1 Corinthians 11-14

English Standard Version

11 ^(A)Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

Head Coverings

² Now I commend you ^(B)because you remember me in everything and ^(C)maintain the traditions ^(D)even as I delivered them to you. ³ But I want you to understand that ^(E)the head of every man is Christ, ^(F)the head of a wife^[a] is her husband,^[b] and ^(G)the head of Christ is God. ⁴ Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, ⁵ but every wife^[c] who prays or ^(H)prophesies ^(I)with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same ^(J)as if her head were shaven. ⁶ For if a wife will not cover her head, then she should cut her hair short. But since it is disgraceful for a wife to cut off her hair or shave her head, let her cover her head. ⁷ For a man ought not to cover his head, since ^(K)he is the image and glory of God, but ^(L)woman is the glory of man. ⁸ For ^(M)man was not made from woman, but woman from man. ⁹ Neither was man created for woman, but ^(N)woman for man. ¹⁰ That is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.^{[d] 11} Nevertheless, ^(O)in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman; ¹² for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. And ^(P)all things are from God. ¹³ Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head uncovered? ¹⁴ Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him, ¹⁵ but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering. ^16 (Q)If anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do ^(R)the churches of God.

The Lord's Supper

¹⁷ But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. ¹⁸ For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, ^(S)I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part,^{[e] 19} for ^(T)there must be factions among you in order ^(U)that those who are genuine among you may be recognized. ²⁰ When you come together, it is not the Lord's supper that you eat. ²¹ For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, ^(V)another gets drunk. ²² What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise ^(W)the church of God and ^(X)humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in this? No, I will not.

²³ For ^(Y)I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that ^(Z)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^[f] you. Do this in remembrance of me.”^{[g] 25} In the same way also he took the cup, 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 ^(AA)until he comes.

^27 (AB)Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord ^(AC)in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning ^(AD)the body and blood of the Lord. ^28 (AE)Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. ²⁹ For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. ³⁰ That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some ^(AF)have died.^{[h] 31 (AG)}But if we judged^[i] ourselves truly, we would not be judged. ³² But when we are judged by the Lord, ^(AH)we are disciplined^[j] so that we may not be ^(AI)condemned along with the world.

³³ So then, my brothers,^[k] when you come together to eat, wait for^[l] one another— ^34 (AJ)if anyone is hungry, ^(AK)let him eat at home—so that when you come together it will not be for judgment. About the other things ^(AL)I will give directions ^(AM)when I come.

Spiritual Gifts

12 Now ^(AN)concerning^[m] spiritual gifts,^[n] brothers,^[o] I do not want you to be uninformed. ² You know that ^(AO)when you were pagans ^(AP)you were led astray to ^(AQ)mute idols, however you were led. ³ Therefore I want you to understand that ^(AR)no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is ^(AS)accursed!” and ^(AT)no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.

⁴ Now ^(AU)there are varieties of gifts, but ^(AV)the same Spirit; ⁵ and ^(AW)there are varieties of service, but ^(AX)the same Lord; ⁶ and there are varieties of activities, but it is ^(AY)the same God who empowers them all in everyone. ^7 (AZ)To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. ⁸ For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of ^(BA)wisdom, and to another the utterance of ^(BB)knowledge according to the same Spirit, ⁹ to another ^(BC)faith by the same Spirit, to another ^(BD)gifts of healing by the one Spirit, ¹⁰ to another ^(BE)the working of miracles, to another ^(BF)prophecy, to another ^(BG)the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another ^(BH)various kinds of tongues, to another ^(BI)the interpretation of tongues. ¹¹ All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, ^(BJ)who apportions to each one individually ^(BK)as he wills.

One Body with Many Members

¹² For just as ^(BL)the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, ^(BM)so it is with Christ. ¹³ For ^(BN)in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—^(BO)Jews or Greeks, slaves^[p] or free—and ^(BP)all were made to drink of one Spirit.

¹⁴ For the body does not consist of one member but of many. ¹⁵ If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? ¹⁸ But as it is, ^(BQ)God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, ^(BR)as he chose. ¹⁹ If all were a single member, where would the body be? ²⁰ As it is, there are many parts,^[q] yet one body.

