Friday, November 18, 2011

SPEAKING OF LORD SUPPER: IS IT FOR THE BODY OF CHRIST OR FOR THE KINGDOM SAINTS?

By: Bishop Albert Gran

This is an alternative comparative study where the issue of Lord Supper became a unified practice in the Christendom in our times.

Corinthians 11:15-33

King James Version (KJV)

 ¹⁵But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering. 
 ¹⁶But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God. 
 ¹⁷Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse. 
 ¹⁸For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it. 

The very cause why Paul wrote this Lord Supper was to readily respond to the issue of this Jewish practice or ordinance firstly instituted by Christ as thereby addressed to the disciples, the kingdom saints as they anticipate for the second coming of Christ prior the establishment of the kingdom. Corinthian believers customarily performed such practice for many of them were influenced under Jewish tradition most especially in this customary observance. 

 ¹⁹For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.

These heresies came out to Paul’s ears relatively an issue that cause division which I believed the issue whether Lord Supper is an observance for the members of the BOC or something a commandment belonged to those kingdom saints from the past as per instruction of Christ during His earthly ministry. Hence, this traditional issue which are approved ( upon agreeable conditions) as per instruction was made manifest among you. So, Paul wanted to explain and give his advice for the settlement issue on the concept of this practice the Corinthian believers thought known as " The Lord Supper."   

 ²⁰When ye come together therefore into one place, THIS IS NOT TO EAT THE LORD SUPPER. 

This is the passage showing Paul’s introductory statement declaring his verdict of the Corinthian believer’s participation in the conduct of supposed "BOC Lord Supper." This declaration was then a festivity of twist committed by the LS practitioners as though not listening to Paul when he MANIFESTS IT AMONG THEM concerning this declaration as being approved by God. Ask yourselves what made Paul stressed this negative statement against the practice instead of promoting it? We can’t add up sense to the verse to mean that Paul want them to change their manner in practicing it for Paul never introduce any manner in the observance. Instead of connoting the sense of correcting the manner, Paul as what have been approved to address the heresies, told them THIS IS NOT TO EAT THE LORD SUPPER. So according to Paul, what was approved then based from his judgment is likely an idea that Corinthians must not to do it or practice it. Take note and read the foregoing heresies on the next verses. 
   
 ²¹For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.

There is a good sense and understanding which the LS adherents never understand perfectly the words that Paul addressed for the Corinthians to give idea of what has been approved. The Corinthians conducted the LS in accordance to the Jewish tradition during supper time while the modern Christians do it any time of the arranged schedule. What was Paul heard about those heresies were that there were Corinthian believers who were hungry and some are drunken. This is the very reason why many of them are weak, many of them are sickly and many slept because of drunkenness (as found in verse 30) for they have no judgment among themselves. They didn’t discipline themselves. Most importantly, they thought that Lord Supper was a means or an occasion to fill their stomach and something to abuse whatever fleshly demand through excessive drinking and eating inside the church during fellowship. Instead of doing this purpose of Lord Supper in the church among the believers at Corinth, Paul advice to eat and drink in their houses to have a plain eating and take their own supper. For Paul, the thing about their practice in the church is not Lord Supper anyway, but only a plain eating and drinking causing weak, sleepiness and sickness people who turn out themselves to become immature in matters of spiritual disposition before God.


 ²²What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the churchof God, and shame them that have not? what shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I PRAISE YOU NOT.

The purpose of LS on the account of the Corinthian’s customary practice for Paul is something UNWORTHY AND NOTHING TO BE PRAISED. Thus, Paul taught them what its significant account way back during the time of Christ when he instituted LS in the presence of His apostles. This revelation has no sense whatsoever addressing the Corinthian believers to conduct the practice for there was no command as such. Paul only told them that this was the right doctrine based from what he received from Christ to give them the exact sense of what LS all about. This LS institution or practice account started from verse 23-29. 

 ²³For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus THE SAME NIGHT in which he was betrayed took bread: 

Who are Christ’s audience at this time in the night when He took bread? The disciples of course! The Kingdom saints. Did Paul say that I delivered this to you for you to practice the right way? None, either! Paul told them about the event on that same night Christ instituted the LS to the kingdom saints. or you may have a right manner of observing it?

