I Corinthians 11:33 · Bible study
1 Corinthians 11:33 Commentary: Wait for One Another
Greek · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Paul's command to 'wait for one another' corrects selfishness and division at the Lord's Supper. A call to unity and love.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Paul commands believers to practice mutual patience and equality when celebrating the Lord's Supper, waiting for everyone to be present before beginning.
- Key words: ἐκδέχεσθε (ekdechesthe), 'wait for' or 'receive'; συνερχόμενοι (sunerchomenoi), 'coming together'; φαγεῖν (phagein), 'to eat' (the Lord's Supper).
- Main debate: Whether 'wait for' implies simply tarrying or also includes actively receiving one another; most commentators favor tarrying.
- Theological theme: The unity and mutual love of the body of Christ expressed in the shared meal of communion.
- Best use: A practical exhortation for church fellowship, reminding congregations to prioritize community and patience over individual convenience.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
So, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Therefore, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another.
KJV King James Version 1769
Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, wait one for another.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
so then, my brethren, coming together to eat, for one another wait ye;
Darby Darby Bible 1890
So that, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, wait for one another.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Wherefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Así, que, hermanos míos, cuando os juntáis á comer, esperaos unos á otros.
Portanto, meus irmãos, quando vos ajuntardes para comer, esperai uns aos outros.
Ainsi, mes frères, lorsque vous vous réunissez pour le repas, attendez-vous les uns les autres.
Darum, meine lieben Brüder, wenn ihr zusammenkommt, zu essen, so harre einer des andern.
Zo dan, mijn broeders, als gij samenkomt om te eten, verwacht elkander.
Quando dunque, fratelli miei, v’adunate per mangiare, aspettatevi gli uni gli altri.
Ale tak, bracia moi! gdy się schodzicie ku jedzeniu, oczekiwajcie jedni drugich.
Посему, братия мои, собираясь на вечерю, друг друга ждите.
所以 我 弟兄們，你們聚會 吃的時候，要彼此 等待。
So then, my brothers, when you come together to the holy meal of the Lord, let there be waiting for one another.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · I Corinthians 11:33
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that this verse is Paul's practical conclusion to his rebuke of the Corinthians' disorder at the Lord's Supper. The Greek verb ἐκδέχεσθε (ekdechesthe) is a present imperative, carrying the sense of continuous or habitual action, keep waiting for one another. Vincent's Word Studies confirms that in New Testament usage the word means 'wait for,' not 'receive' (as in John 5:3; Acts 17:16). Gill and Barnes both note that the command targets the rich who began eating before the poor arrived, turning the common meal into a private feast. Calvin sums it up: Paul 'comes to this conclusion, that equality must be observed in the Lord’s Supper, that there may be a real participation.' The Cambridge Bible adds that each believer 'is to wait till a fair and orderly distribution of the food has been made.' What unites these voices is the conviction that the Lord's Supper is a shared act, not a self-centered ritual.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Paul commands the Corinthians to practice mutual waiting during the Lord's Supper, correcting the selfish practices that had divided the church.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The meal being referred to | The Lord's Supper is in view, often connected with a love feast (agape). | Whether the Lord's Supper was a separate rite or always part of a full meal; early church practices varied and later separated them. |
| Meaning of 'wait for one another' | The command corrects selfish behavior and promotes unity. | Some interpret it as 'tarry until all arrive,' while others read it as 'share/receive one another' (mutual hospitality). |
| The role of the rich and poor | The Corinthians' division along economic lines is condemned. | Whether the rich were expected to provide for the poor or whether all contributed equally, and whether the meal was a common fund or individual baskets. |
| Connection to judgment (verses 29, 32) | Unworthy participation brings divine discipline, including weakness and illness. | The nature of that discipline, whether physical sickness alone or also spiritual chastening, and whether the 'sleep' (death) is permanent or remedial. |
Historical & Cultural Context
First-century Corinth was a wealthy port city where class divisions ran deep. The Lord's Supper was originally celebrated as part of a larger meal called the agape or love feast (Jude 12; see Lange's Commentary). Believers brought contributions of food to be shared equally, as was also common in Greek club feasts (eranoi) that provided mutual relief for the poor. But in Corinth, the rich arrived early and began eating and drinking without waiting for poorer members who came later, some even going hungry while others got drunk (1 Corinthians 11:21). This behavior 'shamed them that have not' (v.22), treating the church as a place for social competition rather than family fellowship.
