1 Corinthians 11:20-21
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What's striking here is Paul's stark declaration: their gathering isn't even the Lord's supper anymore. It’s not that they're doing it wrong, but that their actions have so distorted the meaning that the very identity of the meal is lost.
When you come together, it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat. For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul is addressing chaos and disorder at the Corinthian church's gatherings, specifically how they were celebrating the Lord's Supper in a way that seemed more like a common meal with divisions and disrespect. Right before this, he’s been discussing the proper roles of men and women and the importance of order in worship. This verse directly follows his instructions on these matters, highlighting how their actions in fellowship are missing the mark of truly remembering Christ.
The Corinthian church was gathering, but something was fundamentally wrong. It wasn't just a bad meal; it was a missed spiritual moment.
Paul calls out the Corinthians because their gatherings, meant to be the Lord's Supper, had devolved into something unrecognizable.
A Divided Community
They were treating the shared meal like any other banquet, with distinctions in status and lack of consideration for the poor. This behavior completely undermined the sacred meaning of the Lord's Supper, which is meant to symbolize unity in Christ.
Missing the Point
Instead of remembering Christ's sacrifice and their new life in Him together, they were indulging in personal divisions and selfish desires. Paul emphasizes that this isn't just a social faux pas; it's a spiritual failure that misses the very essence of what the Lord's Supper is meant to be: a communal act of faith and remembrance.
The Corinthians’ behavior wasn't just disappointing; it was dangerous. Paul warns that their actions brought them under divine judgment.
Paul’s strong words, 'it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat,' aren't just a gentle correction. He’s saying their actions were so contrary to the meal’s meaning that they were essentially eating and drinking something that invited God's disapproval.
Consequences of Disunity
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Paul connects their selfish feasting and disregard for others to a lack of discerning the body of Christ. This failure to recognize their unity in Christ during the Supper led to them 'eating and drinking judgment' upon themselves. This implies a spiritual consequence, not just a social one.
Discerning the Body
The 'body' they failed to discern was twofold: the body of Christ (His sacrifice and presence) and the body of believers (their unity as one in Him). When these are disregarded, the sacred meal becomes hollow and even harmful.
Understand the original words
kyriakon deipnon · Greek Noun Phrase
The ordinance instituted by Christ during his final meal with his disciples, representing His body and blood given for the atonement of sins, serving as a sign of the new covenant.
The Corinthians are misrepresenting the sacred meal by turning it into a social event marked by division and excess, completely missing its intended purpose of unity and remembrance of Christ.
c. AD 50-52
Paul Founds Church in Corinth
The Apostle Paul establishes the church in Corinth, a bustling Roman port city known for its wealth and immorality.
c. AD 53-57— this verse
Paul Writes His First Letter to Corinthians
While in Ephesus, Paul hears about divisions and problems within the Corinthian church and writes this letter to address them.
c. AD 55
Disunity and Social Stratification
The church in Corinth is experiencing significant social divisions, with wealthier members often separating themselves from poorer members during gatherings.
c. AD 55
Abuse of Love Feasts
The Corinthians have apparently turned their communal meals (love feasts), often held before or during the Lord's Supper, into occasions for gluttony and drunkenness.
This passage directly precedes Paul's discussion on the Lord's Supper, highlighting how partaking in the Supper is a participation in Christ's body and blood, setting the stage for why the Corinthian practice was so problematic.
1 Corinthians 11:23-26This section provides the institution of the Lord's Supper as recounted by Paul, showing the intended solemnity and remembrance that the Corinthians were neglecting in their disordered gatherings.
1 Corinthians 11:29Paul warns that anyone who eats and drinks the Supper without discerning the body is eating and drinking judgment on themselves, directly explaining the severe spiritual danger of their improper observance.
Galatians 5:13This verse calls believers to serve one another humbly in love, contrasting sharply with the self-serving behavior Paul rebukes in 1 Corinthians 11, where individuals were pursuing their own desires rather than communal unity.
What's striking here is Paul's stark declaration: their gathering isn't even the Lord's supper anymore. It’s not that they're doing it wrong, but that their actions have so distorted the meaning that the very identity of the meal is lost.
Paul is addressing chaos and disorder at the Corinthian church's gatherings, specifically how they were celebrating the Lord's Supper in a way that seemed more like a common meal with divisions and disrespect. Right before this, he’s been discussing the proper roles of men and women and the importance of order in worship. This verse directly follows his instructions on these matters, highlighting how their actions in fellowship are missing the mark of truly remembering Christ.
Paul is addressing chaos and disorder at the Corinthian church's gatherings, specifically how they were celebrating the Lord's Supper in a way that seemed more like a common meal with divisions and disrespect. Right before this, he’s been discussing the proper roles of men and women and the importance of order in worship. This verse directly follows his instructions on these matters, highlighting how their actions in fellowship are missing the mark of truly remembering Christ.
"When you come together, it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat. For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk." — What's striking here is Paul's stark declaration: their gathering isn't even the Lord's supper anymore. It’s not that they're doing it wrong, but that their actions have so distorted the meanin…
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Last reviewed October 2026
