Post on 03-Apr-2018
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AN INTERPRETATION OF PAUL'S LORD'S SUPPER TEXTS:1 CORINTHIANS 10:14-22 AND 11:17-34
By Calvin L. Porter
References and allusions to the Lord's Supper can be found throughout
the New Testament. While some are obvious, others are less familiar.
Those which come to mind immediately because they are heard in the Sunday
observance of the Lord's Supper include the narratives of the Last Supper
in the Synoptic Gospels (Mark 14:12-25; Matthew 26:17-29; Luke 22:7-38) and
Paul's instructions to the Corinthians inwhich the tradition of the Lord's
Supper is cited. Paul also refers to the Lord's Supper in relationship to
his exhortation to "shun the worship of idols" (1 Chrinthians 10:14-22)
when he writes, "Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body,
for we all partake of the one bread."
Beyond these familiar texts the Book of Acts refers to the practice of
persons gathering together for "the breaking of bread" (2:42; 2:46; 20:7;
20:11; 27:35). I cite one instance: "And they devoted themselves to the
apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the
prayers." The Gospel stories of the feeding of the four thousand and the
five thousand (Mark 6:30-44; 8:1-10; Matthew 14:13-21; 15:32-39; Luke 9:10-
17; John 6:1-13) clearly contain eucharistie language: "And taking the
five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven, andblessed, and broke
the loaves, andgave them to the disciples to set before the people" (Mark
6:41).
Additional references are embedded within the narratives of the post-
resurrection appearances. In one story (Luke 24:13-35) two disciples
returning home to Emmaus encounter a stranger for whom they provide
hospitality. Theguest becomes the host who "took bread andblessed, and
broke it, and gave it to them." In yet another story in the Johannine
Epilogue (John 21) Jesus becomes known to a group of the disciples when he
says to them, "Come andhave breakfast" and then "took the bread and gave
it to them, and so with the fish."
Whether or not other texts refer to the Lord's Supper depends on the
interpreter's judgment. This is especially true of texts in the Gospel ofJohn; namely, the episode of the wedding at Cana (2:1-11), the bread
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discourse (chapter 6), and the vine symbolism (chapter 15). Some of the
banquet parables of the Synoptic Gospels may be understood as alluding to
the Lord's Supper. A case in point is Luke 13:29: "And people will come
from east and west, and from north and south, and sit at table in the
Kingdom of God." Who can be certain whether or not texts like those found
in Revelation (3:20), "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any hear
my voice and open the door, I will come in to them and eat with them and
they with me." and in Hebrews (13:10), "We have an altar from which those
who serve the tent have no right to eat." allude to the Lord's Supper?
Some writers within the tradition of the Disciples of Christ have
understood Paul's appeal to the Galatians, "0 foolish Galatians! Who has
bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as
crucified?", as referring to the Lord's Supper. William Robinson explains
the text:
Now the Galatians had never seen Him crucified. Theyhad been living in Galatia at the time. When,therefore, had they ever seen Him visibly depictedcrucified? . . . it was this they had seen every timethey had gathered for the Lord's Supper. The bread had
been broken and the wine out-poured and in aneschatological moment they had joined themselves inhistory to that moment when His body had been marred and
broken on the Cross and His blood had been shed, and atthe same time had stood within the moment of itsfulfillment in His coming again. So Christ had beenonce again visibly depicted crucified (Robinson: 406.)
A similar interpretation of the text occurs in The Church of Christ by
Thomas W. Phillips, "A Layman," (Phillips: 338-39).
Paul's Lord's Supper texts (1 Corinthians 10:14-22 and 11:17-34) are
particularly important because Paul uses the Lord's Supper traditions to
address issues of critical importance to the church. These texts, the
earliest written texts which mention the Lord's Supper, are the only places
Paul refers to the Lord's Supper. So that they can be before us I cite
them in full from the Revised Standard Version.
