1 Corinthians 11 Devotional

Proclaiming His Death Together

“For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.”1 Corinthians 11:26 (BSB)

Paul opens with instructions about how men and women pray and prophesy in worship, including head coverings, grounding them in the order of creation (11:3-10). He adds that in the Lord, man and woman depend on each other, and everything comes from God (11:11-12).

Then Paul turns to rebuke. When the church gathers for the Lord's Supper, some eat their own meal and get drunk while others go hungry and are shamed (11:20-22). Paul retells what he received from the Lord. On the night he was betrayed, Jesus took bread and the cup, called them his body given for his people and the new covenant in his blood, and told them to keep doing this to remember him (11:23-25). Each time the church eats and drinks, it announces the Lord's death until he comes (11:26). So each person should examine himself before eating (11:27-29). The table is about what Christ gave, so you can come humbly and make room for others there.

To think about: How might remembering Christ's death change the way you treat the people who share the Lord's table with you?