1 Corinthians 11–16

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.

LOVE: THE SUPERIOR WAY

13If I speak human or angelic tongues but do not have love,^x I am a noisy gong^y or a clanging cymbal. ²If I have the gift of prophecy^z and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can move mountains^aa but do not have love, I am nothing. ³And if I give away all my possessions, and if I give over my body in order to boast^A but do not have love, I gain nothing.

⁴Love is patient,^ab love is kind. Love does not envy,^ac is not boastful, is not arrogant,^{ad 5}is not rude, is not self-seeking,^ae is not irritable,^af and does not keep a record of wrongs. ⁶Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth.^{ag 7}It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures^ah all things.

⁸Love never ends.^ai But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. ⁹For we know in part, and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰but when the perfect comes, the partial will come to an end. ¹¹When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put aside childish things. ¹²For now we see only a reflection^B as in a mirror, but then face to face.^aj Now I know in part, but then I will know fully,^ak as I am fully known.^{al 13}Now these three remain: faith, hope,^am and love—but the greatest of these is love.

PROPHECY: A SUPERIOR GIFT

14Pursue love and desire spiritual gifts, and especially that you may prophesy. ²For the person who speaks in a tongue^a is not speaking to people but to God, since no one understands him; he speaks mysteries in the Spirit.^{D 3}On the other hand, the person who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening,^E encouragement, and consolation. ⁴The person who speaks in a tongue builds himself up, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. ⁵I wish all of you spoke in tongues, but even more that you prophesied. The person who prophesies is greater than the person who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets so that the church may be built up.

⁶So now, brothers and sisters, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I speak to you with a revelation^b or knowledge or prophecy or teaching? ⁷Even lifeless instruments that produce sounds—whether flute or harp^c—if they don’t make a distinction in the notes, how will what is played on the flute or harp be recognized? ⁸In fact, if the bugle makes an unclear sound, who will prepare for battle?^{d 9}In the same way, unless you use your tongue for intelligible speech, how will what is spoken be known? For you will be speaking into the air. ¹⁰There are doubtless many different kinds of languages in the world, none is without meaning. ¹¹Therefore, if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner^G to the speaker, and the speaker…