Nissan 14 - Memorial Talk - 1Corinth 11 (and other verses)

[tam]

Peace to you all,

This is a continuation of another thread in 'random ramblings' but I did not want it to get lost...


The speaker at the JW Memorial used 1 Corinth 11 as a means to warn people away from eating and drinking. Because the WTS teaches that if a person with the earthly hope eats and drinks, that they will bring judgment upon themselves (this is absolutely false!) Before and DURING the passing of the bread and wine, the speaker read the following to support that false teaching:

"For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves."

Dear ones, Paul is 100% NOT talking about people having an 'earthly hope' partaking when they shouldn't!

First - everyone partook - even the WTS admits that everyone in the first century was anointed and had the same 'heavenly hope'. Paul could not have been telling them to examine themselves to see which hope they had. The WTS has taken that verse completely out of context to support a doctrine that neither Christ nor Paul nor any apostle taught.

Second - Paul is reprimanding the Corinthians because of how they were eating/drinking. Not because some should not have been eating and drinking in the first place. But because some were eating and drinking to get drunk, not waiting for their brothers and sisters, even humiliating those who had nothing.

"In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. 18 In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. 19 No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval. 20 So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, 21 for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers. As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk. 22 Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God by humiliating those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? Certainly not in this matter!"

Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. 29 For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. 30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. 31 But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment.


Again, He cannot be telling them to examine which hope they have (they all had the SAME hope.) He is telling them to examine themselves (clean the inside of the cup so to speak, as a dear sister one said) and to not judge others (including their brothers and sisters - members of the body of Christ - whom they were showing no regard for.)

And what is the judgment that Paul is talking about that they could avoid falling under? It is not a judgment of death by God (as the WTS falsely implies). It is about discipline, teaching (as a dear brother of mine once shared.) Discipline and teaching from Christ.

Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world.



**

Dear ones, 1Corinthians 11 has NOTHING whatsoever to do with the erroneous WTS doctrine that most people should not eat or drink. They are WRONG. It is about HOW to eat and drink. It is not about IF one should eat or drink.

Not once did Paul state that some people should not eat or drink. Just the opposite in fact, because he continues writing to the exact same people on this exact topic:

So then, my brothers and sisters, when you gather to eat, you should ALL EAT together. 34 Anyone who is hungry should eat something at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment.


More than that, Christ said Himself:

"Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have NO life within you." John 6:58

And,

Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. John 6:59


Whoever, dear ones. Whoever.


May anyone who wishes them be given ears to hear so as to hear the Spirit (Christ) and the Bride say to YOU, "Come!" May anyone who wishes and anyone who thirsts, "Come! Take the free gift of the water of Life!"


Peace again to you,
your servant and a slave of Christ,
tammy

[tam]

Also from 1Corinth 11...

The speaker read and used 1 Corinthians 11 to state that JW's are doing what Christ said to do. The speaker said this before the passing of the bread:

For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord [Jesus], on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.”

"Do this in remembrance of me."

Do WHAT exactly? Pass the bread but NOT eat? REFUSE the bread that means the body of Christ (John 6:48-51, 53-56, 58)?

Of course not!


What Christ means is even more clear in the very next verse - which the speaker quoted before the wine was passed around:

In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

Whenever you DRINK it.

It is the EATING and the DRINKING which proclaims the Lord's death until He returns:

For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.


Not merely gathering together. Not baking bread that no one eats. Not passing wine that no one drinks.

Whenever you EAT this bread and DRINK this cop, you proclaim that Lord's death until He comes.


How can the speaker READ that verse - ALOUD - 'whenever you drink it' - and then claim that the Lord's death is being proclaimed WITHOUT eating and drinking?


Peace again.