1Be my imitators, even as I imitate Christ.
2Now I praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things, and hold firm to the traditions as I delivered them to you. 3But I desire you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of the woman is the man, and the head of Christ is God. 4Every man praying or prophesying with his head covered dishonors his head. 5But every woman praying or prophesying with her head unveiled dishonors her head, and it is as if she were shaved. 6Indeed, if a woman does not wear a head covering,1790 she should be shaved; and if it is shameful for a woman to be shorn or shaved, then let her be covered. 7Certainly, a man should not have his head covered, because he is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man. 8Man is not from woman, but woman from man; 9for man was not created for the woman, but woman for the man. 10For this cause, a woman should have [a sign of] authority1791 on her head, because of the angels.
11Nevertheless, in the Lord, a man is not independent from the woman, nor a woman independent from the man. 12For as woman came from man, so a man also comes [to life] through a woman; but all things are from God. 13Judge for yourselves: is it appropriate that a woman pray to God unveiled? 14Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him? 15But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her, because her hair is given to her as a covering. 16But if anyone wishes to dispute these things, we have no other custom1792, and neither do God’s Churches.
17Yet, in giving you this instruction, I do not praise you, as you come together not for the better but for the worse. 18First of all, when you come together as Church, I hear that divisions take place among you, and I partly believe it. 19Indeed, there must also be factions1793 among you, so that those who are approved may be revealed among you. 20As it is, when you gather together, it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat, 21because each one takes his own supper first!1794 One is hungry, and another is drunk! 22Do you not have houses where you can eat and drink? Or do you despise God’s Church and put to shame those who have nothing? What shall I tell you? Shall I praise you? In this, I do not praise you.
Tradition of the Lord’s Supper—Unworthy communion
23For I received from the Lord what also I delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night in which he was betrayed, took bread. 24When he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “Take, eat.1795 This is my body, which is broken1796 for you. Do this in memory of me.” 25Likewise, 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.” 26For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. 27Therefore, whoever eats this bread or drinks the Lord’s cup in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28But let everyone do a self-examination, and then eat the bread and drink from the cup. 29For whoever eats and drinks unworthily1797 eats and drinks judgment to himself, if such a one does not discern the body of the Lord.1798 30For this reason, many among you are weak and sick, and many have fallen asleep. 31For if we discerned ourselves, we would not be judged, 32but when we are judged, we are chastised by the Lord, so that we may not be condemned with the world. 33Therefore, my brethren, when you come together for the Meal, wait for one another. 34But anyone who is hungry should eat at home, for fear that your coming together might be for judgment. Other matters I will set in order when I come.
The works of the Spirit
- Or “is not covered”
- Greek evxousi,an
- Or “we have no such custom”
- Greek ai`re,seij from which we have the English word ‘heresy’ although the primary equivalent would be ‘schism,’ both concepts being closely related.
- Or perhaps “without waiting for everyone”
- CT omits “Take, eat”
- CT omits “which is broken”
- CT omits “unworthily”
- CT omits “of the Lord”
Text: The Eastern / Greek Orthodox Bible, New Testament (EOB). Used with permission.
