But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
Each person is to examine himself before eating the bread and drinking the cup of the Lord's Supper, lest the sacred ordinance be treated as an ordinary feast. The bread represents Christ's broken body and the cup represents His spilled blood, to be eaten and drunk in remembrance of His love and His life given for the world, proclaiming His death until He comes. Eating and drinking unworthily without discerning the Lord's body makes a person guilty concerning Christ's body and blood and brings judgment and condemnation on himself. Judas is an example of one who appeared among the disciples yet ate and drank to his own damnation, whom God will quickly make manifest and purge out from among His people.
Those who partake should come humble and clean in heart, with true contrition, fellowship with Christ and their brethren, and hearts purified from defilement. Then they can share conscious of sins forgiven and appreciating the work of the Holy Spirit. Foot-washing is Christ's appointed preparation for the sacramental service and is observed first, because cherished pride, conflict, and strife for supremacy keep the heart from fellowship with Christ. Yet taking part in foot-washing is not required before partaking of the Lord's Supper, so one who chooses only to witness foot-washing may still be welcomed to the table to eat the bread and drink the cup.
The ordinance is to be shared by disciples apart from unbelievers and the wicked, following the example of taking the disciples away alone separate from the wicked. Shepherds are to act carefully and understandingly to keep the washing of feet and communion from unbelievers so reproach does not come on God's cause. Personal self-examination does not give others authority to judge who may attend; open sin excludes the guilty, but beyond that no one is to bar another, since people cannot read hearts or distinguish the wheat from the tares.
Self-examination means daily becoming well acquainted with one's conduct, testing whether one is in the faith and considering the spiritual condition of one's life. It calls each person to look honestly before God at his own failures and neglected responsibilities instead of searching for faults in others, which calls for humility. Neglecting such self-examination is dangerous, especially for a minister whose example influences others, because successful work may lead converts to follow his low standard. The same duty applies to carefully examining the heart and motives before attending a council or board meeting, so that one does not criticize or condemn unwisely.
Each person is to examine himself before eating the bread and drinking the cup of the Lord's Supper, lest the sacred ordinance be treated as an ordinary feast. The bread represents Christ's broken body and the cup represents His spilled blood, to be eaten and drunk in remembrance of His love and His life given for the world, proclaiming His death until He comes. Eating and drinking unworthily without discerning the Lord's body makes a person guilty concerning Christ's body and blood and brings judgment and condemnation on himself. Judas is an example of one who appeared among the disciples yet ate and drank to his own damnation, whom God will quickly make manifest and purge out from among His people.
Those who partake should come humble and clean in heart, with true contrition, fellowship with Christ and their brethren, and hearts purified from defilement. Then they can share conscious of sins forgiven and appreciating the work of the Holy Spirit. Foot-washing is Christ's appointed preparation for the sacramental service and is observed first, because cherished pride, conflict, and strife for supremacy keep the heart from fellowship with Christ. Yet taking part in foot-washing is not required before partaking of the Lord's Supper, so one who chooses only to witness foot-washing may still be welcomed to the table to eat the bread and drink the cup.
The ordinance is to be shared by disciples apart from unbelievers and the wicked, following the example of taking the disciples away alone separate from the wicked. Shepherds are to act carefully and understandingly to keep the washing of feet and communion from unbelievers so reproach does not come on God's cause. Personal self-examination does not give others authority to judge who may attend; open sin excludes the guilty, but beyond that no one is to bar another, since people cannot read hearts or distinguish the wheat from the tares.
Self-examination means daily becoming well acquainted with one's conduct, testing whether one is in the faith and considering the spiritual condition of one's life. It calls each person to look honestly before God at his own failures and neglected responsibilities instead of searching for faults in others, which calls for humility. Neglecting such self-examination is dangerous, especially for a minister whose example influences others, because successful work may lead converts to follow his low standard. The same duty applies to carefully examining the heart and motives before attending a council or board meeting, so that one does not criticize or condemn unwisely.