1 Corinthians 11: Worship and the Lord's Table
Paul addresses order in worship and rebukes abuses at the Lord's Supper, calling the church to examine itself and discern the body.
1 Corinthians 11 (WEB)
1 Be imitators of me, even as I also am of Christ.
2 Now I praise you, brothers, that you remember me in all things, and hold firm the traditions, even as I delivered them to you.
3 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.
4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonors his head.
5 But every woman praying or prophesying with her head unveiled dishonors her head. For it is one and the same thing as if she were shaved.
6 For if a woman is not covered, let her also be shorn. But if it is shameful for a woman to be shorn or shaved, let her be covered.
7 For a man indeed ought not to have his head covered, because he is the image and glory of God, but the woman is the glory of the man.
8 For man is not from woman, but woman from man;
9 for neither was man created for the woman, but woman for the man.
10 For this cause the woman ought to have authority on her head, because of the angels.
11 Nevertheless, neither is the woman independent of the man, nor the man independent of the woman, in the Lord.
12 For as woman came from man, so a man also comes through a woman; but all things are from God.
13 Judge for yourselves. Is it appropriate that a woman pray to God unveiled?
14 Doesn’t 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 any man seems to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither do God’s assemblies.
17 But in giving you this command, I don’t praise you, that you come together not for the better but for the worse.
18 For first of all, when you come together in the assembly, I hear that divisions exist among you, and I partly believe it.
19 For there also must be factions among you, that those who are approved may be revealed among you.
20 When therefore you assemble yourselves together, it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat.
21 For in your eating each one takes his own supper first. One is hungry, and another is drunken.
22 What, don’t you have houses to eat and to drink in? Or do you despise God’s assembly, and put them to shame who don’t have? What shall I tell you? Shall I praise you? In this I don’t praise you.
23 For I received from the Lord that which also I delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night in which he was betrayed took bread.
24 When he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “Take, eat. This is my body, which is broken for you. Do this in memory of me.”
25 In the same way he also took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink, in memory of me.”
26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks the Lord’s cup in a way unworthy of the Lord will be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord.
28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread, and drink of the cup.
29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy way eats and drinks judgment to himself, if he doesn’t discern the Lord’s body.
30 For this cause many among you are weak and sickly, and not a few sleep.
31 For if we discerned ourselves, we wouldn’t be judged.
32 But when we are judged, we are punished by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.
33 Therefore, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another.
34 But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest your coming together be for judgment. The rest I will set in order whenever I come.
1 Corinthians 11 (KJV)
1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.
2 Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.
3 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.
4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head.
5 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.
6 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.
7 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.
8 For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man.
9 Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.
10 For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.
11 Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.
12 For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God.
13 Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered?
14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?
15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.
16 But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.
17 Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse.
18 For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.
19 For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.
20 When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord’s supper.
21 For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.
22 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.
23 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:
24 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.
25 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.
26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.
27 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.
28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.
30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.
33 Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another.
34 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.
1 Corinthians 11 (ASV)
1 Be ye imitators of me, even as I also am of Christ.
2 Now I praise you that ye remember me in all things, and hold fast the traditions, even as I delivered them to you.
3 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.
4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoreth his head.
5 But every woman praying or prophesying with her head unveiled dishonoreth her head; for it is one and the same thing as if she were shaven.
6 For if a woman is not veiled, let her also be shorn: but if it is a shame to a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be veiled.
7 For a man indeed ought not to have his head veiled, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.
8 For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man:
9 for neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man:
10 for this cause ought the woman to have a sign of authority on her head, because of the angels.
11 Nevertheless, neither is the woman without the man, nor the man without the woman, in the Lord.
12 For as the woman is of the man, so is the man also by the woman; but all things are of God.
13 Judge ye in yourselves: is it seemly that a woman pray unto God unveiled?
14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a dishonor to him?
15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.
16 But if any man seemeth to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.
17 But in giving you this charge, I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better but for the worse.
18 For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that divisions exist among you; and I partly believe it.
19 For there must be also factions among you, that they that are approved may be made manifest among you.
20 When therefore ye assemble yourselves together, it is not possible to eat the Lord’s supper:
21 for in your eating each one taketh before other his own supper; and one is hungry, and another is drunken.
22 What, have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and put them to shame that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you? In this I praise you not.
23 For I received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which he was betrayed took bread;
24 and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, This is my body, which is for you: this do in remembrance of me.
