1 Corinthians 11 (NLT) (2024)

Footnotes

1. 11:3 Or to know: The source of every man is Christ, the source of woman is man, and the source of Christ is God. Or to know: Every man is responsible to Christ, a woman is responsible to her husband, and Christ is responsible to God.
2. 11:4 Or dishonors Christ.
3. 11:5 Or dishonors her husband.
4. 11:6 Or should have long hair.
5. 11:10 Greek should have an authority on her head.
6. 11:24 Greek which is for you; other manuscripts read which is broken for you.
7. 11:27 Or is responsible for.
8. 11:29 Greek the body; other manuscripts read the Lord’s body.
9. 11:33 Greek brothers.

11¹Follow my example,^(A) as I follow the example of Christ.^(B)

On Covering the Head in Worship

²I praise you^(C) for remembering me in everything^(D) and for holding to the traditions just as I passed them on to you.^{(E) 3}But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ,^(F) and the head of the woman is man,^[a](G) and the head of Christ is God.^{(H) 4}Every man who prays or prophesies^(I) with his head covered dishonors his head. ⁵But every woman who prays or prophesies^(J) with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is the same as having her head shaved.^{(K) 6}For if a woman does not cover her head, she might as well have her hair cut off; but if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, then she should cover her head.

⁷A man ought not to cover his head,^[b] since he is the image^(L) and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. ⁸For man did not come from woman, but woman from man;^{(M) 9}neither was man created for woman, but woman for man.^{(N) 10}It is for this reason that a woman ought to have authority over her own^[c] head, because of the angels. ¹¹Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. ¹²For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God.^(O)

¹³Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? ¹⁴Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, ¹⁵but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering. ¹⁶If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice—nor do the churches of God.^(P)

Correcting an Abuse of the Lord’s Supper^(Q)

¹⁷In the following directives I have no praise for you,^(R) for your meetings do more harm than good. ¹⁸In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions^(S) among you, and to some extent I believe it. ¹⁹No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval.^{(T) 20}So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, ²¹for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers.^(U) As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk. ²²Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God^(V) by humiliating those who have nothing?^(W) What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you?^(X) Certainly not in this matter!

²³For I received from the Lord^(Y) what I also passed on to you:^(Z) The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, ²⁴and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body,^(AA) which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” ²⁵In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant^(AB) in my blood;^(AC) do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” ²⁶For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.^(AD)

²⁷So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.^{(AE) 28}Everyone ought to examine themselves^(AF) before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. ²⁹For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. ³⁰That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.^{(AG) 31}But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment.^{(AH) 32}Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined^(AI) so that we will not be finally condemned with the world.^(AJ)

³³So then, my brothers and sisters, when you gather to eat, you should all eat together. ³⁴Anyone who is hungry^(AK) should eat something at home,^(AL) so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment.

And when I come^(AM) I will give further directions.

Footnotes

1. 1 Corinthians 11:3 Or of the wife is her husband
2. 1 Corinthians 11:7 Or ⁴Every man who prays or prophesies with long hair dishonors his head. ⁵But every woman who prays or prophesies with no covering of hair dishonors her head—she is just like one of the “shorn women.” ⁶If a woman has no covering, let her be for now with short hair; but since it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair shorn or shaved, she should grow it again. ⁷A man ought not to have long hair
3. 1 Corinthians 11:10 Or have a sign of authority on her

Cross references

1. 1 Corinthians 11:1 : S 1Co 4:16
2. 1 Corinthians 11:1 : Ro 15:3; 1Pe 2:21
3. 1 Corinthians 11:2 : ver 17, 22
4. 1 Corinthians 11:2 : 1Co 4:17
5. 1 Corinthians 11:2 : ver 23; 1Co 15:2, 3; 2Th 2:15; 3:6
6. 1 Corinthians 11:3 : S Eph 1:22
7. 1 Corinthians 11:3 : Ge 3:16; Eph 5:23
8. 1 Corinthians 11:3 : 1Co 3:23
9. 1 Corinthians 11:4 : S Ac 11:27
10. 1 Corinthians 11:5 : S Ac 21:9
11. 1 Corinthians 11:5 : Dt 21:12
12. 1 Corinthians 11:7 : Ge 1:26; 5:1; 9:6; Jas 3:9
13. 1 Corinthians 11:8 : Ge 2:21-23; 1Ti 2:13
14. 1 Corinthians 11:9 : Ge 2:18
15. 1 Corinthians 11:12 : S Ro 11:36
16. 1 Corinthians 11:16 : S 1Co 7:17; S 10:32
17. 1 Corinthians 11:17 : 11:23-25pp — Mt 26:26-28; Mk 14:22-24; Lk 22:17-20
18. 1 Corinthians 11:17 : ver 2, 22
19. 1 Corinthians 11:18 : 1Co 1:10-12; 3:3
20. 1 Corinthians 11:19 : 1Jn 2:19
21. 1 Corinthians 11:21 : 2Pe 2:13; Jude 12
22. 1 Corinthians 11:22 : S 1Co 10:32
23. 1 Corinthians 11:22 : Jas 2:6
24. 1 Corinthians 11:22 : ver 2, 17
25. 1 Corinthians 11:23 : Gal 1:12
26. 1 Corinthians 11:23 : S ver 2
27. 1 Corinthians 11:24 : 1Co 10:16
28. 1 Corinthians 11:25 : S Lk 22:20
29. 1 Corinthians 11:25 : 1Co 10:16
30. 1 Corinthians 11:26 : S 1Co 1:7
31. 1 Corinthians 11:27 : Heb 10:29
32. 1 Corinthians 11:28 : 2Co 13:5
33. 1 Corinthians 11:30 : S Mt 9:24
34. 1 Corinthians 11:31 : Ps 32:5; 1Jn 1:9
35. 1 Corinthians 11:32 : Ps 94:12; 118:18; Pr 3:11, 12; Heb 12:7-10; Rev 3:19
36. 1 Corinthians 11:32 : Jn 15:18, 19
37. 1 Corinthians 11:34 : ver 21
38. 1 Corinthians 11:34 : ver 22
39. 1 Corinthians 11:34 : S 1Co 4:19