Scriptural Apologetics 101 by John Scott Roesch - HTML preview

supper.

Growing up in the 60s and 70s, I was a part of the Schoolhouse Rock generation. Those of us who grew up with this learned science, American history, math, and grammar through songs.

We were taught the difference between an adjective and an adverb: both can modify other adjectives and adverbs, but adjectives modify nouns, and adverbs modify verbs.

There is an adverb in scripture that is wrongly treated as an adjective by more than a few.

That word is ἀναξίως (an·áx·i·os) or unworthily and is confused with ἀνάξιος (same pronunciation, but spelt differently) or unworthy. That small difference is actually a big difference.

In the phrase “if you partake of the Supper unworthy”, the word ‘unworthy’ is modifying the word you.

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The Facts About the Lord’s Supper

represent Christ, we are all unworthy. But this is not what is being said.

When it is “if you partake of the Supper unworthily”, we see that the modifier ‘unworthily’ points to the word partake.

This lets us know that there are disqualifiers for those taking part in the Lord’s Supper. And these disqualifiers may not all be public knowledge.

This is why we are to examine ourselves, to make sure that we both willingly and rightly participating in this service. Again, this isn’t the phrase unworthy: we are to partake for the right reason and having the right standing in the church.

1 Corinthians 11:28

But let a man examine himself, and so let

him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.

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The Facts About the Lord’s Supper

We Are Judges

Many believers consider John 3:16 to be their favorite scripture, it is the Who and What of the Bible.

Secularists as well as atheists can usually quote two words of the sacred scriptures.

“Judge not” (They can’t quote the chapter and verse as a rule). To properly understand κρίνω μὴ,(kri·no me) we must remember who He was and wasn’t talking to, and look at the meanings of the word ‘judge’.

When we see someone walking down the street all tattooed up, unkempt, shoeless, and some kind of can or bottle in their hand, it’s easy to jump to conclusions about them.

That’s judging, and that is what Jesus was speaking against. We aren’t to prejudge: the root word of prejudice.

We aren’t to condemn, decide, try, or punish someone by our own mental implications.

Are we to judge sin? Yes, we are. Otherwise, how do we correct bad behavior if we can’t point it out? We don’t judge the sinner, however, that’s the Lord’s duty.

When a non-believer is corrected, they typically take it personally, even when it’s called “constructive criticism”.

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The Facts About the Lord’s Supper

They have been taught by the world that right and wrong are subject to your personal view, and that what is right or wrong differs between individuals.

Those who are truly saved recognize that God has determined for us what is right and what is wrong, and when we point out an error, we are trying t do them a service.

If you tell a fellow believer when he or she is doing wrong, it should be done out of love. A holier-than-thou attitude will have the wrong effect on both them and you.

A church has the right to call sin just what it is; we are in the forgiving business and should always remember that.

1 Corinthians 5:12

For what have I to do to judge them also that

are without? do not ye judge them that are

within?

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Conclusion

Partaking of the Lord’s Supper will never save you.

If it had that power, Jesus would have mentioned it.

It isn’t a time of fellowshipping or feasting, but of solemn reflection of all that He did for us. It was important to Jesus, and so should be important to us.

How often should we have it? Some churches do it weekly, but the Bible doesn’t lay out a particular day to have it.

It isn’t the timing or the frequency that is important, it’s the reason that is.

Respect the ordinance; Paul didn’t glaze over what the Corinthians were doing wrong, and he thought enough to set them straight. It is this correction that we derive much of what we know concerning what we shouldn’t be doing concerning the Supper.

And don’t shrug off the self-examination. Those things others don’t know about us, God does. And we will answer to Him one day, even concerning this.

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1 Corinthians 11

28 But let a man examine himself, and so let

him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.

29 For he that eateth and drinketh

unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation

to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.

30 For this cause many are weak and sickly

among you, and many sleep.

If God takes it this seriously, we better be doing the same.

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