1 Corinthians 11:22

What, have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and put them to shame that have not? What shall. say to you? shall. praise you? In this. praise you not.

'What, have ye not houses to eat and to drink in?' -'brings an ironical excuse: "For. suppose you act thus because you are houseless, and must satisfy your appetite at church!"...If this voracity cannot be excused by. physical need which the offenders had no other means of supplying....' (Gr. Ex. N.T. p. 879)

'or despise ye the church of God' -'Or do you mean to show your contempt for the church of God.' (Gspd) 'The behavior indicates that the church counts for nothing in their eyes..' (Fee p. 544)

'In the question: "Why do you not use your houses?" there lies the graver one. "Why do you so use the church?" This is the graver, for to use the church in this manner is to degrade it, hence to look down on it, to despise it..Has the congregation forgotten so completely that this is "God's gathering?" (Lenski p. 460)

Points to Note:

1. We despise the church of God, when we make it into what we want it to be, i.e.. place of recreation and socializing.

2. These verses present serious questions for many modern religious bodies:

'He is not only condemning the refusal of the rich to share with the poor, he is forbidding altogether the practice of eating. common meal at the public assembly.. wonder why this verse does not say as much to those who have "fellowship dinners" in the twentieth century as it said to those in the first century.' (Willis p. 395)

3. In fact, many religious bodies have even "gone beyond" what the Corinthians were doing. The Corinthians were simply bringing their own meals to services with them, meals that they had purchased with their own money. What would Paul say about congregations which have spent the Lords money (not their own)..to build. place of worship that is equally. place of recreation? If Paul condemned the Corinthians for bringing their meals (bought with their own money) into the assembly, what would Paul say about congregations that deliberately spend the Lord's money to build. kitchen to cook such meals, to buy all the food consumed at such meals, to build the room to eat such meals, and then build. gym that members can then go and "run off" such meals????

'and put them to shame that have not?' -'shame those who have nothing?' (NASV) Hence we have. division in social and economic classes happening in the church in Corinth. 'It seems obvious from the description of this common meal at Corinth that it was not. means of charity; rather, its sole purpose appears to have been recreational.' (Willis p. 396)

It appears that "pride" was also behind these divisions. These improvised common meals, gave the rich. chance to flaunt their prosperity, and to use the place in which the church assembled as. dining hall.

'What shall. say to you?' -Paul shows amazing restraint. 'Am. to commend this sort of conduct?' (Phi)

Point to Note:

We determine whether we get praise or condemnation.

THE TRUE LORD'S SUPPER-1 Corinthians 11:23-25:

'With calm patience Paul sets to work to repeat his original instruction to these disorderly Corinthians.' (Lenski p. 461)