Gordon Fee: Exegesis On Specific Passages

2. A gathering around a meal often represents an act of communion. People come together to share thought, ideas, and conflicts. In “The Poisonwood Bible”, a particular scene occurs when there is a dinner at the church. The feeling around the dinner table was a sense of belonging and agreement, which matches up well with “How to Read Literature Like a Professor” view of a meal. As the meal proceeds, Kingsolver notes “He is Congolese all right, But he has different kind of eyes that slant a little bit like a Siamese” (Kingsolver 125). This

With the ability to assimilate to various aspects of the universal Roman society, the apostle is able to relate to and address many different types of people. This aspect of his life makes Paul able to apply the collective ‘we’ when instructing believers of opposing backgrounds. Likewise, after his conversion

I do not believe so. I believe each church celebrates communion in a way that means the most to that congregation. Yet the question is whether or not communion should have more of a focal point of a Sunday gathering. I believe that the gathering of the church is to encourage the believers and reach the unchurched. Therefore, communion is best celebrated much like the early church celebrated it, in small communities of close relationships. It was a full blown meal, not a snack (what we use is hardly a snack). Jesus knew every disciples story and created one of the most intimate moments with them in that upper room. Therefore, I vote that communion is removed from large gatherings and moved back into the upper room (or dining room) where people can share what grace means to them and proclaim the Lord’s death until he

The Shepherd (10:11–18). “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. ‘I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it

* Communion is a way of saying, “I’m with you, I like you, and we form a community together.” People would only eat dinner with someone that they are comfortable with. That’s the importance about food. Any meal would represent sharing and peace. But at times, it could be considered a bad thing. An example I can come up with is when Snow White ate the apple a strange looking old woman just decided to give to her.

In Roman society, the food would be served based on position in society, but in the Church, everyone was treated as an equal. Paul admonishes the church at Corinth for such practices in the celebration of the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 11:17-22). Paul bemoans the division that are present in the fellowship among believers and points to the counterculture equality that characterizes Christians. The Corinthians are following the conventions of their societal practices, yet in Christ there is a unity that overcomes the divisions of society. Upon first reading of this passage it seems that the Corinthians should have known better than to allow this practice to take place. However, with the cultural context this passage becomes less about intentional discrimination on the part of the Corinthians and more about the church finding its identity in the ways of Christ and not in the ways of the world.

Some of you might wonder how can I talk about church, even though today’s scripture talk about Holy Communion. So this is how United Methodist stated on Holy Communion, “. .We believe the Lord 's Supper is a representation of our redemption, a memorial of

In fact, food is so abundant “[t]hat scarce was there space to set before” (123) diners. The sumptuous fare and opulent surroundings distinguish this event from an everyday dinner and reinforce the idea that courtesy requires specific utensils, table coverings, and demeanor. Formal presentation of the repast indicates a high regard for guests because it is delivered on “service of silver” (124), typically associated with special occasions. Further, the narrator specifies the meal is served “on cloth” (125) as befits a formal occasion.

He states “but I am not in the least pain upon that matter, because it is very well known, that they are every day dying, and rotting, by cold, and famine, and filth, and vermin, as fast as can be reasonably expected.” The imagery is used to help the people picture the poor protestants and hopefully make the people feel bad for eating people just like them. He uses imagery again when explaining baby cooking preparations. He describes the children as “most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boyled” and will be cut in small pieces and dressed with a strong sauce. This gives the audience a visual representation of how dinner would be, knowing you are staring at a poor child gourmade like an

No one should eat pastries because that would engage the Market Revolution. “It brought Caribbean sugar, local eggs, white flour and cast-iron stoves into the more prosperous households. From that moment, the urban merchant classes started to eat “dinner”, a word that Matthias and many other people associated with the noon meal. Matthias insisted that the evening meal was called “supper”. Through this example he wanted to emphasize what the market revolution was capable of, given that it had changed the way people ate and what meals were called.

Paul was also concerned how this sin had affected the Corinthian Church. The consequences of our

Christians have been celebrating the Lord’s Supper for almost two thousand years. In this paper I will refer to the Lord’s Supper as an ordinance of the church. “An ordinance is an outward rite prescribed by Christ to be performed by His Church.” There are quite a few varying interpretations among the different churches on how the Lord’s Supper is to be practiced. I Corinthians 11:23-34 provides Christians with the scriptural meaning and reasons for observing the Lord’s Supper, also known as communion. Many consider the Lord’s Supper of little or no value and some consider the ordinance as more of a ritual. In some modern churches, preaching the Word is emphasized the most and communion is only observed once a month or

(Mays, James. 213) Paul utilized this imagery because it was something with which his audiences were already familiar; however, he places a different spin on the deeper meaning of a united body. 1st Corinthians explains the body of Christ to be one body with many members, each of value and contributing to the overall success and function of the body. The body of Christ is to create a unity of believers, many different people with different gifts all striving toward one goal in Christ. Continuing to explain that the body of Christ is formed from all believers, baptized in Christ, as that baptism is of one spirit and therefore of one body. (Garland, David E. 590) Additionally, believers are all given different gifts, and different abilities from those gifts; however, the point of the gifts is the glory of Christ. All gifts come from one God, and should in turn, be utilized to bring believers closer to Him. A single gift on its own is not as powerful as many gifts combined; therefore, the body of Christ needs to by unified in order to allow all things to work together for the best results and ultimate glory to God. The Body should be recognized as one whole with many contributing parts affirmed that within the body there is not only unity, but diversity, and that diversity and unity

Food and drinks played an essential role in the life of a wealthy Roman citizen. Unlike other periods of time food had an important social impact during Ancient Rome and the daily life of Ceaser. However in many cultures breakfast, lunch and dinner were the three main courses of the day. A wealthy citizens breakfast consisted of bread with olives or cheese and lunch was usually quick with bread, cheese, and fruit (Ermatinger 1). Dinner was their main affair, and the largest meal of the day (Ermatinger 1). It contained bread, vegetables, olive oil, cheese and meat (Ermatinger 1). Banquets and feasts were also another elaborate way people would celebrate and enjoy their food (Moulton 27). How the poor ate was quite unlike the wealthy. They had the duty of finding and preparing their dishes in order for their families to eat. Wine was the favorite drink for both social classes and consumed with most meals. The knowledge and responsibility of women in ancient history pertained mainly to the preparation of food.

     I think the meaning of this passage to the Church of Colosse is to be reminded of who Jesus is and what he went through for them. They needed to be reminded of Christ’s Deity and that there a people who care for them and like Paul are willing to go through extreme percussion for