I discussed the doctrine of transubstantiation in two parts which you can find here; pt. 1 & pt. 2. I mentioned that I was going to comment on Paul’s injunction about taking communion unworthily, and that we are to examine ourselves. Throughout different denominations, teachers have been misusing these verses to try to lay a guilt trip on people for their sin when partaking of the bread and wine; however, if one looks at the verses in question, things start becoming clear. We are indeed to examine ourselves, and we are not to take unworthily, but what exactly does this mean?
1 Corinthians 11:27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.
I hold that the bread and wine are symbols (not “just” symbols or “mere” symbols, but symbols full of meaning, that serve several purposes), as taught by Christ and Paul (and even James indirectly). However, there is power in the act, or in the taking. Why do I say this? Because one can eat and drink temporary “damnation,” or rather rendered judgment (in the Greek; krima), or sickness on themselves, according to Paul. Eating and drinking without remembering Jesus and His sacrifice leads to this.
Of course, in Paul’s example, there were people eating and drinking the bread and wine after they were drunk, and/or they had come to have a full meal together, and did not set apart the bread and cup, but rather drank and ate hungrily without thinking on Christ. They weren’t taking it worthily…in other words they were partaking in an unworthy manner.
The Greek word used for “unworthily” is anaxious, which is an adverb describing the act (remember, adverbs describe verbs, not nouns), not the person. Worthiness in this context is not about the person taking the communion, it is about how it is taken. We aren’t to examine ourselves before partaking, we are to remember Christ. So, from scripture, we are not to examine ourselves, for worthiness, that takes our “eyes” off Christ, and puts them on ourselves. The only way to take unworthily is to take not remembering Christ’s sacrifice, and by so doing, we fail to remember Him and fail to show forth His sacrifice. So to examine ourselves means to make sure we’re remembering Christ, that we aren’t just eating because we’re hungry (or drunk). None of us are worthy, as far as that goes, so there’s no examination necessary when it comes to our being unworthy.
Anyone who tries to get people to examine themselves for things like sin when partaking of the bread and wine are doing the very thing Paul warned against; taking our “eyes” and minds off of Christ, and neglecting to take in rememberance of Him. Now, there is a responsibility on the part of the person taking the bread and wine to realize what it is symbolic of…this is why non-Christians should abstain from taking communion; they don’t believe in Jesus as the Son of God, and therefore would not be partaking in remembrance and faith in Him, nor to show forth His body, broken for us, and His blood shed for the remission of our sin. Again, I look forward to going more in depth about how Passover fits in with communion, and remembering Christ’s sacrifice for us in a later post.
I owe much of this teaching and understanding to the late Dr. Gene “Doc” Scott…his teaching on this idea has helped to refocus believers hearts and minds onto Christ. If a person’s sins were going to stop us from taking communion, none of us could partake. Communion, or the taking of the bread and cup is one of the straightforward symbols and acts that Christ Himself instituted, and instructed us as believers to do.
6 Comments
July 19, 2008 at 5:28 pm
Ahhh, this was very good!!! It really clarifies and makes sense. I will have to print this off for my father-in-law. He wont take communion because he is afraid of taking it unworthily. Thank you for this article.
July 19, 2008 at 11:34 pm
Yeah, I have known and heard people who have either refused to partake, or been turned away for some kind of “sin” or that someone deemed them, as a person, as being unworthy…it kind of makes ya sad, because in the case of someone refusing themselves…their hearts are in the right place, but there’s nothing really stopping them from partaking if they look at the verses carefully.
Grace and Peace
September 6, 2008 at 5:00 pm
[...] partake of Matzoh in communion when and where possible. Again the aim of communion is to “keep our eyes” on Christ, and remember [...]
October 12, 2008 at 8:51 am
Great article – I’ve seen far too many protestant views of the Lord’s table taking on a view that leans more towards transubstantiation.
February 24, 2009 at 8:40 am
Hey,
I’m quite a paranoid individual. So I want to know If you go up and receive communion as a family, would that be wrong as that is a kind of division. There’s no families in Christ, right?
Thank you.
February 24, 2009 at 2:21 pm
I hope you’ll check back in, because I’m confused a bit on your question. If you each go up and receive communion individually, but in a group as a family, I don’t see any problem with that at all. And, there is indeed families in Christ…in fact, without our Christianity as a base, there’s not real logical point for families. Don’t forget, all of us in Christ are one big family and are to respond to each other with that in mind. God lays out very specific ideas for families, and supports the idea of families taking care of one another, esp. members of your own household. For example; 1 Timothy 5:8 But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.
The only thing with taking as a family at communion, is to make sure each member is old enough to know what they are doing, that they are believers, and also what the wine/juice and bread represent. As always, don’t take my word for it; pray about it and seek guidance.