1 Corinthians Week 25

Day 1 

READ 

1 Corinthians 11:17-19 

¹⁷ But in the following instructions, I cannot praise you. For it sounds as if more harm than good is done when you meet together. ¹⁸ First, I hear that there are divisions among you when you meet as a church, and to some extent I believe it. ¹⁹ But, of course, there must be divisions among you so that you who have God’s approval will be recognized! 

Paul could not praise the Corinthians about a report he had heard. He was disappointed with the lack of harmony among those in the church fellowship. He realized that divisions in a church have a good purpose: they reveal who is approved by God. This is something most churches today do not think about. 

REFLECT 

Have you had cliques in the church you attend? What was the result of them? Were people hurt spiritually? 

RESPOND 

With a friend talk about what divisions can do in a church. Read 1 John 2:18-19 to help in your discussion.  

Day 2 

READ 

1 Corinthians 11:20-21 

²⁰ When you meet together, you are not really interested in the Lord’s Supper. ²¹ For some of you hurry to eat your own meal without sharing with others. As a result, some go hungry while others get drunk. 

Paul chided the church goers who came to celebrate the Lord’s Supper. Normally a fellowship meal called a “love feast” preceded participating in the Lord’s Supper. Apparently the more affluent were not sharing with the poorer people. The wealthier hurried to eat the meal before the poorer people arrived. Some had even drunk so much wine at the love feast that they were drunk by the time it came to participate in the Lord’s Supper.  

REFLECT 

Does your church group have a fellowship meal before the Lord’s Supper? Some do.  

RESPOND 

What do you and your friend do so you are not separated from those less fortunate? Have you asked the less fortunate to your home for a meal? That can provide an opportunity to talk about spiritual matters and enable you to share your faith with others. 

Day 3 

READ 

1 Corinthians 11:22 

²² What? Don’t you have your own homes for eating and drinking? Or do you really want to disgrace God’s church and shame the poor? What am I supposed to say? Do you want me to praise you? Well, I certainly will not praise you for this! 

To those who were not expressing love at the love feast, Paul asked if they did not have homes for eating and drinking. What they were doing, Paul said, was disgracing God’s church. It was also degrading the poor. The guilty ones may have expected Paul to praise them but he refused to do so because of their behavior. 

REFLECT 

How do you think the readers felt who were guilty of these actions? 

RESPOND 

With a friend read Jude 1:12-13 about ungodly people eating with others at the love feasts. Christ-followers need to be on guard about those in their midst who are not true believers in Jesus. 

Day 4 

READ 

1 Corinthians 11:23-24 

²³ For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread ²⁴ and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 

Paul expressed what he had received by revelation from the Lord. This is what Jesus said on the night He was betrayed. At the meal, He picked up the bread, broke it in pieces and said it was a symbol of His body which was given for believers. It was to be eaten and in this way remembering what He had done for them. 

REFLECT 

How often does your church fellowship celebrate the Lord’s Supper? What are the reasons for this? 

RESPOND 

Consider how sobering it is during the Lord’s Supper to realize the broken bread is a symbol of Jesus’ broken body for lost mankind. Thinking on this should humble every Christ-follower. 

Day 5 

READ 

1 Corinthians 11:25-26 

²⁵ In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it.” ²⁶ For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again. 

Jesus’ action after breaking the bread was followed by what he said about the contents of the cup. It was the “new covenant between God and his people.” That covenant was confirmed by His blood. The Bible does not specify a specific time or the number of times the Lord’s Supper is to be observed. Jesus simply said, “as often as you drink it.” Eating the bread and drinking the cup announces the Lord’s death until His Second Advent to earth.  

REFLECT 

Have you heard people debate how often the Lord’s Supper should be observed? Does anyone point out what the Bible says? 

RESPOND 

Join with a friend in reading the new covenant to which Jesus referred. It is found in Jeremiah 31:31-34. See also what is said about it in Hebrews 8:6-13.