The Lord's Table
The Lord's table symbolizes the unity of the Church on earth, and believers must seek fellowship with like-minded believers while separating from evil.
George Cutting emphasizes the significance of the one loaf in the Lord's Supper as a symbol of the unity of the Church, representing believers as one body despite differences. By partaking in the one loaf, Christians acknowledge their union with all true believers worldwide, while maintaining fellowship with those who walk in obedience and holiness. The Holy Spirit values inward holiness over outward unity, as highlighted in 1 Corinthians 5:6-8, 13.
Text
If you turn to 1 Cor. 10:16, you will find that just as twelve loaves on the table of shewbread expressed what Israel was; viz., twelve tribes (Lev. 24:5, 6), so the one loaf of the Lord's supper is the symbol to express the truth of what the Church on earth is; viz., one body. 'We being many are one bread (or loaf) and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread (or loaf)" (1 Cor. 10:17). So that in partaking of the one loaf, the divinely-taught Christian owns his union with all true believers on the face of the whole earth, whatever their ignorance, weakness, or Christ-dishonoring divisions may be.
But while he does this, he can only have fellowship with those who are seeking to walk in obedience to the Word, and in separation from manifested evil, The Holy Spirit of God would certainly never seek to maintain outward unity at the expense of inward holiness.[1] (Read 1 Cor, 5:6, 7, 8, 13).
I would just add here, that while the tenth chapter of this epistle speaks of the Lord's table, the eleventh speaks more particularly of
Sermon Outline
- The Lord's Table as a Symbol of Unity
- The Importance of Union with Believers
- The Necessity of Fellowship with Like-Minded Believers
- Separation from Manifested Evil
- Walking in Obedience to the Word
Key Quotes
“We being many are one bread (or loaf) and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread (or loaf)” — George Cutting
“The Holy Spirit of God would certainly never seek to maintain outward unity at the expense of inward holiness.” — George Cutting
Application Points
- Believers must recognize their union with all true believers on the face of the whole earth.
- To have fellowship with other believers, you must walk in obedience to the Word and separate from manifested evil.
- The Holy Spirit seeks inward holiness, not outward unity at the expense of inward holiness.