ACCURATE BIBLE KNOWLEDGE!

 QUESTION: “HOW DO I TEACH THE LORD’S SUPPER?”

                    “IS THE LORD’S SUPPER AN ORDER?”

 ANSWER: “VERY SIMPLY … AND NO … IT’S NOT AN ORDER”

EXPLANATION:

1. The Lord’s supper is a REMEMBERING of what Christ did on the cross for us, and we are to judge ourselves beforehand and confess our sins.

2. It is NOT AN ORDER to do this.
Hence, the Lord’s supper is not an ordinance but is a REMEMBRANCE with consequences of not treading Christ’s shed blood underfoot (1Cor 11:25).

Furthermore, to say “… the cup, as oft as ye drink it …” (1Cor 11:25) reveals it is not a ‘must-do’ order. Christians might never have the Lord’s supper.   

3. You must JUDGE yourself
In the previous chapters prior to the Lord’s supper of chapter 11, Paul delivers the orders for the church in chapters 1-10.
He then goes on to say “If you are not judging yourselves and following the orders “…as I have delivered (past tense) them to you…” (11:2), you will get weak, sick and die.”

4. The Lord’s supper was a TEST to see whether they were judging themselves and keeping the orders previously given.

A similar test in the Old Testament was the Jealousy Test for a woman to uncover any unfaithfulness to her husband. She would drink the water to see whether she was telling the truth. Her belly would swell and thigh would rot if her speech and heart were not as one (Num 5:27). This test had more immediate consequences. Almost instant.

Taking the supper unworthily is directed at Christians, not the unsaved, who are already unworthy. There is not a special double damnation for double unworthiness for an unsaved person who takes the Lord’s supper.

Unlike the Jealousy Test in the Old Testament, the consequences for unworthily taking the Lord’s supper may take time to appear … becoming more weak, sickly, falling asleep.  

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Harley Hitchcock

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