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1 Corinthians 11
New International Version
1 Corinthians 11
New International Version
11 1 Follow my example,(A) as I follow the example of Christ.(B)
On Covering the Head in Worship
2 I praise you(C) for remembering me in everything(D) and for holding to the traditions just as I passed them on to you.(E) 3 But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ,(F) and the head of the woman is man,[a](G) and the head of Christ is God.(H) 4 Every man who prays or prophesies(I) with his head covered dishonors his head. 5 But every woman who prays or prophesies(J) with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is the same as having her head shaved.(K) 6 For if a woman does not cover her head, she might as well have her hair cut off; but if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, then she should cover her head.
7 A man ought not to cover his head,[b] since he is the image(L) and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. 8 For man did not come from woman, but woman from man;(M) 9 neither was man created for woman, but woman for man.(N) 10 It is for this reason that a woman ought to have authority over her own[c] head, because of the angels. 11 Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. 12 For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God.(O)
13 Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14 Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, 15 but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering. 16 If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice—nor do the churches of God.(P)
Correcting an Abuse of the Lord’s Supper(Q)
17 In the following directives I have no praise for you,(R) for your meetings do more harm than good. 18 In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions(S) among you, and to some extent I believe it. 19 No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval.(T) 20 So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, 21 for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers.(U) As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk. 22 Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God(V) by humiliating those who have nothing?(W) What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you?(X) Certainly not in this matter!
23 For I received from the Lord(Y) what I also passed on to you:(Z) The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body,(AA) which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant(AB) in my blood;(AC) do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.(AD)
27 So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.(AE) 28 Everyone ought to examine themselves(AF) before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. 29 For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. 30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.(AG) 31 But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment.(AH) 32 Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined(AI) so that we will not be finally condemned with the world.(AJ)
33 So then, my brothers and sisters, when you gather to eat, you should all eat together. 34 Anyone who is hungry(AK) should eat something at home,(AL) so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment.
And when I come(AM) I will give further directions.
Footnotes
- 1 Corinthians 11:3 Or of the wife is her husband
- 1 Corinthians 11:7 Or 4 Every man who prays or prophesies with long hair dishonors his head. 5 But every woman who prays or prophesies with no covering of hair dishonors her head—she is just like one of the “shorn women.” 6 If a woman has no covering, let her be for now with short hair; but since it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair shorn or shaved, she should grow it again. 7 A man ought not to have long hair
- 1 Corinthians 11:10 Or have a sign of authority on her
1 Corinthians 11
The Message
1 Corinthians 11
The Message
To Honor God
11 1-2 It pleases me that you continue to remember and honor me by keeping up the traditions of the faith I taught you. All actual authority stems from Christ.
3-9 In a marriage relationship, there is authority from Christ to husband, and from husband to wife. The authority of Christ is the authority of God. Any man who speaks with God or about God in a way that shows a lack of respect for the authority of Christ, dishonors Christ. In the same way, a wife who speaks with God in a way that shows a lack of respect for the authority of her husband, dishonors her husband. Worse, she dishonors herself—an ugly sight, like a woman with her head shaved. This is basically the origin of these customs we have of women wearing head coverings in worship, while men take their hats off. By these symbolic acts, men and women, who far too often butt heads with each other, submit their “heads” to the Head: God.
10-12 Don’t, by the way, read too much into the differences here between men and women. Neither man nor woman can go it alone or claim priority. Man was created first, as a beautiful shining reflection of God—that is true. But the head on a woman’s body clearly outshines in beauty the head of her “head,” her husband. The first woman came from man, true—but ever since then, every man comes from a woman! And since virtually everything comes from God anyway, let’s quit going through these “who’s first” routines.
13-16 Don’t you agree there is something naturally powerful in the symbolism—a woman, her beautiful hair reminiscent of angels, praying in adoration; a man, his head bared in reverence, praying in submission? I hope you’re not going to be argumentative about this. All God’s churches see it this way; I don’t want you standing out as an exception.
17-19 Regarding this next item, I’m not at all pleased. I am getting the picture that when you meet together it brings out your worst side instead of your best! First, I get this report on your divisiveness, competing with and criticizing each other. I’m reluctant to believe it, but there it is. The best that can be said for it is that the testing process will bring truth into the open and confirm it.
20-22 And then I find that you bring your divisions to worship—you come together, and instead of eating the Lord’s Supper, you bring in a lot of food from the outside and make pigs of yourselves. Some are left out, and go home hungry. Others have to be carried out, too drunk to walk. I can’t believe it! Don’t you have your own homes to eat and drink in? Why would you stoop to desecrating God’s church? Why would you actually shame God’s poor? I never would have believed you would stoop to this. And I’m not going to stand by and say nothing.
