In An Unworthy Manner
“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.” 1 Cor. 11:27 (NASB)
What does Paul mean by taking the Lord’s Supper in an “unworthy” manner? Paul’s strong words have provoked many questions regarding what it means to take communion in an “unworthy” manner. It is usually explained as implying that one must be a professing believer or that one should confess any known sin before approaching the table of the Lord. While these cautions are certainly good to remember, neither is the specific focus of the passage. The cultural context reveals that Paul was not giving basic instructions, speaking about sin or belief in general. Instead, he was addressing a specific problem in Corinth, a specific social problem regarding the way the Corinthians were partaking of the Lord’s Supper.
In 11:18-19 Paul explains the problem as divisions in the community related to eating and drinking. At the time, the Lord’s Supper would have been a meal, not the cup of grape juice and piece of bread that are used in many churches today. The Corinthians were most likely following cultural convention in distinguishing guests at a meal according to their social status. For example, at private dinners the host would seat his favored guests (i.e., those with the highest social status) in the dining room, or triclinium, and serve them the best and larger quantities of food. The others would be crowded into the atrium and served poorer and less food. The meal could also be an eranos, or “basket dinner,” where each person brought his or her own food. While at times it could resemble today’s potluck, at other times people would keep their food for themselves. This meant that the rich could have lavish meals, while the poor would have much less. Either of these situations could provide the background for Paul’s complaint that in Corinth “one is hungry and another is drunk” (11:21).
The effect of these practices was that some would be publicly honored and others humiliated. Meals were a prominent and accepted way of distinguishing between the classes, and the Corinthian believers appear to have been just as eager as everyone else in the city to show their importance. The problem was now they were doing it in the church.
Paul expects something radically different from Christ’s followers. Christ’s death brings the offer of salvation for all, regardless of status(11:24-25), which means that the poor are as valuable in God’s eyes as anyone else. If the Lord’s Supper is to be a remembrance of his selfless sacrifice, how can the Corinthians use it for the opposite purpose, as a means of promoting individuals and discriminating against poorer believers? In his commentary, David Garland observes that the word translated “in an unworthy manner” (anaxios) “refers to doing something that does not square with the character or nature of something.” Since the Corinthians are not imitating Christ in their actions, it is no longer the Lord’s Supper that they eat (v. 20). The Lord’s Supper should be an event that unifies believers in their love for one another, rather than creating divisions and producing shame.
Therefore, Paul is not saying here that in taking the Lord’s Supper we must confess all of our sins or that one must only be a professing Christian. Rather, he is urging us to be people who do not shame and discriminate against those in the church who have less. It does not matter if society says such behavior is acceptable; what matters is how we can honor Christ’s sacrifice through our actions.
When we come together, it would be good to ask ourselves if our focus is upon reaching out to and welcoming those who are considered “lesser” in the world’s eyes, or if we are concerned with promoting or otherwise thinking too highly of ourselves because of our status, money, education, physical appearance, etc. Instead of being people who live for personal gain, especially at the expense of others, we are to be those who live for others. If we do this, then our eating of the bread and drinking of the cup will truly proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes (11:26).
Michelle Lee, Ph.D., is a professor of biblical studies and theology at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University.
© Biola University 2005