Why is the Death Penalty Punishment for Unworthy Communion?

 Why is the Death Penalty Punishment for Unworthy Communion?

1 Cor 11:26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord'sdeath till he come.

According to 11:26, the purpose of communion was to remind us of Christ’s death and return. It was not salvation or justification by faith.

1 Cor 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.

Clearly, the person who mocks communion is “guilty of” mocking the doctrine of Christ’s vicarious death for the sinner.

1 Cor 11:28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.

Only after personal examination of one’s fellowship (or lack of fellowship) should one partake of communion. After A. D. 1215, the Roman Catholic Church interprets this as a requirement to visit the confessional and get absolution from the priests before partaking of communion. This is very un-biblical.

1 Cor 11:29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.

The “unworthy” person mocks the fact that Jesus came to die for his/her sins. He is treating the “remembrance of Christ” as simply a time to eat a meal.

1 Cor 11:30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.

“For this cause,” because they have mocked the remembrance of Christ’s death, many have been very severely punished with death and sickness.

……

34 And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation.

Again, the sin being rebuked is treating the communion as a common regular meal.

 

My Roman Catholic friends argue “since the punishment fits the crime” the sin described in First Corinthians 11:26-34 must be literally eating the body and drinking the blood of Christ while in an unworthy our-of-fellowship state of being.

 

My question is, “Who are we to tell God how much to punish particular sins?” The Bible has many instances of sins for which the punishment does not appear to match the seriousness of the sin.

 

1. Adam and Eve’s sin was one of un-belief, or lack of faith. They believed Satan’s over God’s Word and ate of the forbidden tree. This sin resulted in the fall of mankind.

 

2. Cain offered a non-blood sacrifice and his sacrifice was rejected. This resulted in murder and banishment.

 

3. Abraham told a half-truth half-lie about his wife and should have been put to death by Pharaoh (Gen 12).

 

4. Esau denied his birthright for a serving of food and forfeited his birthright.

 

5. Moses struck the rock instead of speaking to it and died before entering Canaan.

 

6. King Saul disobeyed God and kept back a few sacrificial animals and lost his kingdom.

 

7. King David sinned in murdering Uriah the Hittite and did not receive the death penalty. He numbered the people and multitudes died.

 

In Christ’s love

Russ Kelly