He gets reports of distortions in the church. The whole letter of 1 Corinthians is to correct wrong practices.
In chapter 11 he addresses the abuses he was hearing about concerning the Lord’s Supper. It was a custom then to have a meal of fellowship called the Agape’ Feast. This feast was followed by the observance of the Lord’s Supper. The abuses occurred around the rich getting drunk while the poor went hungry. Paul tells them their error and admonishes again how Christ established the Lord’s Supper.
He lets them know that we are to celebrate Christ’s death instead of mourning it. When Christ was on the earth He invited himself to the home of Zacchaeus for a meal. He invited the disciples to a meal on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. He was accused of being a wine bibber and a glutton. He ate with sinners! Jesus enjoyed a good meal together with friends or lost people.
“It would be equivalent to— Paul warns of eating in an unworthy manner. He said nothing about being worthy to eat the Lord’s Supper. As Jon Courson points
- A doctor saying to a sick person, “Get well, and then come and see me,”
- A loan officer saying to a poor person, “You need a loan? Get some money, and then I can help you,” or,
- A cook saying to someone who is hungry, “Starving? Gain some weight, and I’ll give you a meal.”
The Lord’s table is the very place for the person struggling with sin, wrestling with temptation, or caught up in carnality, for it is there that he can say, “Lord, I desperately need You in my life. I partake of this meal knowing that I am forgiven for all of my sins. Thank you, Lord! I celebrate what You did for me.”