14 Therefore, my beloved, shun the worship of idols. 15I speak as to sensible men; judge for yourselves what Isay. 16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a
participation in the blood of Christ? The bread which
we break, is it not a participation in the body ofChrist? 17 Because there is one bread, we who are manyare one body, for we all partake of the one bread. 18
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then? That food offered to idols is anything, or thatan idol is anything? 20 No, I imply that what pagans
sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do notwant you to be partners with demons. 21 You cannotdrink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. Youcannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table ofdemons. 22 Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Arewe stronger than he?
"k Vc *V
17 But in the following instructions I do not commendyou, because when you come together it is not for thebetter but for the worse. 18 For, in the first place,when you assemble as a church, I hear that there aredivisions among you; and I partly believe it, 19 for
there must be factions among you in order that those whoare genuine among you may be recognized. 20 When you
meet together, it is not the Lord's supper that you eat.21 For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal,and one is hungry and another is drunk. 22 What! Doyou not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do youdespise the church of God and humiliate those who havenothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend youthis? No, I will not.
23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered toyou, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was
betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, hebroke it, and said, "This is my body which is for you.Do this in remembrance of me." 25 In the same way alsothe cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the newcovenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drinkit, in remembrance of me." 26 For as often as you eatthis bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord'sdeath until he comes.
27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cupof the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of
profaning the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Let a manexamine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink ofthe cup. 29 For any one who eats and drinks withoutdiscerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.30 That is why many of you are weak and ill, and somehave died. 31 But if we judged ourselves truly, weshould not be judged. 32 But when we are judged by theLord, we are chastened so that we may not be condemnedalong with the world.
33 So then, my brethren, when you come together to eat,wait for one another 34 if any one is hungry, let him
eat at home lest you come together to be condemned.About other things I will give instructions when I come.
The quest for origins characterizes most scholarly work on these
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In other instances, scholars have sought to locate the texts in some
reconstructed controversy. The comprehensive and exhaustive inquiry intoeucharistie origins carried out by Hans Lietzmann has been influential on
subsequent interpretation. In Mass and Lord's Supper: A Study in the
History of the Liturgy Lietzmann, after a thorough examination of the
earliest liturgies of the East and West, particularly "the two oldest types
of liturgy, that of Hippolytus and that of Serapion" (Lietzmann: 195),
concluded that "the gem of the former [that of Hippolytus] is to be found
in the practice of the Pauline Churches with which we are familiar through
the apostles" and "the Egyptian liturgy, with its distinctive features, isrooted in the Didache form" (Lietzmann: 195). The latter of these he
designated "the Jerusalem type" and the former, "the Pauline type."
The "Jerusalem type," characterized by the breaking of bread at the
beginning of the meal, was the continuation of the table-fellowship, or
ordinary meals, of the disciples with Jesus. The "breaking of bread"
tradition of the Acts belongs to this type. This type makes no reference
to the death of Christ; it is not connected with the Last Supper. Rather,
it was marked by joyfulness and it anticipated the reunion of theparticipants with Jesus at the Messianic banquet.
The "Pauline type" centered on the remembrance of the last meal and
consequently on the death of the Lord. The meal began with the breaking of
bread and ended with the wine-cup as symbols of the body and blood of
Christ. Both types have in common eschatological hope of the expected
parousia.
To the question whether one type developed out of the other, Lietzmann
argues that they arose independently. He attributes the origin of the"Pauline type" to Paul on the basis of the text, "I received it from the
Lord" (1 Corinthians 11:23). Lietzmann states, "The ascended Lord himself
revealed it to him" (Lietzmann: 208). He continues, "Even though we are
engaged in historical enquiry, we can take him at his word" (Lietzmann:
208).
