In 1 Corinthians 11:17-34, the Apostle Paul explains there are divisions and factions in the church at Communion time, so the genuine, true Christians are revealed, for the disunity proves the absence of holy, pure love in “what is supposed to be Christ’s body, the church”, and those who are genuine members of Christ’s body, show it by their unified love.
Why do you think the factions, the cliques, the secluded groups, in the church causing the disunity, were placed there by Satan and his demonic forces—what truth are they hiding from the body at communion time?
As we read 1 Corinthians 11:17-34, look carefully in verse 30, for the three-word prepositional phrase—”For this reason (NKJV)”—so you know if it is attached to “examine yourself” or to “not discerning (understanding) the Lord’s body”, and then we will know why the church is unhealthy.
We partake of the Communion “unworthily”, when we do “not discern or understand the Lord’s body”, or how each member of Christ’s body, the worldwide church, affects all the other members, and until we fully understand how the Lord’s body is one body, with many members—Christ is the Head in heaven, with worldwide Christians as His body-members on earth; thus, everything we think, say, and do greatly affects all the other members of Christ’s body, the church, for we see this awesome and amazing truth explained in 1 Corinthians 12:1-31, and it is so preciously written.
In reading 1 Corinthians 12:1-31, we understand from verses 29-31, the Apostle Paul is preparing us for the understanding, in 1 Corinthians 13, that even though we desire God’s best gifts, yet the perfect love God is, is God’s most excellent gift, and this is the life that holds Christ’s body, the church, together in healthy, unified, peaceful joy.
From Matthew 3:11-12, we know John the Baptizer says, the coming Jesus, the Christ, will baptize believers with or into the Holy Spirit and fire, that is confirmed in 1 Corinthians 12:12-13, and John 7:37-39 is the Holy Spirit that 1 Corinthians 12:13 says, is the Spirit we all drink into, for John 14:15-18 says, we know the Holy Spirit who is both with and in Christians, members of Christ’s body, the church worldwide.
But to fully discern, know, or understand “the Lord’s body”, we must also understand how seeds when planted, germinate and come out of the ground as a plant, to produce multiple seeds, but some seeds in today’s farming are corrupted, mutated in some way that changes the seed, but Romans 1:20-23 says, God is incorruptible; therefore 1 Peter 1:22-25 says, we love one another because we were born again by an incorruptible Seed, Christ, the resurrected Jesus; thus, 1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-49 says, the plant (body) is not like the seed that was planted, which is why Mary Magdalene, in John 20:11-18, did not recognize Christ, the Plant or the resurrected Jesus, the Seed, and why His two followers, in Luke 24:13-35, did not recognize Him until He broke and blessed bread, even though they had walked and talked with Him on their way to Emmaus, when He explained Scripture that pertained to His life, death, and resurrection.
Now that we are able to “discern or recognize the Lord’s body”, so when we partake of the Communion, we will no longer “examine ourselves to see if we are right with God, through Christ, by the Holy Spirit, but we will thoroughly examine ourselves to make sure we have a genuine love, caring, and respect for the other members of Christ’s body, the church worldwide, so our thoughts, speech, and actions edifies Christ’s body, instead of making it weak, sick, and die, and it all depends of whether or not we love Christ and the other members of His body, for we know from 1 Corinthians 15:20-28, Christ, the Head of His body, the church, is the One now sitting on the throne, and will rule until God puts all His enemies in submission under Christ’s feet, and then Christ will give the rulership back to Father God, to rule throughout eternity.
If you remember, we began this by reading in 1 Corinthians 11:18-19, the reason the church at Communion time has divisions and factions (cliques and secluded groups), is so we know by their love or absence of, who are the genuine, true members of Christ’s body; thus gathering into our secluded cliques and private groups, just remember Christ is sitting on God’s throne, and He knows the kind of “love” each body member on earth has for all the other body members; therefore, we will never fool Him, even though we may fool a few people into believing we are genuinely, true, loving, caring Christians, members of Christ’s body, the church worldwide, and we will remain strong, healthy, and alive, for now we no longer unworthy partake of the Communion.
And such thinking is pure, satanic pride, because genuine, caring, and true Christians are humble, caring, forgiven, forgiving, and lovingly enjoy being with people, encouraging one another in the Lord, and praying for the needs of each other, for we want people to come to the Lord, serve Him, and escape the lake of fire, regardless of who they are or what wickedness they have done, for we know Christ can change them, by making the impossible become possible, so they become new creations in Christ, so ask Lord Jesus, the Christ, to remove all your sins and guilt, and replace it with all He is, and with His love for people, and the expect Him to do what you have asked.
God’s children are lovingly, humbly grateful, forgiven, and forgiving; Satan’s children are pridefully, grumble hateful, forgiven (Luke 23:34), but unforgiving (Mark 11:25-26).
So, ask Lord Jesus to take out of you all the world’s anger, hate, criticism, unforgiving, and all that causes separation between you and everyone God created, and replace it with His perfect, pure love for His glory and honor, so people will see the love you have for God and them, and want it.
Jim and Tim Nabors