1 Corinthians 11:17-22

1 Corinthians 11:17-22

And while commanding this I do not speak excellently because you all do not come together into the better but into the worse.  For in the first case, while you all come together in church I hear it to be in a state of division in you all.  And in part I believe some of it.  For it is necessary for factions to even be in you all, in order that also the genuine ones should become clearly known in you all.  Therefore while you all come together upon this same thing it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper – for each one takes his own supper beforehand in order to eat.  And in one case one person hungers and in another case one person is drunk.  For do you all not have houses in order to eat and to drink?  Or do you all despise the church of God and put to shame the ones who do not have?  What should I say to you all?  Should I praise you all?  In this matter I do not give praise.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought

As we begin this section we need to understand what Paul is talking about.  The ancient world was a very social culture.  First, it was social because it had to be.  How else would you spend the evenings without television, cell phones, and computers unless you got together with one another?  Second, it was social because it was a means of pooling resources for people who bounced around from having resources to not having resources.  Communities of people could find food more easily than individuals as resources came and went.  One of the most popular times for community was called the eranos.  This became known as the Love Feast in the Christian Church.  It was essentially a potluck dinner where all the resources would be pooled and all would share in the meal.  It was a time of survival in the ancient community.  This is especially true as many of the earliest converts to Christianity would be slaves, orphans, and widows – many of whom would only have this Love Feast as their only decent meal during the whole week.

Did you ever think that the good old fashioned potluck dinner was a social necessity in the early church?  Do you think our modern culture is as social as the ancient world?

Second Thought:

This history lesson leads us to a great theological lesson.  The church should be a place of sharing.  The church should be in the regular practice of allowing people to pool their resources so that the underprivileged can continue to survive.  It’s really that simple.

Is the modern church a place of sharing?  How would you support your answer?  Does the church have a modern practice for supporting the orphans, widows, and other less-privileged people?

Third Thought:

Unfortunately, Paul knows that the Love Feast has turned sour in Corinth.  What should be a blessing became a curse.  Some people were eating and drinking way more than their share so that other people had to leave hungry.  The people would divide up into cliques – which interestingly enough Paul actually gives a little positive note because it helps demonstrate who the truly spiritual people are.  But Paul’s point is easily attained.  What should have been a blessing within the community was actually a time for sin to enter into the church.

Have you ever experienced Satan turn something that should have been a blessing into a place where sin could take root?  Why do we allow this within our churches?

Passage for Tomorrow: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26