By: Bishop Albert Gran
This is an issue which might lead other grace believers in our time who inclined the practice of Lord's table as a custom which they supposed Paul had taught them and a charge many grace preachers in our time called their members of the church the body of Christ to observe.
May this lesson be an aid or an eye opener which lead you the bright side of this doctrine in accord to God's holy writ. I intend to present this exposition somehow your eyes of understanding rather points out what needs to be considered in view of this tradition as mostly adapted by many Pentecostal and evangelical churches in our times.
1 Corinthians 10 King James Version (KJV)
10 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that ALL OUR FATHERS were under the cloud, and ALL PASSED THROUGH THE SEA;
Paul had something to clarify to the Corinthian believers so they themselves were not ignorant about God's plan way back in the period of law in time past wherein their forefathers also walked in accordance to the obedience of Mosaic law.
Though Paul addressed his first epistle to the Corinthians who were members of the church, the body of Christ in this recent age of grace, yet Paul plainly had wanted to bring us an idea about the Corinthian's racial background and how their story had set to be AN EXAMPLE AND ADMONITION for the believers under grace today to not live similarly like the murmuring and unbelieving Jews by which through lusts resisted God and PROVOKED HIM TO JEALOUSY. Just simply ask why Paul had reminded Corinthians about their "fathers" who had passed through the sea. Paul simply pointed out the paternal fleshly background of Corinthian believers who were accustomed to Jewish tradition especially to Moses' custom.
2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
Believers passing through the Red Sea is a baptism of Moses in the cloud and in the sea. It typifies Israel's redemption from the hand of their enemies going all through the promised land. Corinthian's fathers basically were recipients of Moses baptism along with Mosaic law and its covenants.
3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
Paul pointed out that the meat is in reference to the word of God (The Law) through which their forefathers abide, had obeyed, it is by being obedient of Mosaic law teachings as God delivered to them. In its widest sense the law is the school master which led them to the promised Messiah, the Christ.
4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
The Rock which Moses had beaten when people were thirsty in the wilderness journey typifies Jesus as the Rock of which those who will drink of it will no longer be thirsty. In the book of John Jesus Christ had clearly emphasized what is this living water when Israel (in comparison of Jacob's well) has invited to come to him and drink His Living water (Jesus Christ).
John 4
9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee LIVING WATER.
11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
14 But WHOSOEVER DRINKETH OF THE WATER THAT I SHALL GIVE HIM SHALL NEVER BE THIRST; but the WATER that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water SPRINGING UP INTO EVERLASTING LIFE.
15 The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw. In the circumcision ministry of Jesus Christ, he came in order to fulfill the Law and the prophets about the prophecy concerning him as the Living water. He's the King of Kings and Lord of Lords who shall sit in David's throne and a ruler of Abraham's land. The Jews must come to acknowledge that Christ is the Living Water so they will obtain everlasting life and reign with him in the kingdom which is at hand.
5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
In spite God's divine manifestation of power to quench Israel's thirst when Moses struck the Rock and splashed out water, still people were not consistent and contented of God's goodness. They continued to oppose and disobeyed His laws. They were laden with grossed sin and pride through their own lusts. It displeased the Lord and many of them were overthrown into the wilderness. OT records shew how Israel was divided, some were taken captives by their enemies and killed, then some were cursed and buried under the ground alive, etc.
6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
LUST is a significant issue at the church in Corinth. What Paul had observed in matters of Corinth's disposition and affairs in their status is when he wrote them what's about their kingdom observance concerning Lord's Table. They were like babes who were easily trodden down by the thoughts and doctrines of their fathers. Observing Lord's Table as a custom is what they got from the Jews particularly the kingdom saints, as Christ told them until he comes, however their observation is done through fleshly motivation (for the satisfaction of the flesh) wherein great merriment and wrong practice happened inside the church. Some got drunk and slept. Paul taught them the lesson however that those what had happened in the church is a pattern of the OT occurrences to be set as example.
7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.
9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.
10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.
When Moses approached to Mt. Sinai to receive God's laws, he had so much displeasure when he went back and saw people worshiping the golden calf. He saw people sat down to eat and drink, rose and play. They lusted themselves and that the whole congregation caused so much displeasure before God's eyes. Moses threw tables of stones and broke it in pieces. Israel broke God's commandments through idol worship.Through lusts had forgotten also the goodness and mercy of God.
Paul reiterated Israel's journey to the promised land through which issues of idolatry, fornication, tempting Christ, and murmurings were behaviors causing God's so much displeasure. Their course of action is a sign of UNBELIEF after He proved his power to protect, save them from their enemies, and provide their needs as they journeyed to the promised land.
In this account, Paul had elaborated these events using Israel's wilderness journey with accounts of their fathers misbehaviors and unbelief so that the Corinthian believers will see themselves that their father's experiences are typical to what they did inside the church at Corinth.
11 NOW ALL THESE THINGS HAPPENED UNTO THEM FOR EXAMPLES: and they are written for our ADMONITION, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
13 There hath no TEMPTATION taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, FLEE FROM IDOLATRY.
15 I speak as to wise men; JUDGE YE what I say.
We knew Corinth is an idolatrous city and people basically had city lifestyles as you observed very common in our modern times. Lusts and temptations were very common issues which characterized tendencies for people to live a compromised life, doing evil and what seems similar to what had happened in time of Moses.
