Written ~ 08-16-2024
Read 1 Corinthians Chapter Eleven
1 Corinthians 11
In chapter ten, Paul warns us about indulging in our temptations and creating idols in our lives that wind up being the things we worship instead of God… In chapter eleven, the very first thing Paul says is…
1 Corinthians11:1…
“…you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ…”
For a lot of people, Paul is Biblical figure that touches us greatly through each Book he wrote in the New Testament. A lot of the verses that are most quoted from the New Testament were written by Paul. His testimony is astounding! From being a man who dragged Christians to prison, ordered executions and did all he could to make the lives of believers miserable…To a man who encountered Jesus and became His servant with the sole purpose of bringing everyone to Salvation in Jesus Christ. We can go back and read the Book of Acts where we learn all about his conversion and missionary journeys, we see the trials and tribulations he had to work through. Then in the New Testament we can read all of the letters he wrote to believers, and we can draw wisdom and strength from every word. Paul said of himself, a couple of times, that he lived with a clear conscious before the Lord. He followed in the footsteps of the Lord; he relied on the Holy Spirit for guidance, and he proved his devotion to the Lord over and over again. Why does Paul say to imitate him? I think because he is relatable! He made some horrible mistakes, but when he put his trust in Jesus entirely, his mindset changed completely! Paul follows and imitates Jesus, just as we should. But to have a human example to imitate and to learn from gives us a connection to the Lord we can relate to.
As Paul continues in chapter 11, he brings up the importance of public worship and how both men and women should behave. Now, culturally, for believers in the first century the covering of one’s head was extremely important. It symbolized honor and respect. In the western culture in the 21st century we don’t follow the traditions of wearing head coverings during worship, so these first 16 verses may seem a little difficult to relate to.
*** Disclaimer: Verses 11:3-16 are difficult to understand in today’s culture… I highly recommend that when you read these verses, please, take time to pray and ask the Holy Spirit for clarity, ask Him to give you understanding as to how it applies to your life. I will do my best, as I too am learning from reading Scripture, to provide practical ways to apply these verses…
Let’s begin with verses 11:3-6…
1 Corinthians 11:3-6…
3 “But there is one thing I want you to know: The head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. 4 A man dishonors his head if he covers his head while praying or prophesying. 5 But a woman dishonors her head if she prays or prophesies without a covering on her head, for this is the same as shaving her head. 6 Yes, if she refuses to wear a head covering, she should cut off all her hair! But since it is shameful for a woman to have her hair cut or her head shaved, she should wear a covering.”
In order to bring some understanding, I am relying on what I researched in “The Expositor’s Bible Commentary.” I think it will help us relate a little bit better to what Paul is talking about in these verses…
- Paul emphasizes the order of authority and administration in the divine structure of things. As every man is to be under Christ’s authority and Christ is under God’s authority, so the woman is under her husband’s authority. Therefore, the woman should not demonstrate her authority by having her head uncovered, as the man did when he was praying and prophesying. Evidently at Corinth women were coming to church with their heads improperly covered, thus causing disorder and disrespect in the services.
- Paul’s point is that if a woman is in the public worship with her head uncovered, it is as if she had her head shaved. He insists that if the woman in fact does have her head uncovered, she should have her hair cut; on the other hand, since it is shameful for a woman to have her hair cut or her head shaved, then, of course, she should have her head properly covered.
So, the culture in Corinth in the first century was very specific when showing respect, honor and authority was by covering or uncovering the head. So does that mean that in today’s culture women should wear head coverings to church or when out in public? Verse 11:3 says, “The head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.” What we need to concentrate on when we read these verses is the respect each of us have with the authority of Christ. A man’s authority is given to him directly from Christ. A woman’s authority comes from her godly, Christian husband. Wearing a head covering shows the respect and honor the wife has towards her God fearing husband. To come to a place of worship without a head covering would be a disgrace to her husband.
1 Corinthians 11:7-12…
7 “A man should not wear anything on his head when worshiping, for man is made in God’s image and reflects God’s glory. And woman reflects man’s glory. 8 For the first man didn’t come from woman, but the first woman came from man. 9 And man was not made for woman, but woman was made for man. 10 For this reason, and because the angels are watching, a woman should wear a covering on her head to show she is under authority.
11 But among the Lord’s people, women are not independent of men, and men are not independent of women. 12 For although the first woman came from man, every other man was born from a woman, and everything comes from God.”
