1 Corinthians 11–16

Chapter 11

¹Be my imitators, even as I also am of Christ. ²Now I praise you, that in all things ye are mindful of me; and that as I have directed you, ye keep the directions. ³But I wish you to know that the Christ is the head of every man, but woman’s head is the man, and the Christ’s head God. ⁴Every man praying or prophesying, having anything on his head, puts his head to shame. ⁵But every woman praying or prophesying with her head uncovered puts her own head to shame; for it is one and the same as a shaved woman. ⁶For if a woman be not covered, let her hair also be cut off. But if it be shameful to a woman to have her hair cut off or to be shaved, let her be covered. ⁷For man indeed ought not to have his head covered, being God’s image and glory; but woman is man’s glory. ⁸For man is not of woman, but woman of man. ⁹For also man was not created for the sake of the woman, but woman for the sake of the man. ¹⁰Therefore ought the woman to have authority on her head, on account of the angels. ¹¹However, neither is woman without man, nor man without woman, in the Lord. ¹²For as the woman is of the man, so also is the man by the woman, but all things of God. ¹³Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman should pray to God uncovered? ¹⁴Does not even nature itself teach you, that man, if he have long hair, it is a dishonour to him? ¹⁵But woman, if she have long hair, it is glory to her; for the long hair is given to her in lieu of a veil. ¹⁶But if any one think to be contentious, we have no such custom, nor the assemblies of God.

¹⁷But in prescribing to you on this which I now enter on, I do not praise, namely, that ye come together, not for the better, but for the worse. ¹⁸For first, when ye come together in assembly, I hear there exist divisions among you, and I partly give credit to it. ¹⁹For there must also be sects among you, that the approved may become manifest among you. ²⁰When ye come therefore together into one place, it is not to eat the Lord’s supper. ²¹For each one in eating takes his own supper before others, and one is hungry and another drinks to excess. ²²Have ye not then houses for eating and drinking? or do ye despise the assembly of God, and put to shame them who have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you? In this point I do not praise.

²³For I received from the Lord, that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus, in the night in which he was delivered up, took bread, ²⁴and having given thanks broke it, and said, This is my body, which is for you: this do in remembrance of me. ²⁵In like manner also the cup, after having supped, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood: this do, as often as ye shall drink it, in remembrance of me. ²⁶For as often as ye shall eat this bread, and drink the cup, ye announce the death of the Lord, until he come. ²⁷So that whosoever shall eat the bread, or drink the cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty in respect of the body and of the blood of the Lord. ²⁸But let a man prove himself, and thus eat of the bread, and drink of the cup. ²⁹For the eater and drinker eats and drinks judgment to himself, not distinguishing the body. ³⁰On this account many among you are weak and infirm, and a good many are fallen asleep. ³¹But if we judged ourselves, so were we not judged. ³²But being judged, we are disciplined of the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world. ³³So that, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, wait for one another. ³⁴If any one be hungry, let him eat at home, that ye may not come together for judgment. But the other things, whenever I come, I will set in order.

Chapter 12

¹But concerning spiritual manifestations, brethren, I do not wish you to be ignorant. ²Ye know that when ye were of the nations ye were led away to dumb idols, in whatever way ye might be led. ³I give you therefore to know, that no one, speaking in the power of the Spirit of God, says, Curse on Jesus; and no one can say, Lord Jesus, unless in the power of the Holy Spirit. ⁴But there are distinctions of gifts, but the same Spirit; ⁵and there are distinctions of services, and the same Lord; ⁶and there are distinctions of operations, but the same God who operates all things in all. ⁷But to each the manifestation of the Spirit is given for profit. ⁸For to one, by the Spirit, is given the word of wisdom; and to another the word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit; ⁹and to a different one faith, in the power of the same Spirit; and to another gifts of healing in the power of the same Spirit; ¹⁰and to another operations of miracles; and to another prophecy; and to another discerning of spirits; and to a different one kinds of tongues; and to another interpretation of tongues. ¹¹But all these things operates the one and the same Spirit, dividing to each in particular according as he pleases.

¹²For even as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of the body, being many, are one body, so also is the Christ. ¹³For also in the power of one Spirit we have all been baptised into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bondmen or free, and have all been given to drink of one Spirit. ¹⁴For also the body is not one member but many. ¹⁵If the foot say, Because I am not a hand I am not of the body, is it on account of this not indeed of the body? ¹⁶And if the ear say, Because I am not an eye I am not of the body, is it on account of this not indeed of the body? ¹⁷If the whole body were an eye, where the hearing? if all hearing, where the smelling? ¹⁸But now God has set the members, each one of them in the body, according as it has pleased him. ¹⁹But if all were one member, where the body? ²⁰But now the members are many, and the body one. ²¹The eye cannot say to the hand, I have not need of thee; or again, the head to the feet, I have not need of you. ²²But much rather, the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; ²³and those parts of the body which we esteem to be the more void of honour, these we clothe with more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness; ²⁴but our comely parts have not need. But God has tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to the part that lacked; ²⁵that there might be no division in the body, but that the members might have the same concern one for another. ²⁶And if one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; and if one member be glorified, all the members rejoice with it.

²⁷Now ye are Christ’s body, and members in particular. ²⁸And God has set certain in the assembly: first, apostles; secondly, prophets; thirdly, teachers; then miraculous powers; then gifts of healings; helps; governments; kinds of tongues. ²⁹Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all in possession of miraculous powers? ³⁰have all gifts of healings? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret? ³¹But desire earnestly the greater gifts, and yet shew I unto you a way of more surpassing excellence.

Chapter 13

¹If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. ²And if I have prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. ³And if I shall dole out all my goods in food, and if I deliver up my body that I may be burned, but have not love, I profit nothing.

⁴Love has long patience, is kind; love is not emulous of others; love is not insolent and rash, is not puffed up, ⁵does not behave in an unseemly manner, does not seek what is its own, is not quickly provoked, does not impute evil, ⁶does not rejoice at iniquity but rejoices with the truth, ⁷bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

⁸Love never fails; but whether prophecies, they shall be done away; or tongues, they shall cease; or knowledge, it shall be done away. ⁹For we know in part, and we prophesy in part: ¹⁰but when that which is perfect has come, that which is in part shall be done away. ¹¹When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I felt as a child, I reasoned as a child; when I became a man, I had done with what belonged to the child. ¹²For we see now through a dim window obscurely, but then face to face; now I know partially, but then I shall know according as I also have been known. ¹³And now abide faith, hope, love; these three things; and the greater of these is love.

Chapter 14

¹Follow after love, and be emulous of spiritual manifestations, but rather that ye may prophesy. ²For he that speaks with a tongue does not speak to men but to God: for no one hears; but in spirit he speaks mysteries. ³But he that prophesies speaks to men in edification, and encouragement, and consolation. ⁴He that speaks with a tongue edifies himself; but he that prophesies edifies the assembly. ⁵Now I desire that ye should all speak with tongues, but rather that ye should prophesy. But greater is he that prophesies than he that speaks with tongues, unless he interpret, that the assembly may receive edification.

⁶And now, brethren, if I come to you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, unless I shall speak to you either in revelation, or in knowledge, or in prophecy, or in teaching? ⁷Even lifeless things giving a sound, whether pipe or harp, if they give not distinction to the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped? ⁸For also, if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself for war? ⁹Thus also ye with the tongue, unless ye give a distinct speech, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye will be speaking to the air. ¹⁰There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of undistinguishable sound. ¹¹If therefore I do not know the power of the sound, I shall be to him that speaks a barbarian, and he that speaks a barbarian for me. ¹²Thus ye also, since ye are desirous of spirits, seek that…