23-26 Let me go over with you again exactly what goes on in the Lord’s Supper and why it is so centrally important. I received my instructions from the Master himself and passed them on to you. The Master, Jesus, on the night of his betrayal, took bread. Having given thanks, he broke it and said,
This is my body, broken for you.
Do this to remember me.
After supper, he did the same thing with the cup:
This cup is my blood, my new covenant with you.
Each time you drink this cup, remember me.
What you must solemnly realize is that every time you eat this bread and every time you drink this cup, you reenact in your words and actions the death of the Master. You will be drawn back to this meal again and again until the Master returns. You must never let familiarity breed contempt.
27-28 Anyone who eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Master irreverently is like part of the crowd that jeered and spit on him at his death. Is that the kind of “remembrance” you want to be part of? Examine your motives, test your heart, come to this meal in holy awe.
29-32 If you give no thought (or worse, don’t care) about the broken body of the Master when you eat and drink, you’re running the risk of serious consequences. That’s why so many of you even now are listless and sick, and others have gone to an early grave. If we get this straight now, we won’t have to be straightened out later on. Better to be confronted by the Master now than to face a fiery confrontation later.
33-34 So, my friends, when you come together to the Lord’s Table, be reverent and courteous with one another. If you’re so hungry that you can’t wait to be served, go home and get a sandwich. But by no means risk turning this Meal into an eating and drinking binge or a family squabble. It is a spiritual meal—a love feast.
The other things you asked about, I’ll respond to in person when I make my next visit.
1 Corinthians 11
Amplified Bible
1 Corinthians 11
Amplified Bible
Christian Order
11 Imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.
2 I praise and appreciate you because you remember me in everything and you firmly hold to the [a]traditions [the substance of my instructions], just as I have passed them on to you. 3 But I want you to understand that Christ is the head (authority over) of every man, and man is the head of woman, and God is the head of Christ. 4 Every man who prays or [b]prophesies with something on his head dishonors his head [and the One who is his head]. 5 And every woman who prays or prophesies when she has her [c]head uncovered disgraces her head; for she is one and the same as the [d]woman whose head is shaved [in disgrace]. 6 If a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off; and [e]if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, she should cover her head. 7 A man ought not have his head covered [during worship], since he is the image and [reflected] glory of God; but the woman is [the expression of] man’s glory.(A) 8 For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man;(B) 9 for indeed man was not created for the sake of woman, but woman for the sake of man.(C) 10 Therefore the woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head, [f]for the sake of the angels [so as not to offend them]. 11 Nevertheless, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. 12 For as the woman originates from the man, so also man is born through the woman; and all things [whether male or female] originate from God [as their Creator]. 13 [g]Judge for yourselves; is it proper for a woman to offer prayer to God [publicly] with her head uncovered? 14 Does not common sense itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him, 15 but if a woman has long hair, it is her ornament and glory? For her long hair is given to her as a covering. 16 Now if anyone is inclined to be contentious [about this], we have no other practice [in worship than this], nor do the churches of God [in general].
17 But in giving this next instruction, I do not praise you, because when you meet together it is not for the better but for the worse. 18 For, in the first place, when you meet together in church, I hear that there are divisions among you; and in part I believe it, 19 for [doubtless] there have to be factions among you, so that those who are of approved character may be clearly recognized among you. 20 So when you meet together, it is not to eat the [h]Lord’s Supper, 21 for when you eat, each one hurries to get his own supper first [not waiting for others or the poor]. So one goes hungry while another gets drunk. 22 What! Do you not have houses in which to eat and drink? Or do you show contempt for the church of God and humiliate those [impoverished believers] who have nothing? What will I say to you? Shall I praise you for this? In this I will not praise you!
The Lord’s Supper
23 [i]For I received from the Lord Himself that [instruction] which I passed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is (represents) My body, which is [offered as a sacrifice] for you. Do this in [affectionate] remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant [ratified and established] in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in [affectionate] remembrance of Me.” 26 For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are [symbolically] proclaiming [the fact of] the Lord’s death until He comes [again].
27 So then whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in a way that is unworthy [of Him] will be guilty of [profaning and sinning against] the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But a person must [prayerfully] examine himself [and his relationship to Christ], and only when he has done so should he eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks [without solemn reverence and heartfelt gratitude for the sacrifice of Christ], eats and drinks a judgment on himself if he does not [j]recognize the body [of Christ]. 30 That [careless and unworthy participation] is the reason why many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep [in death]. 31 But if we evaluated and judged ourselves honestly [recognizing our shortcomings and correcting our behavior], we would not be judged. 32 But when we [fall short and] are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined [by undergoing His correction] so that we will not be condemned [to eternal punishment] along with the world.
