Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks
11 Copy me, just as I’m copying the Messiah.
Male and female in the worshiping church
2 I congratulate you that you are remembering me in everything, and you are keeping the traditions as I handed them on to you. 3 But I want you to know this: that the Messiah is the “head” of every man, and the husband is the “head” of every wife, and God is the “head” of the Messiah. 4 Every man who prays or prophesies while wearing something on his head brings shame on his “head”; 5 and every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered brings shame on her “head.” It would be just the same if she had her head shaved. 6 For if a woman isn’t covered, then she should be shaved; but if it’s shameful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, then let her be covered.
7 A man ought not to cover his head, you see; he is the image and glory of God. But a wife is the glory of her husband. 8 For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. 9 And man was not created for the sake of woman, but woman for the sake of man. 10 That’s why the wife must have authority on her head, because of the angels. 11 However, woman is not apart from man, nor man apart from woman, in the Lord; 12 for just as woman came from man, so now man comes into the world by means of woman. And everything is from God.
13 Judge the matter for yourselves. Is it really appropriate for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14 Doesn’t nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is shameful to him, 15 but if a woman has long hair, it’s her glory? Her hair is given her, you see, instead of a covering. 16 If anyone wants to dispute this, we have no other custom, nor do the churches of God.
Rich and poor at the table of the Lord
17 What I have to talk about now isn’t a matter for praise. When you meet together, you make things worse, not better! 18 What I mean is this: to begin with, I hear that when you come together in the assembly there are divisions among you. Well, I believe it—at least partly. 19 There are bound to be groupings among you; that’s how the genuine ones among you will stand out, I suppose! 20 So when you gather together into one meeting, it isn’t the Lord’s Supper that you eat. 21 Everyone brings their own food to eat, and one person goes hungry while another gets drunk. 22 Haven’t you got houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise God’s assembly, and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? No, in this matter I shan’t!
Recognizing the body
23 This, you see, is what I received from the Lord, and handed on to you. On the night when the Lord Jesus was betrayed, he took bread, 24 gave thanks, broke it, and said, “This is my body; it’s for you! Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 He did the same with the cup after supper, and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Whenever you drink it, do this in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink the cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes.
27 It follows from this that anyone who eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Everyone should test themselves; that’s how you should eat the bread and drink the cup. 29 You see, if you eat and drink without recognizing the body, you eat and drink judgment on yourself. 30 That’s why several of you are weak and sick, and some have died. 31 But if we learned how to judge ourselves, we would not incur judgment. 32 But when we are judged by the Lord, we are punished, so that we won’t be condemned along with the world.
33 So, my brothers and sisters, when you come together to eat, treat one another as honored guests by waiting for each other. 34 If anyone is hungry, they should eat at home, so that you don’t come together and find yourselves facing judgment. I will put the other matters in order when I come.
The same spirit at work
12 Now: about things relating to the spirit’s work, my brothers and sisters, I don’t want you to remain ignorant. 2 You know that when you were still pagans you were led off, carried away again and again, after speechless idols. 3 So I want to make it clear to you that nobody who is speaking by God’s spirit ever says “Jesus be cursed!”; and nobody can say “Jesus is Lord!” except by the holy spirit.
4 There are different types of spiritual gifts, but the same spirit; 5 there are different types of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are different types of activity, but it is the same God who operates all of them in everyone. 7 The point of the spirit being revealed in each one is so that all may benefit. 8 One person is given a word of wisdom through the spirit; another, a word of knowledge by the same spirit; 9 another, faith through the same spirit; another, gifts of healing by the one spirit; 10 another, the working of mighty deeds; another, prophecy; another, the ability to distinguish spirits; another, various kinds of languages; another, the interpretation of languages. 11 It is the one spirit, the same one, whose work produces all these things, and the spirit gives different gifts to each one in accordance with the spirit’s own wishes.
Many members, one body
12 Let me explain. Just as the body is one, and has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is the Messiah. 13 For we all were baptized into one body, by one spirit—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and we were all given one spirit to drink.
14 For the body, indeed, is not one member, but many. 15 If the foot were to say, “Because I’m not a hand, I’m not part of the body,” that wouldn’t make it any less a part of the body, would it? 16 And if the ear were to say, “Because I’m not an eye, I’m not part of the body,” that wouldn’t make it any less a part of the body, would it? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were the sense of hearing, what would happen to the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God has organized the members, placing each one individually in the body according to his wishes. 19 If all the parts were one member, where would the body be? 20 So the result is this: there are many members, but one body.
The responsibilities of each member
21 The eye can’t say to the hand, “I don’t need you”; and, again, the head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.” 22 No: the parts of the body which seem to be weaker are all the more necessary, 23 and we give much greater honor to the parts of the body we reckon more dishonorable, so that the parts we hide in shame have a far greater dignity 24 which our more presentable parts don’t need. In fact, God has made the body a single, organized whole; he has given greater honor to the lesser part, 25 so that there won’t be any division in the body, but that all the members may have the same concern for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it. If one member is exalted, all the members celebrate along with it.
Gifts and ministries
27 Now you together are the Messiah’s body, and individually you are members of it. 28 In the church, God has placed apostles first, then prophets, then teachers, then powerful deeds, then gifts of healing, helpful deeds, organizational gifts, different types of languages. 29 Not everyone is an apostle, are they? Not everyone is a prophet! Not everyone is a teacher! Not everyone does powerful deeds! 30 Not everyone has gifts of healing! Not everyone speaks with tongues! Not everyone interprets!
31 You should be eager for the better kinds of gifts.
The need for love and the character of love
Now I’m going to show you a better way, a much better way.
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.