1 Corinthians 11
BSASBPaul deals with two problems in the Corinthians’ public worship. First, he gives guidance about how men and women should present themselves when they pray and prophesy. Then he corrects the way they were treating the Lord’s Supper, where the rich shamed the poor. He reminds them what Jesus did on the night He was betrayed.
1 Corinthians 11:1
Paul closes his teaching on putting others first (chapter 10) by pointing to a living pattern. He follows Christ, and he invites them to follow him as he does. The Christian life is learned by watching Jesus and by seeing Him lived out in real people.
BSA: imitate (“follow as a pattern”): Paul offers himself as a pattern to be traced, one that always points back to Christ.
Greek: μιμηταί (mimētai, G3402) — “imitators, copiers.” This is where we get the word ‘mimic’. Paul wants the Corinthians to copy a way of life, not simply to admire it.
See also: 1 Corinthians 10:33; Ephesians 5:1.
1 Corinthians 11:2
Paul begins warmly. The Corinthians remembered him and held to the teachings he had handed on to them. This is real praise before the corrections begin. Faithful believers keep what they have received from the apostles.
BSA: traditions (“ordinances, teachings, customs”): These are the apostolic teachings and practices Paul delivered to them, not human customs invented later.
See also: 2 Thessalonians 2:15.
1 Corinthians 11:3
Paul lays down an order: Christ is the head of man, man is the head of woman, and God is the head of Christ. The last link shows that headship here does not mean lesser worth, since the Son is fully God. Christians understand ‘head’ as authority or as source, and some hold both.
BSA: head (“leader, source”): The word can mean a leader who guides or the source something comes from, and both ideas fit this passage.
Greek: κεφαλή (kephalē, G2776) — “head.” Paul uses the literal word for the body’s head as a picture of relationship. Its exact shade of meaning is still discussed, so the chapter’s own argument about origin and honor helps to read it.
See also: Ephesians 5:23; 1 Corinthians 15:28.
1 Corinthians 11:4
In Corinth, a man who led in prayer or spoke God’s message while covering his head would bring shame on his head. That could mean Christ, or himself, or both. Paul assumes men and women both took part in public worship, and he is concerned that they do it honorably.
BSA: prophesies (“speaks under inspiration from God”): Prophecy means telling out a message God gives, so those doing it stand in a very visible place before the congregation.
1 Corinthians 11:5
A woman who prays or prophesies is plainly allowed. But in that culture, appearing without a head covering sent a wrong signal about her. Paul compares it to having her head shaved, which was a mark of shame. The exact custom behind this is not fully known today.
See also: Acts 21:9.
1 Corinthians 11:6
Paul argues from what everyone in Corinth already felt. If a woman refuses to cover her head, she might as well cut off her hair, yet everyone agrees that shorn hair is shameful for a woman. So she should keep her head covered. His appeal is to decency and honor.
BSA: shameful (“morally base, disgraceful”): The word carries the sense of disgrace in the eyes of others, so Paul’s concern is how the practice would be seen.
1 Corinthians 11:7
A man was made in God’s image and so reflects God’s glory. He should not hide that by covering his head in worship. The woman, drawn from the man, is the glory of man. Paul is speaking of honor and origin here, not of worth, since Genesis says both bear God’s image.
BSA: glory (“honor”): Glory here means what brings honor to another, as a person’s work reflects well on the one who made it.
See also: Genesis 1:27.
1 Corinthians 11:8-9
Paul goes back to creation. The first woman was formed from the man, and she was made to be his helper and companion. He uses this to explain the order of origin he spoke of in verse 3. It is not a statement that woman is lesser.
See also: Genesis 2:18-23.
1 Corinthians 11:10
Because of this, a woman should wear a sign of authority on her head. Paul adds ‘because of the angels’ without explaining it. Christians have understood this in different ways, so it is best to say only that heavenly beings are watching the church’s worship, and so it should be orderly.
BSA: authority (“power, freedom to act”): The word can mean her own right and freedom to act, so the covering may mark her standing as well as place her under authority.
Greek: ἐξουσίαν (exousian, G1849) — “authority, right.” Paul does not say ‘a sign of being under authority’. He says she has authority on her head, which suggests the covering is a mark of her own right to pray and prophesy.