33 So then, my brothers and sisters, when you come together to eat [the Lord’s Supper], wait for one another [and see to it that no one is left out]. 34 If anyone is too hungry [to wait], let him eat at home, so that you will not come together for judgment [on yourselves]. About the remaining matters [of which I was informed], I will take care of them when I come.
Footnotes
- 1 Corinthians 11:2 The following discourse covers appropriate conduct and relationships within the church, as well as within church-related activities.
- 1 Corinthians 11:4 The references to men or women prophesying (here and v 5) indicate that Paul has church meetings in mind, where the speaker is leading the congregation in prayer or addressing them.
- 1 Corinthians 11:5 In public, respectable women wore their hair done up in a modest style. In the Greco-Roman-Jewish culture of the time, hair worn down and loose would suggest a woman of questionable morals.
- 1 Corinthians 11:5 Possibly the mark of an adulteress or prostitute, but likely a sign of disgrace for any number of reasons. In one of Aristophanes’ comedies, for example, head shaving is recommended for a woman whose son is cowardly or otherwise worthless.
- 1 Corinthians 11:6 There is little doubt that this would appear disgraceful and embarrassing, but Paul is essentially providing his readers a simple way to determine for themselves if a woman should cover her head while prophesying or leading prayer in church.
- 1 Corinthians 11:10 This may be an indication that angels are present at gatherings of believers.
- 1 Corinthians 11:13 This verse acknowledges custom as another, separate argument for a woman’s head covering (v 5).
- 1 Corinthians 11:20 When Christ instituted the Lord’s Supper (or the Lord’s Table), it was the Passover meal with the special rituals and explanations that He introduced (Matt 26:26 ff; Luke 22:15 ff). The description given here indicates that the early church celebrated the Lord’s Supper in similar fashion by having a full meal (the so-called agape “love” feast) that included the special rites with the bread and wine (see v 21).
- 1 Corinthians 11:23 Many scholars believe this may be the first written description of the Lord’s Supper since this letter from Paul is dated earlier than any of the Gospels.
- 1 Corinthians 11:29 I.e. respect Christ’s sacrifice and his fellow believers for whom Christ also died.
1 Corinthians 11
GOD’S WORD Translation
1 Corinthians 11
GOD’S WORD Translation
11 Imitate me as I imitate Christ.
Advice about Worship
2 I praise you for always thinking about me and for carefully following the traditions that I handed down to you.
3 However, I want you to realize that Christ has authority over every man, a husband has authority over his wife, and God has authority over Christ. 4 Every man who covers his head when he prays or speaks what God has revealed dishonors the one who has authority over him. 5 Every woman who prays or speaks what God has revealed and has her head uncovered while she speaks dishonors the one who has authority over her. She is like the woman who has her head shaved. 6 So if a woman doesn’t cover her head, she should cut off her hair. If it’s a disgrace for a woman to cut off her hair or shave her head, she should cover her head. 7 A man should not cover his head. He is God’s image and glory. The woman, however, is man’s glory. 8 Clearly, man wasn’t made from woman but woman from man. 9 Man wasn’t created for woman but woman for man. 10 Therefore, a woman should wear something on her head to show she is under ⌞someone’s⌟ authority, out of respect for the angels.
11 Yet, as believers in the Lord, women couldn’t exist without men and men couldn’t exist without women. 12 As a woman came into existence from a man, so men come into existence by women, but everything comes from God.
13 Judge your own situation. Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14 Doesn’t nature itself teach you that it is disgraceful for a man to have long hair? 15 Doesn’t it teach you that it is a woman’s pride to wear her hair long? Her hair is given to her in place of a covering. 16 If anyone wants to argue about this ⌞they can’t, because⌟ we don’t have any custom like this—nor do any of the churches of God.
17 I have no praise for you as I instruct you in the following matter: When you gather, it results in more harm than good. 18 In the first place, I hear that when you gather as a church you split up into opposing groups. I believe some of what I hear. 19 Factions have to exist in order to make it clear who the genuine believers among you are.
20 When you gather in the same place, you can’t possibly be eating the Lord’s Supper. 21 Each of you eats his own supper ⌞without waiting for each other⌟. So one person goes hungry and another gets drunk. 22 Don’t you have homes in which to eat and drink? Do you despise God’s church and embarrass people who don’t have anything to eat? What can I say to you? Should I praise you? I won’t praise you for this. 23 After all, I passed on to you what I had received from the Lord.