Paul reminded them what example believers at Corinth might learned from their fathers. Today, we knew we're living under grace, however we were called to be wise and conscious about our grace walk and disposition as sons of God to redeem the time as our days are evil. Corinthians had many tendencies to live a compromised living in consonance to the world's recent corrupt affairs. In fact there's one situation where immorality was committed by a member of the church at Corinth. Since most of them knew the story of their fathers in time past, Paul used that account to remind them not to tempt Christ in their present walk respectively under grace. As many of them walk like babes, they were enhanced by Paul to live wisely and JUDGE his admonition for them.
LORD'S TABLE ISSUE: A JEWISH CUSTOM
16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?
17 For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.
18 BEHOLD ISRAEL AFTER THE FLESH: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?
Now, I would like to point out something I learned and perceived in this issue about LORD'S TABLE as many confused if this doctrine is for us members of the church the Body of Christ especially Gentiles in particular who were saved through Pauline gospel and doctrines.
As we knew Corinthian members are predominantly Jews and by background aware about the circumcision ministry of Christ, Lord's Table or communion is one of the practices they applied in their congregation. It's one of the common activity that the Jewish believers in the early ministry of Paul had practiced.
Lord's table is not the command or practice which Paul instituted for all members of the church the Body of Christ especially the Gentiles under this present dispensation of grace who were not promised by Christ to reign in the kingdom to come on earth.
As Jews who knew Lord's Table background, Paul had used this practice as an illustration to the most important significance HOW MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH THE BODY OF CHRIST get its essence through Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. Our salvation was directed as instant as the blood of Christ shall automatically cleansed our sins the moment we believe and trust it for our perfect salvation apart from human works.
Admittedly, Paul himself being a Jew knew this doctrinal practice in view of Christ's circumcision ministry. Lord's Table is not a mandate for today's practice especially when you knew the actual significance of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection for your sins causing to change position, walk and destiny.
Simply put, when Gentiles today break bread and instituted Lord's Table or Lord Supper in their churches it's understood simply only an adaptation of Jewish custom but not as a matter of God's command to practice for the church the Body of Christ because our salvation today is in effect of the gospel immediately work to those who believe. The reason why it's not for us today because we will not SUP WITH CHRIST in the earthly kingdom (Luke 22: 15-20, Rev. 3:20). It's the Jews primarily the kingdom saints who will sup with Christ when He establish His kingdom on earth.
LORD'S TABLE: A JEWISH PRACTICE IN VIEW OF SPIRITUAL WALK IN OUR RECENT AGE
19 What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing?
20 But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.
21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils.
22 Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?
The issue of Lord's Table had been such a long traditional practice of Corinthian believers of whom we found in this context as Jews. Paul had used this customary practice to set themselves as example being members of His family, the body of Christ to FLEE FROM IDOLATRY, and PARTAKING GENTILE SACRIFICES called DEVIL SACRIFICES whose were Gentiles activities.
As members of Christ's body, a cleansed individuals who were called to be saints, being washed, and saved these things must not be once practice in the church with believers doing and committing it like what their fathers did during Moses time.
Paul wanted to point out that these Gentiles' activities also, which are evil in nature, were not those activities of believers who partook the salvation and being recipients of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection (as illustrated by Paul partaking the Lord's Table).
Paul had stressed that their traditional practice of Lord's Table gave significance how to live a separate and holy life as Jews with distinct activities for the Lord. This is contrary to Gentiles' idolatrous nature with sacrifices to devils who also did activities through lusts which were ways of PROVOKING THE LORD TO JEALOUSY.
There's no sense Paul mentioned even by implication that Lord Supper is a doctrine we should do as well today. He reminded them that as partakers of Christ's body they should abstain from these activities the fathers did in time past during Moses time and such those sacrifices also committed by Gentiles.
MORE PRACTICAL GRACE-LIFE INSTRUCTION
Edification, being thankful, set as example, and salvation of the lost are Paul's main themes of instructing Corinthians to live a life with grace. He enumerated that though we are at liberty from sin we shall not attempt or commit as those who we were before we obtained our fellowship with Christ.
In this chapter, Lord's Table is not the real issue through which Paul told members the church the Body of Christ as an essential practice however he used this Jewish observance to point out what life governed if being partaking the communion of Christ's body (a spiritual significance of salvation and relationship with Christ).
23 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.
24 Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth.
25 Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake:
26 For the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof.
27 If any of them that believe not bid you to a feast, and ye be disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake.
28 But if any man say unto you, this is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that shewed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof:
29 Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other: for why is my liberty judged of another man's conscience?
30 For if I by grace be a partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks?
31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
32 Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:
33 Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.
Our grace-life walk has to be governed with carefulness and described as those who walk in wisdom for the sake of weak consciences designed for edification and others salvation. This is a new-character nature provided by our Lord Jesus Christ to walk in the newness of life, as those who truly are resurrected from the dead.
We are God's workmanship created by Jesus Christ unto good works and henceforth the new life we had in Christ is complacent to the image of Christ whose lives set as living epistles, holy, and righteous before Him in love.
I viewed Lord's table as something a kind of practice similar to water baptism which Paul also had practiced in the early church the Body of Christ. However, those practices I firmly believed based on several proofs and citations those belonged to that which were ceased when he instructed them TO SHOW THEM THE WAY OF THE LORD MORE PERFECTLY.
Therefore, it's such a categorical practice Paul had mentioned "I KNOW IN PART" but when the PERFECT IS COME, nevertheless that which was in part shall be vanished away.
Preach the gospel and hid it to the lost and that is where you can COMMEMORATE THE LORD'S TABLE in all your life.
Grace and Peace!
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