1 Corinthians 11:30

Contextual Overview

²³For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, ²³ For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, ²³You listen to what I'm telling you because Jesus himself told it to me. On the night Jesus was double-crossed, the Lord Jesus took some bread ²³ For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; ²³For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was being betrayed took bread, ²³ For it was handed down to me from the Lord, as I gave it to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night when Judas was false to him, took bread, ²³ For *I* received from the Lord, that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus, in the night in which he was delivered up, took bread, ²³ For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: On the night when He was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread, ²³ For I received from the Lord that which also I delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night in which he was betrayed took bread. ²³ I praise you not. For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus the night in which he was betrayed,

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

many: 1 Corinthians 11:32, Exodus 15:26, Numbers 20:12, Numbers 20:24, Numbers 21:6-9, 2 Samuel 12:14-18, 1 Kings 13:21-24, Psalms 38:1-8, Psalms 78:30, Psalms 78:31, Psalms 89:31-34, Amos 3:2, Hebrews 12:5-11, Revelation 3:19

sleep: 1 Corinthians 15:51, Acts 13:36, 1 Thessalonians 4:14

Reciprocal: Exodus 19:22 - break 1 Samuel 4:18 - his neck 2 Samuel 6:7 - God smote 1 Kings 13:26 - the man 1 Chronicles 13:10 - there he died Job 33:23 - an interpreter Psalms 39:11 - When Proverbs 11:31 - General Ecclesiastes 5:17 - much Isaiah 38:13 - as a lion Haggai 1:9 - Because Matthew 27:52 - slept Mark 2:5 - sins Mark 5:39 - not dead Luke 7:21 - plagues Acts 7:60 - he fell 1 Corinthians 11:29 - damnation James 5:15 - if he

Cross-References

Genesis 11:1
Now the whole world had one language and a common speech.

Genesis 11:1
Now the whole world had one language and a common speech.

Genesis 11:1
Now the whole earth had the same language and the same words.

Genesis 11:1
Now the whole earth used the same language and the same words.

Genesis 11:1
And all the whole earth was of one language and lyke speache.

Genesis 11:1
There was a time when the whole world spoke one language. Everyone used the same words.

Genesis 11:1
Now the whole earth had one language and few words.

Genesis 11:1
Forsothe the lond was of o langage, and of the same speche.

Genesis 11:1
And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speach.

Genesis 11:1
And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For this cause many are weak and sickly,.... Because of their unworthy participation of the Lord's supper, many in the Corinthian church were attended with bodily infirmities and diseases; either by way of fatherly chastisement and correction in such who were truly the Lord's people, though they had behaved unworthily; or by way of punishment to such who were not, and had sinned very grossly:

and many sleep; that is, die a corporeal death, which is often in Scripture signified by sleep, and frequently used of the saints, and their death, and may intend and include some of them here; for though the Lord might resent so far their unworthy conduct and behaviour at his table, as to remove them out of this world by death, yet their souls may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For this cause - On account of the improper manner of celebrating the Lord’s Supper; see 1 Corinthians 11:21.

Many are weak - (ἀσθενεῖς astheneis). Evidently referring to prevailing bodily sickness and disease. This is the natural and obvious interpretation of this passage. The sense clearly is, that God had sent among them bodily distempers as an expression of the divine displeasure and judgment for their improper mode of celebrating the Lord’s Supper. That it was not uncommon in those times for God in an extraordinary manner to punish people with calamity, sickness, or death for their sins is evident from the New Testament; see the 1 Corinthians 5:5 note; Acts 5:1-10; Acts 13:11 notes; 1 Timothy 1:20 note; and perhaps 1 John 5:16 note; and James 5:14-15 notes. It may possibly have been the case that the intemperance and gluttony which prevailed on these occasions was the direct cause of no small part of the bodily disease which prevailed, and which in some cases terminated in death.

And many sleep - Have died. The death of Christians in the Scriptures is commonly represented under the image of “sleep;” Dan, 1 Corinthians 12:2; John 11:11-12; 1 Corinthians 15:51; 1Th 4:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:10. Perhaps it may be implied by the use of this mild term here, instead of the harsher word “death,” that these were true Christians. This sentiment is in accordance with all that Paul states in regard to the church at Corinth. Notwithstanding all their irregularities, he does not deny that they were sincere Christians, and all his appeals and reasonings proceed on that supposition, though there was among them much ignorance and irregularity. God often visits his own people with trial; and though they are his children, yet this does not exempt them from affliction and discipline on account of their imperfections, errors, and sins. The “practical lesson” taught by this is, that Christians should serve God with purity; that they should avoid sin in every form; and that the commission of sin will expose them, as well as others, to the divine displeasure. The reason why this judgment was inflicted on the Corinthians was, that there might be a suitable impression made of the holy nature of that ordinance, and that Christians might be led to observe it in a proper manner. If it be asked whether God ever visits his people now with his displeasure for their improper manner of observing this ordinance, we may reply:

1. That we have no reason to suppose that he inflicts “bodily” diseases and corporeal punishments on account of it. But,
2. There is no reason to doubt that the improper observance of the Lord’s Supper, like the improper observance of any other religious duty, will be followed with the expression of God’s displeasure, and with a spiritual blightling on the soul. This may be evinced in the following modes:
1. In hardening the heart by an improper familiarity with the most sacred and solemn ordinances of religion.
2. Increased coldness and deadness in the service of God. If the ordinances of the gospel are not the means of making us better, they are the means of making us worse.
3. The loss of the favor of God, or of those pure, and spiritual, and elevated joys which we might have obtained by a proper observance of the ordinance.

There is no reason to doubt that God may make it the occasion of manifesting his displeasure. It may be followed by a lack of spiritual comfort and peace; by a loss of communion with God; and by a withholding of those comforts from the soul which might have been enjoyed, and which are imparted to those who observe it in a proper manner. The general principle is, that an improper discharge of any duty will expose us to his displeasure, and to the certain loss of all those favors which might have resulted from a proper discharge of the duty, and to the tokens of the divine displeasure. And this is as true of prayer, or of any other religious duty, as of an improper observance of the Lord’s Supper.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 30. For this cause — That they partook of this sacred ordinance without discerning the Lord's body; many are weak and sickly: it is hard to say whether these words refer to the consequences of their own intemperance or to some extraordinary disorders inflicted immediately by God himself. That there were disorders of the most reprehensible kind among these people at this sacred supper, the preceding verses sufficiently point out; and after such excesses, many might be weak and sickly among them, and many might sleep, i.e. die; for continual experience shows us that many fall victims to their own intemperance. How ever, acting as they did in this solemn and awful sacrament, they might have "provoked God to plague them with divers diseases and sundry kinds of death." Communion service.