I Corinthians 11

I Corinthians 11:1:
"Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ."

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. --Matthew Henry's Commentar

In this verse Paul is ultimately commanding imitation of Christ, the only Perfect Example, an imitation which ultimately is ONLY possible by continually depending on the Holy Spirit. Paul is not calling for asceticism, as some have taught is the way to a "higher spirituality." Paul argued strongly against this practice which was being advocated by some false teachers in Colossae writing
Let no one keep defrauding (present imperative with a negative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, 19 and not holding fast to the Head, from Whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God. 20 If (FIRST CLASS CONDITIONAL = SINCE) you have died with Christ (Ro 6:3+, Gal 2:20+) to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, 21 “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” 22 (which all refer to things destined to perish with use)–in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? 23 These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence (THIS IS THE KEY! THESE EXTERNAL PRACTICES DO NOT CONTROL THE INTERNAL TYRANT, OUR FALLEN FLESH! ONLY THE HOLY SPIRIT CAN ENABLE US TO WIN THAT VICTORY AND IT WILL BE EVERY BELIEVER'S LIFE LONG BATTLE!). (Colossians 2:18-23)

"Imitators of me. From this it appears, how absurdly chapters are divided, inasmuch as this sentence is disjoined from what goes before, with which it ought to have been connected, and is joined to what follows, with which it has no connection. Let us view this, then, as the close of the preceding chapter. Paul had there brought forward his own example in confirmation of his doctrine. Now, in order that the Corinthians may understand that this would be becoming in them, he exhorts them to imitate what he had done, even as he had imitated Christ
Here there are two things to be observed — first, that he prescribes nothing to others that he had not first practiced himself; and, secondly, that he directs himself and others to Christ as the only pattern of right acting. For while it is the part of a good teacher to enjoin nothing in words but what he is prepared to practice in action, he must not, at the same time, be so austere, as straightway to require from others everything that he does himself, as is the manner of the superstitious. For everything that they contract a liking for they impose also upon others, and would have their own example to be held absolutely as a rule. The world is also, of its own accord, inclined to a misdirected imitation, (κακοζηλίαν) and, after the manner of apes, strive to copy whatever they see done by persons of great influence. We see, however how many evils have been introduced into the Church by this absurd desire of imitating all the actions of the saints, without exception. Let us, therefore, maintain so much the more carefully this doctrine of Paul — that we are to follow men, provided they take Christ as their grand model, (πρωτότυπον,) that the examples of the saints may not tend to lead us away from Christ, but rather to direct us to him. "
--John Calvin 1509-1564

Imitate (mimetes) - The English noun "mime" is derived from this Greek word and is in this case "used in the continuous tense, suggesting a constant habit or practice." (Vine's Expository Dictionary of the N.T.) In the same way that for Paul "to live is Christ", so we are to live out His life in our flesh. This is possible only as the old man is kept in death and He is released by the Holy Spirit through us. This is not cheap imitation, but the very life and power and will of Christ being the mover and doer in and through us (Ph.2:13). It is not a humanly manufactured replication we are called to, full of inevitable imperfections, but the manifestation of Him as He is now within us. (Related verses are 1 Cor.4:16; Ep.5:1; Heb.6:12; 1 Th.1:6, 2:14.) Would that we had more models of such deep Christlikeness about us! [SOURCE: Tom Shank: Ephrata Ministries: An Exposition of 1 Corinthians 11:1—16}

I Corinthians 11:2-16:
2 Now I praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you. 3 But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. 4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonors his head. 5 But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, for that is one and the same as if her head were shaved. 6 For if a woman is not covered, let her also be shorn. But if it is shameful for a woman to be shorn or shaved, let her be covered. 7 For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. 8 For man is not from woman, but woman from man. 9 Nor was man created for the woman, but woman for the man. 10 For this reason the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. 11 Nevertheless, neither is man independent of woman, nor woman independent of man, in the Lord. 12 For as woman came from man, even so man also comes through woman; but all things are from God.
13 Judge among yourselves. Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14 Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him? 15 But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her; for her hair is given to her for a covering. 16 But if anyone seems to be contentious, we have no such custom, nor do the churches of God.

