“COMMUNION - PROPER WAY TO PARTAKE!”

By Dr. Hoyt W. Allen, Jr.

Many people are concerned about the word “unworthily” in the King James Version (KJV) in I Corinthians 11:27,29. Many have read on the surface that one must be worthy or sinless before one qualifies to partake. If this was the situation then no one would be partaking of the Lord’s Supper this Sunday.

I say this based on the Scripture found in I John 1:8 which states that “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (KJV)

The newer translations more correctly translates the word “Unworthily”. It is an adverb (Greek “anxious” partaking of the Lord's Supper "unworthily," i. e., treating it as a common meal, the bread and cup as common things, not apprehending their solemn symbolic import. In the best texts the word is not found in v. 29; from Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words). The New International Version (NIV) translates the above word as one should not partake in an unworthy manner. In other words as one eats and drinks the communion emblems, a person should not be having his/her mind on non spiritual things such as washing and waxing the car after lunch, nor on a sports event which is about to take place. The mind of the Christian should be dwelling upon the crucifixion of Jesus, His suffering (sweating, hurting, pain, dying slowly, horrible condition, pain-racked body, struggling, excruciating, feverish, twisting, etc.).

The crucifixion of Jesus was different than that of any other person in history. He was literally suffering and dying for the sins of all mankind. He could do this because He was the sinless One who satisfied God’s demand for sacrifice (Heb. 4:15; 9:28). May we “tune in” properly...!

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