Women must have a covering over their heads. He blameth the abuses of
their love feasts and upon that occasion treats of the Blessed
Sacrament.
11:1. Be ye followers of me, as I also am of Christ.
11:2. Now I praise you, brethren, that in all things you are mindful of
me and keep my ordinances as I have delivered them to you.
11:3. 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.
11:4. Every man praying or prophesying with his head covered disgraceth
his head.
11:5. But every woman praying or prophesying with her head not covered
disgraceth her head: for it is all one as if she were shaven.
11:6. For if a woman be not covered, let her be shorn. But if it be a
shame to a woman to be shorn or made bald, let her cover her head.
11:7. The man indeed ought not to cover his head: because he is the
image and glory of God. But the woman is the glory of the man.
11:8. For the man is not of the woman: but the woman of the man.
11:9. For the man was not created for the woman: but the woman for the
man.
11:10. Therefore ought the woman to have a power over her head, because
of the angels.
A power. . .that is, a veil or covering, as a sign that she is under the
power of her husband: and this, the apostle adds, because of the
angels, who are present in the assemblies of the faithful.
11:11. But yet neither is the man without the woman, nor the woman
without the man, in the Lord.
11:12. For as the woman is of the man, so also is the man by the woman:
but all things of God.
11:13. You yourselves judge. Doth it become a woman to pray unto God
uncovered?
11:14. Doth not even nature itself teach you that a man indeed, if he
nourish his hair, it is a shame unto him?
11:15. But if a woman nourish her hair, it is a glory to her; for her
hair is given to her for a covering.
11:16. But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom,
nor the Church of God.
11:17. Now this I ordain: not praising you, that you come together, not
for the better, but for the worse.
11:18. For first of all I hear that when you come together in the
church, there are schisms among you. And in part I believe it.
11:19. For there must be also heresies: that they also, who are
approved may be made manifest among you.
There must be also heresies. . .By reason of the pride and perversity of
man's heart; not by God's will or appointment; who nevertheless draws
good out of this evil, manifesting, by that occasion, who are the good
and firm Christians, and making their faith more remarkable.
11:20. When you come therefore together into one place, it is not now
to eat the Lord's supper.
The Lord's supper. . .So the apostle here calls the charity feasts
observed by the primitive Christians; and reprehends the abuses of the
Corinthians, on these occasions; which were the more criminal, because
these feasts were accompanied with the celebrating of the eucharistic
sacrifice and sacrament.
11:21. For every one taketh before his own supper to eat. And one
indeed is hungry and another is drunk.
11:22. What, have you no 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? Do I praise you? In this I praise you not.
11:23. 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,
11:24. And giving thanks, broke and said: Take ye and eat: This is my
body, which shall be delivered for you. This do for the commemoration
of me.
11:25. In like manner also the chalice, after he had supped, saying:
This chalice is the new testament in my blood. This do ye, as often as
you shall drink, for the commemoration of me.
11:26. For as often as you shall eat this bread and drink the chalice,
you shall shew the death of the Lord, until he come.
11:27. Therefore, whosoever shall eat this bread, or drink the chalice
of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and of the blood of
the Lord.
Or drink. . .Here erroneous translators corrupted the text, by putting
and drink (contrary to the original) instead of or drink.
Guilty of the body, etc., not discerning the body, etc. . .This
demonstrates the real presence of the body and blood of Christ, even to
the unworthy communicant; who otherwise could not be guilty of the body
and blood of Christ, or justly condemned for not discerning the Lord's
body.
11:28. But let a man prove himself: and so let him eat of that bread
and drink of the chalice.
Drink of the chalice. . .This is not said by way of command, but by way
of allowance, viz., where and when it is agreeable to the practice and
discipline of the church.
11:29. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh
judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the Lord.
11:30. Therefore are there many infirm and weak among you: and many
sleep.
11:31. But if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
11:32. But whilst we are judged, we are chastised by the Lord, that we
be not condemned with this world.
11:33. Wherefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for
one another.
11:34. If any man be hungry, let him eat at home; that you come not
together unto judgment. And the rest I will set in order, when I come.