Letters to the Churches

If a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off. And if it is shameful for a woman to have her hair cut or shaved off, she should cover her head.

A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man.

For man did not come from woman, but woman from man.

Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man.

For this reason a woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head, because of the angels.

In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman.

For just as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God.

Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered?

Doesn’t nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him,

but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering.

If anyone is inclined to dispute this, we have no other practice, nor do the churches of God.

In the following instructions I have no praise to offer, because your gatherings do more harm than good.

First of all, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it.

And indeed, there must be differences among you to show which of you are approved.

Now then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat.

For as you eat, each of you goes ahead without sharing his meal. While one remains hungry, another gets drunk.

Don’t you have your own homes in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What can I say to you? Shall I praise you for this? No, I will not!

For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took bread,

and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”

In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.

Therefore, 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.

Each one must examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.

For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.

That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.