1 Corinthians 11:17

'But in giving you this charge, I do not praise you, that you come together not for the better but for the worse.'

Having deliberately praised them in 1 Corinthians 11:2 he now points out that he cannot praise them with regard to their attitude towards each other in Christian gatherings. For they come together, not for the better, but for the worse. They lose rather than gain by their presence at worship because of their behaviour and attitudes. Instead of gathering as one in true Christian love, with concern for each others edification, they are gathering for dissension and to display individuality and selfishness, both in the way they behave towards each other (1 Corinthians 11:18) and in the ways in which they worship (1 Corinthians 14:1). It is a sad day when a church is informed that its meetings are not for the better but for the worse, especially when it is by such a man as Paul.