16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?
17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.
-Paul was appealing to the Corinthian’s position of being the very living body of Christ on earth, reminding them of the high privileges they possessed as those chosen by God to become part of His lovely, strong body on earth, the Body of Him who rules the universe, Christ Himself.
-He is reminding them of how they came to be: it was Christ who died for you, Christ who bled for you. He appealed to remind them of the source of their lives, the one whom they relied upon - like natural food and drink, Christ is food and drink spiritually to the Christian. Christ- the true source of all their strength, for ’without Him we can do nothing.’ The true source of all their righteousness. Only the blood of Christ can justify a guilty man and break the power of sin and temptation over lives.
-Pray to realize how privileged you are as one Chosen to Feed on Christ, as one chosen to stand in the Holiness and purity and power of that blood before God. This world and its temptations cannot compare with the blessing you already possess, pray that you might realize it, understand it, live in the wonder and blessing of it more fully.
18 Consider the people of Israel: are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar?
-He is appealing to the Corinthian’s priesthood: They had a priesthood that was more powerful and substantial than the Levitical priesthood. The Levites were the only ones in all Israel who were authorized by the law to eat of the altar of burnt, grain and other worship offerings in the temple.
-You and I are are the only ones on earth who are allowed by God to feed at the altar of His mighty cross, eating of Christ’s body, blood, receiving the 'food' of Him being made sin for us, we are the only ones who can ‘feed’ on revelations of His mighty resurrection and be filled with God himself living in us, the Holy Spirit.
-We can feed on the spiritual substance of deliverance from our enemies, as Christ rose victorious over all things, we can 'feed' on healing which has been provided, for ‘by His stripes you are healed’, we can receive the reality of sonship, for we through Him have been given high standing as sons to jump into the lap of the father, to sit on the throne of heavenly places in Christ, through faith in what He has done for us, through faith in the good news, the gospel. What wonderful feedings what wonderful truths! To feed, to live on. Let these transform the way you live your life.
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