THE RIGHT HANDS

OF FELLOWSHIP

By

Shelby G. Floyd

January, 2009

 

 

LESSON TEN

 

FELLOWSHIP WITH THE LORD’S SUPPER

 

In this lesson we shall further examine the fellowship of both the Jew and the Gentile in spiritual things.  (Romans 15:27.)

 

Fellowship with the Lord’s Supper

 

During the time when Jesus ate the last supper with his disciples, he took the unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine, and established a me­morial meal commemorative of his death, burial and resurrection. He stated that he would not eat of those elements again until it would be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. (Luke 22: l4-30.) When the kingdom of God was estab­lished the members ate the Lord’s Supper on the first day of every week; they were steadfast in their fellowship with the breaking of bread. (Acts 2: 42; 20: 7.)

 

In the church at Corinth, there were some who not only wanted to eat the Lord’s Supper but they also wanted to have fellowship with idolatrous worship by eating at the table of devils. In order to correct the situation, Paul, taught them several things: first, he strongly urged them to flee from idolatry (Cf. 1 Corinthians 10: l4); secondly, he stated that their communion with the blood and body of Jesus Christ pointed to their unity in the body of Christ, the church. “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the com­munion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the com­munion of the body of Christ? For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.” (1 Corinthians 10: 16-17.)

 

When the members of the church of Christ meet together and take the fruit of the vine and the unleavened bread, they have fellowship with the blood of Christ and with the body of Christ. They have fellowship one with another and with God in eating the Lord’s Supper. In 1 Corinthians 10: 16, the word com­munion is found twice in reference to the blood and. body of Jesus Christ; it is from the word koinonia, which means to have fellowship, association, communion, community, joint participation, and in 1 Corinthians 10: 16, it refers to our fellowship in the benefits of Christ’s death. (Thayer, p. 352.) When we gather together and eat the Lord’s Supper, it reminds us of the salvation we enjoy because we have obeyed the gospel and received the benefits of the death of Christ. (Cf. Ephesians 1: 3, 7.)

 

1 Corinthians 10: 17 states that all of the Corinthians were one bread and one body: the reason being, they were all partakers of that one bread. Those who are members of the church of Christ and who partake of the one bread in the Lord’s Supper are also one body. Therefore, fellowship with the Lord’s Supper points to the unity of worship and the unity of the body of Christ.

 

The word partaker in 1 Corinthians 10: 17, is from metecho, a present active indicative verb, and it means to eat the one bread; therefore, the members of the church who absent themselves from the services of the church on the first day of the week and. fail to eat the Lord’s supper do not have fellow­ship with the body and with the blood of Christ as Christ intended for them to have. They are forsaking that fellowship by forsaking the assembling of themselves together; and in failing to observe the Lord’s Supper, they fail to have fellowship with Jesus Christ in observing his death, burial and resur­rection.

 

In the third place, Paul used Israel after the flesh to illustrate that all who eat the sacrifices of an altar are partakers in the worship of that altar. “Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?” (1 Corinthians 10: 18.) All of the Jews ate of their offerings and sacrifices of the altar, which indicated they were in fellowship with the worship of that altar. In 1 Corinthians 10: 18, the word partaker is from koinonos, and means that the Jews who ate of the sacrifices offered on the altar became partakers in the worship of that altar. (Cf. Thayer, p. 352.) Therefore, if the Corinthians ate the sacrifices of the altars offered to heathen gods, demons or spirits, they were having fellowship with idolatrous worship, inasmuch, as those who eat of the sacrifices are partakers of the worship involved in those sacrifices.

 

In the fourth place Paul emphatically affirms that a child of God cannot eat at the Lord’s Table and the table of devils. It would be inconsistent for a child of God to do this. “But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils.” (1 Corinthians 10: 20-21.) What Paul is simply teaching here is that no man can serve two masters. (Matthew 6: 24.) Since man cannot serve two masters, neither can he be involved in the worship of God and the worship of idols and be pleasing to God. Paul’s argument is simply that if one eats the sacrifices of heathen and idolatrous worship then he fellowships that worship; and since the heathen believed that in offering sacrifices upon their altars they were propitiating the anger of evil spirits; for one to partake or eat of their sacrifices was to have fellowship with their worship, with their doctrine and with devils. In 1 Corinthians 10: 20, the word fellowship is from koinonos, and means to be a partaker or sharer in anything. In eat­ing the sacrifices of idolatrous worship, they would have fellowship with devils because the devils were the object of the heathen worship just as God is the object of true worship. (Cf. Thayer, p. 352.)

 

In view of the above stated arguments, what can be said of those today who want to have fellowship with instrumental music in the denominations? To participate in denominational worship is to have fellowship with denomina­tional worship. One cannot have fellowship with the Lord and with denomina­tional worship. *

 

*Shelby G. Floyd originally published The Right Hands of Fellowship in The Informer, bulletin of the Garfield Heights Church of Christ in Indianapolis, Indiana, September 23, 1973—March 17, 1974. The lessons are now presented in a thirteen week class format with questions for discussion.  Copyright ©2002, 2009 Shelby Floyd, All Rights Reserved

 

 

QUESTIONS ON THE LESSON

 

1.      When and under what circumstances did Christ establish the Lord’s Supper?

 

 

 

2.      Discuss the time and consistency with which the early church partook of the Lord’s Supper.

 

 

 

3.      How were the Corinthians attempting to fellowship at the Lord’s Table and the table of devils?

 

 

 

4.      Can there be any fellowship between true worship and false worship? Discuss.

 

 

 

 

5.      How does communion with the cup and bread portray out unity in the church?

 

 

 

6.      With whom do we have fellowship when we commune in the Lord’s Supper?

 

 

 

7.      Define and discuss the words “communion” as used in 1 Corinthians 10: 16.

 

 

 

8.      Can one have fellowship with Christ and the church while forsaking the assembly in which the Lord’s Supper is observed? Discuss.

 

 

 

 

9.      Discuss how one has fellowship with the worship of an altar who partakes of the sacrifices of that altar.

 

 

 

 

10.    Can one participate in denominational worship and not have fellowship with denominational worship? Can one have fellowship with God and denomina­tional worship?

 

 

SCRIPTURE TEXTS

 

 

Romans 15:27

27They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews' spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings.

NIV

 

Luke 22:15-20

15And he said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God." 17After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, "Take this and divide it among you. 18For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."

 

19And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me."

 

20In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.

NIV

 

Acts 2:42

42And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.

NKJV

 

 

 

Acts 20:7

7On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight.

NIV

 

1 Corinthians 10:16-21

16Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? 17Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.

 

18Consider the people of Israel: Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar? 19Do I mean then that a sacrifice offered to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. 21You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord's table and the table of demons.

NIV

 

MEMORY VERSE

 

1 Corinthians 10:17

17Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.

NIV