I don't know how other people interpret 1 Corinthians 11 on the Lord's Supper. Maybe it's just me who read it this way... I remembered years ago someone must have taught me this interpretation... It feels really weird that such a so commonly quoted Bible passage has been misinterpreted by me and by some others for so long...
No idea what I'm talking about? here...
23For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." 25In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." 26For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.
27Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. 29For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.
What we (ok, you're not included, maybe it's just me and the one who taught me) always do is interpret this passage on its own... and if we read the parts before and after it, we'll realise this is NOT just about the Lord's Supper, it's about the separation of rich and poor..."A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. "
I was taught that this means I should remember it was Jesus' body that I ate, but according to NT Wright (you should know who he is if you regularly read my posts), this means these rich people (who separates themselves from the poor) were not recognising the body of the Lord (i.e. the Church). Read it carefully if you're not convinced...
3 comments:
I totally agree with you. We should read the passage in its context. The separation of the rich from the poor is much more intense in today's society of extreme ends. However, for most Christians in Hong Kong today who are of middle-class and professionals, the meaning of the passage may have to be read in a new social context.
I think I'm guilty of this. I remembered sitting in my church during the worship service, someone came in wearing dirty clothes, carrying some garbage... My first thought was "oh! hope he's not going to sit next to me."
sigh... we all have to work hard to be like Jesus.
For me, I may need to be more patient having 'fellowship' with those churchgoers who are not seeking Jesus.
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