1 Corinthians 11:21 Meaning and Explanation
“For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →At their meals each rushes to eat his own food, leaving some hungry while others overindulge.
What Does 1 Corinthians 11:21 Mean?
Paul describes the scandal in detail. At the common meal each person seizes his own food without waiting, so that some feast and even grow drunken while the poor among them go hungry. The shared table has become a display of inequality.
Here is the opposite of communion. A meal meant to proclaim that all are one in Christ instead puts the divide between rich and poor on open display. The hunger of a brother or sister beside us is a rebuke to any feast that ignores it. Paul's concern is deeply pastoral: the gospel levels such distinctions, and a gathering that re-erects them betrays the very Lord it claims to honor. Love waits, shares, and sees the one in need.
Frequently Asked Questions About 1 Corinthians 11:21
What does 1 Corinthians 11:21 mean?
At their meals each rushes to eat his own food, leaving some hungry while others overindulge.