Communion is a time to remember Christ, examine your spiritual condition, confess sin, and renew your commitment to follow Him.
Communion is not merely crackers and juice, and it should never become an empty religious routine. Jesus gave the bread and the cup to His followers so that we would remember His body given for us and His blood shed for us. It is a serious remembrance, but it is also a gracious invitation to stop, look honestly at our spiritual condition, and return our attention to Christ.
Some people emphasize that the immediate problem in 1 Corinthians 11 was the way believers were treating one another. That is true and important. The Corinthians were divided, selfish, and humiliating poorer members of the church. We should therefore think about our relationships when we come to the Lord’s Table. But it is too narrow to say that relationships are the only proper subject of Communion reflection.
Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup.1 Corinthians 11:28 NIV
That examination includes our relationships, but it also reaches our faith, repentance, motives, conduct, and present walk with Christ.
Communion Is for Those Who Belong to Christ
Communion is open to anyone who has received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. If you do not know what that means, or if you have never personally trusted Christ, there is no shame in letting the elements pass. The bread and cup cannot save us. They point us to the One who can.
This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me. This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. – Jesus in Luke 22:19-20 NIV
Communion directs our attention to the real suffering of Jesus, His sacrificial death, His shed blood, His resurrection, and the salvation He provides.
Receiving Christ is not a matter of repeating a secret formula. Salvation comes through turning from sin and trusting Jesus Christ, who died for our sins and rose again. But still, a simple prayer can be a sincere way of expressing that faith:
Lord Jesus, I acknowledge that I am a sinner and that You died on the cross for my sins. Please forgive me. Save me and make me the person You created me to be. I want to follow You.
The words themselves do not save. Jesus saves those who trust in Him.
The Method Is Not the Most Important Thing
Churches serve Communion in different ways. People may come forward, the elements may be passed through the congregation, or prepackaged cups may be used. A church might use a large loaf or small pieces of bread. The method matters far less than the meaning.
The most important question is not how the bread and cup are distributed. The question is what is happening in your heart. Are you remembering Jesus? Are you trusting Him? Are you taking His grace seriously? Are you willing to let Him expose and correct what is happening in your life?
A Spiritual Time Out
I think of Communion as a spiritual time out. A race car must occasionally return to the pit for fuel, fresh tires, inspection, and adjustment. In the same way, it is good for us to stop and evaluate where we are spiritually. Life gets busy. Our attention wanders. Sin can quietly take root. Communion interrupts the rush and calls us back to Jesus.
Paul’s warning in 1 Corinthians 11 is serious. We must not receive the bread and cup casually, thoughtlessly, or in a way that dishonors Christ. Yet Paul does not say, “Examine yourself, discover that you are imperfect, and stay away.” He says to examine yourself and then eat and drink. The examination is meant to lead us to honest confession, renewed faith, reconciliation, and grateful participation.
Relationships Are Part of the Examination
Because of the situation in Corinth, our treatment of other believers cannot be excluded from self-examination. We should ask whether bitterness, pride, selfishness, prejudice, or an unforgiving spirit is damaging our relationships. Have I contributed to a broken relationship? Do I need to ask forgiveness? Am I refusing to forgive someone whom Christ commands me to forgive?
The Lord’s Table proclaims that believers share one Savior and belong to one body. It would contradict that message to remember Christ’s forgiveness while knowingly refusing to extend grace to another believer. Relational examination is therefore necessary. It is simply not exhaustive.
Examine Your Spiritual Condition Too
Communion also gives us an opportunity to ask the Lord to search our hearts. Is there known sin I need to confess? Is there unconfessed bitterness, pride, disobedience, dishonesty, impurity, or spiritual indifference? Have I been taking God’s grace for granted? Am I walking in dependence upon Christ, or have I been living as though I do not need Him?
This is not an attempt to make ourselves worthy through a few minutes of religious introspection. None of us comes to the Table because we had a perfect week. We come because Jesus is a perfect Savior. Christian self-examination is not morbid self-condemnation. It is Spirit-led honesty that leads us away from sin and back to the sufficiency of Christ.
A Broader Understanding of Self Examination
Some may wonder whether examining our overall spiritual condition goes beyond Paul’s concern in 1 Corinthians 11. It does not require us to ignore the context. The Corinthians’ selfish and divisive treatment of one another was a serious part of their sin, but Paul still instructed each person to “examine himself” before participating. The Lord’s Table therefore calls us to consider both how we are walking with other believers and how we are walking with Christ.
Scripture, not respected teachers, determines what we believe. Yet it is helpful to know that this broader understanding is neither new nor unusual. Well-known evangelical pastors and biblical commentators have also taught that preparing for Communion includes examining our hearts, confessing known sin, turning from disobedience, trusting Christ’s cleansing, and then receiving the bread and cup with gratitude.
John Piper explains:
“Nobody brings a successful week to the Lord’s Table, period. Nobody. We all call into question—and rightly—the effectiveness of our devotions or the quality of our communication with our kids. It’s never been perfect. Therefore, we bring to the table our sin.
That’s the point of the table. It is a recognition of our sin.
