1. What is your favorite passage of Scripture or story from the Bible?
Ask two people to read aloud 1 Corinthians 11:17-34, one after the other, preferably from different Bible versions. Then ask a third person to briefly summarize this passage.
2. Some Christians contend that partaking of the Lord’s Supper (also referred to as Communion) is the most important part of a worship service. What are some reasons to support this opinion?
3. The Lord’s Supper, as practiced by the Corinthians, served to spotlight divisions within the church. In fact, Paul said, “Your meetings do more harm than good” (v. 17). What were some of the bad practices and divisions evident in the church at Corinth?
4. Why were Paul’s teachings about the Lord’s Supper such an important correction to the Corinthian church? Why do Paul’s teachings on the Lord’s Supper remain important to the 21st-century Christian church?
5. In the Scripture text for last week’s lesson, Paul wrote, “No one should seek their own good, but the good of others” (10:24). In what ways was that not occurring with respect to celebrating the Lord’s Supper in the Corinthian church?
6. Paul wrote, “Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord” (v. 27).
• What are some examples today of how we might participate in Communion “in an unworthy manner”?
7. Describe your personal practice for centering your thoughts in preparation for participating in the Lord’s Supper in a worthy manner.
8. The Lord’s Supper observance among Christians is unique in so many ways. Discuss some of the unique aspects of this memorial to our Lord, especially when compared to other memorials.
9. Lesson writer Mark Scott holds the opinion that 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 “might be the most frequently read passage in Christendom.” Why is that the case? What are some other possibilities as “most frequently read passage”?
10. Based on our study and discussion, complete the sentence: “I will . . .”
For Next Week: Read and reflect on 1 Corinthians 12:12-26; 14:1-12. You can also read next week’s supplemental texts and the Study and Application sections as part of your personal study.
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