One of the problems in the church at Corinth that Paul addressed in his first letter had to do with the practice of the Lord’s Supper. He told them that when they “come together,” it was “not for the better but for the worse” (1 Corinthians 11:17). Why would that be?
There were two problems. First, they had corrupted the Lord’s Supper by turning it from a memorial of the death of Christ (1 Corinthians 11:23-26) into a common meal. He said, “Do you not have houses in which to eat and drink?” (1 Corinthians 11:22). He concluded by saying, “If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, so that you will not come together for judgment” (1 Corinthians 11:34). It is good for brethren to enjoy meals together, but the assembly of the church is not the place for that.
The second problem was that “divisions exist among [them]” (1 Corinthians 11:18). Those with nothing were being shamed and the church was being split into two factions – the haves and the have-nots.
Paul began this letter by telling these brethren that there were to be “no divisions among [them]” (1 Corinthians 1:10). This included the division between rich and poor that was so common in the first century (as well as today). Jesus died for each one of us. The Lord’s Supper reminds us of how important each person is to Him.
So remember that all are equal around the Lord’s table. While society wants to divide us by economic class and other things, it should not be that way in the church. Let us strive for unity as the Lord desires.