Charles Spurgeon 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? Do you not have houses to eat and to drink in? or do you despise the church of God, –

Do you think that, as a nominally Christian assembly, you are constituted merely that you may eat and drink? What? Do you not have houses to eat and to drink in? or do you despise the church of God, –

What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in?

There is your proper place if you want a meal. Go home, and eat and drink; do not come to the sanctuary for such a purpose: Have ye not houses to eat and to drink in?

And shame them that have not?

Making the poor who come to the gathering feel their poverty by observing the superiority of your provisions to their own.

What? Do you not have houses to eat and to drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in these? I praise you not.

No doubt they hoped to be praised and expected that they had done everything in the right way. Perhaps they even believed that they were acting under the inspiration of the Spirit and therefore could not do anything wrong. But the apostle deals very faithfully with them and tells them how the supper is to be celebrated.

How much we have gained by the mistakes of others! As the inspired apostle is guided to inform us as to the right mode of observing this ordinance, we may almost be thankful that the Corinthians fell into error concerning it, much as we may regret their faults on their own account.

What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.

The Lord's supper is not to be made an opportunity for eating and drinking in disorderly self-enjoyment. It is a hallowed and holy institution, setting forth the fellowship of true believers with one another, and with the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul was an apostle, yet he had not been present at the institution of the Lord's supper, so he had a special revelation given to him concerning the way in which this ordinance is to be observed.

Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have not?

What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.

For I have received from the Lord that which I delivered to you.

He had received it by a special revelation. Poor Paul was brought in late and was like one born out of due time. He had not been present in the upper room with Christ at the first famous breaking of bread; so the Lord came and gave him a special revelation concerning this sacred feast, so that whenever he spoke or wrote to any of the churches about the Lord's Supper, he could say, I have received from the Lord that which I delivered to you.

What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.

They may not have meant to act so wrongly, but they had fallen into all sorts of disorder, and Paul therefore first rebuked them, and then explained to them the right observance of the ordinance.