25 In like manner also the cup, after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood: this do, as often as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink the cup, ye proclaim the Lord’s death till he come.
27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat the bread or drink the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord.
28 But let a man prove himself, and so let him eat of the bread, and drink of the cup.
29 For he that eateth and drinketh, eateth and drinketh judgment unto himself, if he discern not the body.
30 For this cause many among you are weak and sickly, and not a few sleep.
31 But if we discerned ourselves, we should not be judged.
32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.
33 Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, wait one for another.
34 If any man is hungry, let him eat at home; that your coming together be not unto judgment. And the rest will I set in order whensoever I come.
Summary
Paul calls the church to imitate him as he imitates Christ, and praises them for holding to the traditions he handed on. He then teaches about order and propriety in worship, addressing head coverings within the framework of headship—the head of every man is Christ, the head of the woman is the man, and the head of Christ is God—while affirming that in the Lord man and woman are interdependent and all things come from God. He appeals to custom and nature and concludes that God's churches have no contentious practice on this. But the heart of the chapter is his stern rebuke of the way they observe the Lord's Supper. Their gatherings do more harm than good: divisions exist among them, and when they come together it is not really the Lord's Supper they eat, because each one rushes ahead with his own food, so that one goes hungry while another gets drunk. This humiliates the poor and despises the church of God. Paul then recounts the tradition he received from the Lord: on the night he was betrayed, Jesus took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it as his body; likewise the cup, the new covenant in his blood—commanding them to do this in remembrance of him, proclaiming his death until he comes. Therefore whoever eats or drinks unworthily is guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. Each person must examine himself and discern the body, for failing to do so brings judgment; indeed, some are weak, sick, or have died. So they should judge themselves, and when they gather to eat, wait for one another.
Main Characters
- Paul — The apostle who teaches order in worship and recovers the true meaning of the Lord's Supper from the tradition he received from the Lord.
- The gathered church — Believers whose self-centered conduct at the common meal shames the poor and turns the Lord's Supper into something it should not be.
- The Lord Jesus — The one who, on the night he was betrayed, gave the bread and cup as his body and blood, the new covenant to be remembered until he comes.
- The poor and hungry — Members humiliated when wealthier believers feast ahead of them, exposing the divisions that mar the church's worship.
Key Verse
1 Corinthians 11:26 (WEB)
For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
Lessons Learned
- How we conduct ourselves in worship reflects what we believe about God and one another.
- The Lord's Supper proclaims Christ's death and binds the church together as one.
- Selfishness at the table dishonors Christ and shames the poor.
- We are to examine ourselves and discern the body before we eat.
- Imitate Christ above all. “Be imitators of me, even as I also am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1, WEB). All leadership and order finally points to following Jesus.
- The Supper proclaims the cross. “You proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26, WEB). Every communion is a sermon in bread and cup, looking back and ahead.
- Examine yourself. “Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread” (1 Corinthians 11:28, WEB). The table calls for honest self-searching, not careless ritual.
- Discern the body. Judgment comes on the one who eats “if he doesn’t discern the Lord’s body” (1 Corinthians 11:29, WEB). We must honor both Christ and his people at the table.
- What does Paul mean by calling the church to imitate him as he imitates Christ?
- Why was the Corinthians' celebration of the Lord's Supper actually doing more harm than good?
- What does the Lord's Supper proclaim about the past, present, and future?
- What does it mean to examine oneself and to discern the body before communion?
- How might your attitude in corporate worship better honor both Christ and the people around you?
- Paul does not point to himself for his own sake but as one who follows Christ, giving the church a visible pattern of Christlikeness (11:1). Leaders are to be imitated only insofar as they themselves follow Jesus.
- Their gatherings were marked by division and selfishness, with the well-off feasting while the poor went hungry (11:18-22). This contradicted the very meaning of a meal that proclaims a Lord who gave himself for others, so it brought judgment rather than blessing.
- The Supper looks back to the cross, declares Christ's death in the present, and looks forward to his return (11:24-26). It is remembrance, proclamation, and hope all at once, uniting the church around the gospel.
- Self-examination means honestly assessing our hearts and relationships before God, and discerning the body means recognizing both Christ in the meal and the fellow believers we are joined to (11:28-29). It guards the table from becoming empty or divisive ritual.
- This is a personal-application question. Invite members to reflect on whether they come to worship to receive and to serve others, or absorbed in themselves. As leader, encourage reverence for Christ and genuine care for the gathered family.