EATING IN THE CHURCH BUILDING
By Dr. Hoyt W. Allen, Jr.
Nearly any subject
one mentions some
take issue with it.
Eating and drinking
in the meeting place
of Christians is no
different. Church
splits have resulted
because someone
suggested having
coffee, tea, or hot
chocolate during a
Bible Study, or a
covered dish fellow
ship meal to
introduce new Church
members to the rest
of the congregation.
The scripture which
is the "proof text"
of those who take a
hard stand against
eating within the
areas of the meeting
place of the
congregation is
found in I
Corinthians
11:17-22, and
especially in V. 22.
Let us pray for an
open mind as we
examine this "proof
text" and remember a
great motto to stand
by is, "Where the
Scriptures speak, we
speak. Where the
Scriptures are
silent, we are
silent".'
Verse 17: "Now in
this that I declare
unto you I praise
you not, that ye
come together not
for the better, but
for the worse."
Church gatherings
should do one good -
right? We should get
"fueled up , so that
we can fight off
Satan's attacks as
well as to attack
him. But the Apostle
Paul says the
gatherings of the
Corinthian
congregation were
"back-firing". The
New International
Version (NIV) says,
"In the following
directives I have no
praise for you, for
your meetings do
more harm than
good." Possibly some
reading this article
have been to church
services where there
has been much con
fusion and you
wished that you had
not attended.
Verse 18: "For first
of all, when ye come
together in the
Church, I hear that
there be divisions
among you; and I
partly believe it."
The expression in
the King James
Version, "in the
Church" has caused
many to conclude
Paul was speaking
about a Church
building--but
history reveals that
there were not any
Christian Church
build ings until in
the 4th Century. The
reason for such is
that the Roman
Emperors had
persecuted
Christians since the
origin of
Christianity in
A.D.33. The last
Emperor to persecute
Christians and the
most severe was
Diocletian
(284-305).
Christians were
hunted in caves and
forests; they were
burned, thrown to
wild beasts, put to
death by every
torture cruelty
could devise. Thus,
Christians met
secretly in private
homes and available
buildings. The NIV
has this translated
more properly,
"...when you come
together as a
church..."
Church buildings are
not temples where
God lives (Acts
17:24), but are
places of
convenience for
worshippers to
assemble in; places
to study, worship,
and fellowship,
which often involves
eating and drinking.
Please continue
reading.
Verse 19: "For there
must be also
heresies among you,
that they which are
approved may be made
manifest among you."
The word "heresies"
is from a Greek word
"hairesis" and has
been translated in
various ways:
differences,
dissensions, sects,
schisms, parties,
divisions, and
cliques. The terms
have an "air" about
them of being
superior. This is
just the opposite of
Jesus' teaching,
that being humility
and unity.
The NIV is a little
plainer: "No doubt
there have to be
differences among
you to show which of
you have God's
approval."
(Continued)
(Continued)
Verse 20: "When ye
come together
therefore into one
place, this is not
to eat the Lord's
Supper." Paul is
stating that they
should gather to
partake of the
Lord's Supper; but
due to their
behavior, it really
makes the communion
service void and
impossible.
Verse 21: "For in
eating everyone
taketh before other
his own supper: and
one is hungry and
another is drunken."
History tells us
that the early
Jewish Christians
often preceded the
gather ing together
to observe the
Lord's Supper with
an agape meal (love
feast). This was
similar to the
Passover Feast (Last
Supper), which
preceded the first
observance of the
Lord's Supper.
Paul is scolding the
brethren for their
behavior at this
love feast, which
was a covered dish
fellowship meal.
Instead of waiting
for all to put their
contributions of
food on the table
and eating in a
non-prejudiced
manner, some were
eating only the food
brought by
themselves or
certain brethren and
sitting only by
themselves or with
these certain
brethren (party
spirit, cliques,
etc). The "poor"
brethren who could
not bring but very
little and
inexpensive food
were going hungry
while other brethren
were over-indulging
and even getting
drunk. Thus, Paul
tells them that with
this type of
attitude and in
their physical
conditions, there
was no way that they
could observe the
Lord1s Supper in a
worthy manner.
Verse 22: "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. These words
cannot be taken to
mean that no one is
to eat in a church
building, because as
was explained under
v.17, there were not
any Christian Church
buildings at this
writing.
When Paul speaks
about eating and
drinking in houses,
he was not
contrasting that
with eating and
drinking in Church
buildings. In fact,
the congregation met
in the brethren's
houses. Paul was
condemning the
brethren not for
their eating and
drinking at the love
feast, but for their
un-Christian
attitudes.
Seemingly, some were
not participating in
the common meal with
the brethren, but
were dividing off
into cliques and
holding private
meals and excluding
others.
When Paul says,
"Have ye not houses
to eat and drink
in?" he was saying
"if you want to have
a private fellowship
meal, you should
have it in your own
houses and not in
the midst of the
rest of the
congregation, as
this is a
congregational love
feast."
Paul was attempting
to help these
brethren to see that
by doing as they
were, dividing into
cliques, they were
not being
Christian--due to
their lack of
sharing, as well as
embarrassing those
who were poorer
church members. They
could not bring
large amounts of
food, nor the more
costly food. Thus,
their shameful
behavior was
bringing division
among the body of
Christ, instead of
unity and a
strengthening force.
Let us strive to
speak where the
Scriptures speak and
remain silent where
the Scriptures are
silent. Hope to see
you at the next
church fellowship
meal!
KYOWVA Evangelistic
Association
1541 S. 7th Street
Ironton, OH 45638
Web Page:
www.kyowva.com
* Email: kyowva@sbcglobal.,net