Examine Yourselves
Luke 22:19 "And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me."
The bread of communion symbolizes the body of Jesus which was broken for us through His sufferings. He not only died for us on the cross but also bore 39 stripes on His back by which we are healed. Partaking of communion should remind us of the emotional and physical salvation that Jesus provided for us.
The Lord's Supper comes from a part of the Passover meal that was celebrated only once a year. However, the early Christian church took Communion weekly and sometimes daily.
There is no specific frequency of the Lord's Supper prescribed in scripture.
As we take Communion, we are solemnly proclaiming the Lord's death, and our union with Him and with others through that death. This is a profession of our faith and therefore, there are serious consequences for those who profess something they don't possess.
It is most likely that what makes a person worthy or unworthy is whether or not he is born again.
This is also totally consistent with the doctrine of grace that Paul constantly preached. There were unbelievers among the true Christians just as Jesus prophesied, and this still exists today.
It is a dangerous offense for an unbeliever to take the Lord's Supper.
When taking Communion, each person should examine himself to see whether or not he is in the faith (2 Cor. 13:5).
Examine Yourselves
…4 For He was indeed crucified in weakness, yet He lives by God’s power. And though we are weak in Him, yet by God’s power we will live with Him to serve you.
5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Can’t you see for yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you — unless you actually fail the test?
Just as Jesus said, we should get the beams out of our own eyes before we try to remove a speck from someone else’s eye (Matthew 7:3-5). So, Paul was telling the Corinthians not to be hypocritical. If Paul didn’t pass their test, none of them would have passed either.
Note 6 at 2 Corinthians 13:5: The phrase “know ye not” was always used by Paul in a derogatory manner (1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:15, and 19; see also James 4:4). It was used to stress that the believers were missing the obvious. Just as it should have been obvious to the Corinthians that Christ indwelt them, so they should have recognized the Lord speaking through Paul (2 Corinthians 13:6).
Andrew Wommack's Living Commentary.
The Lord's Supper comes from a part of the Passover meal that was celebrated only once a year. However, the early Christian church took Communion weekly and sometimes daily.
There is no specific frequency of the Lord's Supper prescribed in scripture.
As we take Communion, we are solemnly proclaiming the Lord's death, and our union with Him and with others through that death. This is a profession of our faith and therefore, there are serious consequences for those who profess something they don't possess.
It is most likely that what makes a person worthy or unworthy is whether or not he is born again.
This is also totally consistent with the doctrine of grace that Paul constantly preached. There were unbelievers among the true Christians just as Jesus prophesied, and this still exists today.
It is a dangerous offense for an unbeliever to take the Lord's Supper.
When taking Communion, each person should examine himself to see whether or not he is in the faith (2 Cor. 13:5).
Examine Yourselves
…4 For He was indeed crucified in weakness, yet He lives by God’s power. And though we are weak in Him, yet by God’s power we will live with Him to serve you.
5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Can’t you see for yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you — unless you actually fail the test?
2 Corinthians 13:5
Note on 2 Corinthians 13:5
The last part of this verse goes along with Paul’s statement in Romans 8:9. If any man doesn’t have the Spirit of Christ, he isn’t truly born again. A reprobate is someone who was once born again but renounced his salvation. This is a one-time decision from which there can be no second salvation (see my notes at Hebrews 6:4-6).
Life For Today Study Bible Notes
Note 5 at 2 Corinthians 13:5: Instead of the Corinthians testing Paul, they should have been testing themselves. Were they truly in the Christian faith? Was their conduct reflecting their heavenly call? How would they have fared if they had submitted themselves to the same scrutiny they placed on Paul?Just as Jesus said, we should get the beams out of our own eyes before we try to remove a speck from someone else’s eye (Matthew 7:3-5). So, Paul was telling the Corinthians not to be hypocritical. If Paul didn’t pass their test, none of them would have passed either.
Note 6 at 2 Corinthians 13:5: The phrase “know ye not” was always used by Paul in a derogatory manner (1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:15, and 19; see also James 4:4). It was used to stress that the believers were missing the obvious. Just as it should have been obvious to the Corinthians that Christ indwelt them, so they should have recognized the Lord speaking through Paul (2 Corinthians 13:6).
Andrew Wommack's Living Commentary.
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