1 Corinthians 11:27-29
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It's not just about feeling unworthy; the verse focuses on the manner of eating and drinking, implying a disrespect or disregard for the profound significance of what we're participating in. The "unworthiness" here is about a way of approaching the Lord's Table that dishonors the body and blood of Christ, not necessarily our personal sense of sinfulness.
Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul is addressing chaotic and divisive behavior happening during the Lord's Supper in Corinth, where people were showing up hungry and getting drunk, essentially turning a sacred meal into a gluttonous party. Before this, he reminds them of the proper, unified way to partake, tracing it back to Jesus' own institution of the Supper. This verse serves as a solemn warning about the seriousness of approaching this sacred remembrance disrespectfully, directly linking unworthy participation to guilt regarding Christ's sacrificed body and blood.
The Apostle Paul drops a bombshell here, warning that approaching the Lord's Supper in an 'unworthy manner' has serious consequences. What does 'unworthy' even mean in this context?
Not About Perfect Performance
Paul isn't saying only sinless saints can come to the table. If that were the case, none of us could ever partake! Instead, 'unworthy manner' here refers to a state of deliberate, unrepentant sin or a dismissive attitude towards the sacredness of the meal.
Think about the context in Corinth: they were treating the Lord's Supper like a common potluck, with divisions, drunkenness, and disregard for others. This wasn't just bad manners; it was a profound disrespect for what the bread and cup represent.
So, being 'unworthy' isn't about your past failures, but about your present posture: Are you coming with a humble, repentant heart, or with pride and disregard for Christ's sacrifice?
Paul states that approaching the table unworthily makes one 'guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord.' What does this profound accusation mean for us today?
Recognizing the Sacrifice
To be 'guilty concerning the body and blood' means to treat the very representation of Christ's sacrificial death with contempt. The bread symbolizes His body, broken for us, and the wine symbolizes His blood, shed for the forgiveness of sins.
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When we approach the table carelessly, we are, in effect, saying that His sacrifice isn't that significant. We are not just failing to remember Him; we are dishonoring the immense cost of our redemption.
This isn't about earning salvation through the Supper, but about responding with awe and gratitude to the salvation Christ has already secured through His death. It’s about understanding that this meal isn't a mere ritual, but a powerful memorial of the greatest act of love in history.
Understand the original words
enochos · Greek Adjective
An objective moral state of being liable for punishment or liable to a charge; it denotes accountability before God for an offense against His holiness.
anaxiōs · Greek Adverb
In this context, it refers to a lack of reverence, spiritual indifference, or a state of life that is inconsistent with the holiness of the event being celebrated; a failure to recognize the sacredness of the Lord's Supper.
dokimazō · Greek Verb
To test, scrutinize, or put to the proof; in a spiritual sense, it refers to self-reflection and inner assessment of one's relationship with God and the body of believers.
diakrinō · Greek Verb
To distinguish, judge, or differentiate between things; in this context, it refers to the spiritual ability to recognize the sacred nature of the Church as the Body of Christ in the context of the ordinance.
krima · Greek Noun
A legal or divine verdict, often implying the consequences of one's actions, whether disciplinary or retributive, coming from God.
Paul is directly addressing a specific, scandalous situation in the Corinthian church where the Lord's Supper had become a source of division and shame, rather than unity and remembrance.
c. AD 50-52
Paul Founds Church in Corinth
The Apostle Paul establishes a Christian community in the bustling, cosmopolitan city of Corinth, known for its wealth and vice. He spends over a year and a half there, teaching and building the church.
c. AD 53-55— this verse
Paul Writes First Letter to Corinth
While in Ephesus, Paul hears about ongoing problems in the Corinthian church, including divisions and immorality. He writes this letter to address these issues and offer guidance.
c. AD 55
The Lord's Supper Abused
The letter reveals that the Corinthians are misusing the communal meal, which was also their celebration of the Lord's Supper. Wealthier members arrive early and feast, leaving little for the poorer believers, turning a sacred meal into a social divide and gluttony.
c. AD 55
Paul Corrects Disorderly Worship
In response to the abuses, Paul provides instructions on how to properly conduct the Lord's Supper, emphasizing its sacredness and the need for self-examination and unity.
This verse immediately follows the one you provided and explains what it means to partake 'in an unworthy manner' – failing to discern the body of Christ.
1 Corinthians 10:16Paul connects the cup of blessing and the bread to participation in the body and blood of Christ, highlighting the sacred nature of communion.
Exodus 12:15This Old Testament passage about the Passover emphasizes the seriousness of removing 'unleavened things' (representing sin) before eating the meal, setting a precedent for purity in sacred feasts.
Hebrews 10:29This verse speaks of treating the blood of the covenant, by which one is sanctified, as common and profaning the Spirit of grace, echoing the solemnity of unworthy participation.
It's not just about feeling unworthy; the verse focuses on the manner of eating and drinking, implying a disrespect or disregard for the profound significance of what we're participating in. The "unworthiness" here is about a way of approaching the Lord's Table that dishonors the body and blood of Christ, not necessarily our personal sense of sinfulness.
Paul is addressing chaotic and divisive behavior happening during the Lord's Supper in Corinth, where people were showing up hungry and getting drunk, essentially turning a sacred meal into a gluttonous party. Before this, he reminds them of the proper, unified way to partake, tracing it back to Jesus' own institution of the Supper. This verse serves as a solemn warning about the seriousness of approaching this sacred remembrance disrespectfully, directly linking unworthy participation to guilt regarding Christ's sacrificed body and blood.
Paul is addressing chaotic and divisive behavior happening during the Lord's Supper in Corinth, where people were showing up hungry and getting drunk, essentially turning a sacred meal into a gluttonous party. Before this, he reminds them of the proper, unified way to partake, tracing it back to Jesus' own institution of the Supper. This verse serves as a solemn warning about the seriousness of approaching this sacred remembrance disrespectfully, directly linking unworthy participation to guilt regarding Christ's sacrificed body and blood.
"Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone w…" — It's not just about feeling unworthy; the verse focuses on the manner of eating and drinking, implying a disrespect or disregard for the profound significance of what we're participating in. The…
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Last reviewed October 2026
