1 Corinthians 11:27

“Wherefore, whosoever shall eat this bread, or drink the cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.” From the essential character of the Supper, expounded in 1 Corinthians 11:26, there follows the gravity of its profanation. The ἤ, or, should be remarked, instead of which we should rather expect καί, and, as in 1 Corinthians 11:26. But here, no doubt, is the reason of this ἤ, or. Though one may not eat the bread unworthily, there is still the possibility of profaning the use of the cup, which did not come till later, at the end of the feast. And the danger was greater, not only because it increased as the feast was prolonged, but especially because it was drink that was in question. The Catholics have therefore sought in vain to justify communion in one kind by this or. The argument would have had a certain show of reason if the ἤ were found in 1 Corinthians 11:26 instead of καί.

The word ἀναξίως, unworthily, has been explained in a host of ways: with a bad conscience, and without repentance (Theodoret, Olshausen); with contempt of the poor (Chrysostom, Billroth); without faith in the words: given for you (Luther); without self-examination (Bengel), etc. etc.; see Meyer. The explanation to which the context naturally leads is this: Without the grateful memory of Christ's sufferings, a memory which necessarily implies the breaking of the will with sin. The apostle is thinking of the light and frivolous way of communicating whereby the Corinthians made this sacred feast a joyous banquet, like those which the Greeks loved to celebrate, either in the family, or in a select society, or at a club meeting. The unworthiness of the communicating does not therefore arise from that of the communicant, for by repentance he may always render himself fit to receive Jesus; it arises from his mode of conducting himself inwardly and outwardly. As Bengel well puts it: Alia est indignitas edentis, alia esûs.

The term ἔνοχος, from ἐνέχεσθαι, to be held in or by, denotes the state of a man bound by a fault he has committed. The regimen may be, either the law which has been violated (Jam 2:10), or the judge charged with applying the law (Matthew 5:21-22), or the penalty incurred (Matthew 26:66; Mark 3:29), or the person or object in respect of whom the violation has taken place; it is in this last sense that the term is used in our passage.

The object to which offence has been given is the body and blood of the Lord. The apostle's expression finds a very natural explanation on the supposition of the real presence of the body and blood (the Catholic and Lutheran opinions). But it can be justified also on the symbolical interpretation of the Holy Supper; for to sin against the object which has been solemnly consecrated and recognised as the sign of a thing, is to sin against the thing itself. He who tramples the crucifix under foot, morally tramples under foot the crucified Himself.

If such is the gravity of the offence implied in a profane communion, the believer, before communicating, ought to do everything to prevent such a danger. This is what the apostle impresses in 1 Corinthians 11:28-29.