1 Corinthians 11:20-22

1Co 11:20 This is such a case: when you all come together, it is not really to eat the Lord’s Supper.
1Co 11:21 Because at the meal, each one eats his own supper ahead of others. So one person is staying hungry while another is getting drunk!
1Co 11:22 I say this because … Don’t you have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you look down on the church of God and embarrass the ones who do not have what you have? What should I say to you? Should I show appreciation for you? I do not appreciate this behaviour!

beast feast

Paul had just explained that the various preference‑groups within the Corinthian church could be evaluated by the kinds of behaviors they displayed and tolerated. Some groups would reveal maturity, humility, and love; others would reveal pride, selfishness, and disorder. Now he turns to a concrete example that exposed the difference with painful clarity.

The Lord Jesus had instituted a simple, sacred meal on the night before his crucifixion. After celebrating the Passover with his disciples, he took bread and wine and gave them new significance. This small meal was meant to be repeated often. It was designed as a moment of solemn remembrance, a time to reflect on God’s grace, to proclaim the Lord’s death, and to examine one’s own heart. It was not a feast but a symbol. It was not a banquet but a confession. It was a communal act of worship meant to draw believers together in humility and gratitude.

In Corinth, that holy moment had been twisted into something unrecognizable. Instead of a shared remembrance, it had become a competitive feast. Instead of unity, there was division. Instead of reverence, there was indulgence. Some arrived early and ate greedily. Others were left hungry. The wealthy treated the gathering as an opportunity to display abundance, while the poor were humiliated. The meal that was supposed to proclaim the self‑giving love of Christ had become a stage for selfishness.

Paul’s reaction was sharp because the situation demanded it. The Corinthians had not merely misunderstood a ritual; they had violated the very meaning of the gospel. The Lord’s Supper was intended to embody Christ’s sacrifice, yet their behavior contradicted that sacrifice at every point. The confusion at the table revealed the deeper confusion in their hearts. The disorder of the meal exposed the disorder of their community.

This was Paul’s case in point. The preference‑groups within the church were not neutral. Some were fostering humility and discernment. Others were fostering arrogance and disregard for the body of Christ. The way the Corinthians handled the Lord’s Supper made it obvious which groups were worth following and which were not. The table of the Lord had become a mirror, revealing the true character of the congregation.

LORD, we thank you for giving us a means of reflecting on the marvel of your grace, demonstrated by the sacrificial death of our Saviour. May we treat this gift with respect and reverence.