Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks
11 Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.
Being Under Authority
2 I praise you because you remember me in everything. You follow closely the teachings that I gave you. 3 But I want you to understand this: The head of every man is Christ. And the head of a woman is the man.[a] And the head of Christ is God. 4 Every man who prophesies or prays with his head covered brings shame to his head. 5 But every woman who prays or prophesies should have her head covered. If her head is not covered, she brings shame to her head. She is the same as a woman who has her head shaved. 6 If a woman does not cover her head, it is the same as cutting off all her hair. But it is shameful for a woman to cut off her hair or to shave her head. So she should cover her head. 7 But a man should not cover his head, because he is made like God and is God’s glory. But woman is man’s glory. 8 Man did not come from woman, but woman came from man. 9 And man was not made for woman. Woman was made for man. 10 So that is why a woman should have her head covered with something to show that she is under authority. And also she should do this because of the angels.
11 But in the Lord the woman is important to the man, and the man is important to the woman. 12 This is true because woman came from man, but also man is born from woman. Really, everything comes from God. 13 Decide this for yourselves: Is it right for a woman to pray to God without something on her head? 14 Even nature itself teaches you that wearing long hair is shameful for a man. 15 But wearing long hair is a woman’s honor. Long hair is given to the woman to cover her head. 16 Some people may still want to argue about this. But I would add that neither we nor the churches of God accept any other practice.
The Lord’s Supper
17 In the things I tell you now I do not praise you. Your meetings hurt you more than they help you. 18 First, 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 of you are really doing right.) 20 When you all come together, you are not really eating the Lord’s Supper.[b] 21 This is because when you eat, each person eats without waiting for the others. Some people do not get enough to eat, while others have too much to drink. 22 You can eat and drink in your own homes! It seems that you think God’s church is not important. You embarrass those who are poor. What should I tell you? Should I praise you for doing this? I do not praise you.
23 The teaching that I gave you is the same teaching that I received from the Lord: On the night when Jesus was handed over to be killed, he took bread 24 and gave thanks for it. Then he broke the bread and said, “This is my body; it is[c] for you. Do this to remember me.” 25 In the same way, after they ate, Jesus took the cup. He said, “This cup shows the new agreement from God to his people. This new agreement begins with the blood of my death. When you drink this, do it to remember me.” 26 Every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you show others about the Lord’s death until he comes.
27 So a person should not eat the bread or drink the cup of the Lord in a way that is not worthy of it. If he does he is sinning against the body and the blood of the Lord. 28 Everyone should look into his own heart before he eats the bread and drinks the cup. 29 If someone eats the bread and drinks the cup without recognizing the body, then he is judged guilty by eating and drinking. 30 That is why many in your group are sick and weak. And some of you have died. 31 But if we judged ourselves in the right way, then God would not judge us. 32 But when the Lord judges us, he disciplines us to show us the right way. He does this so that we will not be destroyed along with the world.
33 So my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for each other. 34 If anyone is too hungry, 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.
Gifts from the Holy Spirit
12 Now, brothers, I want you to understand about spiritual gifts. 2 You remember the lives you lived before you were believers. You let yourselves be influenced and led away to worship idols—things that have no life. 3 So I tell you that no one who is speaking with the help of God’s Spirit says, “Jesus be cursed.” And no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” without the help of the Holy Spirit.
4 There are different kinds of gifts; but they are all from the same Spirit. 5 There are different ways to serve; but all these ways are from the same Lord. 6 And there are different ways that God works in people; but all these ways are from the same God. God works in us all in everything we do. 7 Something from the Spirit can be seen in each person, to help everyone. 8 The Spirit gives one person the ability to speak with wisdom. And the same Spirit gives another the ability to speak with knowledge. 9 The same Spirit gives faith to one person. And that one Spirit gives another gifts of healing. 10 The Spirit gives to another person the power to do miracles, to another the ability to prophesy. And he gives to another the ability to know the difference between good and evil spirits. The Spirit gives one person the ability to speak in different kinds of languages and to another the ability to interpret those languages. 11 One Spirit, the same Spirit, does all these things. The Spirit decides what to give each person.
The Body of Christ
12 A person’s body is one thing, but it has many parts. Yes, there are many parts to a body, but all those parts make only one body. Christ is like that too. 13 Some of us are Jews, and some of us are Greeks. Some of us are slaves, and some of us are free. But we were all baptized into one body through one Spirit. And we were all made to share in the one Spirit.
14 And a person’s body has more than one part. It has many parts. 15 The foot might say, “I am not a hand. So I am not part of the body.” But saying this would not stop the foot from being a part of the body. 16 The ear might say, “I am not an eye. So I am not part of the body.” But saying this would not make the ear stop being a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, the body would not be able to hear. If the whole body were an ear, the body would not be able to smell anything. 18-19 If each part of the body were the same part, there would be no body. But truly God put the parts in the body as he wanted them. He made a place for each one of them. 20 And so there are many parts, but only one body.
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the foot, “I don’t need you!” 22 No! Those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are really very important. 23 And the parts of the body that we think are not worth much are the parts that we give the most care to. And we give special care to the parts of the body that we want to hide. 24 The more beautiful parts of our body need no special care. But God put the body together and gave more honor to the parts that need it. 25 God did this so that our body would not be divided. God wanted the different parts to care the same for each other. 26 If one part of the body suffers, then all the other parts suffer with it. Or if one part of our body is honored, then all the other parts share its honor.
27 All of you together are the body of Christ. Each one of you is a part of that body. 28 And in the church God has given a place first to apostles, second to prophets, and third to teachers. Then God has given a place to those who do miracles, those who have gifts of healing, those who can help others, those who are able to lead, and those who can speak in different languages. 29 Not all are apostles. Not all are prophets. Not all are teachers. Not all do miracles. 30 Not all have gifts of healing. Not all speak in different languages. Not all interpret those languages. 31 But you should truly want to have the greater gifts.
Love
And now I will show you the best way of all.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.