See also: 1 Corinthians 4:9.
1 Corinthians 11:11-12
Paul now balances what he said. In the Lord, neither sex stands apart from the other. The first woman came from man, but every man since has been born of woman. Behind it all stands God, the source of everything.
BSA: independent (“without need”): Neither man nor woman can say they have no need of the other, because they are made to depend on each other.
See also: Galatians 3:28.
1 Corinthians 11:13
Paul asks them to decide for themselves what is fitting. He trusts their sense of what honors God in worship. The question reminds us that outward behavior in worship should show reverence and not cause confusion.
BSA: proper (“seemly, fitting”): The word asks what is fitting and becoming in worship, not merely what is allowed.
1 Corinthians 11:14-15
Paul points to what nature teaches. In general, long hair is a woman’s glory and looks unusual on a man. Her long hair is given as a covering. Customs differ from place to place, but Paul appeals to a shared sense of what is fitting for men and women.
BSA: nature (“the natural world”): Paul appeals to the way things are in creation, which people everywhere can see.
1 Corinthians 11:16
Paul will not argue endlessly. If someone wants to quarrel, the apostles and all the churches follow this practice. The church is bound together by shared ways of worship, and Paul does not want Corinth to stand out as a church that insists on its own way. Christians differ today on how to apply this.
BSA: dispute (“is inclined to dispute”): Paul is addressing a contentious spirit, one that loves arguing more than peace.
1 Corinthians 11:17
Paul turns to a second matter, and now he cannot praise them. Their meetings were supposed to build the church up, but they were doing it harm. A gathering of believers can either do good or do damage, depending on how people treat one another.
BSA: harm (“worse, for the worse”): Their gatherings were leaving the church in worse shape than before.
1 Corinthians 11:18-19
Paul has heard of divisions when they meet, and he believes part of it. Such differences show who has stood the test. When a church is divided, the sincere stand out. In Greek, ‘divisions’ pictures a cloth being torn.
BSA: approved (“tested, and genuine”): Trouble shows who is the real thing, as fire proves real gold.
Greek: σχίσματα (schismata, G4978) — “splits, tears.” The word is used for tearing cloth. Paul pictures the one body of Christ being ripped apart at the very table meant to unite it.
See also: 1 Corinthians 1:10.
1 Corinthians 11:20-22
The church met for a shared meal that included the Lord’s Supper. But the rich ate and drank first, while the poor went hungry. Paul says that is not the Lord’s Supper at all. They were despising God’s people, and he cannot praise them for it.
BSA: despise (“think little of, look down on”): Their selfishness showed contempt for fellow believers whom God values. Supper (“a meal of fellowship”): The meal was meant to be shared together, so eating alone in front of the hungry defeats its purpose.
Greek: κυριακὸν δεῖπνον (kyriakon deipnon, G2960) — “the Lord’s own supper.” The word ‘Lord’s’ marks it as belonging to the Lord. It is His meal and He is the host, so the people at it are not free to treat it as their own.
1 Corinthians 11:23
Paul recalls what Jesus did, and says he received it from the Lord and passed it on. The Supper was given on the night Jesus was betrayed, when He was heading toward the cross. He gave this meal while facing His own death.
BSA: betrayed (“handed over, surrendered”): The same word describes Jesus being handed over to His enemies, and also being handed over by the Father for us.
Greek: παρέδωκα (paredōka, G3860) — “I handed on.” This is the same word as ‘betrayed’ (handed over). Paul ‘handed on’ what he received, and Jesus was ‘handed over’ to give it.
See also: Luke 22:19-20; Romans 8:32.
1 Corinthians 11:24
Jesus gave thanks, broke the bread and gave it with words about His body, which is for you. The bread points to His body given in death for His people. He asks them to do this to remember Him.
BSA: remembrance (“to recall, to commemorate”): This is a way of bringing the cross vividly to mind again, not a bare act of memory.
Greek: ἀνάμνησιν (anamnēsin, G364) — “remembrance, calling to mind.” The word means more than recalling a fact. It is an active remembering that brings a past event back into the present for the people at the table.