Lietzmann's analysis of origins led him to a hypothesis about the
Corinthian situation. It is this hypothesis which has influenced
subsequent interpretation, particularly of 1 Corinthians 11:17-34.Lietzmann argued that Paul had made known to the Corinthians the tradition
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defend them against another type which they had until then practiced
(Lietzmann: 207). Rather, he explains, "It is of course conceivable thatthe Jerusalem type was subsequently introduced into the Church by the
Jewish Christians with the intention of supplanting the Pauline type"
(Lietzmann: 207). If they had taken up the "Jerusalem" practice then they
had given up the idea of partaking of the body of Christ: "the blessed
bread was no longer a soma to them, and they partook of ordinary food"
(Lietzmann: 208). In that case the words of Paul would have challenged
them to remember the death of Jesus, thereby connecting the observance to
that death.I have included this exposition of Lietzmann's views not in order to
argue for or against it but because subsequent interpreters more-or-less
begin with him and he has established a pattern of interpreting the problem
in Corinth as a conflict over eucharistie theology. It is widely held that
the conflict was between the observance of an Agape meal and the observance
of the Lord's Supper. I cite two examples illustrating this model of
interpreting 1 Corinthians 11:17-34. In both it is assumed that what is at
issue is conflict over the character of the supper.
According to Walter Schmithals in Gnosticism in Corinth the
instigators of the disorder were Gnostics who sought to sabotage the cultic
observance and to transform it into a profane feast (Schmithals: 255).
Gnther Bornkamm in an essay, "The Lord's Supper and Church in Paul," also
interprets the material in terms of a conflict over eucharistie theology or
"the right understanding of the Lord's Supper." For Bornkamm the
Corinthians were "robust sacramentalists" who attached all importance to
the sacramental act and made the common meal a matter of indifference. It
is his contention, that Paul vigorously opposed the "absolutizing of the
sacramental communion" and "a conception which perverted the sacrament into
a magic working 'medicine of immortality1" (Bornkamm: 147).
Turning from this all too brief review of the work of important and
influential interpreters, I propose an alternative reading of the texts,
one which is not based upon a hypothesis about the source of the conflict
in Corinth. I propose to analyze the texts as texts. Even Walter
Schmithals acknowledges the methodological problem inherent in his proposal
to reconstruct the background or source of the conflict. He explains:
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255). He does acknowledge correctly, I am convinced, that there is "no
doubt at all that it was the divisions in the community which in the lastanalysis caused the unedifying conduct of some at the observance of the
Supper" (Schmithals: 255) about which Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 11:17-34.
Close scrutiny of the two texts, 1 Corinthians 10:14-22 and 11:17-34,
reveals that they are only indirectly about the Lord's Supper. The subject
matter is not the Lord's Supper. The texts do not address the topic of the
Lord's Supper. This is widely acknowledge to be the case with 10:14-22.
This text begins with the admonition, "Therefore, my beloved, shun
(pheugete apo) the worship of idols." The text concludes with a rhetoricalquestion, "Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? (10:22), a question
which certainly relates to the opening admonition. The motifs of idolatry
and jealousy go hand in hand as Deuteronomy 32:21 indicates: "They have
stirred me to jealousy with what is no god; they have provoked me with
their idols." Almost no one questions that 1 Corinthians 10:14-22 is about
idolatry.
But I contend that the subject matter of 11:17-34 also is not the
Lord's Supper. On the one hand, the section is frequently described interms similar to those of A.J.B. Higgins, "abuses at the Lord's Supper in
the Church of Corinth" (Higgins: 64), or to those of the notes of The New
Oxford Annotated Bible, "Directions concerning the Lord's supper" (May and
Metzger: 1390). On the other hand, Wayne Meeks in The First Urban
Christian supports the point I want to make. He writes, "Paul cites the
Eucharistie traditions only in order to address certain conflicts which
have arisen in the Corinthian congregation" (Meeks: 159). A close reading
of the text indicates that it addresses divisions or disorders within thecommunity. Note the following items: "when you come together it is not
for the better but for the worse (11:17); "there are divisions among you"
(vs. 18); when they eat together "each one goes ahead with his own meal,
and one is hungry and another is drunk" (vs. 21); some "despise the church
of God and humiliate those who have nothing" (vs. 22). We ought not assume
a disorder in the Lord's Supper itself. Neither should we assume opposing
views about the Lord's Supper within the Corinthian church.
