Useful Bible Studies > 1 Corinthians Commentary > chapter 10
We get the word ‘communion’ from 1 Corinthians 10:16. It is the translation of a word in the Greek language, KOINONIA, which appears twice in this verse.
Communion has become the name of the ceremony when Christians share bread and wine together. However, the original meaning is the friendly relations that that people have with each other, or with God.
Of course, not everyone has a friendly relationship either with God, or with other people. Christians believe that a right relationship with God is only possible because of Christ’s death. They were God’s enemies, but Christ died to save them (Ephesians 2:12-13).
For Christians, a right relationship with other people should be the result of a right relationship with God. God loved them, so they should love other people (1 John 4:11). Especially, they should love each other (John 15:17).
Christians share bread and wine to show that their relationship with God depends on Christ’s death. They do it together to show that their relationship with each other also depends on Christ’s death. They do it regularly because Christ told them to do that. They will continue to do it until Christ returns to this earth (11:23-26).
Of course, the bread and wine themselves cannot give anyone a right relationship with God. Such matters as ceremonies, food and drink cannot do that. It is God who can forgive our evil deeds by means of Christ’s death. We must ask him, in a humble and sincere manner, to save us. We must confess our evil deeds to him and we must invite him into our lives.
Next part: Why Jesus shared the bread (1 Corinthians 10:17)
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© 2014, Keith Simons.