One Hungry and One Drunk 1 Corinthians 11:21

The church members in Corinth, according to Paul the apostle, were not gathering together “to eat the Lord's supper”. They rather had “divisions” and “heresies” among them which caused them to assemble for other reasons. In chapter eleven and verse twenty-one of First Corinthians, Paul shared some of those reasons as he declared, “one is hungry, and another is drunken”, where we read:

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

The verse begins, “For in eating every one takes before other his own supper:”. Paul began with the word, “for” which means “even as, indeed, no doubt, seeing then, verily and therefore” “in eating” which means “in consuming, devouring and taking food” “every one takes before” or “each and every person anticipates, forestalls or takes beforehand” “other his own” or “pertaining and belonging to their own self” “supper” which means “a formal meal or food taken at evening”. When they gathered together, the church members were “eating” their own meals before anyone else could partake of them.

The verse continues, “and one is hungry, and another is drunken.” Paul added the words, “and one” which means “a certain one truly, indeed and surely” “is hungry” or “wanting, needing, craving and seeking with eager desire”, “and another” which means “an other certain one” “is drunken” or “intoxicated and drunk”. Because the church members were “eating” their meals before others, it left some of the church members without any food and other church members “intoxicated”.

When we consider these words from Paul, we should keep in mind these “agape feasts”, which means “love feasts”, were designed to have people sharing one another's food. They were much like “dinner on the grounds” or “pot lucks” which many churches have today. Church members were to bring food and share with others, however, some of them were eating their own food without sharing, and others were drinking too much of their own drinks and were made drunk by them. This is not anything like Jesus Christ desired for His church. As Paul addresses this problem with the Corinthian church, let us examine our own willingness to “share” with others, and may we be careful never to be characterized as “drunken” at any time never-mind within the church.

Next time Paul asks the church members, “have you not houses to eat and to drink in?”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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