No Cliques at the Lord’s Table!

"When you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, for as you eat, each of you goes ahead without waiting for anybody else. One remains hungry, another gets drunk.”  – 1 Corinthians 11:20-21

Have you ever wondered: Did churches in New Testament times hold potlucks? Well, the answer is … yes!

 

Since Christians didn’t have church buildings back then, they met in homes. Some of their meetings were called “Agape Feasts,” or “Love Feasts” (Jude 12). At these love feasts, church members gathered to pool together whichever food items they wanted to share. And their big meal would culminate in taking communion together.

 

Sounds beautiful, doesn’t it? The problem was, in the church of Corinth, not everyone was getting the same helpings at the table. Some may not even have gotten a seat. Instead of using the feast as a time to bring Christ’s Church together in love and unity, they were using it as an opportunity to exclude certain Christians and selfishly stuff their own faces.

 

In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul addresses the issue of confusing and disorderly potluck meals and communion services in the Corinthian church. He identifies two problems in this passage:

 

Problem #1: Your Communion Services Are Too Cliquey (vs. 17-18). The way the Christians held their love feasts and communion services was, in Paul’s words, doing “more harm than good.” The gatherings were cliquey and divisive. When we piece together the biblical and historical details, it appears that the rich brought most of the food and wine to the feast – and they weren’t ABOUT to share it with those who could only afford to contribute a couple of biscuits.

 

Problem #2: Your Communion Services Are Too Self-Centered (vs. 19-21). Paul points out one good thing about having cliques in the church: It made it easier to recognize the mature Christians. They were the ones who DIDN’T exclude certain Christians. They were the ones who denied themselves and put others first. Meanwhile, immature Christians were selfishly gorging themselves, instead of humbly sharing their food with those who needed it the most.

 

One of the clear messages in this passage is this: Having NO love feast is better than having a divisive and humiliating love feast. And skipping communion is preferrable to making a mockery of it.

 

For one reason or another, as centuries passed, Christian churches around the world stopped holding love feasts. But churches have never stopped celebrating the Lord’s Supper together. Communion always has been and always will be observed by Christians in every tongue, tribe and nation. But it must be observed by Christians who are unified, not divided; and selfless – NOT selfish.

 

Dane Davis is the pastor of Impact Christian Church in Victorville. Join us at Impact for Sunday services: in person or online at 9 a.m. on Facebook Live or YouTube. For more information, visit www.GreaterImpact.cc.

Taking Communion … the Right Way

“For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you.” – 1 Corinthians 11:23

When the Apostle Paul writes about the Lord’s Supper in 1 Corinthians 11, it seems clear that he had the best possible teacher. Paul didn’t learn about Communion from Peter or James or John. He learned directly from Jesus. 

 

In verse 23, Paul says that what he’s about to teach us about the Lord’s Supper was something he “received from the Lord.” And when he shares what Jesus taught him, he instructs us to look in four directions. We are to Look Back; Look Ahead; Look Inside; and Look Around.

 

#1: Look Back (vs. 23-26a). When we take Communion, we need to look BACK—remembering Jesus’ body that was offered and His blood that was poured out as He died on the cross for our sins. As theologian Warren Wiersbe puts it: “It is not the life of our Lord, or His teachings, that will save sinners—but His death.” At The Lord’s Table, we look back to the cross and remember what Jesus did in love for you and me.

 

#2: Look Ahead (vs. 26b). When we take Communion, we need to look AHEAD—celebrating the fact that Jesus will one day come back to take His followers to heaven. The Lord’s Table isn’t just about respectfully remembering our Savior who died for us. It’s also about celebrating our Savior who CONQUERED death for us. Our Savior lives and will one day come back to take us home to heaven. So, Communion is a beautiful time to look ahead with the eyes of faith and celebrate our soon and coming King.

 

#3: Look Inside (vs. 27-31). When we take Communion, we need to look INSIDE—making sure that we are not taking Communion in an unworthy manner. If you are reading God’s Word each day and receiving good Bible teaching every week, believe me: The Holy Spirit WILL rebuke you discreetly. And it is up to you to heed His rebuke. Confess your sins to Him. Ask Him to forgive you. And turn from your sins.

 

#4: Look Around (vs. 17-22 & 33). Whenever we take Communion, we need to look AROUND—making sure to make things right with other Christians in the church. Before you take Communion, look around the room and ask yourself: “Is there anyone here today that I need to make peace with? Is there anyone that I’m out of fellowship with?” If the answer to either question is “Yes,” follow Jesus’ instructions in Matthew 5:23-25a. First, make things right with your brother or sister in Christ. Then, take Communion together.

 

As you gather with your church family to take Communion, remember that the Lord’s Supper is one of the most beautiful and meaningful parts of the worship service. But each of us must make sure to focus on Christ as we Look Back. Look Ahead. Look Inside. And Look Around. 

 

Dane Davis is the pastor of Impact Christian Church in Victorville. Join us at Impact for Sunday services: in person or online at 8:45 a.m. on Facebook Live or YouTube. For more information, visit www.GreaterImpact.cc

Should I Wear a Hat to Church?

“For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God.” – 1 Corinthians 11:12

So … when is the last time you heard a sermon about women wearing head coverings in church? Chances are you never have.

 

Many Christians are puzzled by these verses in 1 Corinthians 11: “Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head” (vs. 4-5). How are we as Christians meant to follow these verses in 2026?

 

Over the centuries, different Christians have interpreted these verses in different ways. I’d like to share 3 different ways that Bible-believing Christians interpret this passage today:

 

#1: The Normative Practice View. Christians with this view believe the command for women to wear a physical head covering during worship is a universal, timeless command for the church. Today, the practice ranges from women wearing veils to kerchiefs to bonnets.

 

#2: The “Hair as Covering” View: Christians who hold to this viewpoint believe that a woman’s long hair is the “covering” in question (v. 15). Therefore, both men and women’s heads must reflect their God-given gender distinctions.

 

#3: The Cultural Principle View. Christians with this view believe that the command to wear a physical head covering was specific to 1^st Century Corinth. Supposedly, in Paul’s day, respectable married women wore head coverings in public as a sign of purity and submission to their husbands. By contrast, prostitutes NEVER wore head coverings in public, and women with extremely short hair with those found guilty of adultery. Those with this view believe that Christian women in every culture must submit to their husbands and maintain their moral purity. But the outward SIGN of their submission and purity may vary.

 

I don’t believe the Cultural Principle View holds water, because Paul doesn’t say that his teaching about head coverings is only for certain cultures. So, that leaves two options. If the Apostle Paul was sitting right here, would he tell us that Christian women need to wear some kind of head covering in worship services, or would he say that having long hair will suffice? I’m not sure.

 

But one way or another, despite the fact that it’s not politically correct, Scripture teaches that a Christian woman should have some outward sign that communicates both her purity and her submission to her husband. In today’s culture, those outward signs might be a wedding ring, or taking your husband’s last name, or dressing more modestly than you did when you were single.

 

Search your own heart. Your best guide may be Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 10:31: “Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

 

Dane Davis is the pastor of Impact Christian Church in Victorville. Join us at Impact for Sunday services: in person or online at 8:45 a.m. on Facebook Live or YouTube. For more information, visit www.GreaterImpact.cc.