(1Co 12:2) “Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.”  I once worshipped the idol of self’s pleasure. I had believed in Jesus all my life, but had not repented of my sin, asking Jesus to save my soul. Oh, I had once prayed the prayer, but no one had confronted me at the time with my sin.

(1Co 12:1) “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.”  Each of God’s gifts are spiritual. But our text is about to single out the misuse of “special gifts” which are given until the fall of Jerusalem as a sign to the Jewish people or nation.

 (1Co 11:34) “And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.” Could there be anything more sacred than that which represents the body and the blood of Christ Jesus? Same with baptism. Could there by anything more sacred than that which depicts the death and resurrection of our Lord? We should approach those times reverently.

 (1Co 11:33) “Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another.” Before, bringing in food for self while others did not have; their hearts were focused upon self. The Holy Spirit says, “Focus you hearts upon others.”

(1Co 11:32) “But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.”  Consider: our eternal judgment was bore by the Lord Jesus. We are then chastened. What is chastening? It is a reprimand to varying degrees according to our heart’s response rather than the full judgment it deserves; that which Jesus bore – eternal punishment. Thus the statement: “…that we should not be condemned with the world”

(1Co 11:30) “For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. (31) For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.”  The Lord desires only our good. Look at the cross. He does not want to chasten us nor for the lost to be damned. He desires us to be honest with self, care enough to repent, and to ask forgiveness.

(1Co 11:29) “For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.” The term “damnation” could only be speaking of one that is lost, for the Bible says over and over again that a saved person cannot lose that salvation. The word, “damnation” can also mean “judgment”, which must be applied here because of the next verse: (1Co 11:30) “For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.” Sleep always speaks of the death of the saved.

(1Co 11:28) “But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.” Each of us live under the close scrutiny of Almighty God. Partaking of that which symbolizes the sacrifice of His Son is not to be taken lightly. He died bearing our sin. To sin willfully and then partake of the Lord’s Supper is to defile that observance.

 (1Co 11:23) “For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: (24) And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.” Jesus said He was the Manna from heaven. This bread represents He Who was sent from heaven to meet the hunger for God within us.

 (1Co 11:27) “Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.”  This is not speaking of the lost, though it would certainly apply. It is speaking to the saved, approaching it with known sin in your life, or not in true reverence of the sacrifice of Christ Jesus.