1 Corinthians 11 21

1 Corinthians 11:21 kjv

For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.

1 Corinthians 11:21 nkjv

For in eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of others; and one is hungry and another is drunk.

1 Corinthians 11:21 niv

for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers. As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk.

1 Corinthians 11:21 esv

For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk.

1 Corinthians 11:21 nlt

For some of you hurry to eat your own meal without sharing with others. As a result, some go hungry while others get drunk.

1 Corinthians 11 verses

1 Corinthians 11 21 meaning

This verse reveals a significant problem within the Corinthian church's celebration of the Lord's Supper, or the associated love feast. It describes a situation where attendees, driven by self-interest and disregard for others, prioritize their own consumption. The wealthier members, who likely arrived earlier and brought more substantial food and drink, would eat their own meals without waiting for or sharing with the poorer members. This resulted in a stark division during a supposed communal meal, where some were left genuinely hungry while others consumed to the point of intoxication, utterly perverting the intended purpose of Christian fellowship and the Lord's Supper.

1 Corinthians 11 21 Context

1 Corinthians 11 focuses on order in worship, specifically addressing head coverings (vv. 2-16) and then transitioning to the correct observance of the Lord's Supper (vv. 17-34). Paul criticizes the Corinthian believers for coming together "not for the better but for the worse" (v. 17). Verse 21 precisely describes the behavior that makes their gathering detrimental. The early church's practice involved celebrating the Lord's Supper as part of a communal meal, often called an "agape feast" or "love feast," held in private homes. In Roman Corinth, society was highly stratified by wealth, status, and social class. Paul is addressing how this worldly social hierarchy and the prevailing cultural norms of banqueting were inappropriately imported into their sacred Christian assembly, creating divisions, shaming the poor, and desecrating the very meal meant to signify their unity in Christ.

1 Corinthians 11 21 Word analysis

• For (γὰρ, gar): This conjunction introduces the explanation or reason for the previous statement (v. 17) that their coming together is for the worse.
• in eating (ἐν τῷ ἐσθίειν, en tō esthiein): Literally "in the eating." Refers to the context of their communal meal, the "agape" feast, where the Lord's Supper was typically observed. It highlights the very act where the disorder occurred.
• each one (ἕκαστος, hekastos): Emphasizes individualism. Rather than acting as a collective body of Christ, each person acts on their own initiative and interest, undermining communal responsibility.
• goes ahead (προλαμβάνει, prolambanei): A significant verb. It means "to take beforehand," "to eat in advance," or "to pre-empt." It suggests haste, selfishness, and a lack of waiting or consideration for others, especially those who would arrive later (like slaves or laborers). The richer members likely brought more substantial food and ate it without waiting for others.
• with his own meal (ἴδιον δεῖπνον, idion deipnon): Idion means "one's own" and deipnon refers to the main evening meal or dinner. This phrase highlights the self-centered nature of their eating. Instead of sharing what they brought for a communal meal, they treated it as their private dinner party. This behavior created separate "meals" within the intended shared meal.
• and one is hungry (ὃς μὲν πεινᾷ, hos men peinai): Describes the plight of the poorer members. Arriving late or bringing little, they found nothing left and suffered actual physical hunger. This condition shamefully highlighted the economic disparities within the church and exposed the severe lack of love among the more affluent members.
• and another is drunk (ὃς δὲ μεθύει, hos de methyei): In stark contrast, the wealthier members had overindulged in food and wine. This excess demonstrates a complete disregard for moderation, Christian sobriety, and especially for the genuine hunger of their fellow believers. The scandalous display of intoxication next to starvation completely undermined the sacredness of the occasion.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "each one goes ahead with his own meal": This phrase directly pinpoints the individualistic and selfish behavior that fractured the communal integrity of the love feast. It shows a preemptive consumption driven by personal desire rather than the Spirit of unity and sharing.
• "one is hungry and another is drunk": This vivid and damning antithesis starkly illustrates the disgraceful outcome of their selfishness. It is a powerful indictment of social stratification and a complete betrayal of Christian love, equity, and the true meaning of the Lord's Supper. It represents an abhorrent disregard for the needy in their midst, turning a sacred meal into an occasion of shame.

1 Corinthians 11 21 Bonus section

• This verse provides crucial insight into the socio-economic composition of the early church, showing it was not uniformly poor but included both wealthy patrons and working-class individuals, whose differing circumstances posed challenges to maintaining egalitarian Christian practices.
• Paul's subsequent instructions in 1 Corinthians 11:33-34 ("Therefore, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another – if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home – so that when you come together it will not be for judgment") offer practical solutions that reflect both patience and responsibility, either by promoting communal waiting or by shifting personal hunger-quenching to a private setting.
• The Corinthian abuse of the Supper directly contradicted the unifying symbolism of Christ's broken body and shed blood, turning a symbol of atonement and communion into a scene of division and personal sin. This profoundly challenged the core of Christian identity.

1 Corinthians 11 21 Commentary

1 Corinthians 11:21 exposes the tragic spiritual failure of the Corinthian church. Their communal gatherings, intended to express unity in Christ through the Lord's Supper and a shared love feast, were instead marked by profound selfishness and social division. Wealthy members prioritized their own gratification, consuming their brought provisions ahead of others, while the poorer and marginalized were left hungry. Worse, this self-indulgence led some to literal drunkenness, an appalling sight alongside the deprivation of others. This conduct negated the very essence of Christ's example of self-sacrifice and sharing, transforming a sacred symbol of covenant unity into a worldly feast that shamed the poor and dishonored the Lord. It highlighted a grave misunderstanding of the Lord's Supper's purpose: not a mere private meal, but a sacred covenant meal demanding love, unity, and a genuine concern for every member of the body of Christ.