table manners

The world and its institutions operate according to readily identifiable patterns.  The observable business model seen in both global corporations and mainstream church institutions is one such example.  In much the same way, things established and instituted by the Lord operate according to the pattern set forth by Him.

[speaking to His disciples] But Jesus answered and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord  it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them.  Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.  And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave – just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:25-28

As children of God, we are not to walk according to the pattern of this age, but rather we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2) to the effect that our pattern of behavior and organization no longer reflects that of the world, but rather that of Christ.  As our Father has rooted and established us in Christ, we ought to be built up by Him rather than attempt to build ourselves up into something for Him.  He says explicitly that He will do the building (Matthew 16:18, Ephesians 2:19-22).  In the Ephesians 2 passage, do note middle voice of the verb συνοικοδομεισθε meaning to be built together, or rather experience the process of being built together instead of actively doing the process of building.  I have said all of this to bring us back to this point, as God’s elect, we are to be/being conformed into the image of His Son (Romans 8:28-29) and so in our behavior we should be following the pattern set forth by our Lord, Jesus (Philippians 2:1-8).  Please do keep this in mind as we consider Paul’s writing to the Corinthians regarding the Lord’s Supper.

Now in giving these instructions I do not praise you, since you come together not for the better, but for the worse.  For first of all, when you come together as an assembly, I hear that there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it.  For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you.  Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord’s supper.  For in eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of others; and one is hungry and another drunk.  What!  Do you not have houses to eat and drink in?  Or do you despise the assembly of God and shame those who have nothing?  What shall I say to you?  Shall I praise you in this? I do not praise you.  For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”  In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood.  This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”  For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.  Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.  But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.  For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.  For this reason many are weak and sick among you and many sleep. 1 Corinthians 11:17-30

Paul opens the discussion on the Lord’s Supper by scolding the Corinthians for unacceptable, even borderline heretical, conduct during their assemblies.  When the Corinthians assembled, they did so in small groups (small enough to fit in a house).  While assembled, they shared an entire meal and had their fellowship over the dinner table.  This pattern they received from Paul and it is no coincidence that it resembles the same pattern of assembly that the other apostles taught new believers to follow at the beginning of Acts.

Then those who gladly received his (Peter’s) word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.  And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.  Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.  Now all who believed were together and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.  So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people.  And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. Acts 2:41-47

The phrase, breaking bread, used twice in the above passage is an idiom describing not just the literal act of breaking a loaf of bread, but also all that follows (i.e. the subsequent meal).  Especially regarding the Lord’s Supper, consider Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26,

For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that when the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”  In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood.  This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”  For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.

Notice that the bread was broken after thanks was given to begin the meal.  The cup was not given until after the meal.  As delivered by the Lord to His people, His supper is not a ceremonial religious activity, but a literal and symbolic meal.  None of this should come as any surprise as the apostles continued to teach those things which they learned from the Lord in both word and deed.  Many times in the Gospels, Jesus is seen teaching His disciples in houses over supper.  He is even accused by His critics as being a glutton and a wine bibber (Luke 7:34), no doubt because they observed Him much of the time eating and drinking with His disciples.  Much beyond the perception of His critics though, Jesus and His disciples were doing more than filling their flesh when they often sat down to eat.  It is therefore no coincidence that Paul passed this pattern of assembly on to the Corinthians.

Even more importantly in that passage, when the Lord broke the bread, He served His disciples with it, rather than serving Himself.  In the same manner, He served them with the cup, rather than serving Himself.  According to the account in Luke 22:15-18, the Lord breaks bread and delivers the cup to His disciples and instructs them to divide it amongst themselves.  He gave to them, and us, the responsibility to share His body with one another.  Furthermore, in giving Himself to and for them in the form of the broken bread and poured out cup, He did not partake of it Himself at all.  He did not eat what He brought to the table, and so we ought to follow His example.  Jesus did not give to us, nor did Paul or any of the other epistle writers, a list of ceremonial religious practice how-tos.  They all do, however, speak forth a Godly pattern of behavior rooted in unconditional, self-sacrificial love directed towards both a dying world, and especially the household of faith.

The Corinthians’ pattern of assembly was not under scrutiny by Paul, but their conduct at supper was.  Meeting together for fellowship over the dinner table in the context of daily living was a part of the pattern that he delivered to them.  Their problem was that they had horrible table manners!  They were supposed to be coming together to edify one another and so build up the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:7-16, 5:1-2, Romans12:1-16); to consider one another in order to stir up love and good works (Hebrews 10:24).  The Corinthians, however, did not come together to serve one another, but rather to serve themselves.  Brothers and sisters, let us by the grace of our Lord learn from the mistakes of those that have come before us so as to not be found with bad table manners, being unloving and self-serving, at His return.  May His peace be yours.