Who is unworthy to eat and drink and why?

moomanchu

I have been thinking about this question a lot, especially during this time of year.

The Watchtower compels about 7 million JW's every year to believe, that they are unworthy to eat the bread and drink the cup of the Lord. A main point of the Watchtower's argument is found at 1Cor. 11:27-29. 27 So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. 29 For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. My question is: How can the Watchtower apply 1 Cor. to the earthly hope JW's, convincing them they are unworthy to eat and drink, when at the time of this scriptures writing there was only the heavenly hope? Also 1 Cor. was written c.56 and Revelation was written c.96, therefore the 144,000 number wasn't even thought of by anyone. IMO the Watchtower took a simple scripture that was written to correct an abuse of the Lord's supper and turned it into a decree of limitation for JW's. How does the Watchtower wiggle around this?

Phizzy

They don't even see the need to wiggle around it, it says what they say it says, and if you argue you are DF'd.

It says in verse 28 that any examination should be done by the individual who is about to nibble and sup, not by others.

As usual the WT takes no notice of the context of these verses, and builds a whole edifice based on their false teaching.

As you rightly say, only a heavenly hope was held out to Pauls readers, but as these verses show, they were doing this little ritual when they were in "one place", not just once a year, but whenever they were together, to remember the death of the Lord and the 2nd coming in the future, not to secure their own place in heaven.

The context is a somewhat unruly congregation in Corinth, made up no doubt of many who were not from a Jewish background and used to a disciplined religious ritual or two, but coming from the pagan Temple, which was somewhat anarchic in contrast with Judaism.

I doubt Paul had any concept that his words would be used to lay down rules in the 21st Century, or even outside of Corinth.

Honesty

The ONLY anointed partaker at the first 'memorial' celebration was Jesus.

The other partakers weren't anointed until 50 DAYS later.

transhuman68

Like every religion that uses the Bible to support their doctrine, they have their 'key' scriptures that they use while ignoring other verses that contradict those doctrines. And you have to believe they have it right because the are the 'FDS'... taken from another 'key' verse that other religions ignore. It's very difficult to take religion seriously...

Satanus

You need to be human to qualify. I believe the catholic church stops only a few people from their version of it.

S

universaltruth

I registered a few days ago so I could answer this question. Unfortunately it took a while to get approved to post. I think it's important that ex-JWs are not put off from partaking of the emblems whether at church or elsewhere so after researching these versus I found the following scholarly notes interesting. I obtained them from http://bible.cc/1_corinthians/11-29.htm but have summarized them below. Hopefully the greek will display correctly.

1 Corinthians 11:29 says For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves.

Discern not or not discriminating in greek is μη` διακρι´νων me¯ diakrino¯n. . The verb primarily means to separate, and hence to make a distinction or discriminate. Such also is the primary meaning of discern (discernere to part or separate), so that discerning implies a mental act of discriminating between different things.

This would have meant not discriminating between the bread which is used on this occasion and common and common meals. Or the Corinthians did not regard it in a proper manner, and practiced it like they would a historical commemoration of an event, such as they were in the habit of observing in honor of an idol or a hero by a public celebration.

Κρι?μα is a temporary judgment, and so is distinguished from κατα´κριμα condemnation, from which this temporary judgment is intended to save the participant.

The Corinthians did eat unworthily, and yet the judgments inflicted on them were only temporal, that is, weakness, sickness, and temporal death mentioned in 1 Corinthians 11:30

So my conclusion is that this has nothing to do with whether you believe you are going to be resurrected on the earth or in heaven. It is simply saying that this celebration must be treated with respect and distinguished from common meals or other celebrations. Punishment for not doing this is temporary judgement.

I believe when someone does NOT partake at the memorial what they may be doing is symbolicaly rejecting Christ without realizing it. What is practiced at the kingdom halls feels more like a rejection ritual where everyone takes it in turns to reject the body and blood of Jesus Christ.

The reason we should partake of the emblems is because of what is stated in Luke 22:19

Also, he took a loaf, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to them, saying: "This means my body which is to be given in YOUR behalf. Keep doing this in remembrance of me."

Who's behalf?.... our behalf. Therefore the bread and the wine are for everyone. Also Jesus said "Keep doing this in remembrance of me."

It's very simple and yet the Jehovah's witnesses seem to think it's only for an elite few.