessing and received none from their mute gods.”

1 Cor. 12:3:
“Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is accursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.”
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Paul gives a litmus test here to discern whether something is spiritual or that it is demonic. To give a little background here, some members of the Corinthian church apparently became so fleshly and confused, and their worship so paganized and chaotic, that they even allowed the Lord to be cursed within their own congregation. This is blasphemous to say the least.

There was a rumor going around at this time which said, “If you pray in the Spirit, you can actually unknowingly curse Jesus.” To truly believe this would be ridiculous, and Paul challenges this immediately.

These misguided tools of satan insisted they were speaking by the Spirit of God. That while praying in the Spirit they would utter “Jesus is accursed.” It bothers me just to say these words.

The word accursed means: a person or thing doomed to destruction, referring to severe condemnation. To say that Jesus is accursed is to condemn His nature, His character, and His finished work… not to mention His holiness and glory.

The Spirit of God would never have a part in this blasphemy. It’s safe to say that somehow satan had gotten a foothold within the congregation. This is why it’s important to have a full understanding about God’s spiritual gifts, and how to use them.

I think immature Christians are most vulnerable in that they fall victim to the experiential rather than substance or content.

Years ago there were unholy things hitting some churches like a wave. What became popular was something called “holy laughter,” or being “drunk in the spirt.” People began praying in the Spirit (so they thought), and in doing so they would work themselves up into a frenzied laugh, and then begin to laugh uncontrollably. The pastor would then work them up by saying, “Let it bubble out your belly, let it bubble out your belly.” This would go on for a very long time.

There was no content to this, you can search the Scriptures and I’m pretty sure you won’t find any “bubbling out of the belly.”

This action crosses a line, and the people manifesting the Holy Spirit in this way had gone too far. When you focus on the Holy Spirit, the worship service is done decently and in order.

When Randy Clark preached at the Airport Vineyard, the pastor claimed that “almost 80 percent of the people were on the floor.” “It was like an explosion. We saw people literally being knocked off their feet by the Spirit of God… Others shook and jerked. Some danced, some laughed. Some lay on the floor as if dead for hours. People cried and shouted.”

This all sounds demonic inspired, not Holy Spirit inspired.

The Corinthians were into experience; the more impressive, showy, unusual, and bizarre, the more the practice was accepted and respected. The fact that this was going on inside a church and the person running this side show was a “Christian” made it accepted and unquestioned.

The statement, “Jesus is accursed”

This may have come from Deut. 21:23:
“His corpse shall not hang all night on the tree, but you shall surely bury him on the same day (for he who is hanged is accursed of God), so that you do not defile your land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance.”

Or Gal. 3:13:
“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us… for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.”

Many Jews considered Jesus to have been cursed by being crucified. Ironically, it may have been Paul (Saul) saying this before his conversion, and trying to force Christians to curse Jesus.

Acts 26:11:
“And as I punished them often in all the synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme; and being furiously enraged at them, I kept pursuing them even to foreign cities.”

We are to test all things according to God’s Word, nowhere in the Scriptures does it claim that Jesus is cursed, and a true child of God would not teach that Jesus is cursed. The only way to be sure if something is spiritual is to be sure it is scriptural.

And no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit…

This is a confession that comes out of the heart of every believer. An unbeliever might choke a little trying to say Jesus is Lord. The statement “Jesus is Lord” means that Jesus is God. Jesus has “all authority in heaven and on earth.”

Even if an unbeliever were to utter these words, they will be found out in the end.

Matthew 7:21:
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.”

The title Lord (koo’-ree-os) implies deity or divinity. Lord infers sovereign authority. If the Lord is creator, sustainer, and controller, we can obviously say He is sovereign.

One test I like to use to see where a person stands when it comes to having faith in Jesus is, Romans 10:9-10:

“That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”

If this Scripture rings true in a person’s heart, then they will also say without reservation, “Jesus is Lord.” It’s the Holy Spirit who prompts us to make this confession.

John 15:26:
“When the Helper (Holy Spirit) comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me,”

1 Cor. 2:10-13:
“For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.”

It is the Holy Spirit who leads us to the lordship of Jesus Christ.

Romans 8:14:
“For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”

Only believers, speaking by the Holy Spirit, acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord. Paul has laid the groundwork necessary to open the door to spiritual gifts. In your prayers this week, ask the Holy Spirit to give you eyes to see and ears to hear when it comes to His gifts.