“NOW CONCERNING”
REPLY TO THEIR LETTER—
LIBERTY IN CHRIST—7:1—16:4
ABUSE OF THE LORD’S
SUPPER IN CORINTH
1 CORINTHIANS 11:17-34
COMING TOGETHER FOR THE WORSE
Answering Questions
First question pertained to
marriage – (Chapter 7)
The second question dealt with
eating meat offered to idols –
(Chapters 8-10)
Chapters 11:2-16:4 deal with a
variety of topics, beginning with the
issue of “headship” – 11:2-16
Next--abuses of the Lord’s Supper
Abuse of the Lord’s Supper in Corinth
(11:17-34)
“Now in giving these instructions I do not
praise you, since you come together not
for the better but for the worse. For first
of all, when you come together as a
church, I hear that there are divisions
among you, and in part I believe it. For
there must also be factions among you,
that those who are approved may be
recognized among you.”
1 Corinthians 11:17-19
“Coming Together For The Worse
Abuse of the Lord’s Supper in Corinth
(11:17-34)
“Therefore when you come together in one
place, it is not to eat the Lord's Supper. For
in eating, each one takes his own supper
ahead of others; and one is hungry and
another is drunk. What! Do you not have
houses to eat and drink in? Or do you
despise the church of God and shame those
who have nothing? What shall I say to you?
Shall I praise you in this? I do not praise
you.”
1 Corinthians 11:20-22
“Coming Together For The Worse
Abuse of the Lord’s Supper in Corinth
(11:17-34)
“For I received from the Lord that
which I also delivered to you: that
the Lord Jesus on the same night in
which He was betrayed took bread;
and 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.”
1 Corinthians 11:23,24
“Coming Together For The Worse
Abuse of the Lord’s Supper in Corinth
(11:17-34)
“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.“ For as
often as you eat this bread and
drink this cup, you proclaim the
Lord's death till He comes.”
1 Corinthians 11:25,26
“Coming Together For The Worse
Abuse of the Lord’s Supper in Corinth
(11:17-34)
“Therefore whoever eats this bread
or drinks this cup of the Lord in an
unworthy manner will be guilty of
the body and blood of the Lord.
But let a man examine himself, and
so let him eat of the bread and drink
of the cup.”
1 Corinthians 11:27,28
“Coming Together For The Worse
Abuse of the Lord’s Supper in Corinth
(11:17-34)
“For he who eats and drinks in an
unworthy manner eats and drinks
judgment to himself, not discerning
the Lord's body. For this reason
many are weak and sick among
you, and many sleep. For if we
would judge ourselves, we would
not be judged.”
1 Corinthians 11:29-31
“Coming Together For The Worse
Abuse of the Lord’s Supper in Corinth
(11:17-34)
“But when we are judged, we are
chastened by the Lord, that we may not
be condemned with the world. Therefore,
my brethren, when you come together to
eat, wait for one another.
But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at
home, lest you come together for
judgment. And the rest I will set in order
when I come.”
1 Corinthians 11:32-34
“Coming Together For The Worse
Coming Together For The Worse
Regarding Worship
 Perverted worship is destructive
to its participants –
17,20-22,29-32
 Ones worship is vain when
division and ungodly attitudes
exist – 18,19
 The Lord’s supper is to be
according to the divine
arrangement – 20-28,33,34
More Harm Than Good—(11:17-22)
 “I do not praise you” – The
practice he is about to speak of was
a detriment to them  “Since you come together not
for the better but for the worse”
– (11:18,20,33) When the Church
assembles. 'The Corinthian
problem was not their failure to
gather, but their failure to truly
 be God's new people when they
gathered.' (Fee p. 536)
More Harm Than Good—(11:17-22)
 Religious people can assemble to
worship God and instead of
gaining God's favor, they can bring
upon themselves condemnation.
(11:34)
 The sacrifice of the wicked is an
abomination to God (Proverbs 15:8; 28:9)
 Simply going through the
motions not accepted (Matthew 6:7; 15:8-9)
More Harm Than Good—(11:17-22)
 Religious people can assemble to
worship God and instead of
gaining God's favor, they can bring
upon themselves condemnation.
(11:34)
 From wrong motives
(Matthew 6:1-5)
 Following the rules of men
instead of the will of God.
(Matthew 15:9)
More Harm Than Good—(11:17-22)
 “When you come together as a
church” – when they convened for the
worship of God – (God requires that his
people assemble – Hebrews 10:24,25).
