Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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1 Corinthians
Book: 1 Corinthians
Chapter: 11
Overview:
The
Apostle, after an exhortation to follow him,
(1) corrects
some abuses.
(2-16) Also contentions, divisions, and disorderly
celebrations of the
Lord's
Supper.
(17-22) He reminds them of
the nature and design of its institution.
(23-26) And directs
how to attend upon it in a due manner.
(27-34)
1 The first verse of this
Chapter seems properly to be the
close to the last. The
Apostle not only preached such doctrine
as they ought to believe, but led such a
Life as they ought to
live. Yet
Christ being our perfect
Example, the actions and
conduct of men, as related in the Scriptures, should be followed
only
So far as they are like to his.
2-16 Here begin particulars respecting the public assemblies,
ch. 1Co 14. In the abundance of
Spiritual Gifts bestowed
On
the
Corinthians, some abuses had crept in; but as
Christ did the
will, and sought the honour of
God,
So the
Christian should avow
his subjection to
Christ, doing his will and seeking his
Glory.
We should, even in our
Dress and habit, avoid every thing that
may dishonour
Christ. The
Woman was made subject to
Man, because
made for his help and comfort. And she should do nothing, in
Christian assemblies, which looked like a claim of being equal.
She ought to have "power," that is, a
Veil,
On her head, because
of the angels. Their presence should keep Christians from all
that is wrong while in the
Worship of
God. Nevertheless, the
Man
and the
Woman were made for one another. They were to be mutual
comforts and blessings, not one a
Slave, and the other a tyrant.
God has
So settled matters, both in the kingdom of
Providence
and that of
Grace, that the authority and subjection of each
party should be for mutual help and benefit. It was the common
usage of the churches, for women to appear in public assemblies,
and join in public
Worship, veiled; and it was right that they
should do
So. The
Christian religion sanctions national customs
wherever these are not against the great principles of
Truth and
Holiness; affected singularities receive
No countenance from any
thing in the
Bible.
17-22 The
Apostle rebukes the disorders in their partaking of
the
Lord's
Supper. The ordinances of
Christ, if they do not make
us better, will be apt to make us worse. If the use of them does
not mend, it will harden. Upon coming together, they fell into
divisions, schisms. Christians may separate from each other's
Communion, yet be charitable one towards another; they may
continue in the same
Communion, yet be uncharitable. This last
is
Schism, rather than the former. There is a careless and
irregular
Eating of the
Lord's
Supper, which adds to guilt. Many
rich
Corinthians seem to have acted very wrong at the
Lord's
table, or at the
Love-feasts, which took place at the same time
as the
Supper. The rich despised the
Poor, and ate and drank up
the provisions they brought, before the
Poor were allowed to
partake; thus some wanted, while others had more than enough.
What should have been a
Bond of mutual
Love and
Affection, was
made an instrument of discord and disunion. We should be careful
that nothing in our behaviour at the
Lord's table, appears to
make
Light of that sacred institution. The
Lord's
Supper is not
now made an occasion for gluttony or revelling, but is it not
often made the support of self-righteous pride, or a
Cloak for
hypocrisy? Let us never
Rest in the outward forms of
Worship;
but look to our hearts.
23-34 The
Apostle describes the sacred ordinance, of which he
had the knowledge
By Revelation from
Christ. As to the visible
signs, these are the
Bread and
Wine. What is eaten is called
Bread, though at the same time it is said to be the body of the
Lord, plainly showing that the
Apostle did not mean that the
Bread was changed into
Flesh. St.
Matthew tells us, our
Lord bid
them all
Drink of the
Cup, ch. Mt 26:27, as if he would,
By
this expression, provide against any believer being deprived of
the
Cup. The things signified
By these outward signs, are
Christ's body and
Blood, his body broken, his
Blood shed,
together with all the benefits which flow from his
Death and
Sacrifice. Our
Saviour's actions were, taking the
Bread and
Cup,
giving thanks, breaking the
Bread, and giving both the one and
the other. The actions of the communicants were, to take the
Bread and eat, to take the
Cup and
Drink, and to do both in
remembrance of
Christ. But the outward
Acts are not the whole,
or the principal part, of what is to be done at this holy
ordinance. Those who partake of it, are to take him as their
Lord and
Life, yield themselves up to him, and live upon him.
Here is an account of the ends of this ordinance. It is to be
done in remembrance of
Christ, to keep fresh in our minds his
dying for us, as
Well as to remember
Christ pleading for us, in
virtue of his
Death, at
God's right
Hand. It is not merely in
remembrance of
Christ, of what he has done and suffered; but to
celebrate his
Grace in our
Redemption. We declare his
Death to
be our
Life, the
Spring of all our comforts and hopes. And we
Glory in such a declaration; we show forth his
Death, and plead
it as our accepted
Sacrifice and
Ransom. The
Lord's
Supper is
not an ordinance to be observed merely for a time, but to be
continued. The
Apostle lays before the
Corinthians the danger of
receiving it with an unsuitable temper of mind; or keeping up
the
Covenant with
Sin and
Death, while professing to renew and
confirm the
Covenant with
God.
No doubt such incur great guilt,
and
So render themselves liable to spiritual judgements. But
fearful believers should not be discouraged from attending at
this holy ordinance. The Holy
Spirit never caused this
Scripture
to be written to deter serious Christians from their duty,
though the
Devil has often made this use of it. The
Apostle was
addressing Christians, and warning them to beware of the
temporal judgements with which
God chastised his offending
servants. And in the midst of judgement,
God remembers
Mercy: he
many times punishes those whom he loves. It is better to
Bear
trouble in this world, than to be miserable for ever. The
Apostle points out the duty of those who come to the
Lord's
table. Self-examination is necessary to right attendance at this
holy ordinance. If we would thoroughly search ourselves, to
condemn and set right what we find wrong, we should stop Divine
judgements. The
Apostle closes all with a caution against the
irregularities of which the
Corinthians were guilty at the
Lord's table. Let all look to it, that they do not come together
to
God's
Worship,
So as to provoke him, and bring down vengeance
On themselves.