As believers, it is our responsibility, whether we are a man or a woman, to give honor and glory to the Lord God Almighty. He is our authority in all things. A man is to show his respect for the Lord by laying aside pride and arrogance when worshiping the Messiah. A woman, if married, must respect her husband when she worships the Lord, this brings honor to him because you are presenting yourself as an honorable sacrifice to the Lord. Single women do the same, you are bringing love and respect to the Lord in the way you present yourself to Him in worship. It says in verse 11:10 that we do this “because the angels are watching.” Look at what “The Expositor’s Bible Commentary” had to say about the angels watching us…
- Perhaps angels are mentioned in this discussion to remind Christians that angels are present at the time of worship and that they are interested in the salvation of God’s people and sensitive to the conduct of Christians at worship. So the angels would recognize the breach of decorum if Christian women did not have proper head coverings and the long hair distinguishing them as women — the “sign of authority on her head” which symbolized her husband’s authority over her.
1 Corinthians 11:13-16…
13 “Judge for yourselves. Is it right for a woman to pray to God in public without covering her head? 14 Isn’t it obvious that it’s disgraceful for a man to have long hair? 15 And isn’t long hair a woman’s pride and joy? For it has been given to her as a covering. 16 But if anyone wants to argue about this, I simply say that we have no other custom than this, and neither do God’s other churches.”
Explanation below is also taken from “The Expositor’s Bible Commentary:”
- The final point in the passage is that man is to be distinguished from woman. They are reminded that in ordinary life men with short hair are distinguished from women with long hair. If a man has long hair like a woman’s, he is disgraced, but with long hair a woman gains glory in her position of submission to man. Also long hair is actually given to her as a natural veil.
- Christian men and women should remember that, though God has made them equal human beings, He has made them distinct sexes. That distinction is not to be blurred. It is also to be observed in their physical appearance, so that in worship the woman can be recognized as woman and the man as man.
- God is a God of order. This means order in worship and peaceful decorum in the church. Therefore Christian men and women should conduct themselves in a respectful, orderly way not only in worship but also in daily life.
How do you conduct yourself when you enter the house of the Lord? Is it your goal to show reverence and honor to the Lord? Whether head coverings are how we are going to show honor to the Lord, shouldn’t we as women consider how we dress when we go to honor our God? Is the way you dress when worshiping the Lord respectful and modest? And men, do you remove your baseball cap when entering the house of the Lord out of respect to your Savior? In our culture today it seems most decorum has flown out the window. Giving honor and glory to the God we serve should also flow through how we are presenting ourselves in worship.
1 Corinthians 11:17-22…
17 “But in the following instructions, I cannot praise you. For it sounds as if more harm than good is done when you meet together. 18 First, I hear that there are divisions among you when you meet as a church, and to some extent I believe it. 19 But, of course, there must be divisions among you so that you who have God’s approval will be recognized!
20 When you meet together, you are not really interested in the Lord’s Supper. 21 For some of you hurry to eat your own meal without sharing with others. As a result, some go hungry while others get drunk. 22 What? Don’t you have your own homes for eating and drinking? Or do you really want to disgrace God’s church and shame the poor? What am I supposed to say? Do you want me to praise you? Well, I certainly will not praise you for this!”
Paul had some very harsh words for the Corinth believers when he heard how they were conducting the Lord’s Supper. The Lord’s Supper was celebrated during Passover and it was done in reverence to our Savior Jesus Christ, to remember His death and Resurrection. It had been brought to Paul’s attention that during the Lord’s Supper, the believers were separating into their social cliques, the rich person ate all they wanted, serving themselves first, while the poor would remain hungry, condemned to stay at the end of the line.
Paul then proceeds to give very specific instruction as to how the Lord’s Supper and Communion should be conducted…
1 Corinthians 11:23-34…
23 “For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord Himself. On the night when He was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread 24 and gave thanks to God for it. Then He broke it in pieces and said, “This is My body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same way, He took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the New Covenant between God and His people — an agreement confirmed with My blood. Do this in remembrance of Me as often as you drink it.” 26 For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until He comes again.
27 So anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup. 29 For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself. 30 That is why many of you are weak and sick and some have even died.
31 But if we would examine ourselves, we would not be judged by God in this way. 32 Yet when we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned along with the world.
33 So, my dear brothers and sisters, when you gather for the Lord’s Supper, wait for each other. 34 If you are really hungry, eat at home so you won’t bring judgment upon yourselves when you meet together. I’ll give you instructions about the other matters after I arrive.”
When we come to the foot of the cross, we come with our hearts fully examined, we come to the Lord with humility and pure reverence. This should be the state of our hearts as we partake in Communion. The believers in Corinth were desecrating the Lord’s Supper by their greedy attitudes and becoming drunk during dinner. Their hearts were not humbled as they remembered the Sacrifice the Savoir made for them on that cross.
When you have the opportunity to partake in Communion, remember what it’s for. Give your heart time to reflect on anything that needs to be exposed, then repent. There is joy and reverence in the act of Communion, it should not be dismissed as just a tradition or ritual. Jesus asks us to remember Him.
~AMEN~