The Purpose and Majesty of the Lord’s Supper - 1 Corinthians 11:23-34

Stephan van Kampen

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Notes

Transcript

Introduction

Passage:

1 Corinthians 11:23–34 “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was being betrayed took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 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 in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But a man must test himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. But…”

Illustration

Imagine receiving an invitation to dine with the King of kings!

A literal dinner - how would you prepare?

How serious would you take it?

Would you worry about looking clean - smelling clean - looking your best. etc?

Context

That is communion. A spiritually literal 'dinner’ with Christ Jesus!

But Paul had to address the Corinthian Church misunderstanding communion.

The Corinthian church was dealing with division, immorality, and confusion about Christian practices. Corinth was a wealthy, pagan city known for its idolatry and sexual immorality, and many new believers struggled to leave their old ways behind.

Paul wrote 1 Corinthians to correct these issues, including their abuse of the Lord’s Supper (Communion). Instead of a sacred meal of unity, the Corinthians turned it into a selfish feast, where the rich ate well while the poor went hungry (1 Cor. 11:20-22). Paul rebuked them and reminded them that Communion is about remembering Christ’s sacrifice and proclaiming His death in a worthy manner (1 Cor. 11:23-29).

Frame

But in the church of Corinth, they didn’t treat it as such. Paul is writing to correct the Corinthians, who were treating the Lord’s Supper carelessly, even sinfully.

1. What is Communion?

A Sacred Ordinance Instituted by Christ: The Lord’s Supper (Communion) is one of the two ordinances given to the Church by Jesus Himself (along with baptism).

For Spurgeon, to partake of the Lords supper is to have “sweet communion with Christ”, as the soul feeds on Him by faith. the Supper is a symbolic meal (not a sacrifice or physical miracle) and a means of fellowship with the living Christ.

John MacArthur: He describes communion as a symbolic remembrance of Christ’s redemptive work on the cross, while also highlighting it as an occasion for believers to renew their commitment to Christ.

a. Origin of communion

(1 Cor. 11:23a) – “For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you.”

Communion is not a man-made tradition but a divine institution established by Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul emphasizes that he received this teaching directly from the Lord and faithfully passed it on to the church.

Luke 22:19 – “And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’”

On the night He was betrayed, Christ instituted this meal - himselff, commanding His followers to continue it in remembrance of Him (1 Cor 11:23-25).

It is His Supper – established under His authority – and thus a holy act of worship, not a human invention.

Apostolic Authority: This ordinance was established by Christ and delivered to the apostles (as foundation to the church), demonstrating its divine origin and ongoing importance in the church.

Passover Fulfilled: Jesus instituted communion during the Passover meal, showing that He is the true Passover Lamb (1 Cor. 5:7). The meal now points to His ultimate sacrifice.

A Covenantal Meal: In ancient times, covenants were ratified through meals. The Lord’s Supper symbolizes the new covenant in Christ’s blood (Luke 22:20).

How we do it doesn’t matter

Setup was quite interesting.

A U shaped recliner table / bench. They would’ve lay on the floor with their left elbows on the table/raised surface. Nothing even close to our modern ‘conference’ and sitting tables.

Just one more DaVinci painting that paints the wrong image in our minds.

But just because they did it that way doesn’t mean we should. And with the increased numbers of partakers more ‘logistical’ methods were developed over the years.

Some denominations makes you sit at tables in select bits at a time

Some make you come forward and kneel and recieve the elements in the front

Some serve it as a ‘baffet’ you go and get your own

Like us, we have the ‘servants’ in the front and serve each one their elements and partake together as one.

The way it’s done is not as important as that which Paul tells us. To have the right attitude and ‘elements’ present.

You can’t have the lords supper with just anything

You can’t have it alone

b. Difference between an ordinance and sacrament

Ordinance

Definition: An ordinance is a practice that Christ commanded His followers to observe as a symbolic act of obedience.

Symbolic Nature: Ordinances do not confer grace in themselves but represent and proclaim spiritual realities.

Two Ordinances:

Baptism – A sign of a believer’s union with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection.

The Lord’s Supper – A memorial of Christ’s death, in which believers spiritually commune with Christ and each other.

Emphasis: Focuses on obedience and remembrance rather than a means of receiving grace.

Sacrament (A Term They Avoid)

Definition: Historically, a sacrament is viewed as a means through which grace is imparted to the recipient.

Roman Catholic & Some Protestant Views: Sacraments are seen as means of grace, meaning they convey God's grace in some way beyond just being symbolic.

Reformed Tradition (e.g., Presbyterians): Holds to a "means of grace" view but distinguishes it from the Roman Catholic concept of sacraments being efficacious ex opere operato (by the mere performance of the act).