The fact that the material pertaining to the Lord's Supper occurswithin a discussion of other issues is significant. This structure
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The language of the two Pauline texts supports the contention that the
Lord's Supper is relevant to ethical discourse. The texts contain language
which is common to Greek and Hellenistic moral discourse. It is impossible
to cite all the evidence here. In some instances alternative translation
to that of the Revised Standard Version sharpens this point. Note
especially the following expressions: "shun (pheugete) the worship of
idols" (10:14); "I speak as to sensible men (phonimois)" (10:15); "judge
for yourselves (krinate humis) what I say" (10:15); "I do not commend (ouk
epaino) you" (11:17); "it is not for the better but for the worse (to
kreisson . . . to esson)" (11:17); "shall I commend (epainso) you in this?
No, I will not (epaino, untranslated)" (11:22); "let a man examine himself
(dokimazeto)" (11:28); "without discerning (diakrinon) the body" (11:20);
"But if we judged (diekrinomen) ourselves truly, we should not be judged
(ekrincmetha)" (11:31); "But when we are judged (krinomenoi) by the Lord,
we are chastened (paideuometha)" (11:32); "that we may not be condemned
(katakrithomen) along with the world" (11:32); "lest you come together to
be condemned(krima)" (11:34).
Two verses require more extensive comment because alternativetranslations effect the interpretation significantly. Verse 19 of chapter
11 reads in the Revised Standard Version as follows: "for there must be
factions (haireseis) among you in order that those who are genuine (hoi
dokimoi) among you may be recognized." This verse is generally construed
as explaining why the divisions (schismata) mentioned in verse 18, "there
are divisions among you," are necessary from an eschatological point of
view. Gordon Fee's comments are typical of those found in the
commentaries :
Having mentioned the "divisions" of which he has beeninformed, and that he is well disposed to believe hisinformants, Paul adds a theological aside, apparently asa further justification for his believing them. One ofthe reasons he does so is that (literally) "there mustalso be factions among you so that the approved also
might become manifest among you"a sentence that is oneof the true puzzles in the letter. How can he whoearlier argued so strongly against "divisions amongyou" (1:10-17; 3:1-23) now affirm a kind of divinenecessity to "divisions" (Fee: 537-38)?
Fee, acknowledging that this could possibly be irony, argues that it is a
fl i f l l d / h l i l i l
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then emphasizes the necessity of making decisions in the face of options:
"for there must be choices among you in order that those who are genuine
among you may be recognized." James Moulton and George Mil ligan cite
extensive evidence from the papyri in support of such a translation
(Moulton and Milligan: 13). H.G. Liddell and Robert Scott also provide
instances in which such translation is appropriate (Liddell and Scott: 41).
Such a translation strengths the ethical character of the material.
Verse 32 of chapter 11, "That is why many of you are weak and ill, and
some have died.", can be construed in different ways. The interpretation
of Hans Conzelmann is typical.
Instances of sickness and death are consequences ofoffending against the sacrament. Is Paul thinking of a
magical effect on the substance or of materialconsequences of guilt, divine punishment? The contextshows that he is in fact thinking of punishment of thiskind. His teaching is not concerned with the elements,but with conduct and punishment (Counzelmann: 203).
The significant words used in verse 32, "astheneis" ("weak"), "arrostoi"
("ill"), and "koimontai" ("have died") can be construed in a moral sense,
that is moral weakness and deadness. In relationship to the last of these
words, "and some have died," a particularly interesting text occurs in
Plutarch's essay De Superstitione.
