ISB ~ 1 Corinthians 11 v17 - 34

Paul confronts liturgical abuse of the Lord’s Supper. The Corinthians must have gathered to eat a common meal before celebrating the Eucharist. Although this preliminary meal was meant to promote fellowship, it became a source of tension and disunity between rich and poor Christians that extended into the liturgy. Several factors put this crisis in context. (1) Since early Christian gatherings took place, not in church buildings, but in available homes (16:19), seating arrangements could reinforce the distinctions of social rank among believers, with the wealthy eating together and the poor excluded from their company. (2) The meal itself could accentuate division if the rich brought healthy portions of food for themselves, leaving whatever was left for the poor or not sharing with them at all (11:21). (3) Wealthy persons would have the leisure to arrive early and enjoy their food, while laborers and slaves would have to fulfill their duties before attending (11:33-34). Whatever the precise circumstances, acts of discrimination in Corinth have contradicted the very purpose of these gatherings (10:17).