1 Corinthians 11:33,34 – Fortunately by letter

So that, my brethren, when coming together to eat, be waiting for one another. Now if anyone may be hungry, let him eat at home, that you may not be coming together for judgement. No the rest I shall be prescribing as soon as I should be coming.

This verse underlines that the meal Paul is talking about is a real meal. People did not come together for a symbolic piece of bread or a sip of wine. There is nothing that expresses the mutual bond as much as having meals together. Certainly when the ingredients of the meal (read: bread and wine) are so meaningful and refer to the Lord and our unity in Him. That meaning would of course become a mockery when one had already finished eating and drinking, while another had not even begun the meal. If you are really so hungry, eat something first at home, says Paul.

More practical matters could be arranged about which Paul was informed. But that could wait until he was with them. The disorder at meals was too urgent for that and therefore Paul arranges this in this letter. Fortunately, because we can still draw our lessons from this!

Delen: