1 Corinthians 11:27-32 Why whoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.… I. THE SIN, unworthy eating and drinking of the sacrament. 1. One may do an action worthily in a threefold respect. (1) As "the labourer is worthy of his hire" (Luke 10:7). This exact worthiness may claim a reward due unto it, and the denier doth this worthy party wrong. Now no saint can receive with this worthiness, as appears by the humble confessions of Jacob (Genesis 32:10), John Baptist (Matthew 3:11). So communicants say, "We be not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under Thy table."(2) Though not in a perfect and exact proportion, yet in some fitness unto that which is required (Matthew 3:8; Colossians 1:10; Ephesians 4:1; Philippians 1:27) — i.e., let not your life shame your belief; let not your practice be inconsistent with your profession. And we must know that sins of infirmity, through God's mercy, may subsist with this worthiness. In this acception to "eat worthily" is to eat so fitted and prepared as may bear some resemblance and agreement to the solemnity of the work we go about. (3) The worthiness of acceptance, when God for Christ's sake is pleased to take our actions in good worth. That is well spoken which is well taken; and that man is worthy who by God is accepted so to be (Revelation 3:4). 2. Two sorts of people, then, do eat and drink unworthily. (1) The unregenerate who (Hebrews 6:1) have not as yet "laid the foundation of repentance from dead works and faith." Without this foundation, the fair side-walls of a good nature, and the proud roof of all moral performances, will both totter and tumble to the ground. (2) The regenerate, but guilty of some sins unrepented of, who eat unworthily till they have sued out a special pardon out of the court of heaven. II. THE SINFULNESS OF THE SIN. "Shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord." As those that deface the stamp or abuse the seal of a king are traitors, so the unworthy receivers of these elements, which personate and represent Christ's body, sin against the body of Christ itself. Christ's person is out of the reach of your cruelty; as for His picture, it is with us in the sacraments; and unworthy receivers show to the shadow what they would do to the substance if it were in their power. Conclusion: Men generally hate Pilate and Judas, being more angry with them than David with the rich man that took away the poor man's ewe lamb; whereas in some sense it may be said of many of us, "Thou art the man." Yet, as for those which hitherto have not taken notice of the heinousness of this sin, let me say to them what St. Peter doth (Acts 3:17). And let us all pray with David (Psalm 51:14). (T. Fuller, D.D.) Parallel Verses KJV: Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. |
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