The Table Misapplied

The Lord’s table is not always used well; it has often been abused from within. In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, we find two cautionary tales around abusing the table. One is members within the church engaging during the week in the idolatry and then coming to the Lord’s table as if the two could coexist. Paul rebukes strongly. Those who participate in pagan feasts (which often involved prostitution) are defiling themselves as they participate with demons! And much like the problem Paul addressed in chapter 6, they are in turn defiling the body and table of Christ as they enter into participation there. The second abuse is factions and divisions in the church that lead to one getting drunk while another goes hungry. “If that’s the case, this is not the Lord’s Supper you are observing,” Paul says.In what ways are we in danger of misapplying the table? In what ways are we prone to these two abuses or others like them?