But to the superstitious man it is possible to say, "Thegift of sleep which the gods bestow on us as a time offorgetfulness and respite from our ills; why do you makethis an everlastingly painful torture-chamber foryourself, since your unhappy soul cannot run away tosome other sleep?"
Plutarch then quotes Heracleitus.
Heracleitus says that people awake enjoy one world incommon (hena koinon kosmon einai) but of those who arefallen asleep (ton koimomenon) each roams about in aworld of his own (idion, private). But thesuperstitious man enjoys no world in common with therest of mankind; for neither when awake does he use hisintelligence (to phonounti), nor when fallen asleep(koimomenos) is he freed from his agitation, but hisreasoning is sunk in dreams, his fear is ever wakeful,and there is no way of escape or removal (Plutarch:166,C).
Instead of "and some have died" I take the text to be saying that "somehave fallen asleep in the sense that they are roaming about in their own
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The two Pauline texts in which Lord's Supper tradition and
interpretation occur call for the community to engage in theological and
moral reflection and discourse on the issues facing the community
idolatry, on the one hand, community division and disorder, on the other.
One concerns the relationship of the community to the dominant social and
cultural world. The other takes up the life of the community itself. In
each case the standard, norm, or criterion for that critical reflection and
discourse is the Lord's Supper tradition. The interpreted tradition
provides the criterion for appropriate behavior. Turn again to the texts
beginning with 10:14-22.
After stating the subject matter"shun the worship of idols"and
inviting the readers to "judge" or "decide" for themselves, the text turns
to the Lord's Supper:
"The cup of blessing which we bless,
is it not a participation (koinonia) in the blood of Christ?
The bread which we break,
is it not a participation (koinoina) in the body of Christ?"
This verse (vs. 16) has been identified as a piece of pre-Paulinetradition. The text apparently quotes commonly accepted belief. Ernst
Kasemann, for example writes, ". . . while Paul refers to the early
Christian tradition in vs. 16, he interprets it in vs. 17" (Kasemann: 110).
the interpretation offered in the text is as follows:
Because there is one bread (heis artos) we who are manyare one body (hen soma) for we all partake (metechomen)
of the one bread (tou henos artou).
This interpretation of the tradition forms the principle or axiom which
leads to certain conclusions. Those who partake of the one loaf are, inspite of their plurality, one body.
Having established that critical point, the text turns to an analogy
from "the people of Israel" (vs. 18) and poses a rhetorical question which
expects a positive response, "Are not those who eat the sacrifices partners
(koinonoi) in the altar?" The text cites this analogy to support what it
says about the commonality of those who partake of the one bread at the
Lord's table.
The text then eliminates the possibility that "food offered to idols"
and "the reality of idols" are the issues (vs. 19): "What do I imply then?
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text concludes with a statement of that exclusivity: "You cannot partake
of the table of the Lord and the table of demons" (vs. 21). Fundamental
allegiance is at stake. The text does not demand retreat from pagan
culture. Rather, it establishes the point that those in the Corinthian
community must not participate in the religious meals of their pagan
neighbors. The argument is made using the interpreted tradition related to
the Lord's Supper.
A similar pattern of argumentation occurs in the longer text, 11:17-
34. Verses 17-22 describe the disorders within the Corinthian church.
When they meet together it is "not for the better but for the worse" (vs.
17). There are divisions. Eating and drinking is taking place but it is
not the Lord's Supper. Some are hungry; others are drunk. The abuses seem
to move in two directions. The primary problem was an abuse of the church
itself. What is at stake is the church itself. This is specifically
stated in the rhetorical question of verse 22: "Do you despise
(kataphroneite, "look down on," "scorn," "treat with comtempt," "care
nothing for") the church of God? A secondary, but related problem is the
social one. This is stated in the second rhetorical question: "Do youhumiliate (kataischunete, "disgrace," "put to shame") those who have
nothing?"
