What is the meaning of 1 Corinthians 11:20? Now then Paul turns a corner from general praise to corrective instruction, signaling urgency and immediacy. His “now then” echoes the prophetic shift seen in passages like 2 Samuel 12:7 (“You are the man!”) and Galatians 1:6 (“I am amazed…”), where a sharp transition calls God’s people to account. when you come together The phrase highlights corporate worship, not private devotion. • Acts 2:46 records believers “continuing with one accord in the temple” before breaking bread at home—public assembly first, then fellowship. • Hebrews 10:25 warns against neglecting to meet together. Gathering is essential, yet the Corinthians’ meetings had drifted from God-honoring order. it is not A blunt denial: their meal, though labeled “communion,” had lost covenant substance. • Isaiah 1:13 shows God rejecting empty rituals: “Bring your worthless offerings no more.” • Revelation 3:1 pictures a church “alive” in name yet “dead.” Outward forms without inner reality draw divine rebuke. the Lord’s Supper you eat The apostle distinguishes the sacred meal instituted by Christ (Luke 22:19-20) from a mere appetite-driven feast. • 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 calls the cup and bread “a participation in the blood… and body of Christ,” underscoring spiritual communion. • Jude 12 warns of “love feasts” ruined by self-seeking participants. By hoarding food and ignoring the needy (1 Corinthians 11:21-22), the Corinthians voided the very “remembrance” Christ commanded. summary Paul’s statement exposes the gap between appearance and reality. Though the church assembled and ate, selfishness stripped their gathering of its covenant meaning. The passage challenges believers to ensure that corporate worship—especially the Lord’s Supper—remains Christ-centered, others-oriented, and obedient to the pattern laid down in Scripture. |
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