However, what you do in preparation—when you take stock of yourself—is that you confess all known sin. You do Psalm 19: “Cleanse me of hidden faults, and hold back your servant from presumptuous sins.”
So you pray specific confession for the sins you know, you pray general confession for the sins you’re unaware of, and you receive afresh the cleansing, the application of the blood of Christ (1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”).
Now, after you’ve appropriated afresh the work of Christ and are enjoying that forgiveness, you eat. And you eat worthily, not because you had a good week, but because you have a great Savior and are united with him by faith and are renouncing all those sins.” Can I Take the Lord’s Supper If I’ve Had a Bad Week Spiritually?
Steven J. Cole Lesson 99: Come to the Table (Luke 22)
Cole calls believers to examine their attitudes, actions, and affections. Confession should lead us to receive Christ’s mercy and then partake, not to remain trapped in shame. Come to His table. Look to yourself—your attitudes, actions, and affections. Confess any apathy that has made the Lord’s Supper a routine ritual. Turn from any sins that keep you from close fellowship with the Savior. Then look to Christ who freely gave Himself for you and let your heart be moved by His great love as seen in the cross. If the Spirit convicts you of some sin that you have not confessed, bring it to Him. Come to the Table
Got Questions “What does it mean to examine yourself ?”
…Paul is essentially asking the people to do a “heart check” before communion. Are their hearts in the right spot? Are they eating the meal to remember Christ’s sacrifice and to engage in community? Are they divided among themselves or unified in Christ? Are they actually having communion, or are they just selfishly satisfying their own appetites?
Many churches today preface the passing of the elements with two warnings: 1) Don’t take communion unless you are a follower of Christ. It is too precious a thing to treat as a meaningless religious ritual; and 2) Be sure you’re up to date with God regarding any unconfessed sins or un-surrendered areas in your life. In other words, perform a “heart check” on yourself. It is important to note here that being “up to date” does not imply perfection. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 11:31–32 that we are to judge ourselves appropriately and allow the Lord to discipline and sanctify us. We should have the psalmist’s attitude when he prayed, “Forgive my hidden faults” (Psalm 19:12).
In essence, when pastors preface communion with instructions to reflect on the meaning of the ordinance and to confess personal sin, they are asking the congregation to examine themselves. Do they know what communion means, and are they taking it for that purpose? Are they actually walking out their faith and living in active relationship with God, allowing Him to do His sanctifying work in their lives? If so, communion is a sobering celebration of Christ and His church. If not, we make a mockery of the ordinance. https://www.gotquestions.org/examine-yourself.html
Tyndale New Testament Commentary
“Examine is dokimazō, ‘test’ (often used of the testing of metals). Holy Communion is not just another service. It is a solemn rite, instituted by our Lord himself, and charged with deep significance. Before taking part in such a service it is important to conduct a rigorous self-examination” (2 Cor. 13:5f.) [Leon Morris, 1 Corinthians: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 7, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1985), 160.]
Swindoll’s Living Insights New Testament Commentary
“To eat the bread and drink of the cup in an “unworthy manner” brings guilt punishable by physical judgment (11:29–30). When believers come to the table in a sinful condition, failing to be cleansed of their sin by the sacrificed body and shed blood of Christ, they bring shame upon Christ’s suffering and death. Coming to the Lord’s Table with unclean souls, with known sin in our lives, brings reproach upon the Savior. The discipline Paul mentions isn’t purely punitive but is also fatherly, intended to bring offenders to repentance and restoration to a holy life and fellowship in the body (11:32; cf. Heb. 12:5–7). How does Paul say the Corinthians can partake of the Lord’s Supper in a worthy manner and thereby avoid such discipline from God? First, a person must “examine himself” (1 Cor. 11:28), pleading with the Lord as David did: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”- Psalm 139:23-24 NLT. [Charles R. Swindoll, 1 & 2 Corinthians, vol. 7, Swindoll’s Living Insights New Testament Commentary (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2017), 174–175.]
Questions to Consider Before Communion
- Have I personally trusted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior?
- Am I remembering the body He gave and the blood He shed for me?
- Is there any known sin I need to confess and turn from?
- Is there bitterness, pride, disobedience, or spiritual indifference in me?
- Have I contributed to a broken relationship or refused to forgive?
- Am I taking God’s grace for granted?
- What is the Lord asking me to surrender to Him?
- Am I willing to renew my commitment to walk in holiness, obedience, and faithful service?
Come Back to Christ
Communion looks backward to the cross and forward to Christ’s return. It also calls us to respond to Him in the present. We can thank Him for giving His body and shedding His blood to save us. We can confess our sins, receive His forgiveness, make peace where we have caused harm, and surrender ourselves to Him again.
Jesus, thank You for giving Your body and shedding Your blood to save me. Help me never to take Your grace for granted. Search my heart and show me anything I need to confess. Forgive me, restore me, and give me strength to walk in holiness, obedience, and faithful service until You return.
Communion is more than an analysis of our relationships in the church, although it certainly includes them. It is a Christ-centered examination of our spiritual condition. We remember what Jesus has done, honestly consider how we are walking with Him and with others, and come again to the grace that is found in Christ alone.