The Lord's Supper

The "Lord's Supper" is that tradition established by Christ with his disciples during the last Jewish Passover meal that he shared with them.  Jesus changed it to that which remembers his death for the remission of sins.  The practice would anticipate a period of time during which believers assembled together would observe the supper until Christ returns.  

Passover was a meal observed within the Jewish family in remembrance of the deliverance from Egypt in connection with the Passover sacrifice.  The change of this observance for the Christian is according to Jesus being our Passover sacrifice and the change of family, being the Church family--since our natural families do not necessarily share in the significance of the ritual as the Jewish family shared in the significance of the original ritual.

1 Corinthians 11.20 identifies the tradition as the "Lord's Supper."  Verses 24 and 25 remind us of the words of Christ concerning the eating of the bread and the drinking of the cup in that new tradition.  

24 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." 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." 1 Corinthians 11:24-25

Verse 26 states that "as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes."

I believe to partake of the Supper in an unworthy manner (vss 27-29) is to do so without regard for those who had nothing to eat.  This is what was going on in the Corinthian Church.  They were practicing the Lord's Supper by bringing food for themselves and not sharing with those who had none.  Paul said this was not the Lord's Supper (vss 20-22).  Because of this, Divine judgment came, and many were sick and some had died (30-32).  It would have been better if they just ate at home than to do it the way they were doing it.