Members One of Another
Paul emphasizes the importance of communion with one another as members of Christ's body, highlighting the significance of drinking Christ's blood to enter into the Communion.
G.W. North emphasizes the significance of communion within the body of Christ, focusing on our interconnectedness as members of one another. He highlights that true communion is not only about remembering Christ but also about recognizing our relationships with each other as part of His body. North explains that entering into this communion requires acknowledging the New Covenant through the blood of Christ, which is essential for becoming a member of His body. He notes that the order of partaking in communion reflects this journey, starting with the blood and followed by the bread. Ultimately, the sermon calls believers to understand their unity and shared life in Christ.
Text
Paul is here speaking in plainest terms of the Communion of the body of Christ. His emphasis at this point is not on the usual theme of remembrance of Christ and our communion with Him, but on our communion with one another as members of His body. Upon thought this is seen to be just another way of speaking of communion with Christ. He has already stated in an earlier chapter that each member of the body is a member of the Christ of many members. His main stress in this section is perhaps best expressed in a phrase he uses to the Ephesians: 'we are members one of another'.
This is the mood in which he approaches the commemorative meal here -- it is 'the communion of the blood' .... 'the communion of the body', it is the communion of member with member.
Because this is his particular intention at this point, he departs from the usual order and speaks of the elements in the order by which we originally enter into the Communion. The later time-honoured order is the perfectly correct and logical way in which we partake of the elements once we are in the Communion. But to enter into the Communion we must first drink His blood, for the New Covenant is specifically stated to be in His blood. Every man who would enter into and become a member of the body of Christ must realise that he may only do so by drinking the blood of Christ.
Having entered by the blood into Christ and become members of the body, we afterwards continue in the communion by the symbolism of first breaking and eating of the bread, and having done so, taking and drinking of the cup.
Sermon Outline
- The Communion of the Body of Christ
- The Order of Communion
- 'Original order: drinking His blood, then breaking and eating the bread'
- 'Later order: breaking and eating the bread, then taking and drinking the cup'
Key Quotes
“we are members one of another” — G.W. North
“the communion of the blood' .... 'the communion of the body'” — G.W. North
“Having entered by the blood into Christ and become members of the body, we afterwards continue in the communion” — G.W. North
Application Points
- To enter into the Communion, one must first drink the blood of Christ.
- Communion with one another is a vital aspect of being a member of the body of Christ.
- Continuing in the Communion requires breaking and eating the bread and taking and drinking the cup.