Can’t we all just get along?  1 Corinthians 11.17-22

Though the question reminds me of a dark moment in Los Angeles history, the challenge of getting along is as old as man . . . as was the practice of breaking bread together.  In fact, church potlucks got their start right after Pentecost when the Jewish believers began eating together on a regular basis.  They came together to hear the gospel, share a meal and grow in relationship with one another, and also partake in the Lord’s Supper.1   The church called them ‘Agape’ meals, or ‘love’ meals, so named because people came together with the desire to give and share with one another.   

Unfortunately, these meals among the Corinthian believers were being adulterated with cliques and personal differences; folks were not sharing with those who had far less.  Part of the problem was that the well-to-do arrived well ahead of those who had work-to-do, and so by the time the latter got there, the food was gone!  Of course, these mealtime problems were just symptomatic of overall community issues.  So Paul raises the flag and says, ‘wait a minute…this can’t be!’  ‘You people are to be different than those outside the church; love should be evident in the way you treat one another!  Why, you are missing the whole point of a love meal!’

You see, the early church was the one place in the ancient world where the barriers seemed to come down—where Jews and Gentiles found common ground, as did free men and slaves, women and men, Roman citizens and not, the culturally refined and the ignorant.  Yet the Corinthian church had a problem within—take note:

 “But in the following instructions, I cannot praise you. For it sounds as if more harm than good is done when you meet together.   First, I hear that there are divisions among you when you meet as a church, and to some extent I believe it.  But, of course, there must be divisions among you so that you who have God’s approval will be recognized.  When you meet together, you are not really interested in the Lord’s Supper.  For some of you hurry to eat your own meal without sharing with others. As a result, some go hungry while others get drunk.  What? Don’t you have your own homes for eating and drinking? Or do you really want to disgrace God’s church and shame the poor? What am I supposed to say? Do you want me to praise you? Well, I certainly will not praise you for this!”

Paul knew what was at stake within the Corinthian church because the early church was known for koinonia.  Huh? Koinonia comes from a Greek word (κοινων?α) that means communion by intimate participation. The word is used frequently in the New Testament to describe the relationship within the early Christian church as well as the act of breaking bread in the manner which Christ prescribed during the Passover meal.2   So the early church was a community that flourished with intimate participation in one another’s lives . . . wow!  They practiced four things together: learning Scripture through the apostles’ teaching, prayer, eating together, and partaking of the Lord’s Supper.  It was common to combine the love meal with communion; so being in right relationship with one another was critical in order that one might partake with a pure heart toward fellow brothers and the Lord.  Also, being in right relationship was also critical if koinonia was to flourish in the Corinthian church.

“Can’t we all just get along?”  Yes, Rodney, we can, and with God’s grace and our determination, we will.

Christine