1 Corinthians11

Paul addresses two significant issues in Corinth: the proper order of headship and conduct during worship, particularly concerning head coverings, and the abuses surrounding the Lord's Supper. He establishes a hierarchy where Christ is the head of man, and man is the head of woman, instructing on the symbolic significance of head coverings based on creation. Furthermore, Paul condemns their selfish and divisive practices during the communal meal, reminding them of the solemn institution and purpose of the Lord's Supper, urging self-examination and worthy participation to avoid judgment.

Imitate Paul as He Follows Christ

try to imitate me, even as I myself try to imitate the Messiah.

Now I praise you because you have remembered everything I told you and observe the traditions just the way I passed them on to you.

Headship and Distinctions in Worship

But I want you to understand that the head of every man is the Messiah, and the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of the Messiah is God.

Every man who prays or prophesies wearing something down over his head brings shame to his head,

but every woman who prays or prophesies with her head unveiled brings shame to her head — there is no difference between her and a woman who has had her head shaved.

For if a woman is not veiled, let her also have her hair cut short; but if it is shameful for a woman to wear her hair cut short or to have her head shaved, then let her be veiled.

For a man indeed should not have his head veiled, because he is the image and glory of God, and the woman is the glory of man.

For man was not made from woman, but woman from man;

and indeed man was not created for the sake of the woman but woman for the sake of the man.

The reason a woman should show by veiling her head that she is under authority has to do with the angels.

Nevertheless, in union with the Lord neither is woman independent of man nor is man independent of woman;

for as the woman was made from the man, so also the man is now born through the woman. But everything is from God.

Decide for yourselves: is it appropriate for a woman to pray to God when she is unveiled?

Doesn’t the nature of things itself teach you that a man who wears his hair long degrades himself?

But a woman who wears her hair long enhances her appearance, because her hair has been given to her as a covering.

However, if anyone wants to argue about it, the fact remains that we have no such custom, nor do the Messianic communities of God.

Condemnation of Divisions at Meals

But in giving you this next instruction I do not praise you, because when you meet together it does more harm than good!

For, in the first place, I hear that when you gather together as a congregation you divide up into cliques; and to a degree I believe it

(granted that there must be some divisions among you in order to show who are the ones in the right).

Thus, when you gather together, it is not to eat a meal of the Lord;

because as you eat your meal, each one goes ahead on his own; so that one stays hungry while another is already drunk!

Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or are you trying to show your contempt for God’s Messianic community and embarrass those who are poor? What am I supposed to say to you? Am I supposed to praise you? Well, for this I don’t praise you!

The Institution of the Lord’s Supper

For what I received from the Lord is just what I passed on to you — that the Lord Yeshua, on the night he was betrayed, took bread;

and after he had made the b’rakhah he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this as a memorial to me”;

likewise also the cup after the meal, saying, “This cup is the New Covenant effected by my blood; do this, as often as you drink it, as a memorial to me.”

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord, until he comes.

Warning Against Unworthy Participation

Therefore, whoever eats the Lord’s bread or drinks the Lord’s cup in an unworthy manner will be guilty of desecrating the body and blood of the Lord!

So let a person examine himself first, and then he may eat of the bread and drink from the cup;

for a person who eats and drinks without recognizing the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself.

This is why many among you are weak and sick, and some have died!

If we would examine ourselves, we would not come under judgment.

But when we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined, so that we will not be condemned along with the world.

So then, my brothers, when you gather together to eat, wait for one another.

If someone is hungry, he should eat at home, so that when you meet together it will not result in judgment. As for the other matters, I will instruct you about them when I come.

Study Notes for 1 Corinthians 11

Verse 1

Paul establishes his authority and example, grounding his instructions not in personal preference but in the pattern set by Christ, setting the tone for the practical commands that follow.

Verse 2

Paul offers initial praise for their adherence to traditions, softening the approach before he addresses the serious disorder and abuses that follow.

