1 Corinthians 11
11
1Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.
Being Under Authority
2I praise you because you remember me in everything. You follow closely the teachings that I gave you. 3But I want you to understand this: The head of every man is Christ. And the head of a woman is the man.# This could also mean “her husband.” And the head of Christ is God. 4Every man who prophesies or prays with his head covered brings shame to his head. 5But 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. 6If 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. 7But a man should not cover his head, because he is made like God and is God’s glory. But woman is man’s glory. 8Man did not come from woman, but woman came from man. 9And man was not made for woman. Woman was made for man. 10So 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.
11But in the Lord the woman is important to the man, and the man is important to the woman. 12This is true because woman came from man, but also man is born from woman. Really, everything comes from God. 13Decide this for yourselves: Is it right for a woman to pray to God without something on her head? 14Even nature itself teaches you that wearing long hair is shameful for a man. 15But wearing long hair is a woman’s honor. Long hair is given to the woman to cover her head. 16Some 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
17In the things I tell you now I do not 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 of you are really doing right.) 20When you all come together, you are not really eating the Lord’s Supper.# The meal Jesus told his followers to eat to remember him (Luke 22:14–20). 21This 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. 22You 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.
23The 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 24and gave thanks for it. Then he broke the bread and said, “This is my body; it is# Some Greek copies read “it is broken.” for you. Do this to remember me.” 25In 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.” 26Every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you show others about the Lord’s death until he comes.
27So 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. 28Everyone should look into his own heart before he eats the bread and drinks the cup. 29If someone eats the bread and drinks the cup without recognizing the body, then he is judged guilty by eating and drinking. 30That is why many in your group are sick and weak. And some of you have died. 31But if we judged ourselves in the right way, then God would not judge us. 32But 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.
33So my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for each other. 34If 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.
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Copyright © 2015 by Tommy Nelson™, a Division of Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
1 Corinthians 11
11
1You should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ. 2I'm grateful that you always remember me and that you are keeping to the teachings just as I passed them on to you. 3I do want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, the man is the head of the woman, and God is the head of Christ.#11:3. The meaning of “head” in this context is much discussed. In Scripture “head” can have to do with “origin,” “source,” or “authority.” 4A man's head is dishonored if he prays or prophesies with his head covered. 5A woman's head is dishonored if she prays or prophesies with her head uncovered—it's just as if she had her hair shaved off. 6If a woman's head is not covered, then she should have her head shaved. If it's scandalous for a woman to be shorn or shaven, then she should have her head covered. 7A man shouldn't cover his head, because he is the image and glory of God, while the woman is the glory of the man. 8Man didn't come from woman, but woman came from man; 9and man was not created for the woman, but the woman was created for the man. 10That's why the woman should have this sign of authority on her head out of respect for the watching angels.#11:10. As many commentators note, this is one of the most difficult verses in the New Testament to understand and translate. Some understand the “authority” as the head covering demonstrating the woman is respectable and has a position in relationship to man. Others see this as an “authority” to speak and prophesy, since this would not normally be a woman's role in this society. There are many other interpretations of this, as well as of the phrase literally translated “because of the angels.” 11Even so, from the Lord's perspective, the woman is as essential as the man, and the man as essential as the woman.#11:11. Literally, “nevertheless neither woman without man nor man without woman in the Lord.” 12As the woman came from the man, so the man comes from the woman#11:12. Referring back to Creation, where Eve is made from Adam, but from then on women gave birth to men.—but more importantly everything comes from God. 13Judge for yourselves: is it appropriate for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14Doesn't nature itself indicate that a man with long hair disgraces himself? 15However, a woman with long hair brings herself glory, because her hair is given to her as a covering. 16But if anyone wants to argue about this, we don't have any other custom than this, and neither do any other of God's churches.#11:16. Paul clearly indicates this is simply the way things work in practice in the church by using the word “custom” or “habit” rather than the word “rule” or “command.”
17Now in giving you the instructions that follow I can't commend you, because when you meet together you cause more harm than good! 18First of all, I hear that when you have church meetings that you are split into different factions, and I believe there's some truth to this. 19Of course such splits among you must happen so those who are genuine can prove themselves by their evidence! 20When you meet together you're not really celebrating the Lord's Supper at all. 21Some want to eat first before everyone else, leaving others hungry. Still others get drunk. 22Don't you have your own houses to eat and drink in? Do you look down on God's church, and humiliate those who are poor? What should I tell you? That you're doing really well? I have nothing good to say about you for doing this!
23For I received from the Lord what I passed on to you: the Lord Jesus on the night he was betrayed took some bread. 24After giving thanks, he broke the bread into pieces and said, “This bread is my body, which is given for you. Remember me by doing this.” 25In the same way he took the cup, after the meal, and said, “This cup is the new agreement#11:25. This translates the word often rendered as “covenant” which has limited use in modern English. The idea is of an agreement between two parties. In this case it is the relationship between God and human beings. sealed with my blood. Remember me when you drink it. 26For every time you eat this bread and drink from this cup you announce the Lord's death, until he returns.”
27So anyone who eats the bread or drinks from the Lord's cup in a dishonorable way will be guilty of doing wrong against the body and blood of the Lord. 28Let each person examine themselves, and then let them eat the bread and drink from the cup. 29Those who eat and drink bring judgment on themselves if they don't recognize their relationship with the body of the Lord. 30That's the reason why many of you are weak and sick, and some even have died. 31However, if we really examined ourselves, we would not be judged like this. 32But when we are judged, we are being disciplined by the Lord so that we won't be condemned along with the world. 33So my brothers and sisters, when you meet together to eat the Lord's Supper, wait for each other. 34If anyone is hungry, then eat at home so that when you meet together you won't bring condemnation on yourselves. I'll give you more directions when I visit.
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com