30 May - 1 Corinthians 11

We’re reading 1 Corinthians 11 together today. Below are a few quick thoughts:

1. So, the first half of this chapter is pretty confusing. It has a lot to do with the culture in which it was written. In that culture women did not have the rights they do in ours today. This “cultural application” is seen in the talk about the length of hair for men and women as well. However, through it all there is still a tone that would seem to go beyond culture and it speaks about men being “over” women. This is a difficult thing to swallow for some of us but the Bible speaks of it elsewhere too (We’ve talked about this previously when we read 1 Peter 3). The other teachings in the Bible speak first to the men and says they should treat their wives like Jesus treats us all. If men loved for their wives like Jesus loves us it would be a lot easier for women to hear the teachings the Bible says about how they should love their husbands. 
2. With all that being said, read verse 11 and 12 again. Here we can see that God is over everyone and men and women both have equal standing before God. We all need each other.
3. Starting in verse 17, Paul (the author) writes about the Lord’s Supper, which we call Communion today (the two terms are interchangeable). It sounds like his audience had a full meal they participated in but the elements of bread and wine (or juice) were still present. The bread represents the body of Jesus and the wine represents his blood which was broken and spilled for us on the cross. Jesus set a precedent for us to do this when we gather so we take time to remember him and what he did for us. 
4. Paul also said his audience wasn’t taking Communion in a way that honored Jesus. They were not thinking of others first and so God was allowing some of them to become sick and some even die. This sounds a bit extreme but it shows how important Communion is to God. It’s a time for us to reflect on the greatest sacrifice anyone ever made for us. Jesus died a horrific death so we could have a relationship with God again. Communion is a time to remember that.

Does this chapter make you think about Communion different? Next time you take it be sure to think about what Jesus did for you. It also speaks volumes about how God wants there to be unity among people in a church. We should always think of others before ourselves. Is this something you struggle with? Ask God to help you.