Throughout American history, some sayings have become familiar to us.

1. Remember the Alamo! – A battle cry from the Texas Revolution, honoring those who died at the Battle of the Alamo in 1836.
2. Remember Goliad! – A Texas Revolution battle cry. The battle cry refers to the massacre of Texan soldiers at Goliad by the Mexican army.
3. Remember Pearl Harbor! – Used after the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 to rally American support for World War II.
4. Remember the Maine! – A slogan from the Spanish-American War era (1898). This call to remember references the explosion of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor.
5. Remember 9/11! – A phrase used in remembrance of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Today, as we worship together, there is a call to remembrance that we celebrate. This call to remembrance is “The Lord’s Table,” “The Lord’s Supper,” or “Communion.” This article focuses on the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Corinthians about this call to remembrance.

There are three characteristics of The Lord’s Table to consider.

It Recognizes our Community (vv. 17-22)

The word “community” means that there is a common unity among a group of people. We have something in common, and that commonality produces unity among the people. God’s design for His Church is unity. That which we have in common is what brings us together. In the text before us, Paul uses the phrase “come together” five times (vv. 17, 18, 20, 33, 34). Every time Paul uses the phrase “come together,” it is in the context of the public gathering of the Church.

Sometimes, the best way to recognize the value of something is to observe a negative example. The negative brings to light the good. In this case, Paul sternly speaks to the Church in Corinth to say to them, “I do not commend you.” Divisions and disunity existed in the Church. They were expressing the opposite of community. Paul could not commend them because of their divisions and disunity.

So, Paul is reminding the Corinthians that they have missed the whole point of The Lord’s Table. The Lord’s Table reminds the Church of our common unity in Christ. By the way, this idea of community leads us to call The Lord’s Table, “Communion.”

Remember, they did not practice The Lord’s Table like we do today. The early Church celebrated love feasts. So, they had a meal together when they celebrated The Lord’s Table. By the way, this is not an unreasonable way to celebrate the Lord’s Table. Jesus was eating with His disciples during Passover when He instituted “The Lord’s Supper.”

The problem Paul is pointing out to them is that they were dishonoring each other and disrespecting The Lord’s Table because of their division and disunity. They were acting in ways that are opposite of what the Table represents.

Paul makes a stern indictment against them in verse 20, “When you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper that you eat.” How they approached the Lord’s Supper was inconsistent with the community that the Table represents. The Table is supposed to edify the Church and thereby promote unity. The Table did not promote unity among the Corinthians.

They were not waiting for everyone to arrive before eating. They would eat as if they had nothing at home to eat. Those who were later arriving were left without any food. Those who were eating all of the food were acting selfishly. In the same way, there were those who were drinking to the point of drunkenness. So, in celebrating the Lord’s Supper in this way, they were sinning because drunkenness is a sin.

Paul considers all of this to make a strong indictment against them, “…it is not the Lord’s Supper that you eat (v. 20).”

The common unity the Church possesses is rooted in the New Covenant. It is Jesus Christ who accomplished everything needed to enact the New Covenant.

It is a Reminder of the Covenant (vv. 23-26)

Remember, the Exodus resulted from God’s faithfulness to His covenant with Abraham. The tenth plague God sent upon Egypt initiated the Exodus. The tenth plague was the plague of death. The firstborn of the house would die when the death angel would come. But, God gave instructions to prepare a meal with a fire-roasted lamb, bitter herbs, and unleavened bread. The blood of the lamb was applied to the doorposts of the house. When the death angel came, no death would come to the household if the blood had been applied to the doorposts. But, if there was no blood applied, then the firstborn of the family would die.

All of Israel obeyed God’s Instructions, while the Egyptians did not. When death came, Pharoh had a change of mind and released the Israelites. Thereby initiating the Exodus. The blood of the lamb saved the Israelites on that night. God was faithful to His covenant with Abraham by delivering Israel out of Egyptian slavery.

God instituted a meal, which we call the “Passover Meal,” as a memorial to remember the Exodus. It was Passover when Jesus sat with His disciples for what has been called “The Last Supper.” They had the Passover Meal. During this meal, Jesus used two of the elements of the meal to transform the significance of the meal. 

Jesus took the bread, gave thanks, and broke it. Jesus then brought significance to His actions by likening the bread to His body, which was broken. Remember that this breaking of Jesus’ body was only His flesh and some internal organs. His bones were not broken. In the same way, he took the cup and likened it to the New Covenant. He follows both of these actions, reminding them that as often as they partake in them, they remember His death until He comes again.

Paul quotes Jesus to remind the Corinthians of the New Covenant and the significance of the Lord’s Table. As we partake of this Table today, we do so because the New Covenant is ratified with Christ’s death on the Cross. In the moment of His death, the penalty for our sin was satisfied. The payment for our sins was made. Today, you and I are participants in the New Covenant!

It Requires a Contemplation of our Motive (vv. 27-34)

There are four ideas in our text that I want to give attention to.

An Unworthy Manner

The Corinthians corrupted The Lord’s Supper with selfishness, drunkenness, and discrimination against the poor. As a result, they were doing more harm than good. They were not magnifying Christ, nor were they edifying each other.

We take the Lord’s Supper unworthily any time we approach the Lord’s Table with any intent other than magnifying Christ and edifying each other

.

It is important to note that if you are a follower of Jesus Christ, forgiven of your sin, and reconciled into a relationship with God, you are worthy to take The Lord’s Supper. Paul is addressing the Corinthians as Christians. He is not shedding doubt on their position in Christ. He is, however, bringing to light their spiritual immaturity in their approach to The Lord’s Table.

Guilty

The Corinthians’s unworthy approach brought contempt upon the Cross of Christ. So, we must take this stern warning today to consider how we approach this Table so we do not treat the Cross of Christ with contempt.

Examine Ourselves

So, what is the solution? How do we avoid treating the Cross of Christ with contempt? How do we ensure that we are not partaking in The Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner?

The solution Paul puts forth is that we do a self-examination of our hearts! What is our motive for partaking in The Lord’s Table? If it is anything other than exalting the Lord Jesus Christ for His work on the Cross, then we are eating and drinking guilt upon ourselves. 

Judgment

Partaking of The Lord’s Table is such an important matter that Paul asserts that if we do not examine ourselves, then God’s judgment on us is to keep us from being condemned by the world.

This judgment was so severe at times there were people in the Corinthian Church who were weak, ill, or even died.