Devotional 27 January 2026

Paul’s words in this passage are unmistakably sharp. What should have been the Corinthians’ clearest expression of unity with Christ and with one another had become an opportunity for selfish gain. “When you come together,” Paul says, “it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat” (v.20). The problem is not merely poor etiquette. It is a contradiction of the gospel itself. The gathering of the church is meant to proclaim that Christ is not divided and that His people are one body (1 Corinthians 10:16–17). Yet when the Corinthians assemble, some indulge while others go hungry. The wealthy are satisfied, the poor are humiliated, and the body is fractured along familiar worldly lines. Paul’s rebuke cuts deeply: “Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing?” (v.22). Paul’s point extends beyond food. The gathered church is not the place to assert personal preference, protect status, or expand influence. Those things belong, if anywhere, to private life. The moment personal appetite governs worship, fellowship collapses. What should display unity instead exposes division. This principle remains painfully relevant. Churches still fracture over matters of preference, influence, and control. Arguments over music, leadership, or even the color of the carpet often mask a deeper problem. To paraphrase Paul’s logic: Do you not have homes where you may arrange things as you please? Why insist on shaping Christ’s gathering around yourself? Paul offers not only correction but example. Earlier in the letter, he insists that those who preach have a right to support (1 Corinthians 9:9–14). Yet he willingly surrenders that right. Rather than demanding the first portion, he boasts in receiving nothing. Instead of grasping for advantage, he limits himself for the sake of the gospel. His posture mirrors Christ, who did not take the highest place, but the lowest. The Lord’s Table exposes the heart. When the church gathers, self-giving must replace self-interest. Any worship shaped by personal gain ceases to reflect Christ and instead reveals a divided people. True fellowship is marked not by what we take, but by what we are willing to lay down for one another.