A chiasm is a literary structure where vocabulary of the first section of a passage is repeated in reverse order in the second. The center of the chiasm is typically the climax of the passage. In 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 the center and climax is Jesus saying after he broke the bread, you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me” (1 Cor 11:24-25).ABut in giving this instruction, I do not praise you, because you come together (Greek: sunerchomai) not for the better but for the worse. For, in the first place, when you come together (Greek: sunerchomai) as a church, I hear that divisions exist among you; and in some(Greek: tis) part I believe it. For there must also be factions among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among you. (11:17-19)BTherefore when you meet together, it is not to eat the Lord’s (Greek: kyriakos) Supper, for(Greek: gar) in your eating each one takes his own supper first; and one is hungry and another is drunk. What! (Greek: gar) Do you not have houses in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing (Greek: mē)? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? In this I will not praise you. (11:20-22)CFor I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; (11:23)Dand when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” (11:24)D’In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; dothis, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” (11:25)C’For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes. (11:26)B’Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord (Greek: kyrios) in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord (Greek: kyrios). But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For (Greek: gar) he who eats anddrinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not (Greek: mē) judge the body rightly. For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord (Greek: kyrios) so that we will not be condemned along with the world. (11:27-32)A’So then, my brethren, when you come together (Greek: sunerchomai) to eat, wait for one another. If anyone (Greek: tis) is hungry, let him eat at home, so that you will not come together (Greek: sunerchomai) for judgment. The remaining matters I will arrange when I come(Greek: erchomai). (11:33-34)
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