1 Corinthians 11:20

Come together. That is, for the celebration of the Lord’s Supper.

Not to eat. That is, whatever the intention may be, it is not possible under the circumstances to observe the sacred communion service. They came together for a supper, to be sure, but it was not the Lord’s Super. This was not due to any lack of facilities, but to lack of the necessary spiritual atmosphere and the lack of spiritual discernment that would be conducive to sympathetic appreciation of the significance of the ordinance. The Corinthians were not to think that such practices as were permitted among them at such times were consistent with the celebration of the supper. Greediness, selfishness, and intemperance are wholly at variance with the spirit of Him who left the joys of heaven to give all that He had for the salvation of sinners (see 1 Cor. 11:21, 22; John 3:16; Phil. 2:6–8).

Lord’s supper. Gr. kuriakon deipnon, literally, “a supper pertaining to the Lord,” which may mean a supper consecrated to the Lord or one instituted by Him, or both. The early Christians customarily preceded the Lord’s Supper by what they called a love feast, or agapē. Thus the entire proceeding formed a commemoration of the last Passover feast, at which Christ instituted the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper (see Matt. 26:17–21, 26–28; 1 Cor. 11:23–26). The love feast was a meal to which each member made a contribution of food that was enjoyed in common with all the other believers, to demonstrate clearly the fellowship of love in the Christian church, a fellowship that knows no caste or class distinctions, that places on all the same level. This meal, followed by the Lord’s Supper, showed that all shared in the provisions God makes for His people, both material and spiritual, and that there is no partiality manifested toward any. This custom continued in the church to the end of the 4th century, when, on account of the growth of the church and the increased size of the congregations, it was found necessary to separate the love feasts from the Lord’s Supper. See p. 45.