Why Reformed Baptists Avoid the Term: Because it can imply a mystical transmission of grace rather than a symbolic but deeply meaningful act of obedience.

c. Symbolism of the Bread and Cup:

In Communion we partake of bread and the cup as symbols of Christ’s body and blood.

Jesus said of the bread, “This is My body,” and of the cup, “This is the new covenant in My blood” (1 Cor 11:24-25).

The elements are emblems representing His sacrificed body and shed blood on the cross

Breaking the bread portrays Jesus’ body given for us,

and the poured wine (or juice) portrays His blood poured out.

Thus the Lord’s Supper visibly preaches Christ’s atoning death – “we show the Lord’s death” through these symbols

d. Spiritual and Communal Aspects:

Communion has both a vertical and horizontal dimension.

Vertically, it is a spiritual fellowship with the living Christ – a genuine “communion” with Him by faith

As believers partake, they draw near to Christ, feeding on the benefits of His sacrifice in their hearts.

Horizontally, it is a community meal of the church family.

We come together as one body, without divisions, confessing our unity in Christ’s death

As Spurgeon observed, we do not come as separate factions or denominations, but as those who “form one body in Christ” at His table.

Communion is meant to strengthen both our personal bond with Christ and our fellowship with one another in the church.

e. Love - Despite betrayal (1 Cor 11:23b)

(1 Cor. 11:23b) – “The Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread.” Despite being betrayed by one of His own, Jesus demonstrated the ultimate love by willingly giving Himself up for sinners. The Lord’s Supper reminds us of the depth of Christ’s love, even in the face of rejection and suffering.

Betrayal Foretold: Psalm 41:9 prophesied Judas’ betrayal, yet Christ continued to extend love and grace to him.

Love Amidst Darkness: Jesus’ act of instituting communion was not in a time of celebration but during a moment of deep sorrow, yet He still displayed love and obedience to the Father.

2. The Purpose of Communion

a. The Commemoration – Remembering Christ’s Sacrifice:

First and foremost, the Lord’s Supper is a memorial of Jesus’ atoning death.

Twice Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of Me” (1 Cor 11:24-25), highlighting that we gather at the Table to focus on the cross.

We look back to Calvary, recalling His body broken for us and His blood shed for the forgiveness of sins.

In Spurgeon’s words, “The Chief meaning”

“the great end and objective of the Lord’s Supper [is] to…proclaim afresh the death of our Lord Jesus Christ”

To Keep the cross always before the eyes of the church

Every Communion service commemorates that sacrificial death – keeping the gospel central in our worship.

Practically, this means our hearts should be filled with gratitude and awe as we remember what Christ endured to save us.

b. The Communion – Spiritual Participation in Christ:

The Lord’s Supper is also an act of communion or participation in Christ Himself

1 Corinthians 10:16 “Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ?”

The word sharing is koinonia (Fellowship) or ‘partnership’

We literally share with Christ on the Cross

Galatians 2:20 ““I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”

Though the bread and cup are symbols, there is a real spiritual fellowship with Christ in the observance.

We do not partake of the elements as a ritual to save us or impart grace automatically – rather, it is a “communing” with Christ for those already saved.

Unlike the Catholics. We don’t “kill / crucify Christ anew each time we partake. We instead remind ourselves to crucify OURSELVES!

MacArthur notes: Believers collectively “celebrate our common union with Christ” at His Table

We feed on Him in our hearts by faith.

As Spurgeon put it, “Jesus Christ has died, and we live upon His death.

This bread and wine are the emblems of His broken body and shed blood; and…we eat and drink, and so say…that Christ’s dying is our life”.

In Communion, believers spiritually nourish their souls on the finished work of Jesus – drawing strength, forgiveness, and refreshment from His once-for-all sacrifice.

It is a means of grace in that we actively fellowship with the risen Christ, receiving afresh His love and power.

There is a nearness enjoyed at the table which we do not else where.

Martin Lloyd Jones comments: The purpose is not only to remember that Christ died, but to remind us that we share in the benefits of that death – “we partake of Christ” and all He purchased (forgiveness, new life, etc.). It “signifies our participation in the new covenant and all its benefits”

c. The Community – The Corporate Nature of the Lord’s Supper:

Communion is not meant to be taken in isolation but together as Christ’s body.

Paul addressed the Corinthians as a church, instructing them to partake when they “come together” (1 Cor 11:33).

The Supper reinforces the unity of believers: “We, though many, are one body, for we all partake of the one bread” (1 Cor 10:17).

