BOOK 46 OF 66 · PAULINE EPISTLES · KING JAMES BIBLE

1 Corinthians 11

1 Corinthians book home•Chapter 11 of 16•34 verses

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1 Corinthians 11 Overview

Paul addresses headship, men and women in prayer/prophesying, hair and covering customs, and then sharply rebukes abuses of the Lord’s supper. Their gatherings magnify social division and selfishness instead of proclaiming the Lord’s death, so some have experienced serious temporal chastening.

1 CorinthiansBook

11Chapter

34Verses

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Before you read 1 Corinthians 11

Coming from

Paul uses Israel in the wilderness as a warning to the church. Privilege did not prevent idolatry, fornication, tempting Christ, or murmuring from bringing temporal judgment. He then assures believers that God provides a way to escape temptation, forbids participation in idolatrous fellowship, and gives practical counsel about eating with a clear conscience.

In this chapter

Leads into

Paul explains that spiritual gifts come from the same Spirit, ministries from the same Lord, and operations from the same God. The Spirit distributes diverse gifts for the common good, while all believers form one body in Christ whose members need one another.

Key understandingExplore deeper

The chapter acknowledges women praying and prophesying while also teaching male-female headship. This does not by itself settle every later question about authoritative teaching in the assembled church; chapter 14 adds further order.

Eating and drinking ‘unworthily’ describes the manner of participation, not a requirement that only sinless or spiritually elite believers may partake.

Major truths in this chapterExplore deeper

Headship and mutual honor matter in worship

Paul roots order in creation and in the relation of man, woman, Christ, and God.

The Lord’s supper proclaims Christ’s death

The meal is remembrance and proclamation, not an ordinary feast for self-indulgence.

God may chasten believers temporally

Weakness, sickness, and death are described as discipline so believers will not be condemned with the world.

Connections to the rest of ScriptureExplore deeper

Matthew 26:26–29

Jesus institutes the supper on the night of His betrayal.

1 Corinthians 14:34–40

Paul later adds instructions about order and silence in the assembled church.

Hebrews 12:5–11

The New Testament distinguishes fatherly chastening of God’s children from condemnation.

What is clear, and where care is neededExplore deeper

Do not turn chastening at the supper into loss of eternal life

Paul explicitly contrasts this discipline with being condemned with the world.

Do not make ‘unworthily’ mean a believer must become personally worthy of Christ

The adverb addresses the irreverent manner of eating.

Do not ignore both sides of the chapter’s gender teaching

Paul affirms headship while also recognizing women engaged in prayer/prophesying.

Read 1 Corinthians 11 watching for…

The chain of headship in verse 3.

Paul’s creation and nature arguments.

The divisions revealed at the meal.

The words of institution.

The distinction between self-judgment, chastening, and condemnation.

Chapter outline3 sections

1-16Paul teaches about headship, honor, and proper conduct in public worship 17-26Paul rebukes divisions and abuses at the Lord’s supper and recounts its institution 27-34Believers should examine themselves and partake worthily rather than bringing judgment on themselves

Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.

Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.

But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head.

But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.

For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.

For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.

For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man.

Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.

For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.

Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.

For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God.

Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered?

Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?

But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.

But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.

Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse.

For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.

For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.

When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper.

For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.

What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.

For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:

And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.

Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.

But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.

For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.

For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.

For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.

But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another.

And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.

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1 Corinthians 11:1

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