1 Corinthians 11:17-34 : Easy-to-Read Version
The Lord's Supper
17In the things I tell you now I don't praise you. Your meetings hurt you more than they help you. 18First, I hear that when you meet together as a church you are divided. And I believe some of this. 19(It is necessary for there to be differences among you. That is the way to make it clear which ones of you are really doing right.) 20When you all come together, you are not really eating the Lord's Supper.* 21Why? Because when you eat, each person eats without waiting for the others. Some people don't get enough to eat [or drink], while other people [have so much that they] become drunk. 22You can eat and drink in your own homes! It seems that you think God's church (people) is not important. You embarrass those people that are poor. What should I tell you? Should I praise you for doing this? I don't praise you. 23The teaching that I gave you is the same teaching that I received from the Lord: On the night when Jesus was given to be killed, he took bread 24and gave thanks for it. Then he divided the bread and said, "This is my body; it is for you. Do this to remember me." 25In the same way, after they ate, Jesus took the cup of wine. Jesus said, "This wine shows the new agreement [from God to his people]. This new agreement begins with my blood (death). When you drink this, do it to remember me." 26Every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you make known the Lord's death until he comes. 27So if a person eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in a way that is not worthy of it, then that person is sinning against the body and the blood of the Lord. 28Every person should look into his own heart before he eats the bread and drinks the cup. 29If a person eats [the bread] and drinks [the cup] without recognizing the body, then that person is judged guilty by eating and drinking. 30That is why many in your group are sick and weak. And many have died. 31But if we judged ourselves in the right way, then God would not judge us. 32But when the Lord judges us, he punishes us to show us the right way. He does this so that we will not be condemned with [the other people in] the world. 33So, my brothers [and sisters], when you come together to eat, wait for each other. 34If a person is [too] hungry to wait, then he should eat at home. Do this so that your meeting together will not bring God's judgment on you. I will tell you what to do about the other things when I come.
Lord's Supper The special meal Jesus told his followers to eat to remember him. See Lk. 22:14-20.