 “I hear that” - "I am hearing" suggests
... continued information from various
quarters.' (Gr. Ex. N.T. p. 877)
 “There are divisions among you” –
The sectarian spirit previously
mentioned, (18; 1:10-13; 3:3,4), was
evident in their assemblies . . .
More Harm Than Good—(11:17-22)
 “Factions” – Gk., HAIRESIS, meaning
“a choosing, a choice”; it is a much
stronger word than “division” (see
Galatians 5:20).
 “Dissensions” arising from diversity
of opinions and aims— Thayer's
Greek-English Lexicon
 The schisms naturally become
factions or parties. . . . "Heresy is
theoretical schism, schism practical
heresy." — Robertson Word Pictures
More Harm Than Good—(11:17-22)
 “That those who are approved - 1384
dokimos {dok'-ee-mos}; in the N.T. one
who is of tried faith and integrity —
Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon
 “May be recognized among you” –
'When ungodliness manifests itself as
division, keep your eyes open and the
righteous will shine forth ... So, the
divisions act as a black velvet
background ... against which people
approved of God are highlighted.'
(McGuiggan p. 156)
More Harm Than Good—(11:17-22)
 1 Corinthians 11:20 (ESV)
“When you come together, it is not the
Lord's supper that you eat.”
 1 Corinthians 11:20 (NIV)
“ When you come together, it is not the
Lord's Supper you eat,”
 1 Corinthians 11:20 (ASV)
“ When therefore ye assemble
yourselves together, it is not possible to
eat the Lord's supper:”
More Harm Than Good—(11:17-22)
 “When you come together”- In the
NT we always find the Lord's Supper in
an assembly context. (Acts 2:42; 20:7)
 They would have claimed that they
were eating the Lord's Supper. But Paul says that they were not –
 “Not possible” ASV - an environment
which fosters strife and division and the
abuses cited in the following verses,
truly partaking of the Lord's Supper
was an impossibility.
More Harm Than Good—(11:17-22)
 “For in eating, each one takes his
own supper ahead of others;” - 'some,
apparently the rich, ate their own
sumptuous meals before others (slaves
and poor freedmen) were able to
arrive.' (Fee p. 540)
 “One is hungry and another is
drunk” - 'The poor man, whose small
store was insufficient, or who arriving
late (for his time was not his own)
found the table cleared.'
(Gr. Ex. N.T. p. 879)
More Harm Than Good—(11:17-22)
 ‘Drunk'-3184. methuo {meth-oo'-o};
from another form of 3178; to drink to
intoxication, i.e. get drunk: -drink well,
make (be) drunk(en).
 “I rather think that Paul meant that they
were glutted with food and drink while
others were (not "sober") but hungry . . .
"What, have ye not houses to eat
and drink in?" We'd hardly think he
would be suggesting that they get
"stoned" at home . . .”
(McGuiggan p. 158)
More Harm Than Good—(11:17-22)
 Do you not have houses to eat and
drink in? - Paul doesn't regulate such
common meals "in the assembly", - in
contrast he places them completely
outside the assemblies of the church.
He doesn't offer any solution that allows
the Corinthians to keep them in the
assembly, just as long as they.....
 The Lord's Supper had God's
approval, social meals when the
church gathered for worship did
not.
More Harm Than Good—(11:17-22)
“'In the question: "Why do you
not use your houses?" there lies
the graver one: "Why do you so
use the church?" This is the
graver, for to use the church in
this manner is to degrade it, hence
to look down on it, to despise it ...
Has the congregation forgotten so
completely that this is "God's
gathering?" (Lenski p. 460)
More Harm Than Good—(11:17-22)
We despise the church of
God, when we make it into
what we want it to be, i.e. a
place of recreation and
socializing.
These verses present serious
questions for many modern
religious bodies - In fact, many
have even "gone WAY beyond"
what the Corinthians were doing.
Abuse of the Lord’s Supper at Corinth – (11:17-34)
24
More Harm Than Good—(11:17-22)
“Fellowship” Halls
Family Life Centers
“Multipurpose” Rooms
Gymnasiums
Game and Party Rooms
Ball Teams
Scout Troops
Meaning of the Lord’s Supper
(11:23-26)
1 Corinthians 11:23,24
 “ . . that the Lord Jesus on the
same night in which He was
betrayed took bread; and 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.”
Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-31;
Luke 22:14-23
Meaning of the Lord’s Supper
(11:23-26)
1 Corinthians 11:25
 “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.”
Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-31;
Luke 22:14-23
Meaning of the Lord’s Supper
(11:23-26)
A communion –
1 Corinthians 10:16-17;
11:33-34
A memorial –
1 Corinthians 11:23-25
A proclamation –
1 Corinthians 11:26
Meaning of the Lord’s Supper
(11:23-26)
The only way to correct the
abuse of a biblical practice, is
to get back to the original
instruction.
The only meal which the
congregation is to sponsor,
which Christians are to partake
of when assembled for worship,
is the Lord's Supper.
Meaning of the Lord’s Supper
(11:23-26)
Acts 20:7 is the ONLY example
of how often they came together.
(cf. 1 Corinthians 16:1,2)
Paul is not dealing in our context
with “WHEN” but “HOW”.
“As often as” - adverbial phrase
modifying “proclaim” – NOT
“eat” and “drink” – again the
emphasis is on HOW – not
WHEN!
The Answer-Discern the Body
(11:27-32)
‘Discern'-1252. diakrino {dee-ak-ree'no}; (Verse 29) The verb primarily
means to separate, and hence to make a
distinction, discriminate. . . . implies a
mental act of discriminating between
different things. . . . such discernment of
the peculiar significance and sacredness
of the Lord's body shall make him
shrink from profanation and shall
stimulate him to penitence and faith.—
Vincent's Word Studies in the
New Testament
The Answer-Discern the Body
(11:27-32)
‘To distinguish, to judge
correctly' (Willis p. 404)
'Failure to recognize the Lord's
body, that is, reflect on his death,
as they eat.' (Fee p. 563)
Part of this discerning, would be,
distinguishing between this
"supper" and all other suppers.
(11:21)
The Answer—Discern the Body
(11:27-32)
1 Corinthians 11:27
 “Therefore
whoever eats this
bread or drinks this cup of the
Lord in an unworthy manner
will be guilty of the body and
blood of the Lord.”
Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-31;
Luke 22:14-23
The Answer-Discern the Body
(11:27-32)
Not a meal for satisfying the
fleshly appetite
“Worthy to partake” means
how one “eats and drinks” not
in a careless manner.
Must give the supper the
“respect and dignity” deserved
Sin against the “body and
blood” of the Lord!
The Answer—Discern the Body
(11:27-32)
1 Corinthians 11:28,29
 “But let a man examine himself,
and so let him eat of the bread
and drink of the cup. For he who
eats and drinks in an unworthy
manner eats and drinks judgment
to himself, not discerning the
Lord's body.”
Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-31;
Luke 22:14-23
The Answer-Discern the Body
(11:27-32)
“Examine himself “ - make sure
in right frame of mind
No self-examination made brings on God’s condemnation
Remembering the nature and
purpose of the Supper
Memorial feast reminding us of
the death and suffering of Christ!
The Answer—Discern the Body
(11:27-32)
1 Corinthians 11:30-32
 “For this reason many are weak and
sick among you, and many sleep.
For if we would judge ourselves, we
would not be judged. But when we
are judged, we are chastened by the
Lord, that we may not be
condemned with the world.”
Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-31;
Luke 22:14-23
The Answer-Discern the Body
(11:27-32)
“For this cause” refers to
spiritual consequences of failing
to partake in the proper manner
We escape the spiritual
condemnation of God by having
our minds right while partaking
Discipline or “chastening”
would be brought on one to save
their soul from being lost
Concluding Remarks— (11:33,34)
1 Corinthians 11:33,34
 “Therefore,
my brethren,
when you come together to
eat, wait for one another. But
if anyone is hungry, let him
eat at home, lest you come
together for judgment. And
the rest I will set in order
when I come.”
Concluding Remarks-- (11:33,34)
Their meal was congregational
but not for the better but worse (1 Corinthians 11:17,22).
Their meal was a common meal
not the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:21,22,34).
Their meal was for selfish social
purposes which was causing
division (1 Corinthians 11:18,22,33).
Abuse of the Lord’s Supper at Corinth – (11:17-34)
 The assembly should - (vs. 33)
 All come together into one place
 For the “better”
 Come together without divisions /
factions / perversions
 Keep the Lord’s Supper (vs. 23)




As “I delivered unto you”
“Show the Lord’s death”
“Discerning the Lord’s body”
Common meals a work of the home
“NOW CONCERNING”
REPLY TO THEIR LETTER—
LIBERTY IN CHRIST—7:1—16:4
ABUSE OF THE LORD’S
SUPPER IN CORINTH
1 CORINTHIANS 11:17-34