1 Corinthians 11:2-13:13

New American Standard Bible

² Now ^(A)I praise you because you ^(B)remember me in everything and ^(C)hold firmly to the traditions, just as I handed them down to you. ³ But I want you to understand that Christ is the ^(D)head of every man, and ^[a](E)the man is the head of a woman, and God is the ^(F)head of Christ. ⁴ Every man who has something on his head while praying or ^(G)prophesying disgraces his head. ⁵ But every ^(H)woman who has her head uncovered while praying or prophesying disgraces her head, for it is one and the same as the woman ^[b]whose head is ^(I)shaved. ⁶ For if a woman does not cover ^[c]her head, have her also ^[d]cut her hair off; however, if it is disgraceful for a woman to ^[e]have her hair cut off or ^[f]her head shaved, have her cover ^[g]her head. ⁷ For a man should not have his head covered, since he is the ^(J)image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. ⁸ For ^(K)man ^[h]does not originate from woman, but woman from man; ⁹ for indeed man was not created for the woman’s sake, but ^(L)woman for the man’s sake. ¹⁰ Therefore the woman should have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. ¹¹ However, in the Lord, neither is woman ^[i]independent of man, nor is man ^[j]independent of woman. ¹² For as the woman originated from the man, so also the man has his birth through the woman; and ^(M)all things originate ^(N)from God. ^13 (O)Judge ^[k]for yourselves: is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? ¹⁴ Does even nature itself not 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 as a covering. ¹⁶ But if anyone is inclined to be contentious, ^(P)we have no ^[l]such practice, nor have ^(Q)the churches of God.

¹⁷ Now in giving this next instruction ^(R)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 ^[m]as a church, I hear that ^[n](S)divisions exist among you; and in part I believe it. ¹⁹ For there also ^(T)have to be factions among you, ^(U)so that those who are approved may become ^[o]evident among you. ²⁰ Therefore when you come together it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper, ²¹ for when you eat, each one takes his own supper first; and one goes hungry while ^(V)another gets drunk. ²² What! Do you not have houses in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the ^(W)church of God and ^(X)shame those who have nothing? What am I to say to you? Shall ^(Y)I praise you? In this I do not praise you.

The Lord’s Supper

²³ For ^(Z)I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that ^(AA)the Lord Jesus, on the night when 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 also took ^(AB)the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the ^(AC)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 ^(AD)until He comes.

²⁷ Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy way, shall be ^(AE)guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. ²⁸ But a person must ^(AF)examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. ²⁹ For the one who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not properly recognize the ^[p]body. ³⁰ For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number ^[q](AG)are asleep. ³¹ But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. ³² But when we are judged, we are ^(AH)disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with ^(AI)the world.

³³ So then, my brothers and sisters, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. ³⁴ If anyone is ^(AJ)hungry, have him eat ^(AK)at home, so that you do not come together for judgment. As to the remaining matters, I will ^(AL)give instructions ^(AM)when I come.

The Use of Spiritual Gifts

12 Now concerning ^(AN)spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, ^(AO)I do not want you to be unaware. ^2 (AP)You know that when you were ^[r]pagans, you were ^(AQ)led ^[s]astray to the ^(AR)mute idols, however you were led. ³ Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking ^[t](AS)by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is ^[u](AT)accursed”; and no one can say, “Jesus is ^(AU)Lord,” except ^[v](AV)by the Holy Spirit.

⁴ Now there are ^(AW)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 ^(AX)God who works all things in all persons. ⁷ But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit ^(AY)for the common good. ⁸ For to one is given the word of ^(AZ)wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of ^(BA)knowledge according to the same Spirit; ⁹ to another ^(BB)faith ^[w]by the same Spirit, and to another ^(BC)gifts of ^[x]healing ^[y]by the one Spirit, ¹⁰ and to another the ^[z]effecting of ^[aa](BD)miracles, and to another ^(BE)prophecy, and to another the ^[ab](BF)distinguishing of spirits, to another various ^(BG)kinds of tongues, and to another the ^(BH)interpretation of tongues. ¹¹ But one and the same Spirit works all these things, ^(BI)distributing to each one individually just as He ^[ac]wills.

¹² For just ^(BJ)as the body is one and yet has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though they are many, are one body, ^(BK)so also is Christ. ¹³ For ^[ad](BL)by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether ^(BM)Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to ^(BN)drink of one Spirit.

¹⁴ For ^(BO)the body is not one part, 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 ^[ae]any 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 ^[af]any less a part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸ But now God has ^(BP)arranged the parts, each one of them in the body, ^(BQ)just as He desired. ¹⁹ If they were all one part, where would the body be? ²⁰ But now ^(BR)there are many parts, 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, ^[ag]it is much truer that the parts of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; ²³ and those parts of the body which we ^[ah]consider less honorable, ^[ai]on these we bestow greater honor, and our less presentable parts become much more presentable, ²⁴ whereas our more presentable parts have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that part which lacked, ²⁵ so that there may be no ^[aj]division in the body, but that the parts may have the same care for one another. ²⁶ And if one part of the body suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if a part is ^[ak]honored, all the parts rejoice with it.

²⁷ Now you are ^(BS)Christ’s body, and ^(BT)individually parts of it. ²⁸ And God has ^[al](BU)appointed in ^(BV)the church, first ^(BW)apostles, second ^(BX)prophets, third ^(BY)teachers, then ^[am](BZ)miracles, then ^(CA)gifts of healings, helps, ^(CB)administrations, and various ^(CC)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 ^[an]miracles, are they? ³⁰ All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not ^(CD)interpret, do they? ³¹ But ^(CE)earnestly desire the greater gifts.

And yet, I am going to show you a far better way.

The Excellence of Love

13 If I speak with the ^(CF)tongues of mankind and of ^(CG)angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a ^(CH)clanging cymbal. ² If I have the gift of ^(CI)prophecy and know all ^(CJ)mysteries and all ^(CK)knowledge, and if I have ^(CL)all faith so as to ^(CM)remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³ And if I ^(CN)give away all my possessions to charity, and if I ^(CO)surrender my body so that I may ^[ao]glory, but do not have love, it does me no good.

⁴ Love ^(CP)is patient, love is kind, it ^(CQ)is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not ^(CR)arrogant. ⁵ It does not act disgracefully, it ^(CS)does not seek its own benefit; it is not provoked, ^(CT)does not keep an account of a wrong suffered, ^6 (CU)it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but ^(CV)rejoices with the truth; ⁷ it ^[ap](CW)keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

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