1 Corinthians 11:17 (KJV)

What does 1 Corinthians 11:17 mean?

In 1 Corinthians 11:17, Paul tells the believers in Corinth that he cannot praise what happens when they gather. Their meetings are having a harmful effect rather than helping them. Paul is preparing to address how they treat one another when they share a meal.

Paul begins, “Now in this that I declare unto you,” marking a change from the praise he gave earlier in verse 2. His words “for the better” and “for the worse” compare the results of their gatherings. The meetings themselves are the setting for the problem Paul is about to describe.

The Greek behind 1 Corinthians 11:17

• “declare” — παραγγέλλω (parangellō): This word can mean to give instructions or orders. Paul is introducing directions that call for a response, not merely passing along information.
• “together” — συνέρχομαι (synerchomai): This word carries the sense of coming or gathering together. In this verse, the concern is what happens when the believers meet as a group.

Why 1 Corinthians 11:17 matters

• Paul’s criticism concerns their conduct at the gathering, not simply the fact that they eat together. In verses 20–22, he describes some eating ahead of others, leaving some hungry while others have plenty.
• The problem involves how the group treats people with less. Verse 22 asks whether they shame those who have nothing, showing why the shared meal has become a source of harm.
• Paul’s refusal to praise is deliberate. His question at the end of verse 22 returns to the same point: “shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.”