I wanted to take some time to address an issue that a number of people have asked about: The biblical call to examine oneself before partaking of Communion, and the solemnity and seriousness this gives to communion.
If you have read Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 11, you likely have come away with a sense of fear and trepidation about taking Communion in “an unworthy manner” (vs. 27). Here is what the heart of the passage says,
Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. 31 But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world. (1 Cor. 11:27-32)
It is understandable that this passage brings about a greater seriousness in approaching Communion. It appears that some who observed Communion “in an unworthy manner” became weak and ill, and even died! That’s pretty intense! We rightly don’t want to do what they did, and have this happen to us.
And I think such a response is appropriate: Communion—or the Lord’s Supper—is a serious, solemn, weighty observance. This is seen here by the language Paul uses as a warning: “guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord…. eats and drinks judgment on himself…”
It is also seen back in 1 Corinthians 10, where Paul says, “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?” (10:16). In taking Communion, we are claiming a participation in the body and blood of Jesus. That is a serious and significant claim! Not that the bread and cup actually unite us to Christ—faith does—but they do signify and proclaim this reality.
So, there is not really a question of whether the Lord’s Supper is a serious and solemn activity. The question is, What does it mean to observe it “in an unworthy manner,” and thereby, open ourselves up to judgment?
The common explanation of this—and the one I grew up hearing and believing—is that each person should take some time before taking of the elements to consider their heart and lives before God. Specifically, they should consider whether there is any hidden or unrepentant sin in their lives that ought to be confessed. My sense is that this understanding is commonplace.
Now, whether or not this practice of reflection before taking Communion is a good and wise thing to do is one thing. I think it is, in general. Whether or not this is what Paul is getting at in 1 Corinthians 11, and so failing to do such reflection means taking it in an unworthy manner, is another thing. I think it isn’t what he is getting at.
Let me explain. The context of this section, starting back at verse 17, is Paul rebuking the Corinthian church for their divisiveness. And the Lord’s Supper is one of the areas that this divisiveness was most apparent: When they came together as a church, some would go ahead and partake of the “meal” (it appears that Communion was more substantial than the small cup and piece of bread common today); and others would get left out who didn’t get to it first. Still others would get drunk off the wine!
And this was exasperating divisions between the rich and poor, with the rich humiliating the poor.
So when Paul speaks of eating the bread and drinking the cup “in an unworthy manner,” this is what he has in mind. The “unworthy manner” has to do with ignoring or mistreating fellow Christians through a selfish taking of Communion. If there is a broader principle behind this, it is something along the lines of failing to consider and love our fellow church members when we gather together, and instead, only thinking of ourselves.
It is difficult to think of equivalents to this situation in our context. The amounts of bread and wine typical today aren’t big enough to fill your stomach…or get you drunk! Even if they were, there is enough social pressure to keep most anyone from coming and taking the whole tray.
Perhaps a more likely example in our context would be ignoring, ostracizing, or otherwise excluding a fellow believer in our gatherings who looks or behaves different than us: someone who is homeless or in extreme poverty; someone who battles a mental illness; someone with a special need; someone who is particularly burdensome or difficult.
So, one takeaway from this passage is that we should consider the ways we might create division in the church, and thereby ignore the blood-bought unity that is ours, a unity that the Lord’s Supper especially reminds us of.
But that leads us to a broader principle: The Lord’s Supper is inherently corporate. It matters that we take it with others, and not just by ourselves. In fact, five times in this section of 1 Corinthians 11, Paul says, “When you come together…” His instructions and warnings don’t envision a personal taking of Communion—me and God—but a corporate taking of Communion—me and God and fellow believers.
In other words, observing Communion proclaims something about God, AND proclaims something about others. Of course, the proclamation about God is central: “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (11:26). When a church takes Communion, they make the gospel of Christ crucified for sinners visible. You see, taste and smell the elements, which represent Christ’s body and blood. If there were no gospel, there would be no Communion, no matter who was present, no matter how much unity or fellowship they felt with one another
But Communion also proclaims something about the other believers present: Because we all have participated in Christ, “we who are many are one body” (1 Cor. 10:16-17). In being joined to Christ and receiving all the benefits of salvation in him, we are also joined to all true believers. And as we “come together” with a specific, local body of believers in a church, and particularly when we take communion, we proclaim our unity and fellowship with them; we commit to love, serve, warn and encourage them; we commit to recognize and remember them, caring about their needs and not just our own.
In summary, communion is a serious and solemn observance, and we ought to approach it carefully and thoughtfully, even fearfully. This is both because of what it signifies and proclaims about God and the gospel—the vertical element—AND because we take it in the company of other believers, to whom we are joined and committed.