"Do you despise the church of God?" 1 Cor 11:17-22

The apostle Paul is reprimanding the church in Corinth…again

First, for their divisions (разделения)

But, I’d like to focus on the second reason he rebukes them

“...вы собираетесь, так, что это не значит вкушать вечерю Господню”

Harsh criticism!: “What you’re doing cannot even be called partaking in the Lord’s supper!”

Why would he say that?

vs. 21: “всякий поспешает прежде других есть свою пищу, так что иной бывает голоден, а иной упивается”

Historical background: Believers from all classes of society would gather at one residence to celebrate the Lord’s supper. Sometimes the poor would be late because they didn’t get to decide when to stop working. Instead of waiting, the richer members of the church would eat all of the food and drink all the wine.

We can say: “That problem no longer exists.

We have a dedicated building.

Our remembrance service is at 11 AM on the first Sunday of the month.

Our brothers carefully and in an orderly fashion pass out the Lord’s supper.

Before the brothers partake, they make sure no member got passed by with the bread and wine.

But what was happening in Corinth was just a symptom of a deeper problem

vs. 22: “Или пренебрегаете церковь Божию и унижаете неимущих?”

What is the church? It is not the building, but the people God has saved!

No matter how rich or poor, old or young, etc

So the problem persists not in culture, but in human nature

That should not be so in a believer!

What is the celebration of the Lord’s supper?

We proclaim that: "Jesus died to save me! I am now one member of an entire body of believers who have received the same sacrifice.”

In the chapter before (10), verse 17: “Один хлеб, и мы многие одно тело; ибо все причащаемся от одного хлеба”

So how can we think of ourselves as being on a higher level than our brother or sister? We have all been bought with the same price: the precious blood of our Lord, Jesus!

Does the problem at Corinth continue in our heart? Do we believe we are somehow better than our brother or sister we are about to partake with? Do we think of ourselves as more important? More valuable before God and men?

IF SO, LET US REPENT!