What happens if a Christian does not judge himself in regard to his behavior?:
"For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world" (1 Cor.11:29-32).
...
The damnation in that first set of passages is the issue of the opposite of the approved in the following...
1 Corinthians 11:18 For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it. 11:19 For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.
That is the damnation - in contrast to those approved in their conduct, those others stuck out in their divisiveness as unapproved.
In other words, here they were with all these amazing blessings, including the gift of healing mentioned in the next chapter, but they were so stingy towards the others that to the condemnation of their testimony before the world in their withholding of these blessings from the poorest among them, some of their poorest had ended up going from ending up sickly from having been left unattended to, to starving and even dying.
A common event in that very, very cruel and harsh 1st Century world.
He is referring to their shame as Believers before the world. They were no better than the world.
There was no "do this in remembrance of me" in their coming together to do things "in remembrance of me," because there was no "in remembrance of me" in their heart attitude in general.
Which is what this is talking about...
1 Corinthians 11:20 When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper.
Why wasn't it the Lord's supper?
We can go by what incompetents conclude, or we can simply follow the flow of Paul's thought.
Why wasn't their coming together into one place to eat, not the Lord's supper?
11:21 For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.
Which naturally flows into the following...
11:22 What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.
How so Paul? What was it they were violating by that?
11:23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: 11:24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. 11:25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
In other words, their heart attitude was supposed to have been...
11:26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.
Instead, Paul had had to lament..
11:27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
How so? That is verse 22, hereinabove.
But hold that thought, a minute.
11:28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
Okay, back to our question - how so?
In this manner....
11:29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
Okay, that is verse 22. What else?
Being that he continues this same thought in chapter 12, we read there concerning this not discerning of the Lord's Body...
1 Corinthians 12:14 For the body is not one member, but many. 12:15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
THAT is what "not discerning the Lord's Body" is referring to...
12:16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 12:17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? 12:18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. 12:19 And if they were all one member, where were the body? 12:20 But now are they many members, yet but one body. 12:21
And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
12:22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: 12:23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. 12:24 For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked:
12:25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. 12:26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. 12:27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
Back to chapter...
1 Corinthians 11:28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 11:29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. 11:30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. 11:31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 11:32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.
Judged / chastened of the Lord?
Being that Galatians had been written to Believers who had also ended up biting and devouring one another, the Judged / Chastened is this issue...
Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 6:8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
And that is something one brings on one self by one's own hand.
God allowing one to bring about the reaping of one's own sewing, on oneself.
Why?
Because we are not under the Law.
Because we are under Grace.
And under Grace, the question ends up one of "will our sewing reap forth corruption by our own hand, or will it reap forth fruit that will last into eternity?"
Or as he put that principle elsewhere, in fact, to.the Corinthians...
2 Corinthians 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
To the Galatians he had said...
Galatians 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. 6:10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
Thus, why the following ends as it does...
1 Corinthians 11:33 Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another. 11:34 And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.
And speaking of said well-doing and Grace - Amazing Grace, it is.
Just look at what he said to them after all that, just 4 chapters later...
1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
Acts 17: 11, 12.
In remembrance of Rom. 5: 6-8 - in each our stead.