When we meditate on God’s word the the Spirit is going to bring to mind both the vertical and horizontal. The horizontal realm is where our lives hit the road. That is where dynamic hits speed bumps, lots of them. Sometimes horizontal relationships with other Christians are not so easy. Some relationships we will mend while others remained strained because we don’t really want to mend them. We forget sometimes (or just don’t know) that the horizontal realm needs to be sorted out before we eat the bread and drink the cup together.
This dynamic is serious stuff because he who takes part “unworthily” will incur guilt and will be chastened by the Lord 1 Cor 11:29-30. We are not damned as the KJV says. Some people say the “unworthy manner” refers to “the way” the Corinthians abused the Lord’s supper – 1 Cor 11:18-22. If you read the rest of the chapter, it becomes evident that is not the primary meaning of the word “unworthy manner”. BTW, the word “manner” in some English translations does not show up in the Greek. The word is ‘anaxiōs‘, which in English is ‘unworthily’.
Personal Examination
The key is found in v.28 where Paul instructs the Corinthians to examine themselves before taking part. He meant personal examination and NOT a collective analysis of what went wrong. The word ‘examine’ in Greek is ‘dokimazo‘, which is basically used to describe something that is ‘tested for approval’ like a piece of metal. He was asking them primarily to look at their hearts to check their attitude toward Christ and their brethren. You cannot examine “your way” apart from examining ‘SELF’ i.e. the heart. In other words, my attitudes determine the way I do things. It was obvious from their conduct that the Corinthians had no regard for the Lord Jesus and that manifested itself in their conduct at the Lord’s table.
Examining my way apart from my heart is to make a separation between my actions and thought life. That is dangerous ground. We are to examine both our thoughts and actions in the light of God and His word. The bible connects the two i.e. that actions reveal to some degree what the thought life is like.
Luk 6:45 “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.
I find it very interesting that when we start with one dimension (vertical or horizontal) the Spirit will eventually bring to mind the other i.e. if we are walking close with Spirit. For example, when I start meditating on God, the Spirit will show me that my understanding of Him and His instructions helps me understand my relationships with people. Conversely, when I start mulling over my relational challenges with people, the Spirit will bring me back to God and His word on how to deal with them.
Mat 5:23 “Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,
Mat 5:24 leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.
There are times when relationships don’t change even after we have tried to sort out issues with the other Christian(s). That is OK. As long as we have responded to God’s instructions and made the effort to make it right with others, there is nothing to defile our hearts and hinder us from partaking from the table. We have examined ourselves rightly and done accordingly.
This is a two dimensional dynamic where examination is the mechanism that brings balance to the thinking Christian.