It is a family meal for all Christians, not an exclusive rite for an elite few.

When we share the bread and cup, we affirm our oneness in Christ.

All distinctions of status, race, or background fade, for we meet on the common ground of the cross.

Spurgeon vividly noted that at the Lord’s Table, “we are all one in Christ Jesus; we do not come…as Baptists, or Episcopalians…we come…simply as those who form one body in Christ”

Thus, Communion has a powerful horizontal purpose: it knits the congregation together in love, forgiveness, and mutual edification.

Practically, this means we must approach the Table in unity – resolving conflicts, forgiving one another, and “discerning the Lord’s body” (v.29) in the gathered church.

d. The Command – Obedience to Christ’s Institution:

Observing Communion is an act of obedience.

MacArthur says: communion is a time of worship and renewed devotion

It calls believers to exclusive worship of Christ.

1 Corinthians 10:21 “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.” ,

Paul argues that coming to the Lord’s Table means renouncing all idolatry – “you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons”.

In his view, the Supper prompts a “fresh commitment to [Christ’s] lordship”, a renewal of our vow that “we worship Christ and Christ alone”

Jesus commanded His disciples to “do this,” and Paul says, “I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you” (1 Cor 11:23), showing that this practice comes from Christ’s authority.

The church is bound by this institution until Christ returns.

We don’t partake merely out of tradition, but because our Lord ordained it for us.

In faithfulness to Christ, we celebrate the Supper regularly.

The New Testament implies Christians observed it often (Acts 2:42, 46; 20:7), and historically many have done so weekly.

Spurgeon urged, since our Lord instituted this supper as a “reminder of His death,” we should “celebrate it often”

To neglect Communion would be to disobey a clear command of Christ and to impoverish ourselves spiritually.

Thus, we approach the Table with a sense of dutiful joy – obeying Jesus’s command, and delighting in the privilege it is to remember Him in the way He appointed.

e. The Covenant (Vow) – Reaffirmation of Faith and Devotion:

The Lord’s Supper is a covenant renewal meal.

Jesus said, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood” (1 Cor 11:25), indicating that His death inaugurated the New Covenant between God and His people.

Each time we drink the cup, we are reaffirming our participation in that covenant.

We remember the vow God made to forgive our sins and be our God through Christ’s blood, and we also renew our own vow to be faithful to Christ.

In Communion, believers redeclare their trust in Jesus and their commitment to Him as Lord.

John MacArthur explains, when you come to the Table, in effect “you’re saying, ‘I believe. I renew that commitment. I refresh that vow. I restate that pledge’”.

It is like renewing your wedding vows with Christ, the Bridegroom.

This aspect of the Supper challenges us to examine our hearts: Are we keeping our covenant with Christ?

Are we surrendered to Him as we once professed?

By taking the elements, we humbly say “Yes, Lord” again – confessing our ongoing faith in His sacrifice and re-dedicating ourselves to live for Him.

This renewal purifies and strengthens our devotion. (Note: While Communion is a serious renewing of our pledge to Christ, it is not a re-sacrifice of Christ nor a means of rebaptism; it’s a reminder of the one-time sacrifice and a renewal of our response to it.)

3. The Seriousness of Communion

a. Partaking Unworthily – The Need for Self-Examination and Reverence:

The Corinthian church had treated the Lord’s Supper carelessly – some were eating and drinking in a flippant, selfish way (1 Cor 11:20-22).

Paul therefore warns, “Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord” (v.27).

To partake “unworthily” means to come with an irreverent or willfully sinning heart – treating as common what God gave as holy.

This could include participating ritualistically without true faith or repentance, harboring bitterness or division against others, or making the Supper about self-glorification rather than Christ.

MacArthur cautions that one comes unworthily by trivializing the Table – for example, by treating it as a mere ceremony, approaching with unconfessed sin or grudges, or without understanding its meaning.

Such irreverence dishonors the Lord’s sacrifice.

Therefore, Scripture commands, “Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat” (v.28).

Before partaking, each believer must search his or her heart – confessing and forsaking any known sin, and coming with sincere reverence and faith.

This self-examination isn’t meant to keep true believers away, but to prepare us to partake in a worthy manner – with a repentant, humble, and grateful heart. In practice, we should take time before Communion to pray, repent, and fix any relational wrongs, ensuring we do not make a mockery of this sacred ordinance by partaking lightly.

We might feel ‘unworthy’ - but it’s not talking about ‘feeling’ it’s talking about being unworthy.

If you feel unworthy repent!

b. Church Discipline – Accountability in the Body of Christ:

Because the Lord’s Supper is a church ordinance, the church has a responsibility to guard it from being profaned.

