1 Corinthians 11:20 kjv
When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper.
1 Corinthians 11:20 nkjv
Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord's Supper.
1 Corinthians 11:20 niv
So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord's Supper you eat,
1 Corinthians 11:20 esv
When you come together, it is not the Lord's supper that you eat.
1 Corinthians 11:20 nlt
When you meet together, you are not really interested in the Lord's Supper.
1 Corinthians 11 20 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Cor 11:17 | "Now in giving this instruction, I do not praise you, since you come together not for the better, but for the worse." | Exhortation against disorderly conduct |
| 1 Cor 11:18 | "For first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it." | Divisions within the church |
| 1 Cor 11:19 | "For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be revealed among you." | Testing and approval of believers |
| 1 Cor 11:21 | "For in eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of time; and one is hungry and another is drunk." | Selfishness and gluttony |
| 1 Cor 11:22 | "What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I do not praise you." | Lack of consideration for others |
| 1 Cor 11:23 | "For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the night when He was betrayed took bread;" | Institution of the Lord's Supper |
| 1 Cor 11:24 | "and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”" | Symbolic meaning of bread |
| 1 Cor 11:25 | "In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”" | Symbolic meaning of cup |
| 1 Cor 11:26 | "For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes." | Proclaiming Christ's death |
| 1 Cor 11:27 | "Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord." | Unworthy participation |
| 1 Cor 11:28 | "But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup." | Self-examination |
| 1 Cor 10:16 | "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?" | Communion with Christ |
| 1 Cor 10:17 | "For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread." | Unity in Christ |
| Eph 4:3 | "being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." | Maintaining unity |
| Gal 3:28 | "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus." | Unity in Christ |
| John 13:34 | "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another." | Commandment of love |
| Acts 4:32 | "Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common." | Community and sharing |
| Matt 5:23 | "Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you," | Reconciliation before worship |
| Rom 13:13 | "Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in conflict and envy." | Proper conduct |
| James 2:2-4 | "For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, but there also come in a poor man in ragged clothes, and you pay attention to the one who is finely clothed and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand here,” or “Sit by my footstool,” have you not shown favoritism among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?" | Partiality and favoritism |
1 Corinthians 11 verses
1 Corinthians 11 20 Meaning
The assembly of believers, when gathered together for worship, does not partake in the Lord's Supper in a manner that truly distinguishes it as the Lord's Supper. Instead, their actions reveal a pattern of private indulgence and division, prioritizing personal hunger over communal spiritual observance.
1 Corinthians 11 20 Context
In 1 Corinthians chapter 11, Paul addresses various issues concerning worship in the Corinthian church. This particular verse, chapter 11, verse 20, follows a discussion about the proper conduct during the Lord's Supper. The Corinthian believers were misinterpreting and misusing this sacred ordinance, turning it into a secular meal where social divisions and personal desires superseded the communal and spiritual significance of the Supper. Paul emphasizes that their gatherings were not edifying but rather indicative of deep-seated problems within the community.
1 Corinthians 11 20 Word Analysis
- "When": (hótan - ὅταν) - Signifies "when" or "whenever," introducing a conditional or temporal clause. It indicates the specific occasion of their gathering.
- "you come": (synérchō - συνέρχομαι) - Means "to come together," "to assemble," or "to meet." This highlights the act of corporate gathering.
- "together": Implies a unified assembly, the collective body of believers.
- "in": (eis - εἰς) - A preposition indicating "into," "unto," or "for." Here, it signifies the purpose or place of their coming together.
- "church": (ekklēsia - ἐκκλησία) - The called-out assembly, the community of believers. It underscores the identity of the gathering.
- "the": (heis - εἷς) - Singular definite article, referring to the singular body of Christ.
- "Lord’s": (kyriakos - κυριακός) - Pertaining to the Lord. This adjective modifies "supper" to denote its unique origin and purpose.
- "supper": (deipnon - δεῖπνον) - The principal meal of the day, often eaten in the evening. In this context, it refers specifically to the communion meal.
- "therefore": (houtōs - οὕτως) - Adverb meaning "thus," "so," "in this manner." It signals a conclusion based on what precedes.
- "when": (hótan - ὅταν) - Repeats the temporal conjunction.
- "you": (hymeis - ὑμεῖς) - Second person plural pronoun, addressing the Corinthians directly.
- "come": (synérchomai - συνέρχομαι) - "to come together."
- "together": "as one body"
- "to": (eis - εἰς) - "into," "for."
- "one": (heis - εἷς) - "one," singular.
- "place": (topos - τόπος) - "place," "spot," "situation." Refers to their assembled state.
- "this": (houtos - οὗτος) - Demonstrative pronoun pointing to the present occasion.
- "is not": (ouk - οὐκ) - Negation.
- "the": (ho - ὁ) - Definite article.
- "Lord’s": (kyriakos - κυριακός) - Pertaining to the Lord.
- "supper": (deipnon - δεῖπνον) - "supper," "meal."
Words-Group Analysis:
- "come together in the church": This phrase signifies their communal assembly as believers, distinct from any secular gathering.
- "is not the Lord's supper": This points to the perversion of the ordinance. Despite gathering in the name of the Lord, their actions negated the true meaning and practice of the communion. It wasn't functioning as the Lord's Supper should.
1 Corinthians 11 20 Bonus Section
The Corinthians' misunderstanding of the Lord's Supper might stem from attempts to adapt Jewish Passover customs or Greco-Roman agape feasts (love feasts) in a way that prioritized social status and personal satisfaction. Paul is reiterating the specific, sacred instructions he received directly from the Lord Jesus concerning this memorial. The distinction between the Lord's Supper and ordinary meals, especially in terms of selflessness and regard for the needy within the community, is paramount to its proper observance. The passage is a crucial reminder that our participation in worship, including the communion, must be inwardly focused on Christ and outwardly expressed through love and consideration for fellow believers.
1 Corinthians 11 20 Commentary
The Corinthian believers had transformed the Lord's Supper into an event characterized by division and selfish indulgence. Instead of a communal expression of unity in Christ and remembrance of His sacrifice, their meals devolved into private parties. Some brought their own food and ate it before others arrived, leading to one person being satisfied while another went hungry. This behavior utterly failed to honor Christ and undermined the sacred nature of the ordinance. Paul contrasts their disorderly conduct with the intended purpose of the Supper, which is to remember Jesus' atoning sacrifice and to manifest the unity of the body of Christ. Their actions revealed a profound lack of spiritual discernment and love for one another.