I Corinthians 11:17-19:
But in giving this instruction, I do not praise you, because you come together not for the better but for the worse. For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that divisions exist among you; and in part, I believe it. For there must also be factions among you, in order that those who are approved may have become evident among you.

Indeed, he writes, there have to be dissensions among you, so that the tried and true may be recognized. Divisions are to be deplored; they are evidence of a lack of community, but they also have a purpose, to separate the heretics and the ungodly from the tried and true believers. Thus, while divisions are rooted in sin, they are also a necessary part of the testing whereby the church is purified and refined, so that the holy community might prosper and be strengthened.
John W. Ritenbaugh writes: The Corinthian congregation was a troubled group divided into factions by heresies (I Corinthians 1:10-13). This circumstance was not helping the already-calamitous situation, but Paul says that the calamity would eventually produce a good result. The true sons of God would be revealed by their reactions to the false teaching. They would not accept it, and thus would be witnesses to the weaker for the truth of God.

Arthur W Pink

“You shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the Lord your God is testing you, to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul“. (Deuteronomy 13:3).
From those words it is clear that God allows teachers of error for the same reason as He does persecutors of His people: to test their love, to try their fidelity, to show that their loyalty to him is such that they will not give ear unto His enemies.
Error has always been more popular than the Truth, for it lets down the bars and fosters fleshly indulgence, but for that very reason it is obnoxious to the godly. The one who by grace can say “I have chosen the way of Truth” will be able to add “I have stuck unto Thy testimonies” (Psalm 119:30, 31), none being able to move him therefrom.
“For there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized.” (1 Corinthians 11:19).
Error serves as a flail, separating the chaff from the wheat. Let some plausible and popular preacher come forward with an old error decked out in new clothes and empty professors will at once flock to his standard; but not so with those who are established in the Faith. Thus, by means of the false prophets,
God makes it appear who are the ones who hold the Truth in sincerity: they are faithful to Him despite all temptations to turn away unto a “broader-minded” way. The genuine gold endures every test to which it is subjected. Thus too are the unregenerate “converts” revealed: the counterfeit gold will not withstand the fire.
Those who are attracted by a novelty do not endure but are soon carried away by some newer innovation
---AW Pink: The Sermon on the Mount

I Cor 11:27-30: Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28Each one must examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. 29For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.

When I was growing up, I did not like going to church. For a young boy in a rural town, church was boring, long, and filled with old, stodgy people singing old, stodgy songs. I would have rather been playing and watching football. However, there was one Sunday out of every month in which I did look forward to church—the first Sunday.

The first Sunday was communion Sunday. The mothers (older woman) of the church would dress in all white. The pastor would wear his white robe. The communion table, normally bare, would be draped in a white cloth under which was clearly the communionware containing the bread and the wine.
I was impressed with the ceremony involved and the care taken in preparing the table. There was care in handling and distributing the elements. The deacons wore white gloves and the trays were passed between them with a deliberate orchestration of movements and reverence. I really enjoyed the anticipation and celebration of the Lord’s Table. Unfortunately, for all the care taken with the elements of the table, similar care was not taken by the participants, those receiving the table.

Contrary to some assumptions, the Lord’s Table is not for everyone. It is a blessed sacrament, like baptism, given to the church as a sign of God’s faithfulness to His promises and an assurance in the heart of the one to whom the promises are given. With this in mind, we should understand that there are at least two groups of people who should be discouraged from partaking at the Lord’s Table, namely, the unconverted and the unrepentant.