In Corinth, Paul exercised discipline through his correction, and he implies that gross irreverence at the Table has no place among God’s people.

Likewise, the local church today must practice loving accountability regarding Communion.

This means the church should instruct members on approaching the Table worthily and, when necessary, correct those living in open sin before they partake.

Spurgeon taught that it is not right to admit everyone “indiscriminately” to Communion if their lives or beliefs contradict the gospel.

Church leaders have a “bounden duty” to fence the table, i.e. to warn or prevent those whose conduct is blatantly unholy or whose doctrine is unsound from partaking – for their own sake and for the church’s purity.

This may involve private admonition, withholding the elements from an unrepentant individual, or even postponing the Communion service until conflicts are addressed (as implied by Paul’s instruction to “wait for one another,” v.33).

The goal of such discipline is not to be harsh, but to uphold the sacredness of Communion and to call sinners to repentance.

A church that faithfully administers the Supper will also faithfully shepherd its people toward holiness, so that all who partake do so in a manner that honors Christ.

c. Restoration – God’s Discipline Leads to Repentance:

Besides church-enforced discipline, the Scripture teaches that God Himself disciplines His children who profane the Table.

In Corinth, the abuse of Communion was so severe that the Lord brought temporal judgments: “For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep” (v.30). “Sleep” here means death – God had actually taken the lives of some believers as a drastic form of chastisement.

Some members fell ill; some even died, as a direct result of divine judgment, to shock the church into reverence.

This shows how serious the Lord’s Supper is to God.

Yet even this severe discipline had a restorative purpose.

Verse 32 explains, “When we are judged by the Lord, we are chastened so that we may not be condemned with the world.”

In other words, the Lord’s punishment is a fatherly correction, not wrathful condemnation.

MacArthur highlights that believers are chastened by God in order to rescue them from greater judgment – even if the “ultimate chastening” means the Lord takes a sinning Christian home to heaven, it is done to prevent the person from falling under eternal condemnation.

God’s heart is to produce repentance and “not be condemned” eternally.

Therefore, whenever we experience the Lord’s discipline (whether sickness, hardship, or rebuke from others), we should respond by examining ourselves and repenting, rather than hardening our hearts.

His discipline is a sign of His love (Heb. 12:5-6) – meant to restore us to righteousness.

In the context of Communion, this means if we have partaken casually in the past or harbored sin, and we feel the Lord convicting or disciplining us, we ought to humble ourselves, seek forgiveness, and be restored to a proper fellowship with Christ and His church.

d. Excommunication – The Final Warning for Unrepentant Sin:

While God’s discipline is meant to restore, the Bible also warns that those who persist in ongoing, unrepentant sin may demonstrate that they are not truly of the faith.

In such cases, the church must take the sobering step of excommunication (exit communion) – removing the individual from membership and barring them from the Lord’s Table.

Paul elsewhere instructs the Corinthians to “purge out the old leaven” (1 Cor 5:7)

and to exclude an unrepentant sinner from fellowship (1 Cor 5:11-13),

for the sake of the sinner’s ultimate salvation and the church’s purity.

Spurgeon notes that if a church member’s life grossly violates Christ’s law and they refuse to repent, “we should…by the Scriptural process of excommunication, remove from our midst those…not in accordance with the gospel”.

This is essentially a last-step disciplinary action, indicating that the person is to be treated as an unbeliever.

Being barred from Communion is a severe warning to the offender – it says, “As far as we can tell, you are not walking as a true believer; repent before it’s too late.”

It also protects the sanctity of the Lord’s Supper from continual abuse.

Importantly, excommunication is not irreversible; if the person later repents, the church should joyfully restore them to fellowship

2 Corinthians 2:6–8 “Sufficient for such a one is this punishment which was inflicted by the majority, so that on the contrary you should rather graciously forgive and comfort him, lest such a one be swallowed up by excessive sorrow. Therefore I encourage you to reaffirm your love for him.”

But the threat of excommunication should put a godly fear in us. No professing Christian wants to be in a place where the church can no longer affirm their profession.

Thus, each of us is urged to pursue holiness and repent quickly when we sin, so that we may continue to enjoy Communion with a clean conscience.

The overarching principle is that Communion is holy – and God calls His church to guard it diligently, for His glory and our good.

4. Future Hope (Conclusion)

a. Looking Forward – Heaven and Eternity:

Every time we observe the Lord’s Supper, we are not only looking backward at the cross, but also forward to Christ’s promised return.

Paul says, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes” (1 Cor 11:26).

The little phrase “till He comes” turns our gaze to the future.

