The second instruction (.17-.34) given for worship concerns the Lord ’s Table. In Paul’s day the Lord ’s Supper was experienced weekly, following church, at a function called the love feast. Evidently the men were continuing the Aphrodite tradition of gluttony and drunkenness. When they came to the Lord ’s Table rather than approaching with humility and respect they instead acted no differently than they were required to by Corinth’s cultural religion. Examine closely verses 28, 33 and 34, which indicate that the men were the primary abusers in this case, or so reported those who came to see Paul.

Assuming the divisions mentioned in 11.17-.22 are the same divisions mentioned in 1.10-21, then Paul is addressing a division created by personal economy. The wealthy were attending the love feast to rub their financial blessings of food and wine in the faces of the others. This resulted in drunkenness, envy, and divisions. Paul’s solution is to remind the people of the love of Christ which purchased them all, rich and poor alike. This kind of love is how we are to approach communion, not with gluttony and drunkenness.

Earlier, Paul introduced the concept of the church being the body of Christ, an illustration he will develop in greater detail in chapters 12 through 14. The gluttony and drunkenness propagated by some was not only a rebellion against the values of Christ, but against the body of Christ as well. This sin leads to judgment -- not a loss of salvation, rather one that is meant to correct their action. The solutions Paul gives are to eat well before attending the feast, waiting on others rather than serving ourselves only, and to evaluate on out conduct to affirm that we are behaving in a manner worthy of the sacrifice Christ has made for us.

A couple weeks ago a friend of mine raised a question with me about one of his church’s practices. They dismiss the children to Sunday school before communion is served. He related that his six-year-old daughter enjoyed taking communion, and that it was difficult to pull her out of class to bring her back to the service. He wondered why his church didn’t move communion to before the dismissal. I smiled and explained that it was probably by design. Due to Paul’s warning about taking communion in an unworthy manner many churches prefer children, who may not understand what the practice is about, from taking part. The easiest way to control this is to dismiss the children to children’s church or Sunday school before the communion service begins.

Can a six-year-old understand the purpose and meaning of communion and take it soberly and with humility? I’m sure some can, but certainly they would be in the minority of their peers. If your church doesn’t have a policy about when someone can partake then it should be left up to the parent to decide, but I caution every parent to honestly evaluate their child before permitting them to participate. Similarly, many churches will ask that unbelievers who may be visiting the church, along with any believer who is in conflict with another believer, to not take of the cup and bread for doing so would be to eat and drink judgment on oneself.

Communion is a special practice, and one of only two religious practices that Jesus instituted for the church (the other being baptism). As such every believer ought to seek understanding and only take of the blood and body of Jesus in a sinless state and with great humility. Make it your practice to resolve conflicts with your brothers and sisters in Christ, and to spend time confessing one’s sins before your church celebrates the Lord’s Table.