1 Corinthians 11:18

The severe reproach, εἰς τὸ ἧσσον συνέρχεσθε, is justified by 1 Corinthians 11:18-22, which lead round to the intended παραγγελία. πρῶτον μὲν requires an ἔπειτα δέ, that is not forthcoming (cf. Romans 1:8): the complement appears to lie in 12 14. viz., the abuse of spiritual gifts, a further and prominent ground of disapproval (Mr [1683], Hn [1684], El [1685]). Bt [1686] and Ed [1687] find the antithesis in τὰ λοιπά, 1 Corinthians 11:34 b. Hf [1688] renders πρῶτον “chiefly,” dispensing with any complement, but μὲν supposes a mental δέ. 1 Corinthians 11:20 gives no contrasted ground of censure, it stands upon the same ground. συνερχομένων ὑμῶν ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ (not τῇ ἐκκλ., in the Church): “as often as you come together in assembly” ptp [1689] pr [1690] of repeated occurrence; the σχίσματα in Church meetings were chronic. For ἀκούω σχίσματα, see 1 Corinthians 1:10 f.; the pr [1691] “I am hearing” suggests (in contrast with ἐδηλώθη above) continued information from various quarters (cf. 1 Corinthians 5:1, ἀκούεται): hence the qualifying μέρος τι (acc [1692] of definition) πιστεύω, wanting in ch. i.; P. does not “believe” everything reported to him, but so much as is stated he does credit. ὑπάρχειν (see parls.) implies not the bare fact, but a characteristic fact, a proprium of this Church “have their place (are there) amongst you”: cf. Acts 28:18.

[1683] Meyer's Critical and Exegetical Commentary (Eng. Trans.).

[1684] C. F. G. Heinrici's Erklärung der Korintherbriefe (1880), or 1 Korinther in Meyer's krit.-exegetisches Kommentar (1896).

[1685] C. J. Ellicott's St. Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians.

[1686] J. A. Beet's St. Paul's Epp. to the Corinthians (1882).

[1687] T. C. Edwards' Commentary on the First Ep. to the Corinthians. 2

[1688] J. C. K. von Hofmann's Die heilige Schrift N.T. untersucht, ii. 2 (2te Auflage, 1874).

[1689] participle

[1690] present tense.

[1691] present tense.

[1692] accusative case.