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
1 Corinthians 11
11
1Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.
On Covering the Head in Worship
2I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the traditions just as I passed them on to you. 3But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man,#11:3 Or of the wife is her husband and the head of Christ is God. 4Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. 5But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is the same as having her head shaved. 6For 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.
7A man ought not to cover his head,#11:4-7 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 since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. 8For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; 9neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. 10It is for this reason that a woman ought to have authority over her own#11:10 Or have a sign of authority on her head, because of the angels. 11Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. 12For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God.
13Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, 15but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering. 16If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice—nor do the churches of God.
Correcting an Abuse of the Lord’s Supper
17In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. 18In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. 19No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval. 20So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, 21for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers. As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk. 22Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God by humiliating those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? Certainly not in this matter!
23For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
27So 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. 28Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. 29For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. 30That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. 31But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment. 32Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world.
33So then, my brothers and sisters, when you gather to eat, you should all eat together. 34Anyone who is hungry should eat something at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment.
And when I come I will give further directions.
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