At this point in the text the Lord's Supper tradition is cited: "For
I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you. . ." (vs. 23). The
tradition itself continues through verse 25. Verse 26 sets forth an
interpretation of the tradition: "For as often as you eat this bread and
drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes." It is this
interpretation of the tradition, and not the tradition itself, whichbecomes the criterion for the argumentation which follows. In other words,
the interpretation bridges the distance between the tradition and the
practice of the church. This distinction between tradition and
interpretation finds wide-spread support. CK. Barrett, for example,
explains: "It is probable that the material received by Paul from the
tradition (verse 23) ends at verse 25; ... He now adds a further sentence
underlining the connection between the Supper and the death of Christ. . ."
(Barrett: 270).The critical question posed by the interpretation (vs. 26) is whether
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is to be gained here by citing critics who support each position. The
reasoning of Hans Conzelmann defies explanation:
Does Paul mean that the Eucharistie action as such is aproclamation of the death of the Lord, or is he thinkingof an explicit proclamation accompanying it? Sincethere is no such thing as a sacrament withoutaccompanying proclamation, we have to assume the latter(Conzelmann: 201 ).
Beverly Gaventa in an article on this verse has argued persuasively that
"Paul understands the Supper itself as an act of proclamation." She
writes: "What Paul says here is that when believers celebrate the Lord's
Supper they proclaim the death of the Lord in its eschatologicalsignificance. The celebration itself demonstrates the gospel" (Gaventa:
383). Implicit in the proclamation is the recognition of the "brother and
sister for whom Christ died" (1 Corinthians 8:11). The text establishes
this point: the action in the Lord's Supper proclaims the death of the
Lord. That fact has consequences for the church.
In verses 27-32 the text moves back to the problems in the church.
The section begins by referring to the language of the tradition:
"Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an
unworthy manner, will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the
Lord." This translation of the Revised Standard Version, particularly the
phrase "guilty of profaning" distorts the text; there is no justification
for it. The Greek word "enochos" means "subject to," or, in legal
parlance, "liable, answerable, guilty" (Arndt and Gingrich: 267). In light
of this, I propose another reading of the text: "Whoever, therefore, eats
the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be held
responsible to 'the body and blood of the Lord.'" The principle is that of
accountability.
The call for self examination or testing (dokimazeto) picks up an
earlier motif in verse 19, "that those who are genuine (dokimoi) among you
be recognized." Critical self examination describes the mode or manner of
participation in the Lord's Supper. A warning follows (vs. 29): "For any
one who eats and drinks without discerning the body (diakrinon to soma)
eats and drinks judgment upon himself." The phrase "not discerning the
body" has been interpreted to mean either (1) failure to recognize the
Lord's body, that is, the significance of his death, as they eat, or (2)
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between the death of the Lord and the church is to eat and drink judgment
on oneself. I am not alone in believing this to be the case. Charles H.
Talbert explains the connection, "Given the context, failure to discern the
body can mean only inability to perceive the Christian unity rooted in the
sacrifice of Christ and actualized in the sacred meal" (Talbert: 79).
Geoffrey Wainwright concurs. He writes, ". . .we are pointed towards a
dual understanding of soma in v. 29, both the eucharistie and the ecclesia!
body being intended" (Wainwright: 185). Failure to discern this
relationship results in (vs. 30) "moral weakness," "powerlessness," and
some "falling asleep," or, as I have suggested earlier, "some roam about in
their own private world, failing to use their intelligence." These
"judgments" would not have occurred if those in the church had been
examining themselves in relationship to the death of the Lord proclaimed in
the Lord's Supper. That examination requires critical self-reflection in
relationship to the church and to one another. Verse 32 completes the
discussion: "But when we are judged by the Lord, we are chastened
(paideuometha) so that we may not be condemned along with the world." To
be judged "by the Lord" most certainly can be taken as referring to theLord's Supper, especially the interpreted tradition, the tradition having
been "received from the Lord." The verse also connects the Lord's Supper
to the important Greek notion of "paideia," "upbringing," "instruction,"
"discipline," "education," "guidance."