Verse 3

This verse establishes a theological hierarchy (God -> Christ -> Man -> Woman), foundational to Paul's argument about maintaining appropriate distinctions and roles in public worship.

Verse 4

A man praying or prophesying uncovered signifies respect for Christ, his ultimate head. Covering the head was often a sign of subordination in Greco-Roman culture, inappropriate for the man who represents God’s glory (v. 7).

Verse 5

To pray or prophesy uncovered dishonors the woman's head (her husband or the authority structure). Shaving the head was a sign of shame, often associated with prostitution or severe punishment.

Verse 7

Paul connects the man’s uncovered head to the creation narrative (Genesis 1), where man is created directly as the 'image and glory of God,' while the woman’s glory is derived from the man.

Verse 10

The phrase 'power on her head' refers to the covering, symbolizing her authority (or subjection to authority). The reference to 'because of the angels' is debated, possibly meaning angels observe proper order in worship.

Verse 11

Paul balances the hierarchy (vv. 3-10) with the essential mutuality of men and women 'in the Lord,' emphasizing their interdependence and equal spiritual standing in Christ.

Verse 15

Paul introduces a cultural/natural argument: long hair functions as a natural covering. This suggests that the custom Paul advocates is rooted in modesty and gender distinction apparent in creation.

Verse 16

This serves as a concluding statement, emphasizing that if anyone wishes to argue, the consistent practice ('custom') of the universal church supports Paul’s directive.

Verse 17

Paul shifts topics abruptly to address a more grievous fault: their communal gatherings are causing harm rather than spiritual benefit.

Verse 18

The 'church' (Gk. *ekklesia*) here refers specifically to the gathering of believers. The divisions (*schismata*) were visible during corporate worship, particularly at the communal meal.

Verse 19

Paul suggests that factions (*haireseis*, often translated ‘heresies’) serve a positive, albeit unintended, purpose: revealing who is genuine and approved by God.

Verse 20

The communal meal was so corrupted by selfish behavior (v. 21) that it no longer resembled the sacred commemoration of Christ’s sacrifice, thus it was 'not to eat the Lord’s supper.'

Verse 21

The wealthy were arriving early and consuming their own abundant provisions, leaving the poorer members hungry and shaming them, contradicting the spirit of Christian fellowship.

Verse 23

Paul asserts the apostolic authority of his teaching by citing direct tradition received 'from the Lord,' confirming the divine origin of the communion practice.

Verse 25

The 'new testament' (or covenant) emphasizes that Christ’s blood inaugurated the new covenant relationship between God and humanity, fulfilling the promises of Jeremiah 31:31.

Verse 26

The Lord’s Supper is both a commemorative act and a public proclamation ('show the Lord’s death') of the gospel, active until Christ’s return (*parousia*).

Verse 27

To partake 'unworthily' is not about personal sinlessness, but about treating the elements irreverently or participating without regard for the unity of the church (the Body of Christ).

Verse 29

The word 'damnation' (Gk. *krima*) means judgment or condemnation, referring to God's temporal discipline. Failing to 'discern the Lord’s body' means failing to recognize the sacred nature of the elements and the unity of the church community.

Verse 30

Paul attributes the physical sickness and deaths ('sleep') in the community directly to God's corrective judgment upon those who profaned the Lord's Supper through selfish behavior.

Verse 32

God’s judgment on believers (chastening) is corrective discipline, intended to prevent eternal condemnation alongside the unbelieving world.

Verse 33

This provides a practical solution: the Corinthians must restore fellowship by waiting for one another, ensuring the meal is a shared, unifying experience.

Verse 34

Paul separates the function of satisfying hunger (which should be done at home) from the sacred observance of the Lord’s Supper, restoring reverence and order to the communion service.

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1 Corinthians11

Imitate Paul as He Follows Christ

Headship and Distinctions in Worship

Condemnation of Divisions at Meals

The Institution of the Lord’s Supper

Warning Against Unworthy Participation

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