"Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body" (1 Corinthians 11:27-29).

Some read this verse, and upon examining their spiritual life they conclude themselves to be unworthy to eat the Lord's supper. But look closer. The point of this verse is not one's character, but one's conduct while eating the supper. (If a Christian has sins preventing proper worship, then repentance and confessional prayer assures God's forgiveness - Acts 8:22-24; 1 John 1:9. When one's sins are forgiven he or she is indeed worthy to eat the supper and to offer other worship to God.)

This passage requires us to examine ourselves concerning the manner in which we eat the supper. It warns us against eating it "in an unworthy manner." This happens when we fail to eat the supper as a memorial of Christ's body and blood (v. 23-26). The Corinthians had turned it into a selfish meal that provoked division in the church. This perverted the purpose of the Lord's supper and made their worship vain (1 Cor. 1:18-21).

If we do not remember Christ's body and blood when we eat the bread and drink the cup, we are guilty crucifying the Lord. Such a damning judgment reflects how serious it is to eat the Lord's Supper in a worthy manner. 

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