Coming Together Not to Eat the Lord's Supper 1 Corinthians 11:20

Paul the apostle continued to share about the “divisions” and “heresies” which were among the church members in Corinth, and these would show those “approved” “among” them. In chapter eleven and verse twenty of First Corinthians, Paul referred to the times when the church members gathered together, and said it was “not to eat the Lord's supper”, where we read:

When you come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper.

The verse begins, “When you come together therefore into one place,...”. Paul began with the words, “when you” which means “at the time the church members” “come together” or “assemble or gather” “therefore” or “accordingly, consequently and these things being so” “into one place” which means “in the same spot”. Paul referred to when the church members “assembled” in the “same place”.

The verse goes on to say, “...this is not to eat the Lord's supper.” Paul continued with the words, “this is not to eat” which means “the assembling is not to consume and devour” “the Lord's” or “that which belongs to the Lord Jesus” “supper” which means “the Messiah's feast which symbolizes salvation in the kingdom”. Paul told the church members they were not “gathering together” to “consume or partake of” the “Lord's supper” or “communion” together.

When we think through these words from Paul, we see how he mentions the lack of a specific reason for the church members “assembling”. They were not partaking of “the Lord's supper” or “communion” with one another but had other reasons for gathering. Jesus Christ desires for His church members to “assemble” to commemorate His “salvation” plan for mankind, and when they participate in “communion” or “the Lord's supper” they “do show the Lord's death till he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26). Let us consider carefully why we “assemble” with other believers, and be certain that we have “communion” with the Lord as our priority.

Next time Paul shares how the church members took their “own supper” while “one is hungry, and another is drunken”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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