1 Corinthians 11:33 Meaning: Wait for One Another

The heart of this verse is the Greek verb ekdechomai, translated ‘wait for’ or ‘tarry.’ It carries the sense of expecting someone, of looking for them to arrive before you act. Paul does not use a casual word for waiting; he uses one that pictures a host watching for a guest, or a family holding dinner until everyone is home. This is not passive waiting but active, expectant waiting that treats the other person as important.

Two other words shape the command. Sunerchomai means ‘come together’, it is the same word used for assembling as a church. Paul reminds them that they are gathering as a single body, not as separate groups. And allēlous, ‘one another,’ is a reciprocal word. It is not just one person waiting for another, but all of them waiting for each other. The rich wait for the poor, and the poor wait for the rich. Together they become one at the table.

Commentators across traditions agree that Paul’s primary concern is unity. John Calvin says that ‘equality must be observed’ so that the Supper is a real participation. Matthew Henry points to the Lord’s Supper itself and the need for order and brotherly love. Adam Clarke, a Methodist, emphasizes that the meal should not be mixed with ordinary feasts; the waiting ensures the sacred character of the gathering.

Some see this command as referring directly to the Lord’s Supper, while others, like Philip Doddridge (cited by Barnes), understand it as part of the love feast that preceded the sacrament. But all read it as a correction of selfishness: the rich were to wait for the poor, and no one was to claim priority over another. The table of Christ is a table of equals.

A common misunderstanding is that Paul is simply telling the Corinthians to arrive on time for church. In fact, the issue is deeper: the wealthy were starting the meal without the poor, humiliating them. Paul’s command is about mutual respect and inclusion, not punctuality. Waiting for one another means making sure everyone can partake together, as one body.

This week, you will gather with other believers at church, in a small group, or around a family table. The temptation is to start without those who are late, or to take the best portion before others have a chance. Maybe you have resources others lack, a fuller schedule, more money, or a louder voice. Paul asks you to wait. Literally wait: hold the conversation, save a seat, pass the plate last. Small acts of waiting say, ‘You matter to me.’ They turn a meal into communion.