Charles Spurgeon Commentary 1 Corinthians 11:23-27

"For I received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which he was betrayed took bread; and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, This is my body, which is for you: this do in remembrance of me. In like manner also the cup, after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood: this do, as often as ye drink [it], in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink the cup, ye proclaim the Lord`s death till he come. Wherefore whosoever shall eat the bread or drink the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord." — 1 Corinthians 11:23-27 (ASV)

For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: do this 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: do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread, and drink this cup, you show the Lord's death until he comes. Therefore whoever eats this bread, and drinks this cup of the Lord, unworthily, will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.

Note carefully the wording of this verse; it is not "Whosoever, being unworthy, shall eat and drink." It is not an adjective, it is an adverb; and relates not so much to the person, as to the way in which he came to the communion.

Those who came to the Lord's table in a half-drunken fashion, those who regarded it merely as a common meal, those who came there under false pretenses, those who came there not thinking of Christ's body at all; they would all be guilty of not discerning the Lord's body, and so of prostituting his ordinance, robbing it of its dignity and solemnity by coming there in such a condition.

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. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, –

That is, from wrong motives, without sincere faith and devotion to God, –