Having argued theologically from the Lord's Supper, that the readers
must "discern the body" as they eat, the text concludes by moving to the
specific situation of the church. The proposed solution is simple and to
the point. The first practical solution is that when the church comestogether to eat they are to "receive" (ekdechesthe, "accept," "welcome,"
"wait for") one another. The second proposal is that eating to satisfy
hunger is to be done at home. A final word is added urging these actions
"lest you come together to be condemned along with the world."
The text thus moves from a descriptive statement of the disorders in
the church to the interpretation of the tradition. That interpretation is
then used as the criterion for critical reflection on the church's life.
Out of that theological reflection proposals for a revised practice are setforth.
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That the Lord's Supper has a forming and transforming power in the
lives of the participants almost goes without saying. Within our Disciple
tradition, Alexander Campbell expressed this point of view. About the
"breaking of bread" he writes:
It is to him [the intelligent Christian] as sacred andsolemn as prayer to God, and as joyful as the hope ofimmortality and eternal life. His hope before God,springing from the death of his Son, is gratefullyexhibited and expressed by him in the observance of thisinstitution. While he participates of the symbolicloaf, he shews his faith in, and his life upon, theBread of life. While he tastes the emblematic cup, he
remembers the new covenant confirmed by the blood of theLord. With sacred joy and blissful hope he hears theSaviour say, "This is my body brokenthis my blood shedfor you." When he reaches forth those lively emblems ofhis Saviour's love to his christian brethren, thephilanthropy of God fills his heart, and excitescorrespondent feelings to those sharing with him thesalvation of the Lord. Here he knows no one after theflesh. Ties that spring from eternal love, revealed in
blood and addressed to his senses in symbols adapted tothe whole man, draw forth all that is within him ofcomplacent affections and feeling to those joint heirs
with him of the grace of eternal life. While itrepresents to him all the salvation of the Lord, it isthe strength of his faith, the joy of his hope, and thelife of his love. It cherishes the peace of God, andinscribes the image of God upon his heart, and leavesnot out of view the revival of his body from the dust ofdeath, and its glorious transformation to the likenessof the Son of God (Campbell: 175).
This understanding of the Lord's Supper relates to the contemporary
discussions of the "ethics of character" which are concerned with the
duration, growth, and unity of the self. While this is an importantconsideration in relationship to the Lord's Supper, it is not the most
important point of this paper.
Because I wanted to call attention to the fact that the texts include
a consideration of the Lord's Supper in the discussion of other issues of
importance, I have insisted that these two texts from 1 Corinthians are not
directly about the Lord's Supper. The structure of the texts itself
communicates something about the character of the Lord's Supperits
ethical or moral character. The Lord's Supper is not unrelated to theissues before the church. The Lord's Supper is not primarily a
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42 Encounter
suggests the absence of Christ: "For as often as you eat this bread and
drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes." The emphasis
is not on "spiritual uplift" or "personal communion." The Lord's Supper is
a dramatic setting forth of the Lord's deathan action which has moral and
ethical implications and consequences. Those who eat and drink "without
discerning the body" fail to recognize and acknowledge this relationship of
Supper and ethics. Not only is the Lord's Supper a dramatic action
proclaiming God's love for each and all"You proclaim the Lord's death."
it also sets forth God's requirement of justice for each and all"When you
come together to eat, receive one another."William Robinson's convictions about the Lord's Supper concur with
this interpretation when he writes :
Christianity is the Good News about God's action as Holy
Energy, personally directed and morally conditioned.
. . . And this holy action was perpetuated and
actualized in the dramatic action of the sacraments.
. It was the Real Action of God in the Sacraments
which was central in early Christian thought, rather
than the Real Presence (Robinson: 405, 406).
