The Corinthians were abusing the Lord's Table with potluck suppers, gluttony, drunkenness, and wrong attitudes toward fellow believers.
The Corinthians turned the Lord's Table into a common meal, bringing food and wine for a 'real supper' that led to excesses such as overeating and getting 'half drunk.' They also held enmity against others, which Paul said disqualified them from partaking. Their misuse was so severe that God was chastising them with sickness and death.
1 Corinthians 11:20-22 — Paul directly rebukes the Corinthians for their abuses of the Lord's Supper, highlighting their divisions and excess.
1 Corinthians 11:21 — This verse specifically mentions one taking his own supper ahead of others, showing gluttony and selfishness.
1 Corinthians 11:27 — Paul warns against partaking unworthily, which the Corinthians were doing.
In 1 Corinthians 11, the Apostle Paul addresses the abuses at the Lord's Table. He states that when they come together, it is not to eat the Lord's Supper, because each one takes his own supper ahead of others, leaving some hungry and others drunk (1 Cor 11:20-21). Paul reminds them of the institution of the Supper on the night Jesus was betrayed, where He took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and said, 'This is my body which is broken for you' and likewise the cup after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new testament in my blood' (1 Cor 11:23-25). He instructs that as often as they eat this bread and drink this cup, they do show the Lord's death till He comes (1 Cor 11:26). Therefore, whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup unworthily is guilty of the body and blood of the Lord (1 Cor 11:27), and should examine himself (1 Cor 11:28). For this cause, many are weak and sickly among them, and many sleep (1 Cor 11:30).
Les Feldick emphasizes that the Corinthians, being the most carnal and least spiritual of all the churches, abused the Lord's Table by turning it into a potluck supper. They brought extra food and wine to satisfy their physical appetites, leading to gluttony and drunkenness, which made them unable to appreciate the solemnity of the communion service. He notes that they had personal enmity toward others, which Paul said disqualified them from partaking. Les clarifies that the Lord's Supper is not for salvation; the Corinthians were already saved despite their behavior, but they were being chastised by God with sickness and even death for their misuse.
Les Feldick suggests that the Corinthians felt a little bread and wine wouldn't satisfy their energy needs for the day, so they began bringing food to have a real supper. This led to excesses, as they were already a carnal church, and Paul had to correct them.
Les Feldick points out that many Corinthians had real grievances against others, even taking them to court. Paul said they could not take the Lord's Table with such enmity. They needed to examine themselves.
Because of their unworthy partaking, many Corinthians were sick and weak, and some had even died. Les Feldick connects this to the 'sin unto death' mentioned in John's epistle, noting that God was chastising them.
What the Bible Really Says About the Lord's Table — 1 Corinthians 10:16
the special knowledge. I read a lot of good people, pros and cons. I read just as many men that I don't agree with as I do. But when it comes down to teaching it, then I have to depend on how the Holy Spirit opens it to my understanding. Now in the book of I Corinthians, as we have been stressing now for ever so long as we started this little letter, that evidently from chapter 7 verse 1, you migh…
Examine Yourself
Les explains that the Corinthians' personal enmity and wrong attitudes disqualified them from partaking, and that God was chastising them with sickness and death.
Potluck Excess
Les describes how the Corinthians started bringing food to have a real supper, leading to excesses that Paul had to correct.
Abuse of the Supper
Les emphasizes that the Corinthians were totally abusing the Lord's Table by turning it into a potluck before the actual communion.
What Most Christians Miss About Grace — 1 Corinthians Explained
Here is the other dilemma. Now Paul says, "...as touching things offered to idols, we know that we have all knowledge." So what do you suppose they had also asked? Well, what are we supposed to do with this meat that's been offered to idols? Can we eat it, or can't we? And so that too prompted some of the things that will be covered in this letter to the Corinthian church.
Solemn Purpose
Les highlights that the Lord's Supper is meant to be a solemn reminder of Christ's death, and the Corinthians' indulgence in food and wine destroyed that impact.
What Does It Mean to Be "All Things to All Men"? — 1 Corinthians 9
See how plain that is? So all these things that he's been covering now in this letter of 1 Corinthians were in response to the congregation's questions. And of course, all their questions were resting on problems. And again, I've been emphasizing ever since we started 1 Corinthians that the Corinthian church was the most carnal, it was the least spiritual of all the churches that Paul had anything…
Most People Miss This About the Lord's Supper — 1 Cor 11
He's going to come in, and he's going to give the real purpose for what we call the Lord's Supper or the communion table. Again, I'm going to emphasize that it has nothing to do with the salvation of these Corinthians. These Corinthians are already saved in spite of their behavior.
1 Corinthians 11:20-21: When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper. For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.
This shows the Corinthian practice of turning the Lord's Supper into a private meal with selfishness and excess.
1 Corinthians 11:23-24: For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
Paul reminds them of the institution of the Supper, which they were distorting.
1 Corinthians 11:27-28: Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
Paul instructs self-examination to avoid partaking unworthily, which the Corinthians were doing.
1 Corinthians 11:30: For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
The consequences of their unworthy partaking were sickness and even death.
No, Les Feldick clarifies that the Corinthians were already saved believers despite their behavior. Their misuse of the Lord's Table did not affect their salvation, but it did bring God's chastisement.
They turned it into a potluck supper, eating and drinking to excess, getting drunk, and holding enmity against fellow believers, which disqualified them from partaking.
Les Feldick refers to John's epistle, indicating that there is a sin leading to death, and the Corinthians' unworthy partaking led to sickness and death as a form of divine chastisement.
Watch the Teaching: What the Bible Really Says About the Lord's Table — 1 Corinthians 10:16