1 Corinthians 11:18 - Printer Friendly

ESV: For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part,

NIV: In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it.

NASB: For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that divisions exist among you; and in part I believe it.

CSB: For to begin with, I hear that when you come together as a church there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it.

NLT: First, I hear that there are divisions among you when you meet as a church, and to some extent I believe it.

KJV: For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.

NKJV: For first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it.

The Christians in Corinth are being called out over a serious issue. Paul received reports of divisions between them when coming together to observe the Lord's Supper. He states that he believes it, at least in part. He seems to be saying he doesn't want to believe they are divided even during their practice of communion, but he does believe it.

Paul began this letter by calling out divisions amongst the Corinthians over other issues, including to which apostle or minister each claimed loyalty (1 Corinthians 1:10–17; 3:1–23). Paul made clear that their divisions were evidence of both a misunderstanding of truth, spiritual immaturity, and a lack of loving concern for each other. While these divisions are not a good thing, overall, Paul points out that some "factions" are necessary: they reveal the difference between those on the side of truth, and those on the side of error.

Those same issues will be raised in the following correction from the apostle about how to conduct the Lord's Supper together.

First Corinthians 11:17–34 contains Paul's rebuke of the church in Corinth for their application of the Lord's Supper. They had turned it into a gathering at which the wealthy ate and drank too much, leaving the poorer Christians hungry and humiliated. Paul warns that communion should be a time of sober self-reflection about our sin and Christ's sacrifice, as well as a time to unite the body of Christ, the church, while taking in representations of the blood and body of Christ. Some in Corinth were sick and others had died as part of God's judgment for participating in communion in an unworthy manner.

Paul confronts two issues the church in Corinth was failing to practice correctly. First, some women were not wearing head coverings while praying or prophesying in their meetings. Paul insisted they must do so, and that men must not, based on mankind's relationship to God and the social implications of that covering. Second, Paul describes the reasons for observing the Lord's Supper and how it should be done. The Corinthian Christians had brought God's judgment on themselves for practicing communion in a way which dishonored Christ's sacrifice for sin and humiliated the poor among them.

After concluding his teaching on meat offered to idols, Paul turns to two issues the church in Corinth was getting wrong. The first was head coverings when praying or prophesying in their meetings. Differences between men and women in that regard are because of both spiritual and social reasons. Paul also corrects the disastrous way in which they were practicing the observance of the Lord's Supper. They were dishonoring Christ's sacrifice for sin as well as the poor in the body of Christ, the church. Despite having more to say on communion, Paul will move on to the topic of spiritual gifts in chapter 12.

First Corinthians is one of the more practical books of the New Testament. Paul writes to a church immersed in a city associated with trade, but also with corruption and immorality. These believers are struggling to properly apply spiritual gifts and to resist the ungodly practices of the surrounding culture. Paul's letter gives instructions for real-life concerns such as marriage and spirituality. He also deals with the importance of unity and gives one of the Bible's more well-known descriptions of love in chapter 13.

Accessed 11/21/2024 7:40:06 AM