On the night he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread 24 and spoke a prayer of thanksgiving. He broke the bread and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me.” 25 When supper was over, he did the same with the cup. He said, “This cup is the new promise [a] made with my blood. Every time you drink from it, do it to remember me.” 26 Every time you eat this bread and drink from this cup, you tell about the Lord’s death until he comes.
27 Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks from the Lord’s cup in an improper way will be held responsible for the Lord’s body and blood. 28 With this in mind, individuals must determine whether what they are doing is proper when they eat the bread and drink from the cup. 29 Anyone who eats and drinks is eating and drinking a judgment against himself when he doesn’t recognize the Lord’s body.
30 This is the reason why many of you are weak and sick and quite a number ⌞of you⌟ have died. 31 If we were judging ourselves correctly, we would not be judged. 32 But when the Lord judges us, he disciplines us so that we won’t be condemned along with the rest of the world.
33 Therefore, brothers and sisters, when you gather to eat, wait for each other. 34 Whoever is hungry should eat at home so that you don’t have a gathering that brings judgment on you.
I will give directions concerning the other matters when I come.
Footnotes
- 11:25 Or “testament,” or “covenant.”
1 Corinthians 11
Names of God Bible
1 Corinthians 11
Names of God Bible
11 1 Imitate me as I imitate Christ.
Advice about Worship
2 I praise you for always thinking about me and for carefully following the traditions that I handed down to you.
3 However, I want you to realize that Christ has authority over every man, a husband has authority over his wife, and God has authority over Christ. 4 Every man who covers his head when he prays or speaks what God has revealed dishonors the one who has authority over him. 5 Every woman who prays or speaks what God has revealed and has her head uncovered while she speaks dishonors the one who has authority over her. She is like the woman who has her head shaved. 6 So if a woman doesn’t cover her head, she should cut off her hair. If it’s a disgrace for a woman to cut off her hair or shave her head, she should cover her head. 7 A man should not cover his head. He is God’s image and glory. The woman, however, is man’s glory. 8 Clearly, man wasn’t made from woman but woman from man. 9 Man wasn’t created for woman but woman for man. 10 Therefore, a woman should wear something on her head to show she is under someone’s authority, out of respect for the angels.
11 Yet, as believers in the Lord, women couldn’t exist without men and men couldn’t exist without women. 12 As a woman came into existence from a man, so men come into existence by women, but everything comes from God.
13 Judge your own situation. Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14 Doesn’t nature itself teach you that it is disgraceful for a man to have long hair? 15 Doesn’t it teach you that it is a woman’s pride to wear her hair long? Her hair is given to her in place of a covering. 16 If anyone wants to argue about this they can’t, because we don’t have any custom like this—nor do any of the churches of God.
17 I have no praise for you as I instruct you in the following matter: When you gather, it results in more harm than good. 18 In the first place, I hear that when you gather as a church you split up into opposing groups. I believe some of what I hear. 19 Factions have to exist in order to make it clear who the genuine believers among you are.
20 When you gather in the same place, you can’t possibly be eating the Lord’s Supper. 21 Each of you eats his own supper without waiting for each other. So one person goes hungry and another gets drunk. 22 Don’t you have homes in which to eat and drink? Do you despise God’s church and embarrass people who don’t have anything to eat? What can I say to you? Should I praise you? I won’t praise you for this. 23 After all, I passed on to you what I had received from the Lord.
On the night he was betrayed, the Lord Yeshua took bread 24 and spoke a prayer of thanksgiving. He broke the bread and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me.” 25 When supper was over, he did the same with the cup. He said, “This cup is the new promise[a] made with my blood. Every time you drink from it, do it to remember me.” 26 Every time you eat this bread and drink from this cup, you tell about the Lord’s death until he comes.
27 Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks from the Lord’s cup in an improper way will be held responsible for the Lord’s body and blood. 28 With this in mind, individuals must determine whether what they are doing is proper when they eat the bread and drink from the cup. 29 Anyone who eats and drinks is eating and drinking a judgment against himself when he doesn’t recognize the Lord’s body.
30 This is the reason why many of you are weak and sick and quite a number of you have died. 31 If we were judging ourselves correctly, we would not be judged. 32 But when the Lord judges us, he disciplines us so that we won’t be condemned along with the rest of the world.
33 Therefore, brothers and sisters, when you gather to eat, wait for each other. 34 Whoever is hungry should eat at home so that you don’t have a gathering that brings judgment on you.
I will give directions concerning the other matters when I come.
Footnotes
- 1 Corinthians 11:25 Or “testament,” or “covenant.”
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