1 Corinthians 11:17 Meaning and Explanation
“Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Paul turns to a matter he cannot praise: their gatherings are doing harm rather than good.
What Does 1 Corinthians 11:17 Mean?
A sharp turn begins here. Where Paul opened the chapter with praise, he now withholds it. The Corinthians' assemblies, meant to build them up, are instead making them worse. The new subject is their conduct at the shared meal and the Lord's Supper.
To gather as the church should be a means of grace, drawing believers nearer to God and to one another. When a gathering instead deepens division and harm, something has gone gravely wrong at its heart. Paul names it plainly, for love does not flatter. His honesty is itself a gift, a refusal to let a beloved congregation drift unwarned into something that wounds the very people it should heal.
Frequently Asked Questions About 1 Corinthians 11:17
What does 1 Corinthians 11:17 mean?
Paul turns to a matter he cannot praise: their gatherings are doing harm rather than good.