1 Corinthians 11

Christian Order

1 Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.

2 Now I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold firmly to the traditions, just as I delivered them to you.3 But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ.4 Every man who has something on his head while praying or prophesying disgraces his head.5 But every woman who has her head uncovered while praying or prophesying disgraces her head, for she is one and the same as the woman whose head is shaved.6 For if a woman does not cover her head, let her also have her hair cut off; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, let her cover her head.7 For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man.8 For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man;9 for indeed man was not created for the woman's sake, but woman for the man's sake.10 Therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.11 However, in the Lord, neither is woman independent of man, nor is man independent of woman.12 For as the woman originates from the man, so also the man has his birth through the woman; and all things originate from God.13 Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered?14 Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him,15 but if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her? For her hair is given to her for a covering.16 But if one is inclined to be contentious, we have no other practice, nor have the churches of God.

17 But in giving this instruction, I do not praise you, because you come together not for the better but for the worse.18 For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that divisions exist among you; and in part I believe it.19 For there must also be factions among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among you.20 Therefore when you meet together, it is not to eat the Lord's Supper,21 for in your eating each one takes his own supper first; and one is hungry and another is drunk.22 What! Do you not have houses in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? In this I will not praise you.

The Lord's Supper

23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread;24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me."25 In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.

27 Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord.28 But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup.29 For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly.30 For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep.31 But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged.32 But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world.

33 So then, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another.34 If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, so that you will not come together for judgment. The remaining matters I will arrange when I come.

1 Corinthians 12

The Use of Spiritual Gifts

1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware.2 You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols, however you were led.3 Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus is accursed"; and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.

4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.5 And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord.6 There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. 7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.8 For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit;9 to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit,10 and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues.11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.

12 For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ.13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

14 For the body is not one member, but many.15 If the foot says, "Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body," it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body.16 And if the ear says, "Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body," it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body.17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?18 But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired.19 If they were all one member, where would the body be?20 But now there are many members, but one body.21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; or again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you."22 On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary;23 and those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable,24 whereas our more presentable members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked,25 so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

27 Now you are Christ's body, and individually members of it.28 And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues.29 All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of miracles, are they?30 All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they?

31 But earnestly desire the greater gifts.
And I show you a still more excellent way.

1 Corinthians 13

The Excellence of Love

1 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.3 And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body tto be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.

4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant,5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part;10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.13 But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.