1 Corinthians 11
11
Concerning Head Coverings in Worship
1 Become imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.
2Now I praise you that you remember me in all things, and just as I handed over to you the traditions, you hold fast to them. 3But I want you to know that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of the woman, and the head of Christ is God. 4Every man who prays or prophesies while#*Here “while” is supplied as a component of the participle (“having”) which is understood as temporal having something#*Here the direct object must be supplied from context, but the exact nature of the object is not clear from the context, so “something” is used in the English translation on his head dishonors his head, 5but every woman who prays or prophesies with uncovered head dishonors her head, for she is one and the same with the one whose head is shaved. 6For if a woman does not cover herself, let her hair be shorn off. But if it is shameful for a woman to have her head#Literally “to be” shorn or shaved, let her cover her head.#Literally “herself” 7For indeed a man ought not to cover his head, because he#*Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“is”) which is understood as causal is the image and glory of God, but the woman is the glory of the man. 8For man is not from woman, but woman from man. 9For indeed man was not created for the sake of the woman, but woman for the sake of the man. 10Because of this, the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, on account of the angels. 11Nevertheless, neither is woman anything apart from man, nor is man anything apart from woman in the Lord. 12For just as the woman is from the man, thus also the man is through the woman. But all things are from God. 13You judge for yourselves#Literally “in you yourselves”: is it fitting for a woman to pray to God with her head#*Here the words “with her head” have been supplied as a necessary clarification uncovered? 14And does not nature itself teach you that a man, if he wears long hair, it is a dishonor to him? 15But a woman, if she wears long hair, it is her glory, because her hair is given#Some manuscripts have “is given to her” for a covering. 16But if anyone is disposed to be contentious, we have no such custom, nor do the churches of God.
Improper Conduct at the Lord’s Supper
17But in giving this instruction I do not praise you, because you come together not for the better but for the worse. 18For in the first place, when you#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“come together”) come together as a church, I hear there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it. 19For indeed it is necessary that there be factions among you, in order that those who are approved may become evident among you. 20Therefore, when#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“come together”) you come together in the same place, it is not to eat the Lord’s supper. 21For when you#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the temporal infinitive (“eat”) eat it, each one of you goes ahead to take his own supper, and one is hungry and another is drunk. 22For do you not have houses for eating and drinking? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who do not have anything? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? In this I will not praise you!
23For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night in which he was betrayed, took bread, 24and after he#*Here “after” is supplied as a component of the participle (“had given thanks”) which is understood as temporal had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25Likewise also the cup, after they had eaten, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26For as often as 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 the body and the blood of the Lord. 28But let a person examine himself, and in this way let him eat from the bread and let him drink from the cup. 29For the one who eats and drinks, if he#*Here “if” is supplied as a component of the participle (“recognize”) which is understood as conditional does not recognize the body, eats and drinks judgment against himself. 30Because of this, many are weak and sick among you, and quite a few have died#Literally “have fallen asleep”. 31But if we were evaluating ourselves, we would not be judged. 32But if we#*Here “if” is supplied as a component of the participle (“are judged”) which is understood as conditional are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined, in order that we will not be condemned with the world.
33So then, my brothers, when you#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“come together”) which is understood as temporal come together in order to eat the Lord’s supper,#*Here the direct object (“the Lord’s supper”) is supplied from context in the English translation wait for one another. 34If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest you come together for judgment. And I will give directions about the remaining matters whenever I come.
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1 Corinthians 11
11
To Honor God
1-2It pleases me that you continue to remember and honor me by keeping up the traditions of the faith I taught you. All actual authority stems from Christ.
3-9In a marriage relationship, there is authority from Christ to husband, and from husband to wife. The authority of Christ is the authority of God. Any man who speaks with God or about God in a way that shows a lack of respect for the authority of Christ, dishonors Christ. In the same way, a wife who speaks with God in a way that shows a lack of respect for the authority of her husband, dishonors her husband. Worse, she dishonors herself—an ugly sight, like a woman with her head shaved. This is basically the origin of these customs we have of women wearing head coverings in worship, while men take their hats off. By these symbolic acts, men and women, who far too often butt heads with each other, submit their “heads” to the Head: God.
10-12Don’t, by the way, read too much into the differences here between men and women. Neither man nor woman can go it alone or claim priority. Man was created first, as a beautiful shining reflection of God—that is true. But the head on a woman’s body clearly outshines in beauty the head of her “head,” her husband. The first woman came from man, true—but ever since then, every man comes from a woman! And since virtually everything comes from God anyway, let’s quit going through these “who’s first” routines.
13-16Don’t you agree there is something naturally powerful in the symbolism—a woman, her beautiful hair reminiscent of angels, praying in adoration; a man, his head bared in reverence, praying in submission? I hope you’re not going to be argumentative about this. All God’s churches see it this way; I don’t want you standing out as an exception.
17-19Regarding this next item, I’m not at all pleased. I am getting the picture that when you meet together it brings out your worst side instead of your best! First, I get this report on your divisiveness, competing with and criticizing each other. I’m reluctant to believe it, but there it is. The best that can be said for it is that the testing process will bring truth into the open and confirm it.
20-22And then I find that you bring your divisions to worship—you come together, and instead of eating the Lord’s Supper, you bring in a lot of food from the outside and make pigs of yourselves. Some are left out, and go home hungry. Others have to be carried out, too drunk to walk. I can’t believe it! Don’t you have your own homes to eat and drink in? Why would you stoop to desecrating God’s church? Why would you actually shame God’s poor? I never would have believed you would stoop to this. And I’m not going to stand by and say nothing.
23-26Let me go over with you again exactly what goes on in the Lord’s Supper and why it is so centrally important. I received my instructions from the Master himself and passed them on to you. The Master, Jesus, on the night of his betrayal, took bread. Having given thanks, he broke it and said,
This is my body, broken for you.
Do this to remember me.
After supper, he did the same thing with the cup:
This cup is my blood, my new covenant with you.
Each time you drink this cup, remember me.
What you must solemnly realize is that every time you eat this bread and every time you drink this cup, you reenact in your words and actions the death of the Master. You will be drawn back to this meal again and again until the Master returns. You must never let familiarity breed contempt.
27-28Anyone who eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Master irreverently is like part of the crowd that jeered and spit on him at his death. Is that the kind of “remembrance” you want to be part of? Examine your motives, test your heart, come to this meal in holy awe.
29-32If you give no thought (or worse, don’t care) about the broken body of the Master when you eat and drink, you’re running the risk of serious consequences. That’s why so many of you even now are listless and sick, and others have gone to an early grave. If we get this straight now, we won’t have to be straightened out later on. Better to be confronted by the Master now than to face a fiery confrontation later.
33-34So, my friends, when you come together to the Lord’s Table, be reverent and courteous with one another. If you’re so hungry that you can’t wait to be served, go home and get a sandwich. But by no means risk turning this Meal into an eating and drinking binge or a family squabble. It is a spiritual meal—a love feast.
The other things you asked about, I’ll respond to in person when I make my next visit.
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THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.