What part of the Lord's Supper causes death?

HTacianas

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Paul said that many who participated in the Eucharist in an unworthy manner had become sick and that some had died.


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1Co 11:28 - Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup.

1Co 11:29 - For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves.

1Co 11:30 - That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.
 
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Tolworth John

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many who participated in the Eucharist in an unworthy manner had become sick and that some had died.
There is nothing magical about communion's elements.
So don't assume that there is.
As Paul wrote it was the attitude that they had towards what it represents that caused them to be I'll.
 
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Eloy Craft

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There is nothing magical about communion's elements.
So don't assume that there is.
As Paul wrote it was the attitude that they had towards what it represents that caused them to be I'll.
Paul was teaching about a psychosomatic response to not being aware of the meaning of a symbol? If so then nothing has changed since it is a symbol. It should still happen.
 
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Tolworth John

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Paul was teaching about a psychosomatic response to not being aware of the meaning of a symbol? If so then nothing has changed since it is a symbol. It should still happen.

That is your belief, from the passage it can also be read as a judgement of God.
 
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Willie T

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There is nothing magical about communion's elements.
So don't assume that there is.
As Paul wrote it was the attitude that they had towards what it represents that caused them to be I'll.
While this comes close, I think it still misses the intent.

How many people have you seen dropping dead at your church from improper communion techniques? I think it means just what the CONTEXT said.... People with food and money to stay healthy were ignoring the poor who needed their help to even stay alive during a hard winter, or a sudden illness. I think it was the neglected people who were the ones dying.
 
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Amittai

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In cases when one doubts the sincerity of the figureheads whom one is imputed to be "in communion with", IMO a "spiritual communion" shows better communion with anyone that may have been betrayed.

The act of rigidly requiring others to partake tricks those who promote it, into straying towards a darkening of the mind, plus, it opens the door to abuses such as:

In my young day fully half the congregation "didn't go up". That was tactful towards errant politicians, as well as everybody else. Now, you know the story.

Listening to Scripture and a sermon and saying the Lord's Prayer is open to the public, as human beings. Over the years I've learned that is important and my "denominational privileges" aren't.
 
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bbbbbbb

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I suppose the proof is in the pudding, as it were. In theory, if that passage meant holding to a particular understanding of the bread and wine and your denomination has that understanding, then nobody in your denomination will be getting ill or dying (at least as a result of that particular sin) but, OTOH, members in all of the other denominations will be suffering a demonstrably larger rate of illness and death.

However, in reality, such is not the case. As an example, the Seventh Day Adventist Church, which holds views of communion that are in stark contrast to most other denominations, boasts of the great health and longevity of its members (as does the Church of Jesus Christ, Scientist). They claim to have statistical evidence. In my view, as we are seeing in the current coronavirus pandemic, hard statistical evidence is very easy to manipulate, sometimes unintentionally, sometimes with the best of intentions.
 
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BrotherJJ

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Paul said that many who participated in the Eucharist in an unworthy manner had become sick and that some had died.


copyChkboxOff.gif
1Co 11:28 - Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup.

1Co 11:29 - For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves.

1Co 11:30 - That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.

My view on "unworthy":

Ex 12:43-48. No foreigners, servants, sojourners or strangers could partake in the in the Passover meal unless they were circumcised. (Also see Gen 17:7-14)
(MY NOTE: Only people under the covenant of circumcision were allowed to eat the Passover meal)

1 Cor 11:27 Who ever eats this bread, & drinks this cup of the Lord, unworthily, will be guilty of the body & blood of the Lord
(MY NOTE: I've seen many people/teachers/preachers tie/force sin into this verse. Jesus who gave the ordinance, PAID, for the believers sins. I believe this verse is warning NON-believers/anyone that hasn't been sealed with Christ New covenant indwelling Holy Spirit. Uncircumcised were forbidden to partake in the OT & NON-believers are not to partake in this NT Christ given ordinance)
 
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bbbbbbb

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My view on "unworthy":

Ex 12:43-48. No foreigners, servants, sojourners or strangers could partake in the in the Passover meal unless they were circumcised. (Also see Gen 17:7-14)
(MY NOTE: Only people under the covenant of circumcision were allowed to eat the Passover meal)

1 Cor 11:27 Who ever eats this bread, & drinks this cup of the Lord, unworthily, will be guilty of the body & blood of the Lord
(MY NOTE: I've seen many people/teachers/preachers tie/force sin into this verse. Jesus who gave the ordinance, PAID, for the believers sins. I believe this verse is warning NON-believers/anyone that hasn't been sealed with Christ New covenant indwelling Holy Spirit. Uncircumcised were forbidden to partake in the OT & NON-believers are not to partake in this NT Christ given ordinance)

I agree with your perspective. My father, who was not a believer, was welcomed to partake of communion in my brother's church. I assumed that the elders were ignorant of my father's unbelief and commented to one of them afterward. I was quite startled when he told me that he was well aware that my father was not a believer. However, he told me that it was up to each individual to examine themselves and, therefore, none should be excluded from the Lord's table. My response is how can a man who is dead in his sins examine himself?
 
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Victor in Christ

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My view on "unworthy":

Ex 12:43-48. No foreigners, servants, sojourners or strangers could partake in the in the Passover meal unless they were circumcised. (Also see Gen 17:7-14)
(MY NOTE: Only people under the covenant of circumcision were allowed to eat the Passover meal)

1 Cor 11:27 Who ever eats this bread, & drinks this cup of the Lord, unworthily, will be guilty of the body & blood of the Lord
(MY NOTE: I've seen many people/teachers/preachers tie/force sin into this verse. Jesus who gave the ordinance, PAID, for the believers sins. I believe this verse is warning NON-believers/anyone that hasn't been sealed with Christ New covenant indwelling Holy Spirit. Uncircumcised were forbidden to partake in the OT & NON-believers are not to partake in this NT Christ given ordinance)

That's a good explanation. When Paul is instructing the Corinthians regards the Lord's supper, many were treating it like a common meal you would have in your house. They had no desire to respect it as a divine ordinance (the bread - which represented Christ's body being broken for us) and (the wine - representing his blood being shed for us at Calvary). They partook of the Lord's supper in an earthly manner, no respect/thought/prayer or meditation on what it meant and what it looks forward to ie- (the great marriage supper with Christ) when he returns.

Also, in Acts 21:25 we read that James instructed the Gentile believers who accepted Christ not to - "As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication."

The Gentiles may also have been drinking the wine from the Lord's supper in a manner that was more akin to their old Gentile pagan gods they previously sacrificed to.

However, in reality, such is not the case. As an example, the Seventh Day Adventist Church, which holds views of communion that are in stark contrast to most other denominations, boasts of the great health and longevity of its members (as does the Church of Jesus Christ, Scientist). They claim to have statistical evidence. In my view, as we are seeing in the current coronavirus pandemic, hard statistical evidence is very easy to manipulate, sometimes unintentionally, sometimes with the best of intentions.

There are many denominations today which think of temporal/earthly blessings more than spiritual blessings from scripture and would even make a 'mockery' of divine ordinances to suit their theology. Such theology reminds me on Job's 3 'miserable comforters' who tried to blame Job's sufferings on something his family done, etc, etc.

I read a study on Acts 20:7 from an American church which has denominations worldwide, ucg.org. I was shocked to learn that they believe when Paul broke bread in that verse he was having a common meal with friends. When Paul broke bread, he was having no common meal with friends, he most certainly would have been explaining what the breaking of bread represented -ie Christ suffering on the cross.
 
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