1 Corinthians 10–11

Warnings from Israel’s Past

10Now I want you to know, brothers, that our fathers ^dwere all under the cloud, ^eall passed through the sea, ^f2and all were baptized ^ginto Moses ^hin the cloud and in the sea. ³They all ate the same spiritual food, ⁱ⁴and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from a spiritual rock ^jthat followed them, and that rock was Christ. ^k5But God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the wilderness. ^l

⁶Now these things became examples for us, so that we will not desire ^mevil things as they did. ^no7Don’t become idolaters ^pas some of them were; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and got up to play. ^qrs8Let us not commit sexual immorality ^tas some of them did, ^uand in a single day 23,000 people fell dead. ^v9Let us not test Christ as some of them did ^wand were destroyed by snakes. ^x10Nor should we complain ^yas some of them did, ^zaand were killed by the destroyer. ^bc11Now these things happened to them as examples, and they were written as a warning to us, ^don whom the ends of the ages ^ehave come. ^f12So, whoever thinks he stands must be careful not to fall. ^g13No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to humanity. God is faithful, ^hand He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation He will also provide a way of escape ⁱso that you are able to bear it.

Warning against Idolatry

¹⁴Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. ¹⁵I am speaking as to wise people. Judge for yourselves what I say. ¹⁶The cup ^jof blessing ^kthat we give thanks for, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread ^lthat we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ? ¹⁷Because there is one bread, we who are many are one ^mbody, for all of us share that one bread. ¹⁸Look at the people of Israel. ⁿDo not those who eat the sacrifices participate in what is offered on the altar? ^o19What am I saying then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? ²⁰No, but I do say that what they ^psacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God. I do not want you to participate with demons! ²¹You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot share in the Lord’s table and the table of demons. ²²Or are we provoking the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He? ^q

Christian Liberty

²³“Everything is permissible,” ^rsbut not everything is helpful. “Everything is permissible,” ^tbut not everything builds up. ²⁴No one should seek his own good, but the good of the other person. ^u

²⁵Eat everything that is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience’ sake, ²⁶for the earth is the Lord’s, ^vand all that is in it. ^wx27If one of the unbelievers invites you over and you want to go, eat everything that is set before you, without raising questions of conscience. ²⁸But if someone says to you, “This is food offered to an idol,” do not eat it, ^yout of consideration for the one who told you, and for conscience’ sake. ^z29I do not mean your own conscience, but the other person’s. For why is my freedom judged ^aby another person’s conscience? ³⁰If I partake with thanks, ^bwhy am I slandered because of something I give thanks for?

³¹Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for God’s glory. ^c32Give no offense ^dto the Jews or the Greeks or the church of God, ³³just as I also try to please all people in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, ^eso that they may be saved. 11¹Imitate me, as I also imitate Christ. ^f

Instructions about Head Coverings

²Now I praise you ^gbecause you always remember me and keep the traditions ^hjust as I delivered ⁱthem to you. ³But I want you to know that Christ is the head ^jof every man, and the man is the head of the woman, ^kland God is the head of Christ. ^m4Every man who prays or prophesies with something on his head dishonors ⁿhis head. ⁵But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since that is one and the same as having her head shaved. ^o6So if a woman’s head ^pis not covered, her hair should be cut off. But if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, she should be covered.

⁷A man, in fact, should not cover his head, because he is God’s image ^qand glory, ^rbut woman is man’s glory. ⁸For man did not come from woman, but woman came from man. ^s9And man was not created for woman, but woman for 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. ^t

¹³Judge ^ufor yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? ¹⁴Does not even nature itself teach ^vyou that if a man has long hair it is a disgrace ^wto him, ¹⁵but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? ^xFor her hair is given to her ^yas a covering. ¹⁶But if anyone wants to argue about this, we have no other ^zcustom, nor do the churches of God.

The Lord’s Supper

¹⁷Now in giving the following 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. ¹⁹There must, indeed, be factions ^aamong you, so that those who are approved may be recognized among you. ²⁰Therefore, when you come together, it is not really to eat the Lord’s Supper. ^b21For at the meal, each one eats his own supper ahead of others. So one person is hungry while another gets drunk! ²²Don’t you have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you look down on the church of God and embarrass those who have nothing? What should I say to you? Should I praise you? I do not praise you for this!

²³For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: ^cOn the night when He was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread, ²⁴gave thanks, broke it, and said, ^d“This is My body, which is ^efor you. Do this in remembrance of Me.” ^f

²⁵In the same way, after supper He also took the cup and said, “This cup is the new covenant ^gestablished by My blood. ^hDo 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 ⁱuntil He comes. ^j

Self-Examination

²⁷Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy way will be guilty of sin against the body ^kand blood of the Lord. ²⁸So a man should examine himself; in this way he should eat the bread and drink from the cup. ²⁹For whoever eats and drinks without recognizing the body, ^leats and drinks judgment ^mon himself. ³⁰This is why many are sick and ill among you, and many have fallen asleep. ⁿ³¹If we were properly evaluating ourselves, we would not be judged, ³²but when we are judged, ^owe are disciplined by the Lord, so that we may not be condemned ^pwith the world.

³³Therefore, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. ³⁴If anyone is hungry, he should eat at home, so that when you gather together you will not come under judgment. And I will give instructions about the other matters whenever I come. ^q