1 Corinthians 11–12

11Imitate me, as I also imitate Christ.^b

INSTRUCTIONS ABOUT HEAD COVERINGS

²Now I praise you^D because you remember me in everything and hold fast to the traditions^c just as I delivered^d them to you. ³But I want you to know that Christ is the head^e of every man, and the man is the head of the woman,^Ef and God is the head of Christ.^{g 4}Every man who prays or prophesies with something on his head dishonors^h his head. ⁵Every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since that is one and the same as having her head shaved.^{i 6}For if a woman doesn’t cover her head, she should have her hair cut off. But if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, let her head be covered.

⁷A man should not cover his head, because he is the image^j and glory of God.^k So too, woman is the glory of man. ⁸For man did not come from woman, but woman came from man.^{l 9}Neither was man created for the sake of woman, but woman for the sake of man. ¹⁰This is why a woman should have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. ¹¹In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, and man is not independent of woman. ¹²For just as woman came from man, so man comes through woman, and all things come from God.^m

¹³Judgeⁿ for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? ¹⁴Does not even nature itself teach^o you that if a man has long hair it is a disgrace^p to him, ¹⁵but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory?^q For her hair is given to her^A as a covering. ¹⁶If anyone wants to argue about this, we have no other^B custom, nor do the churches of God.

THE LORD’S SUPPER

¹⁷Now in giving this instruction I do not praise you, since you come together not for the better but for the worse. ¹⁸For to begin with, I hear that when you come together as a church there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it. ¹⁹Indeed, it is necessary that there be factions^r among you, so that those who are approved may be recognized among you. ²⁰When you come together, then, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper.^{s 21}For at the meal, each one eats his own supper.^C So one person is hungry while another gets drunk! ²²Don’t you have homes in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What should I say to you? Should I praise you? I do not praise you in this matter!

²³For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you:^t On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread, ²⁴and when he had given thanks, broke it, and said,^D “This is my body, which is^E for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”^u

²⁵In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, and said, “This cup is the new covenant^v in my blood.^w Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” ²⁶For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death^x until he comes.^y

SELF-EXAMINATION

²⁷So, then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sin against the body^F and blood of the Lord. ²⁸Let a person examine himself; in this way let him eat the bread and drink from the cup. ²⁹For whoever eats and drinks without recognizing the body,^G eats and drinks judgment^z on himself. ³⁰This is why many are sick and ill among you, and many have fallen asleep.^{aa 31}If we were properly judging ourselves, we would not be judged, ³²but when we are judged^ab by the Lord, we are disciplined, so that we may not be condemned^ac with the world.

³³Therefore, my brothers and sisters, when you come together to eat, welcome one another.^{H 34}If anyone is hungry, he should eat at home, so that when you gather together you will not come under judgment. I will give instructions about the other matters whenever I come.^ad

DIVERSITY OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS

12Now concerning spiritual gifts:^I brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be unaware. ²You know that when you were pagans, you used to be enticed and led astray by mute^a idols.^{b 3}Therefore I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

⁴Now there are different gifts,^c but the same Spirit. ⁵There are different ministries, but the same Lord. ⁶And there are different activities, but the same God works all of them in each person. ⁷A manifestation of the Spirit is given to each person^d for the common good: ⁸to one^e is given a message of wisdom^f through the Spirit, to another, a message of knowledge by the same Spirit, ⁹to another, faith by the same Spirit, to another, gifts of healing^g by the one Spirit, ¹⁰to another, the performing of miracles,^h to another, prophecy,ⁱ to another, distinguishing between spirits,^j to another, different kinds of tongues,^A to another, interpretation of tongues. ¹¹One and the same Spirit is active in all these, distributing to each person as he wills.

UNITY YET DIVERSITY IN THE BODY

¹²For just as the body is one^k and has many parts, and all the parts of that body, though many, are one body—so also is Christ.^{l 13}For we were all baptized by^B one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and we were all given one Spirit to drink.^{m 14}Indeed, the body is not one part but many. ¹⁵If the foot should say, “Because I’m not a hand, I don’t belong to the body,” it is not for that reason any less a part of the body. ¹⁶And if the ear should say, “Because I’m not an eye, I don’t belong to the body,” it is not for that reason any less a part of the body. ¹⁷If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸But as it is, God has arranged each one of the parts in the body just as he wanted.^{n 19}And if they were all the same part, where would the body be? ²⁰As it is, there are many parts, but one body. ²¹The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” Or again, the head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” ²²On the contrary, those parts of the body that are weaker are indispensable. ²³And those parts of the body that we consider less honorable,^o we clothe these with greater honor, and our unrespectable parts are treated with greater respect, ²⁴which our respectable parts do not need.

Instead, God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the less honorable, ²⁵so that there would be no division^p in the body, but that the members would have the same concern for each other. ²⁶So if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

²⁷Now you are the body of Christ,^q and individual members of it. ²⁸And God has appointed these in the church:^r first apostles, second prophets, third teachers,^s next miracles,^t then gifts of healing,^u helping, leading, various kinds of tongues. ²⁹Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all do miracles? ³⁰Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?^{v 31}But desire^w the greater gifts. And I will show you an even better way.