²¹ The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” ²² On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³ and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, ²⁴ which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, ²⁵ that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. ²⁶ If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, ^(BS)all rejoice together.

²⁷ Now ^(BT)you are the body of Christ and individually ^(BU)members of it. ²⁸ And ^(BV)God has appointed in the church first ^(BW)apostles, second ^(BX)prophets, third teachers, then ^(BY)miracles, then ^(BZ)gifts of healing, ^(CA)helping, ^(CB)administrating, and ^(CC)various kinds of tongues. ²⁹ Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? ³⁰ Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? ³¹ But ^(CD)earnestly desire the higher gifts.

And I will show you a still more excellent way.

The Way of Love

13 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. ² And if I have ^(CE)prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, ^(CF)so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. ^3 (CG)If I give away all I have, and ^(CH)if I deliver up my body to be burned,^[r] but have not love, I gain nothing.

^4 (CI)Love is patient and ^(CJ)kind; love ^(CK)does not envy or boast; it ^(CL)is not arrogant ⁵ or rude. It ^(CM)does not insist on its own way; it ^(CN)is not irritable or resentful;^{[s] 6} it ^(CO)does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but ^(CP)rejoices with the truth. ^7 (CQ)Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, ^(CR)endures all things.

⁸ Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹ For ^(CS)we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰ but ^(CT)when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. ¹¹ When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. ¹² For ^(CU)now we see in a mirror dimly, but ^(CV)then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as ^(CW)I have been fully known.

¹³ So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Prophecy and Tongues

14 ^(CX)Pursue love, and ^(CY)earnestly desire the ^(CZ)spiritual gifts, especially that you may ^(DA)prophesy. ² For ^(DB)one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. ³ On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. ⁴ The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. ⁵ Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but ^(DC)even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up.

⁶ Now, brothers,^[t] if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I bring you some ^(DD)revelation or knowledge or prophecy or ^(DE)teaching? ⁷ If even lifeless instruments, such as the flute or the harp, do not give distinct notes, how will anyone know what is played? ⁸ And ^(DF)if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle? ⁹ So with yourselves, if with your tongue you utter speech that is not intelligible, how will anyone know what is said? For you will be ^(DG)speaking into the air. ¹⁰ There are doubtless many different languages in the world, and none is without meaning, ¹¹ but if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be ^(DH)a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me. ¹² So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church.

¹³ Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret. ¹⁴ For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful. ¹⁵ What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; ^(DI)I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will ^(DJ)sing with my mind also. ¹⁶ Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider^[u] say ^(DK)“Amen” to ^(DL)your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying? ¹⁷ For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up. ¹⁸ I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. ¹⁹ Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue.

²⁰ Brothers, ^(DM)do not be children in your thinking. ^(DN)Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be ^(DO)mature. ^21 (DP)In the Law it is written, ^(DQ)“By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people, and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord.” ²² Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign^[v] not for unbelievers but for believers. ²³ If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, ^(DR)will they not say that you are out of your minds? ²⁴ But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, ^25 (DS)the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, ^(DT)falling on his face, he will worship God and ^(DU)declare that God is really among you.

Orderly Worship

²⁶ What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has ^(DV)a hymn, ^(DW)a lesson, ^(DX)a revelation, ^(DY)a tongue, or ^(DZ)an interpretation. ^(EA)Let all things be done for building up. ²⁷ If any speak in ^(EB)a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn, and let someone interpret. ²⁸ But if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silent in church and speak to himself and to God. ²⁹ Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others ^(EC)weigh what is said. ³⁰ If a revelation is made to another sitting there, ^(ED)let the first be silent. ³¹ For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged, ³² and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets. ³³ For God is not a God of ^(EE)confusion but of peace.

As in ^(EF)all the churches of the saints, ^34 (EG)the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but ^(EH)should be in submission, as ^(EI)the Law also says. ³⁵ If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.

³⁶ Or was it from you that the word of God came? Or are you the only ones it has reached? ^37 (EJ)If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord. ³⁸ If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized. ³⁹ So, my brothers, ^(EK)earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. ^40 (EL)But all things should be done decently and ^(EM)in order.