The Chosen Key Word in this Chapter is “Tradition” it comes from the Greek Word “paradosis” which means “tradition, that which is handed down.”
Paul addresses disorder in Corinthian worship, and corrects some troubling abuses at the Lord’s Supper itself. Welcome to Bible Life Basics Chapter Reviews, I am Chris and this is 1 Corinthians 11.
Paul praises the Corinthians for keeping the ordinances he delivered to them, “paradosis” in Greek, meaning traditions handed down, before addressing questions about head coverings and appropriate order during worship, discussing the relationship between Christ, man, and woman, and cultural expressions of honor and modesty within their specific context. He affirms that in the Lord, neither is woman independent of man nor man independent of woman, since “all things of God,” and appeals to what nature itself teaches about appropriate appearance.
Paul turns to a more serious problem, sharp divisions occurring even when the Corinthians come together, since when they gather to eat the Lord’s Supper, some go hungry while others get drunk, with wealthier members apparently not waiting for or sharing with poorer members, shaming those who have nothing. Paul reminds them of the tradition he delivered concerning the Lord’s Supper itself, that the Lord Jesus, the same night He was betrayed, took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me,” and similarly took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new testament in my blood.”
Paul warns severely that eating this bread or drinking this cup unworthily makes a person guilty of the Lord’s body and blood, urging each person to examine themselves carefully before partaking, since failing to properly discern the Lord’s body brings judgment on oneself, and explains that this is actually why many among them are weak, sick, or have even died. He instructs them to wait for one another when they come together to eat, and if anyone is truly hungry, to eat at home first, so that their gathering does not result in judgment.
The Corinthians had turned a meal meant to unite the church in remembering Christ’s sacrifice into an occasion that publicly humiliated poorer members. Paul’s serious warning about examining oneself before communion was never primarily about private guilt, but about genuine care for how that shared meal actually treated the whole body gathered together.
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