1 Corinthians11
New Living Translation
1And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.
2I am so glad that you always keep me in your thoughts, and that you are following the teachings I passed on to you.
3But there is one thing I want you to know: The head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.
4A man dishonors his head if he covers his head while praying or prophesying.
5But a woman dishonors her head if she prays or prophesies without a covering on her head, for this is the same as shaving her head.
6Yes, if she refuses to wear a head covering, she should cut off all her hair! But since it is shameful for a woman to have her hair cut or her head shaved, she should wear a covering.
7A man should not wear anything on his head when worshiping, for man is made in God’s image and reflects God’s glory. And woman reflects man’s glory.
8For the first man didn’t come from woman, but the first woman came from man.
9And man was not made for woman, but woman was made for man.
10For this reason, and because the angels are watching, a woman should wear a covering on her head to show she is under authority.
11But among the Lord’s people, women are not independent of men, and men are not independent of women.
12For although the first woman came from man, every other man was born from a woman, and everything comes from God.
13Judge for yourselves. Is it right for a woman to pray to God in public without covering her head?
14Isn’t it obvious that it’s disgraceful for a man to have long hair?
15And isn’t long hair a woman’s pride and joy? For it has been given to her as a covering.
16But if anyone wants to argue about this, I simply say that we have no other custom than this, and neither do God’s other churches.
17But in the following instructions, I cannot praise you. For it sounds as if more harm than good is done when you meet together.
18First, I hear that there are divisions among you when you meet as a church, and to some extent I believe it.
19But, of course, there must be divisions among you so that you who have God’s approval will be recognized!
20When you meet together, you are not really interested in the Lord’s Supper.
21For some of you hurry to eat your own meal without sharing with others. As a result, some go hungry while others get drunk.
22What? Don’t you have your own homes for eating and drinking? Or do you really want to disgrace God’s church and shame the poor? What am I supposed to say? Do you want me to praise you? Well, I certainly will not praise you for this!
23For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread
24and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
25In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it.”
26For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again.
27So anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.
28That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup.
29For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself.
30That is why many of you are weak and sick and some have even died.
31But if we would examine ourselves, we would not be judged by God in this way.
32Yet when we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned along with the world.
33So, my dear brothers and sisters, when you gather for the Lord’s Supper, wait for each other.
34If you are really hungry, eat at home so you won’t bring judgment upon yourselves when you meet together. I’ll give you instructions about the other matters after I arrive.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for 1 Corinthians 11.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The apostle, after an exhortation to follow him, (1). corrects some abuses. (2–16). Also contentions, divisions, and disorderly celebrations of the Lord's supper. (17–22). He reminds them of the nature and design of its institution. (23–26). And directs how to attend upon it in a due manner. (27–34).
v1
The first verse of this chapter seems properly to be the close to the last. The apostle not only preached such doctrine as they ought to believe, but led such a life as they ought to live. Yet Christ being our perfect example, the actions and conduct of men, as related in the Scriptures, should be followed only so far as they are like to his.
vv2-16
Here begin particulars respecting the public assemblies, ch. 1Co 14. In the abundance of spiritual gifts bestowed on the Corinthians, some abuses had crept in; but as Christ did the will, and sought the honour of God, so the Christian should avow his subjection to Christ, doing his will and seeking his glory. We should, even in our dress and habit, avoid every thing that may dishonour Christ. The woman was made subject to man, because made for his help and comfort. And she should do nothing, in Christian assemblies, which looked like a claim of being equal. She ought to have “power,” that is, a veil, on her head, because of the angels. Their presence should keep Christians from all that is wrong while in the worship of God. Nevertheless, the man and the woman were made for one another. They were to be mutual comforts and blessings, not one a slave, and the other a tyrant. God has so settled matters, both in the kingdom of providence and that of grace, that the authority and subjection of each party should be for mutual help and benefit. It was the common usage of the churches, for women to appear in public assemblies, and join in public worship, veiled; and it was right that they should do so. The Christian religion sanctions national customs wherever these are not against the great principles of truth and holiness; affected singularities receive no countenance from any thing in the Bible.
vv17-22
The apostle rebukes the disorders in their partaking of the Lord's supper. The ordinances of Christ, if they do not make us better, will be apt to make us worse. If the use of them does not mend, it will harden. Upon coming together, they fell into divisions, schisms. Christians may separate from each other's communion, yet be charitable one towards another; they may continue in the same communion, yet be uncharitable. This last is schism, rather than the former. There is a careless and irregular eating of the Lord's supper, which adds to guilt. Many rich Corinthians seem to have acted very wrong at the Lord's table, or at the love-feasts, which took place at the same time as the supper. The rich despised the poor, and ate and drank up the provisions they brought, before the poor were allowed to partake; thus some wanted, while others had more than enough. What should have been a bond of mutual love and affection, was made an instrument of discord and disunion. We should be careful that nothing in our behaviour at the Lord's table, appears to make light of that sacred institution. The Lord's supper is not now made an occasion for gluttony or revelling, but is it not often made the support of self-righteous pride, or a cloak for hypocrisy? Let us never rest in the outward forms of worship; but look to our hearts.
Key Words
γίνομαι (gínomai): to cause to be ("gen"-erate), i.e. (reflexively) to become (come into being), used with great latitude (literal, figurative, intensive, etc.)
μιμητής (mimētḗs): an imitator
μοῦ (moû): of me
καθώς (kathṓs): just (or inasmuch) as, that
κἀγώ (kagṓ): so also the dative case , and accusative case and (or also, even, etc.) I, (to) me
Χριστός (Christós): anointed, i.e. the Messiah, an epithet of Jesus
δέ (dé): but, and, etc.
ἐπαινέω (epainéō): to applaud
ὑμᾶς (hymâs): you (as the objective of a verb or preposition)
ὅτι (hóti): demonstrative, that (sometimes redundant); causative, because
Cross References
1 Corinthians 11The primary Gospel narrative of the institution of the Lord's Supper which Paul recounts.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB
The exact verbal parallel for 'this do in remembrance of me' in the Lucan institution account.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB
Undergirds the argument that man is made as the direct image and glory of God.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB
Explicates the concept of paternal, saving chastening of believers to keep them from ultimate condemnation.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB
Direct parallel establishing Christ as the head of the church and man as head of woman.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Parallels Paul's argument of order and authority based on the chronological sequence of creation.
Supported by John Calvin, JFB
Demonstrates the apostolic practice of delivering and keeping authoritative traditions/ordinances.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Addresses the broader rules regarding women's public speaking and modesty in the Corinthian assembly.
Supported by JFB
Shows mutual dependence in Christ, balancing authority structures with spiritual equality in grace.
Supported by JFB
Connects the physical bread of communion to the spiritual unity of the one body.
Supported by John Calvin, JFB