Is it wrong to have a potluck supper or eat when believers come together?
A shared potluck meal or eating together when believers gather is not inherently wrong. Paul condemns the abuse—gluttony, drunkenness, and dividing by wealth or status—not the meal itself. Eating together occasionally is acceptable, but the gathering should never be reduced to filling bellies with food and drink.
Les teaches there is nothing wrong with a potluck supper once in a while. He says he is not one of those who claims you cannot eat when believers come together; in fact, he suggests it is probably a highlight of their classes in Oklahoma and at the studio. The problem Paul addressed was abuse: the wealthy brought the best French wine, meat, and vegetables, while the poor overindulged until they became gluttonous and drunk. Then people separated by status during the potluck, with the wealthy refusing to share their good food and wine. Paul was shocked because they were not coming to church to fill their bellies; such division was the furthest thing from what the church should be.
More Questions
Is it wrong for believers to eat together at church potlucks?
There is nothing wrong with having a potluck supper once in a while, and Les does not hold that believers cannot eat when they come together.