Note 5 at 1 Cor. 11:22: Some people have misinterpreted this verse just as verse 20 (see note 3 at v. 20, p. 921) to say that it is wrong to eat or drink any food in the church assemblies. Paul is not forbidding that but is putting forth a proper method of conduct for the Lord's Supper. The Corinthians had turned Communion into a feast where those who were well off gorged themselves while those who were without went hungry (v. 21). This obviously was not the type of unity that was evident in the first Lord's Supper and which the Lord intended His followers to observe in Communion (see note 2 at v. 19, p. 921).

The observance of communion should focus on the sacrificial offering of the body and blood of the Lord Jesus for us and not on food. This is why churches usually take just a symbolic amount of wine or juice and bread instead of a meal. Meals in the church building are not wrong as long as there is ample provision to supply those who may not be able to provide food for themselves.

Note 6 at 1 Cor. 11:22: There are six different Hebrew and four different Greek words used to describe the poor in the Holy Scriptures. The English word "poor" is used a total of 204 times. As stated by Jesus, the poor are always among you (Mt. 26:11) and blessings are promised to those that consider them (Ps. 41:1; 112:9). Jesus' concern for the poor (Acts 20:35) carried down through the apostles (Gal. 2:9-10) to the early church as they cared for the poor, the widows (Acts 2:45; 4:34; 6:1, 8), and promoted special collections for the needy saints (Rom. 15:26).

In the Old Testament., the law of Moses protected the needy by supplying special legislation that gave a portion of the tithes to the poor (Dt. 14:28-29; 26:12-13), supplied them with rights of gleaning the grain fields (Lev. 19:9-10; Dt. 24:19-21), restored their land on the year of Jubilee (Lev. 25:25-28), gave daily payment of wages rather than weekly or monthly (Lev. 19:13), and provided justice for them and freedom from oppression (Ex. 23:6; Dt. 7:19).

God also promised to hear their prayers (Ps. 69:33), help, shelter, and provide for them (Ps. 72:12-13; 132:15; Isa. 41:17).

We are told from scripture that to have pity upon the poor is to lend to the Lord (Prov. 19:17), to oppress the poor is to reproach our Maker (Prov. 14:31), a special blessing of healing and deliverance in time of trouble will be granted to those considering the poor (Ps. 41:1-3), and those having mercy on the poor will be happy (Prov. 14:21).