In the eleventh chapter of the First Epistle to the Corinthians—preserved in the Apostolicon of the Testamentum—the Apostle Paul addresses a troubling disorder within the Corinthian assembly: divisions emerging during the celebration of Holy Communion. What should have been a symbolic act of spiritual unity in Christ had degenerated into selfishness, inequality, and disobedience to the love-centered Gospel of God the Son.
Paul writes:
“For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.” —1 Corinthians 11:18
Paul had been informed of the situation through circulating reports, an indication that such disunity rarely goes unnoticed and often harms the proclamation of the Gospel. These divisions were exacerbated by influential personalities driven by ambition rather than a spirit of servanthood. As egos flourished, charity was extinguished, and spiritual inequality emerged.
This inequality manifested starkly during Holy Communion, which had turned into a worldly feast rather than a spiritual remembrance. Instead of joining together, Corinthians ate separately; the wealthy indulged themselves while the poor were left hungry.
“For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.” —1 Corinthians 11:21
Paul sharply rebukes this distortion:
“What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not?” —1 Corinthians 11:22
For Paul, Holy Communion was not about physical nourishment, nor a continuation of ritual meals from the Hebrew Bible. Instead, it was a spiritual proclamation—a testimony to the redemptive act of God the Son, sent by God the Father to liberate humanity from evil. Paul recalls the sacred tradition:
“That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.” —1 Corinthians 11:23–25
The purpose of Communion is remembrance—not of suffering under wrath, but freedom through divine love. It represents a rupture with ritualistic practices, a spiritual meal testifying that Christ’s death has overthrown Satan’s dominion.
“For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.” —1 Corinthians 11:26
Participation requires self-examination, not against legal standards but spiritual authenticity:
“But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.” —1 Corinthians 11:28
To partake unworthily, Paul warns, is to misunderstand this sacred act, bringing pride, resentment, or division rather than unity and liberation.
“For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.” —1 Corinthians 11:29
Holy Communion, in the Marcionite Church, is therefore not bound by priestly caste, mystical formulae, or Hebrew Bible continuity. Instead, it is radically new, symbolic of spiritual equality and shared liberation in Christ.
Paul continues:
“For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.” —1 Corinthians 11:31–32
This self-judgment is spiritual and inward, reflecting the nature of God the Father, who sent God the Son not for condemnation but redemption. True communion thus cannot coexist with division, pride, or selfish ambition; it requires genuine spiritual unity and charity.
The word “church” derives from the Greek ekklesia, meaning “assembly.” It reminds believers that faith is a communal, not an individualistic, experience. Authentic spiritual practice is characterized not by personal happiness or status, but by genuine concern for others. Paul emphasizes love that “seeketh not her own” (1 Corinthians 13:5), urging believers to pursue spiritual maturity and the good of the community over their own self-interest.
At life’s end, it is not possessions, status, or theological knowledge that will matter. Still, the sincerity of one’s will, united spiritually with God the Father, the God of mercy, freedom, and love, is revealed through Christ.
Paul concludes:
“Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another.” —1 Corinthians 11:33
Thus, the Marcionite Church upholds Holy Communion as a sacramental act of spiritual witness, requiring mutual love, spiritual awareness, and rejection of pride, legalism, and hierarchy. It is a proclamation of the Gospel, a mirror of spiritual unity and divine mercy.
Let us approach Communion reverently, honestly, and charitably—not as a mere ritual or entitlement, but as a testimony to Christ, the Stranger who called us from the world. Let us not be chains of division, but mirrors reflecting divine unity and grace.
Amen.