There is a further crucial point. The two texts from 1 Corinthians,case studies in practical theology, use the interpreted tradition of the
Lord's Supper as the criterion for criticizing the church's practice and as
the basis for recommended action. The question that emerges is this. In
what ways can the interpreted Lord's Supper tradition contribute to
consideration of issues emerging out of the church's commitments and
practices today? I do not intend for this question to be limited to those
which are related to eucharistie theology and practice: What constitutes
the right observance of the Lord's Supper? Who should be included at theLord's Table? In what way is Christ present? Who are the proper
celebrants? Certainly these are important issues for the church.
While the claim is made among Disciples that "we are a people of the
Table" or "the Lord's Supper is central for us" I find little evidence that
indicates that we employ the interpreted Lord's Supper tradition as a
criterion for coming to terms with and deciding upon the issues vital to
the life of our church. Even in ecumenical discussions the Lord's Supper
is more of a problem than it is a criterion for ethics. When have theDisciples thought theologically and critically about moral and ethical
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An Interpretation of Paul's Lord's Supper Texts 43
with the Lord's Supper as criterion for critical reflection? Those are
some of the questions which Paul's Lord's Supper texts pose for us.
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44 Encounter
BIBLIOGRAPHY
William F. and F. Wilbur Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the NewTestament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: The University ofChicago Press, 1957).
C.K. Barrett, A Commentary on the First Epistle to the Corinthians(New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1968).
Gnther Bornkamm, "Lord's Supper and Church in Paul," Early ChristianExperience (New York: Harper & Row, 1969).
Alexander Campbell, "A Restoration of the Ancient Order of Things,""No. VI, On the Breaking of Bread: No. 1," The Christian Baptist, edited
by D.S. Burnet, Cincinnati, [Vol. 3, No. 1 (August 1, 1825)].
Hans Conzelmann, 1 Corinthians: A Commentary on the First Epistle tothe Corinthians (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1975).
Gordan Fee, The First Epistle to the Corinthians (Grand Rapids:William B. eerdmans Publishing Company, 1987).
Beverly Roberts Gaventa, "'You Proclaim the Lord's Death": 1Corinthians 11:26 and Paul's Understanding of Worship." Review andExpositor, vol. 80, No. 3 (Summer, 1983), pp. 377-388.
A.J.B. Higgins, The Lord's Supper in the New Testament ("Studies inBiblical Theology"; No.T5 (London: SCM Press Ltd, 1952).
Ernst Kasemann, "The Pauline Doctrine of the Lord's Supper," Essays onthe New Testament Themes ("Studies in Biblical Theology"; No. 41)(Naperville: Alec R. Allenson, Inc., 1964).
Hans Lietzmann, Mass and Lord's Supper: A Study in the History of theLiturgy (Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1979. Originally published m German in1926)7
Henry George Liddell and Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, newedition by Henry Stuart Jones, (Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, 1940).
Herbert G. May and Bruce M. Metzger, The New Oxford Annotated BibleWith the Apocrypha (New York: Oxford University Press, 1973).
Wayne A. Meeks, The First Urban Christians: The Social World of theApostle Paul (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1983).
James Hope Moulton and George Mil ligan, The Vocabulary of the GreekNew Testament (London: Hodder and Stoughton, Limited, 1930).
Thomas W. Phillips, "A Layman", The Church of Christ (Cincinnati: TheStandard Publishing Company, Fourteenth Edition, 1909).
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An Interpretation of Paul's Lord's Supper Texts 45
William Robinson, "The Nature and Character of Christian SacramentalTheory and Practice," The Shane Quarterly, Vol. 2, No. 4 (October, 1941),
pp. 399-408.
Walter Schmithals, Gnosticism in Corinth: An Investigation of theLetters to the Corinthians (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1971).
Charles H. Talbert, Reading Corinthians: A Literary and TheologicalCommentary on 1 and 2 Corinthians (New York: Crossroad, 1987).
Geoffrey Wainwright, Eucharist and Eschatology (New York: OxfordUniversity Press, The American Edition, 1981).
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^ s
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