Having dealt with the question of gender issues in 1 Cor 11:1-16, Paul moves on to tackle other aspects of corporate worship in Corinth which left much to be desired (1 Cor 11:17-34).
In matters regarding the Lord’s Supper, Paul sees little to commend the church (1 Cor 11:17, 22). The initial unity and fellowship of the early church (Acts 2:44-47) had broken down in Corinth, with the ‘love feasts’ (fellowship meals incorporating the breaking of bread) becoming little more than an excuse for over-indulgence and drunkenness, with the rich eating their own food and not even waiting for slaves to arrive. This disregard for fellow believers and lack of love and respect troubled Paul enormously, for the sacrament of the Eucharist originated from the last meal Jesus shared with His disciples before His crucifixion (see Matt 26:17-35, Mark 14:12-31, Luke 22:7-38) and was the opportunity to remember His great sacrifice for us all. The relationship between people in the Body of Christ is of paramount importance (Matt 5: 23-24), so to act in so unloving a manner meant this was not actually celebrating the Lord’s Supper properly at all (1 Cor 11:20) C. K. Barrett writes, ‘The Christian Supper was founded on the sacrificial death of Jesus, an act of divine deliverance by which sins were forgiven and a new covenant set up between God and men, who, being reconciled to God, were now united among themselves.’ If this unity (for which Jesus prayed in John 17) is not evident in our relationships, however, we run the risk of being disciplined by God (1 Cor 11:29-30). If factions and divisions proliferate, we are undermining the very sacrifice of Christ which is for all people, regardless of gender, wealth or status.
Discipline is God’s way of demonstrating that we are legitimate children (Heb 12:5-11), but Paul’s advice is for us to ‘examine ourselves’ so as avoid condemnation and judgment. He wants us (in this aspect, as in every other aspect he has considered so far) to treat everyone equally; respect each other; eat together and be devoted to one another in love (see Rom 12:10, Phil 2:3-4).