 ²⁴And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

The audiences of Christ in this verse are the same kingdom saints. They were called to remembrance what would like to happen when he die until the time when he comes in the second coming. You can see also this parallel truth in this verse found in  Matthew 26:26, then it reads:

And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body

 ²⁵After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

This is the blood of the New Testament which was clear stated in these passages.

Matthew 26:28
For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

Mark 14:24
And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many. 

This was a prophetic truth concerning Christ’s blood for the remission of sins for the nation Israel, though shared to Paul for the Corinthian church, yet something for them to be reminded what had happened in the actual deliverance to the kingdom saints, the 12 disciples on the account of Christ's earthly ministry.

 ²⁶For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come. 

This is the same significance when Christ instituted this practice to the disciples because Christ of course told them that He will die and this must not be understood to mean this was also addressed for the BOC members until the rapture. In fact all the way to the epistle of Paul you cannot read this command as a means to remember Christ’s death. 


Mat. 26:31-32 
Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I WILL SMITE THE SHEPHERD, AND THE SHEEP OF THE FLOCK SHALL BE SCATTERED ABROAD. 

This is about the prophetic truth concerning Christ’s death. So Christ already told the disciples concerning his death and they’re going to do the participation of LS until His second coming. If these grace adherents or proponents of LS thought that there was no record that Christ told the disciples about His death they’re significantly wrong. Thus it’s really void to adhere these truth meant for the BOC members because there’s no record concerning this in the gospels.   

 ³²But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee.

CONTINUING DECLARATION

 ²⁷Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 

If we believed that the audience of Christ was the disciples or the kingdom saints, who do you think is unworthy or guilty of the body and blood of the Lord? So if it’s indeed the truthful account in this gospel occurrence, it would also best to let these grace believers who are like Jews to know who’s guilty at this time. Read these verses folks in Matthew 26:20-25:

²⁰Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve.

 ²¹And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.

 ²²And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I?

 ²³And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me.

 ²⁴The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born.

 ²⁵Then JUDAS, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, THOU HAST SAID.

These grace believers and many avid Christians nowadays believed that members of the BOC in their experiencial way of life, may often guilty of the blood of Christ and therefore they must not be allowed to partake the Lord Supper during their regular initiation. The question is: As to what degree of experiential sins that the members of the BOC can’t be allowed to participate LS? Small sins and big sins committed were all the same sins before God. Do you think the Pastor who initiated the Lord Supper did not commit sin? Would it be fine to tell that Pastors can be called unworthy or guilty of the blood of Christ? If we focused this idea to the present sins we have committed who was worthy to initiate the Lord Supper. Are the Pastors worthy too?

Grace believers have lacked understanding in this parallel truth concerning someone who’s not worthy in this traditional practice. Those who adhere in this kind of practice were but just childish and don’t have understanding concerning our position and standing who we are in Christ. Positionally, we are already washed by the blood of Christ and we couldn’t be guilty of his death any more, instead, his death was our victory and his shed blood washed away all our sins. Christ already forgave our sins in Eph. 4:32. 

 ²⁸But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 
 ²⁹For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. 

Again this has in reference and significant for the kindom saints as there’s one who’s not worthy to partake and it was Judas. How many Judases in the grace circle who partook the Lord Supper? Brethren we are already members of the Body of Christ. This material practice and even believers’ experiential walk cannot take away from His real membership in the Body of Christ. Paul said we are COMPLETE IN HIM (Colossians 2:10). 

 ³⁰For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. 
 ³¹For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.

Paul charged the Corinthians to judge or discipline themselves so they will not be judged. These are the reasons why heresies came to Paul's ears.

 ³²But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

Chastening of the Lord here does not indicate direct physical chastening which others and most theologians interpreted upon the reason where some Corinthian believers got sick, weak, and sleep. Chastening here refers to condemnation from the outsiders or unbelievers who watched the wrongful manner of life and walk in the supposed thinking of Lord Supper to be performed in the church resulting to drunkenness and gluttony as many went hungry.   

 ³³Wherefore, my brethren,  when ye come together TO EAT, TARRY ONE FOR ANOTHER.

This presentation is an alternative if you are sold out to the traditional practice of Lord Supper. Just secure what essence of your standard hope and position with Christ. To tell you my dear readers, your justification, fellowship, and blessedness is a done deal issue, so GLORIFY GOD IN YOUR OWN BODY.


Grace and Peace!