Such divisions were condemned by the apostle's teaching. Paul said that those who make divisions are fleshly and walk according to the manner of man (1 Cor. 3:3-4). In 1 Corinthians 1:13 Paul said, "Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized into the name of Paul?" The answer to all of these questions is "no." Christ, of course, is not divided. This unique and undivided Christ, taken as the unique center among all the believers, should be the termination of all divisions.
The Corinthians were also puffed up on behalf of one, against the other (1 Cor. 4:6). Paul and Apollos were simply ministers of Christ who should not have been appraised beyond what they were. Otherwise, their appraisers, like the fleshly Corinthians, might be puffed up on behalf of one, against the other. When we say that one brother is better than another brother, this can create division.
When divisive ones come together to take the Lord's table, it is not for the better, not for profit, but for the worse, for loss (1 Cor. 11:17). How we come to the Lord's table is very important. We must have the assurance that we do not have any divisive thoughts or considerations about the saints. To come to the Lord's table in a divisive way will cause us to suffer loss.
Those who partake of the table in an unworthy manner fail to discern the bread as a symbol of the Lord's physical body that needs to be regarded by them. The bread on the table should also be discerned as a symbol of the Lord's mystical Body that requires us to keep the oneness of the Body of Christ. The denominations have their communion, their table, with the bread. But their bread does not signify the whole Body. It only signifies a part. That bread signifies division, so we cannot partake of it.
When we participate in the Lord's table, we must discern whether the bread on the table signifies the one Body of Christ or any division of man (any denomination). In discerning the Body of Christ, we should not partake of the bread in any division or with any divisive spirit. Otherwise, we will eat judgment to ourselves (1 Cor. 11:29). Paul said that because of this many among the Corinthians were weak and sick physically, and even a number were sleeping (v. 30). Here sleeping means that they had died (1 Thes. 4:13-16). First, they were disciplined to be weak physically. Then since they would not repent of their offense, they were further disciplined and became sick. Because they still would not repent, the Lord judged them by death. This shows that we have to be careful in coming to the Lord's table. When we come to the Lord's table, we have to discern the bread. It first signifies the physical body of Christ He gave for us on the cross. We should not consider this bread in a common way. We should also consider that this bread signifies Christ's mystical Body, which comprises all the believers in the whole universe. We do not take a divisive bread, but we take a bread of oneness. If we take divisive bread, we eat to our own judgment, to our own condemnation.