twelve Jews, to whom the eating of the literal flesh and blood of the Lord would have

been revolting and utterly contrary to the Law.

These symbols not only looked back by faith into the past. They looked forward too,

to the completion of the saving work which they represented, at the expected early

coming of Christ, when the goal of salvation would be attained.

It should hardly be necessary to say, in view of our past studies, that the second advent

of Christ, as yet future to us, could not have been in their minds. During the Acts, the

coming of the Lord was imminent as practically all the early epistles clearly teach (cp.

Acts 3: 19-26). Paul, together with the Christian groups of believers, expected to see

and participate in this great event. Therefore this supper was a proclamation of the

nearness and reality of the second Advent. This sacrificial meal then linked both the

comings together, and had real point at this time.

Moreover, this typical meal was not one-sided. If it spoke of basic truths which

conferred eternal blessings, it also brought great responsibility upon those who partook of

it and it was this that Paul wanted to bring home to those in the Corinthian assembly who

were so grossly abusing their great privileges. One of the big mistakes that evangelists

have made is to teach that the age of grace commenced at Calvary. God certainly acted

in grace and longsuffering to Israel during the Acts period in giving them yet another

opportunity to repent and turn back to Him. The gospel Paul preached was one based

upon grace, but as a dispensation, grace did not operate in all its fullness until after the

laying aside in unbelief of the chosen nation, and as such it was then made known in the

first letter written after this event which occurred at Acts 28:, namely Ephesians

(Eph. 3: 2).

During the Acts, divine judgment was as much manifest as it had been in O.T. days.

James, stressing the imminent return of Christ, had declared that His coming drew near,

and as Judge, He was then standing before the door (5: 7-9). It is quite wrong to regard

the second Advent as one of blessing only. Many Scriptures reveal the fact that it is also

a time of judgment for sin. During the time we are considering (the period covered by

the Acts), the Lord was already judging among His people. His severe dealings with

Ananias and Sapphira were typical. We remember this resulted from their telling lies, not

the worst of sins in the estimation of many people, and one wonders what would happen

amongst Christians today if we were still living in the same dispensation! And yet this

would be happening if the present dispensation had commenced at the Cross.

The Apostle is now going to warn the sinning Christians that their abuses of the

supper of the Lord would certainly come under His direct judgment, and had already

done so in a solemn way on some of them.