Paul's earlier warning about 'not discerning the Lord's body' (v.29) connects directly to this failure. When believers ignore the unity of the church, the body of Christ, they eat and drink judgment on themselves. Verse 33 offers the simple remedy: wait for one another. The command assumes that the church still gathered in homes (Acts 2:46), where the meal and the Eucharist were intertwined. By commanding them to begin together, Paul restores the Lord's Supper as a symbol of shared life in Christ, not individual privilege.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The Greek text is stable across manuscript traditions.
Reception History
Early church fathers such as Chrysostom cited this verse to urge patience and charity in the eucharistic assembly, tying the command to the unity of the body of Christ. During the Reformation, both Catholic and Protestant traditions drew on it in debates about the proper celebration of the Lord's Supper, emphasizing congregational participation over private devotion. In modern times, the verse has been applied broadly, to church fellowship meals, potlucks, and hospitality across economic lines, as a reminder that Christian gatherings are not individual events but shared acts of grace.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Gathering to Eat: Paul speaks of 'coming together to eat', the Lord's Supper as a communal act, not a private devotion.
- The Sinful Disruption: The Corinthians' selfishness (eating before others, divisions along class lines) turned the feast into a source of judgment.
- The Apostolic Remedy: 'Wait for one another', a practical command that restores equality, patience, and love.
Five-point outline
- The Sacred Context: The Lord's Supper is a memorial of Christ's sacrifice and a foretaste of the kingdom.
- The Selfish Behavior: Some ate early, leaving others hungry; the rich despised the poor (v.22).
- The Serious Consequence: Unworthy participation brought weakness, sickness, and even death (v.30).
- The Simple Command: Wait for one another, begin together, share as equals.
- The Supporting Suggestion: If hungry, eat at home (v.34), so the gathering remains focused on fellowship.
Illustration hooks
- A church potluck where some families start eating before others have even arrived, leaving latecomers with cold food and empty seats.
- A team meeting where one member always starts the agenda before everyone is present, making late arrivals feel unwelcome.
- The tension at a family dinner when one person eats before the prayer or before the host sits down, small signs of impatience that reveal deeper disrespect.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why does Paul connect sickness and death to taking communion the wrong way?
- Is it okay to start the service if some people are running late?
- How can this verse apply to our non-communion church meals and coffee hour?
Leading a Discussion
Paul's command sounds simple: wait for one another. But in the context of the Lord's Supper, it challenges deep habits of selfishness and social division. This study helps your group see how a small act of patience can transform a gathering into true fellowship.
Discussion questions
- What was happening in the Corinthian church that made Paul give this command? (Read 1 Corinthians 11:20, 22.)
- The Greek verb ekdechesthe can mean 'wait for' or 'receive.' How does the context help us decide which meaning Paul intends?
- Why does Paul call them 'brothers' in verse 33, after such strong rebuke? What does that tell us about his tone?
- How does the command to 'wait for one another' connect to the idea of 'discerning the Lord's body' in verse 29?
- What practical divisions in your own church community might this verse address?
- If someone is always late, should the group wait or begin? How do you balance patience with order?
- What would change in your church's communion practice if you took this command literally?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
When ye come together to eat - The Lord's Supper, tarry one for another - do not eat and drink in parties as ye have done heretofore; and do not connect it with any other meal.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator stresses that Paul closes his instruction by calling believers to wait for orderly distribution and to recognize the Lord's Supper as a solemn commemoration, not an ordinary meal. Eating to satisfy hunger should be done at home, avoiding the profanation Paul condemns.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note stresses that believers gathering for the Lord's Supper must wait for one another instead of rushing to satisfy their own hunger. The point is practical: Christian fellowship demands mutual regard, not selfish haste, even in the act of eating together.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill explains that Paul's instruction to wait for one another is not a demand to delay for every single member. The goal is practical unity: the church should begin the Lord's Supper together as a gathered body, without pressing for those providentially hindered, to avoid factions and foster brotherly love.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB contrasts this instruction with the selfishness of verse 21. Their point is that bringing food to the common feast made it everyone's shared property, so believers were to wait until all were present to enjoy the fellowship meal together rather than eating separately.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange stresses that the Corinthians' selfish feasting had made a true Lord's Supper impossible. Their failure to discern the sacred body, treating the sacrament as an ordinary meal, brought divine judgment. Yet God's discipline, visible in sickness and death among them, aimed not at condemnation but at rescuing them from final ruin.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry highlights that Paul did not learn the Lord's Supper from the other apostles but received it directly from Christ by revelation. He then passed it on exactly as he received it, adding nothing and leaving nothing out.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent highlights the Greek word translated as "tarry" normally means a simple waiting in the New Testament, though in some passages the idea of eager expectancy is stronger. He dismisses the alternate reading "receive ye one another" as not supported by New Testament usage.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
The rest - The other circumstances relating to the Lord's supper.