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Rules for the Lord's Supper

17 Your worship services do you more harm than good. I am certainly not going to praise you for this. 18 I am told you can't get along with each other when you worship, and I am sure that some of what I have heard is true. 19 You are bound to argue with each other, but it is easy to see which of you have God's approval.

20 When you meet together, you don't really celebrate the Lord's Supper. 21 You even start eating before everyone gets to the meeting, and some of you go hungry, while others get drunk. 22 Don't you have homes where you can eat and drink? Do you hate God's church? Do you want to embarrass people who don't have anything? What can I say to you? I certainly cannot praise you.

The Lord's Supper

(Matthew 26.26-29; Mark 14.22-25; Luke 22.14-20)

23 I have already told you what the Lord Jesus did on the night he was betrayed. And it came from the Lord himself.

He took some bread in his hands. 24 Then after he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Eat this and remember me.”

25 (A) After the meal, Jesus took a cup of wine in his hands and said, “This is my blood, and with it God makes his new agreement with you. Drink this and remember me.”

26 The Lord meant that when you eat this bread and drink from this cup, you tell about his death until he comes.

27 But if you eat the bread and drink the wine in a way that isn't worthy of the Lord, you sin against his body and blood. 28 This is why you must examine the way you eat and drink. 29 If you fail to understand that you are the body of the Lord, you will condemn yourselves by the way you eat and drink. 30 This is why many of you are sick and weak and why a lot of others have died. 31 If we carefully judge ourselves, we won't be punished. 32 But when the Lord judges and punishes us, he does it to keep us from being condemned with the rest of the world.

33 My dear friends, you should wait until everyone gets there before you start eating. 34 If you really are hungry, you can eat at home. Then you won't condemn yourselves when you meet together.

After I arrive, I will instruct you about the other matters.

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Correcting an Abuse of the Lord’s Supper(A)

17 In the following directives I have no praise for you,(B) for your meetings do more harm than good. 18 In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions(C) among you, and to some extent I believe it. 19 No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval.(D) 20 So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, 21 for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers.(E) As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk. 22 Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God(F) by humiliating those who have nothing?(G) What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you?(H) Certainly not in this matter!

23 For I received from the Lord(I) what I also passed on to you:(J) The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body,(K) which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant(L) in my blood;(M) do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.(N)

27 So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.(O) 28 Everyone ought to examine themselves(P) before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. 29 For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. 30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.(Q) 31 But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment.(R) 32 Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined(S) so that we will not be finally condemned with the world.(T)

33 So then, my brothers and sisters, when you gather to eat, you should all eat together. 34 Anyone who is hungry(U) should eat something at home,(V) so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment.

And when I come(W) I will give further directions.

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