1 Corinthians 11:21
A focused desk for reading, commentary, cross-references, original language notes, and your own observations.
1 Corinthians 11:21
21 For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.
Chapter Context
1 Corinthians 11 is a pastoral epistle chapter in the New Testament that explores themes of obedience, righteousness, holiness. Written during Paul's third missionary journey (c. 55 CE), this chapter should be understood within its historical context: The church existed in a prosperous, cosmopolitan, morally permissive Roman colony.
The chapter can be divided into several sections:
- Verses 1-5: Introduction and setting the context
- Verses 6-12: Development of key themes
- Verses 13-20: Central message and teachings
- Verses 21-34: Conclusion and application
This chapter is significant because it reveals key aspects of God's character through divine actions and declarations. When studying this passage, it's important to consider both its immediate context within 1 Corinthians and its broader place in the scriptural canon.
Verse Study
1 Corinthians 11:21
21 For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.
Analysis
For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken—Paul specifies the abuse. Ἕκαστος γὰρ τὸ ἴδιον δεῖπνον προλαμβάνει (each one takes beforehand his own supper)—prolambanei means to take beforehand, eat ahead of others. Instead of waiting and sharing, the wealthy consumed their private meals immediately, ignoring latecomers.
And one is hungry, and another is drunken (καὶ ὃς μὲν πεινᾷ, ὃς δὲ μεθύει)—the devastating result. Peinao (is hungry) describes literal physical hunger; methyō (is drunken) means intoxication from wine. The contrast is stark: poverty and wealth, deprivation and excess, shame and indulgence—all at the Table meant to proclaim unity in Christ's death. This wasn't merely bad manners but covenant violation. The Lord's Supper signifies Christ's body broken for all equally; Corinthian practice signaled that some mattered more than others. Economic injustice desecrated the gospel.
Historical Context
Roman convivium (banquet) practices included heavy drinking, with social elites consuming superior wine while lower-status guests received inferior or watered wine. Drunkenness at pagan feasts was common, even celebrated. Slaves and poor laborers worked long hours, arriving at evening gatherings exhausted and hungry, only to find the wealthy had already eaten. Paul's outrage reflects both Jewish sobriety (drunkenness is shameful, Proverbs 23:20-21, Ephesians 5:18) and Christian egalitarianism (the Table erases social hierarchy, Galatians 3:28).
Reflection
- How does the Corinthian abuse of the Table violate the gospel's core message of grace for all equally?
- What modern expressions of economic injustice in churches parallel the Corinthian situation?
- How should congregations practicing the Lord's Supper ensure it reflects Christ's inclusive, self-giving love?
Cross-References
- Parallel theme: 2 Peter 2:13, Jude 1:12