Have You Not Houses to Eat and to Drink In? 1 Corinthians 11:22

Paul the apostle charged the church members in Corinth when they “come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper”, and that “in eating every one takes before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken”. In chapter eleven and verse twenty-two of First Corinthians, Paul asked the Corinthian church members “have you not houses to eat and to drink in?” where we read:

What? have you not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise you the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.

The verse begins, “What? have you not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise you the church of God, and shame them that have not?”. Paul began with the word, “what” which means “Paul rhetorically asked”? “have you not houses” which refers to “don't the church members have personal dwellings or homes” “to eat” or “to consume or devour” “and to drink in”which means “or imbibe within”? “or despise you” which means “do the church members contemn, disdain, think little or nothing of” “the church” or “the assembly and gathering of the Christians for worship in a religious meeting” “of God” which refers to “the Godhead bodily and trinity which is comprised of God the Father, Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit”, “and shame them” which means “and dishonor, disgrace, make ashamed and repulsed the people” “that have not” or “who do not have food to eat and drink”? Paul questioned the church members about their own homes within which to “eat and drink”, and he reasoned that they “disdained” the “church” and brought “shame” to people who did not have “food” to “eat and drink”.

The verse goes on to say, “What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.” Paul continued with the words, “what shall I say” which means “Paul questioned what he should utter, speak and proclaim” “to you” or “to the church members”? “shall I praise you” which means “should Paul approve, commend and laud the church members” “in this” which refers to “for the behavior of not regarding those who had no sustenance”. Paul could not “say” or “commend” the church members for their disregard of those who did not have food to “eat or drink”.

When we meditate upon these words from Paul, we understand his rebuke against those in the church of Corinth who did not regard people who had little to “eat or drink” at their “love feasts”. Paul in no way “commended or lauded” the church members for this behavior, and this was never to be the way for Jesus' church. Those who belong to the church should always care for others, and as we consider Paul's words, let us be mindful of how our Savior Jesus always cared for those around Him.

Next time Paul refers to, “the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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