"But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep" (1 Cor. 11:28-30).

Writing to the believers at the Corinthian church, Paul says, "Many in the church are weak, sickly, and sleeping."

What does Paul mean? Some definitions will help us understand. The word weak indicates being without strength, infirmed, feeble, impotent, diseased and sick. A sickly person is one whose strength has failed through disease.

Paul is talking about physical problems in this Scripture. And when he refers to those who are sleeping, he is talking about the "sleep" of death.

So Paul is actually saying in this verse, "For this reason, many are physically sick and even dying early." What is the reason Paul is referring to? He's discussing the Lord's Supper. In Verse 29, he says, "For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body."

Weymouth's translation says, "If he fails to estimate the body right." Wuest's translation says, "If he does not properly evaluate the body." The Living Bible puts it this way: "Not thinking about the body of Christ and what it means." Finally, The Modern Language Bible says, "Without due appreciation of the body."

This is the only place in the Bible where Paul says, "For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep." Apparently, it's important to understand how to rightly discern, estimate, evaluate, and appreciate the body.

Confession:
I rightly discern Jesus' body, broken for my physical healing.
I appreciate and appropriate the healing Jesus purchased for me.
Source: 365 Days of Healing by Mark Brazee
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers