ETHICAL APPROACH TO PARTICIPATIONS IN THE EUCHARIST: AN EXEGETICAL STUDY OF 1 CORINTHIANS 11:27-30

Abstract

The one ultimate model of behaviour for Christians all over the world has always remained Jesus Christ, whose way of life is presented for them to imitate. But then, beside Christ’s exemplary life style, there are numerous instructions from Him which Christians should adhere to in order to please God. Most of these instructions and actions were later termed Sacrament from the early Christian doctrines. The Eucharist also rendered as the Lord’s Supper was not just an act which Christ performed or instituted but one which he further instructs his followers to do always. Little wonder, Paul, the author of 1 Corinthians saw the need to emphasize on this act by repeating Christ’s statement thus; touto poieite eis ten emen anamnesin (this do in my remembrance). To further emphasize on the sacred nature of the Eucharist, Christians were warned on what their attitude and moral standard should be like in order to partake in it. In this work however, effort was not geared towards adding to or removing from what the biblical instructions towards the Eucharist stated but on understanding and interpreting them from an exegetical approach especially when it comes to unethical attitude towards this act as a sacrament instituted by Jesus Christ. It is the position and belief of the researcher that the Sacrament of the Eucharist if well handled by Christians could go to a greater extent in restoring health, peace and harmony which are gradually drifting away in the contemporary Christian Church and the society at large. This work is therefore, primarily concerned with a deep and interpretative study of 1 Corinthians 11: 27-30. The study is therefore ambivalent; exegetical and reflective. The first part dealt with the interpretation while the second part dealt with the reflection on how this phenomenon could take the Christian Church to greater height as the body of Christ if properly harnessed.