The Unconverted. The Lord’s Table is for those who have professed true faith in the Lord. It is referred to variously in the church because it is referenced variously in the Scriptures. Besides being called the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 11:20), it is also often referred to as communion. This is due to the fact that in 1 Corinthians 10:16, the bread and the cup are understood to be a “communion” or “sharing” in and with Christ. Communion, or common union, is born out of union with Christ. Only those in union with Christ have fellowship with Him. They share in His body and His blood and are consequently united to Him (John 6:56). The unconverted has no fellowship with Christ. The unconverted has no union with Him. There is no promise of Christ’s abiding with him. He has no portion in the body of Christ broken or the blood of Christ shed. Consequently, there can be no sharing in the elements that signify the person and work of Christ for the church (1 Cor. 11:24). The converted, on the other hand, discern that such are the blessings of being united to Christ.

The converted understand that the bread and the cup are a proclamation of the Lord’s death (1 Cor. 11:26). The elements move the believer to reflect upon the sacrifice of Christ and the abiding blessedness of knowing that Christ is for us. The blood of Christ is the forgiveness of our sins (Matt. 26:28). The body is Christ broken, suffering in our place (1 Cor. 11:24). These are the blessings that belong to those united to Christ by grace alone through faith alone. Only the converted, the truly regenerate, can be assured of these truths communicated in and through the Lord’s Table.

The Unrepentant. While the Lord’s Table is only for the converted, it is also only for the convert who is living the examined and, consequently, repentant life. The sacrament is for believers. And yet, the admonition to believers is clear: “Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup” (1 Cor. 11:28).

The Christian life is the examined life, the life that takes seriously the call to repentance and the promise of forgiveness (1 John. 1:8–9; 2:1). Unfortunately, there are those who deny the grace of repentance by hardening their hearts and refusing to forgive or be forgiven. Those who refuse to acknowledge their sin, but harbor bitterness, malice, and hatred in their hearts, and refuse godly counsel toward reconciliation with God and others, and thus neglect the grace of repentance—let them refrain from the Lord’s Table. Otherwise, to eat and to drink in such a state is to call forth the disciplining hand of God (1 Cor. 11:32).

Nevertheless, such a condition is not the desire of God for His people. Our God delights to forgive (Micah 7:18). Consequently, His people can be assured “of better things—things that belong to salvation” (Heb. 6:9), namely, the blessed union and communion with Christ. To you, Christ says, “Come!” (Isa. 55:1). To you, Christ says “Welcome!” To you, Christ says, “Enjoy!”

I have long come to appreciate that old rural church in which I was raised. Today, many of those old, stodgy saints have gone to be with the Lord. And many of those old, stodgy songs have become my favorites. One in particular reminds me that the Lord’s Table is a blessed invitation to all those who hunger and thirst for righteousness:
Come ye thirsty, come and welcome;
God’s free bounty glorify.
True belief and true repentance;
Every grace that brings you nigh.
And there is no more blessed grace than that of sweet communion with and in Christ.
--Anthony Carter

I Corinthians 11:29-30:
For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.

"Not discerning the Lord's body" can refer to theological heresy, failure to follow the Biblical doctrines concerning out Lord's life, work, atoning death, and resurrection. Paul does refer to heresy in I Corinthians 11:19. All heresy is a refusal to discern the Lord's body, but this refusal can be both theological and practical; it can be with respect to doctrine and also community. Here Paul has this failure with respect to community essentially in mind: they are not a family. They do not see Christ's body as inclusive of all true believers and hence reject others and refuse to share their bounty with them. Thus, when the church fails to be a community, and where any member thereof is negligent of his family responsibilities to other Christians, there the body of Christ is not discerned, and communion is taken unto damnation.

I Corinthians 11:31-34:
31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.
32 But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.
33 Therefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another.
34 But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest you come together for judgment. And the rest I will set in order when I come.

God is faithful. He will not suffer us to be tested beyond our strength. With every testing, a way of escape is provided. God has given us His Word. One of its functions is to provide a means of self self-judgment. When it reveals that something we contemplate, or something we do, is sin against God, it affords us the opportunity to confess and forsake our sin. Christ loved the Church andf gave Himself for it, that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the laver of water in the Word.