An Unworthy Manner
by Joey Carroll Corinth Missionary Baptist Church
We have been talking about worship and the Lord’s Table for the last couple of weeks. And now we come to the problem in the church at Corinth. They were participating in communion in an unworthy manner.
Certainly, there is only One that is seated at the Table of the Lord that is worthy. He is the sinless Son of God.
As for the rest of us, we sit at the Table based solely on grace.
We do not particulate in Communion because we are worthy of it; we are most certainly not.
But at the same time, Paul accuses some of the Corinthians of participating in an unworthy manner.
The greek word for “unworthy” is worth our time to consider.
The root word is where we derive our word “axis,” and it is found elsewhere in the Bible in a very helpful way.
“Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love.” (Ephesians 4:1-2, NASB).
The phrase “a manner worthy” is our word “axis.” In other words, believers are called to live in a manner that is consistent with, or along the same axis, as the Gospel itself.
Now we do not have to guess what a worthy manner is,
Paul tells us in the same verses.
To live in a way that is consistent with the Gospel is to live in humility, gentleness, and love.
Christ came in humility and love.
He humbled Himself and was born a man, and then demonstrated His love for us by dying in our place for our sins.
Paul says to live like that! Since we are Christ followers, we are to live with the same humility and love toward one another that He has modeled for us.
The difference between the use of the word “axis” in Ephesians 4:1 and in 1 Corinthians 11:27, is the prefix “un.” In other words, the Corinthians were participating in the Table in a way that was contrary to the gospel and the Table.
There was no humility and no love, only self-centeredness and selfishness.
Participating in Communion in an unworthy manner is a really bad idea.
It leads to two responses from God. First, you are found “guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 11:27).
Secondly, you are under the judgment of God (1 Corinthians 11:29).
We could spend a great deal of time defining those two responses, but suffice to say, that is not anything any Christian would ever want to experience.
In fact, Paul tells us that it lead to the premature death of some.
“For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep” (1 Corinthians 11:30, NASB).
How do we avoid being found so irreverent at the Table of the Lord?
Paul tells us to examine ourselves (1 Corinthians 11:28, NASB). But what exactly are we looking for when we do that?
When we participate in the Table, we are called to remember the broken body and shed blood that was offered for us.
It was an act that demonstrated both God’s great love as well as God’s great sacrifice for our sins.
How can we remember the great love and forgiveness we have received, and at the same time be unconcerned with our unloving and unforgiving attitude toward others, even in the same church?
Or how can we remember His death for our sins, while we continue in unrepentant sin?
Participating in the Table of the Lord was a central part of the early church.
I do wish it would become more of a central part in worship today, but whenever we do may we be spiritually prepared to do so.
