My Journey to Life - Daily Study Guide

Q7. What does it mean to participate in the Lord’s Supper in an “unworthy manner” (1 Corinthians 11:27)?

Picture: Q7. What does it mean to participate in the Lord’s Supper in an “unworthy manner” (1 Corinthians 11:27)? JTLD 365.1

That is without due reverence for the Lord, whose suffering and sacrifice are being commemorated. “Unworthy manner” in this verse refers to the behavior described in 1 Corinthians 11:20-22; 1 Corinthians 11:29-30. The Communion Supper is for believing Christians, those who have fully commitment to Christ and are willing to serve one another in love, without partiality or bias. Those who participate forgive those who have wronged them, even as God has forgiven them. Paul counsels the believer to “examine himself” before participating in the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:28). Thus, before the service, believers should prayerfully review their Christian experience, confess their sins, and attempt to restore severed relationships when appropriate. JTLD 365.2

The Seventh-day Adventist church practices “open communion,” meaning all who have accepted Christ through faith in His sacrifice can take part in the Lord’s Supper. Since only God can read hearts, everyone must evaluate for themselves whether they should participate in the Lord’s Supper, while remembering that “the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7, 9). JTLD 365.3

• Bible Discovery: Matthew 6:12; 1 Corinthians 11:25-30, 33, 34; 5:11; Galatians 5:13
• Further Reading: Ellen G. White, Evangelism, p. 274.3