Conduct surrounding the Love Feasts

The next item Paul brings to their attention in this chapter is the “love feast:” From the very early days of the church it was customary for the believers to eat together before they partook of the Lord’s Supper (Acts 2:42, 46). They called this meal “the love feast.” This meal was part of the worship of the church at Corinth but some serious abuses had crept in.

• 1. Various cliques had formed in the church and people were always eating with their own crowd rather than developing fellowship with the whole church family (v. 19).
• 2. Rich people brought a great deal of food for themselves and didn’t share it with those who were poor and needy (v. 20). This “agape feast” should have been an opportunity for edification but instead it was turning into a time of embarrassment.
• 3. Some were even turning this special meal time into a drinking party (v. 20). This certainly was not the best way to prepare for the Lord’s Supper.

The Corinthians were to be commended for keeping the ordinances (v. 2), but they deserved sharp criticism for the manner in which they did so. What should have resulted in spiritual blessing was perpetrating a spirit of division. (Of course, the divisions at the dinner were just evidence of selfishness.) Paul warned the people and even urged them to examine themselves (v. 28).

Nothing unites believers more than the forgiveness Jesus provided when He died for our sins. Therefore it should be no surprise that He instituted a special Supper before He went to the cross. He knew we would need to be reminded often of what He did to make us clean.