1 Corinthians 11:20

Contextual Overview

¹⁷ In the things I tell you now I don't praise you. Your meetings hurt you more than they help you. ¹⁷ But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. ¹⁷ This I warne you of and commende not that ye come to gedder: not after a better maner but after a worsse. ¹⁷ But in giving you this command, I don't praise you, that you come together not for the better but for the worse. ¹⁷ Now I am not praising you in giving you the following instructions. When you gather, it is not for the better but for the worse. ¹⁷ Now in giving this next instruction I do not praise you, because you come together not for the better, but for the worse. ¹⁷ In the things I tell you now I do not praise you, because when you come together you do more harm than good. ¹⁷ But in giving you this charge, I do not praise you, that you come together not for the better but for the worse. ¹⁷ Now in this that I declare [to you], I praise [you] not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse. ¹⁷ But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

this is not to eat: or, ye cannot eat, 1 Corinthians 11:20

Reciprocal: Hosea 8:13 - but Zechariah 7:6 - did not ye eat for Acts 2:42 - in breaking Acts 2:46 - from house to house Acts 20:7 - to break 1 Corinthians 11:17 - that ye Hebrews 10:25 - forsaking 2 Peter 2:13 - while

Cross-References

Luke 3:35
Nahor was the son of Serug. Serug was the son of Reu. Reu was the son of Peleg. Peleg was the son of Eber. Eber was the son of Shelah.

Luke 3:35
which was the sonne of Saruch: which was the sonne of Ragau: which was the sonne of Phalec: which was the sonne of Heber: which was the sonne of Sala:

Luke 3:35
the son of Serug, the son of Re`u, the son of Peleg, the son of `Ever, the son of Shelach

Luke 3:35
the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah,

Luke 3:35
the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Heber, the son of Shelah,

Luke 3:35
Nahor was the son of Serug. Serug was the son of Reu. Reu was the son of Peleg. Peleg was the son of Eber. Eber was the son of Shelah.

Luke 3:35
the [son] of Serug, the [son] of Reu, the [son] of Peleg, the [son] of Eber, the [son] of Shelah,

Luke 3:35
Who was [the son] of Serug, who was [the son] of Reu, who was [the son] of Peleg, who was [the son] of Heber, who was [the son] of Sala,

Luke 3:35
the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Heber, the son of Shelah,

Luke 3:35
the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

When ye come together therefore into one place,.... Though

επι το αυτο does not signify so much the unity of the place, as of the persons meeting together, and their conjunction; so the phrase is used by the Septuagint, in Deuteronomy 25:11, yet it supposes a place where the church were wont to assemble for divine worship;

this is not to eat the Lord's supper: their view in coming together was not so much to celebrate the supper of the Lord, as to partake of their own supper, which was either the paschal supper, or something like it; which many of them "judaizing" observed before the Lord's supper, in imitation of Christ, as they pretended, who first ate the passover, and then instituted the supper. Now there being a great deal of good eating and drinking in this ante-supper, many of them came together for no other end but to partake of that, at least this was their chief view, and not the Lord's supper; or when they did meet together on this account, it was in such an irregular and disorderly manner, and they confounded these suppers together, and behaved so ill at them, and ate the Lord's supper so unworthily, that it could not be rightly called eating of it; or when they had eaten their ante-supper in such an indecent way, neither staying for one another, nor keeping within the bounds of temperance and sobriety; at least having indulged their carnal appetites to such a degree, and raised themselves to such a pitch of gaiety and cheerfulness; it was not fit for them to eat the Lord's supper, to go from such a full meal to the table of the Lord. This was called the Lord's supper, because he was the author of it; and he is the subject of it; and for him, the remembrance of him, it is appointed, kept up, and continued. The Syriac version understands it of the Lord's day, and reads it thus, "when therefore ye meet together, not as is fit for", or becomes, ליומה דמרן, "the day of our Lord, do ye eat and drink".

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

When ye come together therefore ... - When you are assembled as a church, compare Hebrews 10:25, and see the note on Acts 2:1. Christians were constantly in the habit of assembling for public worship. It is probable that at this early period all the Christians in Corinth were accustomed to meet in the same place. The apostle here particularly refers to their “assembling” to observe the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper. At that early period it is probable that this was done on every Lord’s Day.

This is not ... - Margin, “Ye cannot eat.” The meaning of this expression seems to be this. “Though you come together professedly to worship God, and to partake of the Lord’s Supper, yet this cannot be the real design which you have in view. It cannot be that such practices as are allowed among you can be a part of the celebration of that supper, or consistent with it. Your greediness 1 Corinthians 11:21; your intemperance 1 Corinthians 11:21; your partaking of the food separately and not in common, cannot be a celebration of the Lord’s Supper. Whatever, therefore, you may profess to be engaged in, yet really and truly you are not celebrating the Lord’s Supper.”

The Lord’s supper - That which the Lord Jesus instituted to commemorate his death. It is called “the Lord’s,” because it is his appointment, and is in honor of him; it is called “supper” (δεῖπνον deipnon), because the word denotes the evening repast; it was instituted in the evening; and it is evidently most proper that it should be observed in the after part of the day. With most churches the time is improperly changed to the morning - a custom which has no sanction in the New Testament; and which is a departure from the very idea of a supper.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 20. This is not to eat the Lord's Supper. — They did not come together to eat the Lord's Supper exclusively, which they should have done, and not have made it a part of an ordinary meal.