📖WEB · 1 Corinthians 11:17
What does 1 Corinthians 11:17 mean?
"But in giving you this command, I don’t praise you, that you come together not for the better but for the worse."
— 1 Corinthians 11:17 (World English Bible)
Surrounding context
Doesn’t even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him?
But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her, for her hair is given to her for a covering.
But if any man seems to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither do God’s assemblies.
But in giving you this command, I don’t praise you, that you come together not for the better but for the worse.
For first of all, when you come together in the assembly, I hear that divisions exist among you, and I partly believe it.
For there also must be factions among you, that those who are approved may be revealed among you.
When therefore you assemble yourselves together, it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat.
Explanation
1 Corinthians 11:17 marks a turning point in Paul's letter to the church at Corinth. In plain language, Paul is saying that whatever instructions he is about to give, he cannot commend the Corinthians for how they have been conducting themselves when they gather. Their assemblies, instead of building them up and strengthening their fellowship, are actually causing harm—making things worse rather than better. It's a blunt rebuke: their church gatherings are doing more damage than good.
To understand the context, remember that Paul founded the church in Corinth and wrote this letter to address a series of problems that had been reported to him, including divisions, sexual immorality, lawsuits among believers, confusion over spiritual gifts, and questions about worship practices. Just before this verse, Paul addressed head coverings in worship (11:1-16). Right after this verse, he moves into a sharp critique of how the Corinthians were observing the Lord's Supper (11:18-34), where wealthier members were eating and drinking without waiting for or sharing with poorer members, turning a meal meant to unify the body of Christ into an occasion for shame and division. Verse 17 functions as the introduction to this specific correction—Paul is preparing them for a hard word.
Theologically, this verse underscores that Christian gatherings are not neutral events; they either edify the church or they damage it. Paul assumes that corporate worship has real spiritual weight and consequences. When believers come together carelessly, selfishly, or in ways that fracture unity rather than build it, the gathering itself bec
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