Discerning the Body

Paul’s comments about communion include discernment. That means, first of all, that it not get lost inside a meal—as a course in the love feast he cautions his readers about in 1 Corinthians 11:17-22. It means not letting this observance be a pointless ritual. More personally it calls for discerning the body of Christ in it (11:29) and discerning ourselves as we participate (11:31).

Coming to the table reserves a place in our gathering for introspection. That is a natural thing to do because these emblems memorialize Christ’s giving his life for our sins. So we do well to evaluate our appreciation for what he did by evaluating our motives, attitudes, and behaviors in response to it. Discerning puts meaning into the emblems.