Why were many of the Corinthians sick and weak and some dead?
Paul explains that many Corinthians were sick, weak, and some had died because they partook of the Lord’s table unworthily, with wrong attitudes and enmity. God was already chastising them by taking away their health, and many were asleep, with John warning of a sin unto death.
Les explains that the Corinthians came to the Lord’s table almost with an attitude of revelry, and many had real enmity against someone across the room, perhaps someone they had taken to court. Paul said that would not work; they could not partake with that attitude. Because they were guilty of so many things that should have kept them from partaking, God was already chastising them by taking away their health. Many were sick and weak, and many were asleep. The context also notes John’s warning about a sin unto death, though there was not time to go back and examine it.
For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.