Albert Barnes Commentary 1 Corinthians 11:22

"What, have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and put them to shame that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you? In this I praise you not." — 1 Corinthians 11:22 (ASV)

What? This whole verse is designed to convey the language of severe rebuke for their having so grossly perverted the design of the Lord's Supper.

Have you not houses, etc.? Do you not know that the church of God is not designed to be a place of feasting and revelry, nor even a place for partaking of your ordinary meals? Can it be that you come to the places of public worship and make them the scenes of feasting and riot? Even supposing that there had been no disorder, no revelry, no intemperance, yet on every account it was grossly irregular and disorderly to make the place of public worship a place for a festival entertainment.

Or do you despise the church of God? The phrase "church of God," Grotius understands as referring to the place. But the word church (ekklhsia) is believed not to be used in that sense in the New Testament, and it is not necessary to interpret it this way here. The sense is that their conduct was as if they held in contempt the whole church of God, in all places, with all their views of the sacredness and purity of the Lord's Supper.

And shame them that have not? (The margin reads, Are poor.) Something must be understood here to complete the sense. It probably meant something like possessions, property, conveniences, or accommodations. The context would make it most natural to understand "houses to eat and drink in." The sense then would be: "Do you thus expose to public shame those who have no accommodations at home—who are destitute and poor? You thus publicly call attention to their poverty and want, while you bring your own provisions and fare sumptuously, and while those who are unable to provide for themselves are thus seen to be poor and needy." The point is, it is hard enough to be poor and destitute of a home.

But it greatly aggravates the matter to be publicly treated in that manner and to be exposed publicly to the contempt which such a situation implies. Their treatment of the poor in this manner would publicly expose them to shame, and the apostle regarded this as particularly dishonorable, especially in a Christian church, where all were professedly on an equality.

What shall I say to you? etc. How can I sufficiently express my surprise at this and my disapproval of this course? It cannot be possible that this is right. It is not possible to conceal surprise and amazement that this custom exists and is tolerated in a Christian church.