Communion is a temporary ordinance for this age – a practice to continue only until Jesus returns.

It carries an implicit promise: Jesus is coming again!

In celebrating Communion, we both remember a past event and anticipate a future event.

We proclaim the atoning death now, with faith that soon we will see our risen Lord face to face.

MacArthur notes that the Lord’s Supper has an eschatological (end-times) aspect – it “keeps us looking forward till the day when we do it with Him” in person.

Indeed, Jesus told the disciples at the Last Supper, “I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom” (Matt 26:29).

So each Communion is a kind of rehearsal and reminder that a glorious reunion is coming.

It fans the flame of our hope.

Practically, as we take Communion we should be filled with hope and encouragement: Christ has died, Christ is risen, and Christ will come again!

The darkness of the world is not the end of the story.

One day our Lord will return to set all things right, and our Communion services proclaim that confidence to the world and to our own hearts.

Thus, the Lord’s Supper is a beacon of hope, reminding us that we are a pilgrim people awaiting the return of our King and the consummation of our salvation.

b. Looking Inward – Sanctification and Ultimate Glorification:

Communion also prompts us to look inward in two senses:

our present growth in holiness,

and our future transformation in glory.

In the here and now, the call to self-examination (v.28) means each Communion is an opportunity for sanctification – to realign our hearts with God’s will.

We assess our spiritual walk: Am I growing in grace? Am I turning from sin?

In a sermon on Communion, Spurgeon encouraged believers to examine how they have lived since the last Communion, asking questions like, “How have thy steps been directed? …Have we been walking in holiness as much as we would desire?”

This kind of regular reflection fosters spiritual growth.

The Lord’s Supper should never be an empty ritual; it should propel us to pursue holiness more earnestly.

As we remember Christ’s sacrifice, our love for Him is rekindled and we are moved to obey Him more fully.

In this way, “proclaiming the Lord’s death” also works to sanctify us – we don’t want to betray what we proclaim by living in sin.

At the same time, Communion points us to our ultimate glorification.

We not only remember that Jesus died and rose, but that because He lives, we too shall be raised in glory when He comes.

Every Lord’s Supper carries us one step closer to that day when we will be perfected in His presence.

“When He appears…we shall be like Him” (1 John 3:2), free from sin at last.

Thus, we partake with an eye on our personal destiny in Christ.

Knowing that one day we will be glorified with Him motivates us to strive for purity now (1 John 3:3).

In sum, looking inward means renewing our commitment to grow in Christlikeness (our sanctification), and rejoicing that one day we will be completely conformed to His image (our glorification). Each Communion is a foretaste of that sinless state, nudging us to keep pressing on in the faith until Christ completes the work in us.

c. Looking Sideways – In God’s Presence (Bridal Feast of the Lamb):

Finally, the Lord’s Supper directs our gaze sideways – to the glorious future fellowship we will share with all the redeemed in God’s presence.

What we do now in a local church gathering is a preview of a far greater feast to come.

The Bible describes the culmination of salvation history as a great wedding banquet – “the marriage supper of the Lamb” (Rev 19:9).

At Christ’s return, His Bride (the Church) will be united with Him in celebration. “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb”, says Revelation 19:9.

When we take Communion, we are looking ahead to that wedding feast.

We taste, in a small piece of bread and sip of the cup, the promise of a lavish banquet in eternity.

One day, we will sit with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, with apostles and martyrs, with believers from every tribe and tongue – all the saints – at table with our Lord (Matthew 8:11).

What a day that will be!

The harmony and love we experience briefly during Communion in our church is but a sample of the perfect fellowship and joy we’ll know at that feast.

Jesus hinted at this future when He said He will drink the fruit of the vine new with us in His Father’s Kingdom (Matt 26:29).

So as we “look sideways,” we consider our fellow believers – both those next to us now and those who have gone before – and we take heart that we will all rejoice together in glory.

This perspective should fill our current gatherings with joy.

Close

Communion is not a funeral; it is a victory meal looking forward to the ultimate victory celebration.

Even as we come solemnly, we also come gladly, knowing that our fellowship around the Lord’s Table will one day be made perfect in heaven.

In practical terms,

this hope encourages us to cultivate love and unity with one another now, since we’ll be spending eternity together!

It also comforts us in loss – when dear ones in Christ have died, we remember we will feast with them again at the Lamb’s marriage supper.

Thus, the Lord’s Supper has a built-in “forward look” to the community of heaven, strengthening us to persevere. We proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes, when mourning will turn to dancing and the simple Communion table will give way to the rich banquet of eternity in God’s glorious presence.

The Table is Special

Let’s partake together

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