The connection between this verse and verse 20 is brought out by the word that Revised Standard Version and Good News Bible translate For. The Greek is literally “for each his own supper takes—first in eating,” but most translations put the phrase in eating (Good News Bible‘s “as you eat”) at its natural place at the beginning of the sentence.

Each is emphatic in Greek, and “of you” is understood.

The word translated meal is the same as that translated supper in the previous verse. At this time the Lord’s Supper was a real meal.

Goes ahead with is literally “takes before or in advance.” Verse 33 shows what Paul means: the members of the church at Corinth sometimes eat together, but do not wait for one another to arrive before beginning to eat. The first part of this verse may well be translated as “each person hurries to eat his own meal.”

Verse 21b consists of two brief contrasting clauses, and one is hungry and another is drunk. The contrast is somewhat blurred by the fact that Paul here, as in other places, is trying to convey two thoughts at once: (1) some do not have enough to eat and others have too much, and (2) some do not have enough to drink and others drink too much. However, Paul’s text as he wrote it is perfectly clear.

Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, 2nd edition. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1985/1994. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .