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Body and Blood of Christ, Prepare Yourself (1 Cor. 11:26-32)

 “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes. Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord. A person should examine himself, and so eat the bread and drink the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are ill and infirm, and a considerable number are dying. If we discerned ourselves, we would not be under judgment; but since we are judged by [the] Lord, we are being disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world (1 Cor. 11:26-32).”

Paul is admonishing the Corinthians about the proper disposition required for the reception of the Eucharist.  They are consequences to the improper reception of the Body and Blood of Christ.  The Corinthians have not displayed brotherly love towards each other; “For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own supper, and one goes hungry while another gets drunk (1 Cor. 11:21).”  They must be united in love, or they are no better than those who do not accept Christ and crucified him.  It would be the same as if they, “Are recrucifying the Son of God for themselves and holding him up to contempt (Heb. 6:6).”  They must examine their relationship to Christ and each other before receiving the Body and Blood of Christ; “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take Christ’s members and make them the members of a prostitute? Of course not! Whoever is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him (1 Cor. 6:15,17).”  

There was an epidemic in Corinth at the time where many were sick and many had died.  In OT times sickness and death were associated with divine punishment so Paul believed that unless the Corinthians accepted what was happening to them as a divine warning and correct their behavior they would continue to receive divine punishment and possibly divine condemnation; “The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing (1 Cor. 1:18).”  

Almighty God, Christ became your wisdom for us and we are in Christ.  As a result, you give wisdom generously and ungrudgingly to all who ask for it.  Grant us knowledge and understanding of your ways and may we seek always to please you in accordance with the word of Christ which dwells within us.  This we pray through Christ our Lord.  Amen!  

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Reference:

Raymond E. Brown, Joseph A. Fitzmyer, & Roland E. Murphy, (Eds.). (1990, 1968). The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentis Hall, Inc.


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