1 Corinthians 11:25
After the meal Jesus took the cup and spoke of the new covenant in His blood. The old covenant was sealed with sacrificial blood, and now a new one is sealed with His. The promise of forgiveness and a changed heart rests on His death.
BSA: covenant (“a formal agreement, a promise”): It is a solemn promise from God, sealed in blood, and not a bargain between equals.
See also: Jeremiah 31:31-34; Exodus 24:8.
1 Corinthians 11:26
Every time believers eat this bread and drink this cup, they are announcing the Lord’s death to the world and to each other. The practice looks backward to the cross and forward to His return. It holds the church between the two.
BSA: proclaim (“declare publicly, announce”): The Supper is a public declaration, a sermon in bread and cup, not only a private memory.
Greek: καταγγέλλετε (katangellete, G2605) — “you announce, you proclaim.” The word is used for preaching the gospel. Taking part in the Supper is itself a way of preaching it.
1 Corinthians 11:27
Whoever eats or drinks in an unworthy way becomes guilty of sinning against the Lord’s body and blood. Paul does not mean that people must be perfect. He means treating the meal carelessly and selfishly, as the Corinthians did, and so treating Christ’s sacrifice lightly.
BSA: unworthy (“disrespectful”): The fault is in the manner of eating, which showed disrespect for what the meal stands for.
1 Corinthians 11:28
Before taking part, each person should look honestly at his own heart. The command is to examine oneself, not one’s neighbor. A believer who checks his attitude, confesses sin and comes humbly can then eat and drink in good conscience.
BSA: examine (“test, prove”): It means testing something to see if it is genuine, as a metal is tested.
Greek: δοκιμαζέτω (dokimazetō, G1381) — “let him test, let him prove.” It is the word used for testing metal to find out if it is true. The aim is to approve oneself, not to be driven away from the table.
See also: 2 Corinthians 13:5.
1 Corinthians 11:29
Anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body brings judgment on himself. ‘The body’ may mean Christ’s body given on the cross, or the church, His body on earth, and Paul probably has both in mind. They failed to value either.
BSA: recognizing (“discerning, being conscious of”): It is about seeing what the meal truly is and who is gathered at it, not just going through the motions. body (“the Lord’s body, the church”): The gloss reminds us that the fellowship of believers is also Christ’s body, which they were despising.
Greek: διακρίνων (diakrinōn, G1252) — “discerning, distinguishing.” It means telling one thing apart from another. They treated a sacred meal like an ordinary one.
See also: 1 Corinthians 10:16-17.
1 Corinthians 11:30
Paul says that this is why many in Corinth were weak and ill, and some had died. He sees a link between their abuse of the Supper and the hardship among them. He does not say every illness comes this way, only that it had here.
BSA: fallen asleep (“died, passed away, fallen into a deep sleep”): Scripture often speaks of believers’ death as sleep, because they will be awakened at the resurrection.
Greek: κοιμῶνται (koimōntai, G2837) — “they sleep.” This is the usual New Testament word for the death of believers. It carries the hope of waking again.
See also: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14.
1 Corinthians 11:31-32
If we judged ourselves honestly, the Lord would not need to judge us. But when He does, it is discipline, the correction of a Father, so that His children will not share in the world’s final condemnation. His judgment on His people is meant to rescue them.
BSA: disciplined (“instructed, trained”): God’s correction is like a parent’s training, aimed at growth and not at destruction.
Greek: παιδευόμεθα (paideuometha, G3811) — “we are being trained as children.” The word comes from the word for a child. God treats us as sons and daughters whom He is bringing up.
See also: Hebrews 12:5-11.
1 Corinthians 11:33-34
Paul’s practical remedy is simple: wait for one another. Anyone who is too hungry to wait should eat at home first, so the gathering does not bring judgment. Paul will settle remaining matters when he comes. At the table, love for the other person shows in small things such as waiting.
BSA: wait (“tarry, expect”): It means welcoming and expecting the others, so no one is left out or rushed past.
Greek: ἐκδέχεσθε (ekdechesthe, G1551) — “wait for, welcome.” It carries the sense of waiting for someone with expectation, as for a guest. It means receiving one another and not just standing by.