God Speaks
And you should follow my example, just as I follow Christ’s.
2 I am so glad, dear brothers, that you have been remembering and doing everything I taught you. 3 But there is one matter I want to remind you about: that a wife is responsible to her husband, her husband is responsible to Christ, and Christ is responsible to God. 4 That is why, if a man refuses to remove his hat while praying or preaching, he dishonors Christ. 5 And that is why a woman who publicly prays or prophesies without a covering on her head dishonors her husband, for her covering is a sign of her subjection to him. 6 Yes, if she refuses to wear a head covering, then she should cut off all her hair. And if it is shameful for a woman to have her head shaved, then she should wear a covering. 7 But a man should not wear anything on his head when worshiping, for his hat is a sign of subjection to men.
God’s glory is man made in his image, and man’s glory is the woman. 8 The first man didn’t come from woman, but the first woman came out of man. 9 And Adam, the first man, was not made for Eve’s benefit, but Eve was made for Adam. 10 So a woman should wear a covering on her head as a sign that she is under man’s authority, a fact for all the angels to notice and rejoice in.*
11 But remember that in God’s plan men and women need each other. 12 For although the first woman came out of man, all men have been born from women ever since, and both men and women come from God their Creator.
13 What do you yourselves really think about this? Is it right for a woman to pray in public without covering her head? 14-15 Doesn’t even instinct itself teach us that women’s heads should be covered? For women are proud of their long hair, while a man with long hair tends to be ashamed. 16 But if anyone wants to argue about this, all I can say is that we never teach anything else than this—that a woman should wear a covering when prophesying or praying publicly in the church, and all the churches feel the same way about it.
17 Next on my list of items to write you about is something else I cannot agree with. For it sounds as if more harm than good is done when you meet together for your communion services. 18 Everyone keeps telling me about the arguing that goes on in these meetings, and the divisions developing among you, and I can just about believe it. 19 But I suppose you feel this is necessary so that you who are always right will become known and recognized!
20 When you come together to eat, it isn’t the Lord’s Supper you are eating, 21 but your own. For I am told that everyone hastily gobbles all the food he can without waiting to share with the others, so that one doesn’t get enough and goes hungry while another has too much to drink and gets drunk. 22 What? Is this really true? Can’t you do your eating and drinking at home to avoid disgracing the church and shaming those who are poor and can bring no food? What am I supposed to say about these things? Do you want me to praise you? Well, I certainly do not!
23 For this is what the Lord himself has said about his Table, and I have passed it on to you before: That on the night when Judas betrayed him, the Lord Jesus took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks to God for it, he broke it and gave it to his disciples and said, “Take this and eat it. This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me.” 25 In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new agreement between God and you that has been established and set in motion by my blood. Do this in remembrance of me whenever you drink it.” 26 For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup you are retelling the message of the Lord’s death, that he has died for you. Do this until he comes again.
27 So if anyone eats this bread and drinks from this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, he is guilty of sin against the body and the blood of the Lord. 28 That is why a man should examine himself carefully before eating the bread and drinking from the cup. 29 For if he eats the bread and drinks from the cup unworthily, not thinking about the body of Christ and what it means, he is eating and drinking God’s judgment upon himself; for he is trifling with the death of Christ. 30 That is why many of you are weak and sick, and some have even died.
31 But if you carefully examine yourselves before eating you will not need to be judged and punished. 32 Yet, when we are judged and punished by the Lord, it is so that we will not be condemned with the rest of the world. 33 So, dear brothers, when you gather for the Lord’s Supper—the communion service—wait for each other; 34 if anyone is really hungry he should eat at home so that he won’t bring punishment upon himself when you meet together.
I’ll talk to you about the other matters after I arrive.
Source: The Living Bible: BibleGateway.com
We Respond
Reflection: In this chapter Paul focuses on two issues: head coverings for men and women as signs of authority and how to behave during the Lord’s Supper. We are to follow our leaders’ authority as they follow Christ’s authority. The head covering issue was really about maintaining the chain of command in a household: God → husband → wife. This does not devalue her or inflate the man: it only maintains order and brings tranquility. Conversely, the wife is to yield to her husband as he yields to God. The head covering traditions of the early church only gave a visible reminder of that. We should do in our present church culture whatever honors and strengthens that God-directed chain of command. Single men and women are responsible directly to God. Regarding the Lord’s Supper: Paul was not with Jesus and his disciples when Jesus explained the meaning of the Lord’s Supper, but Jesus met with him personally after he came to faith and taught him what to do. Interestingly, it’s this passage that most pastors use when celebrating communion. First, it isn’t about us. It’s about commemorating Jesus Christ’s suffering and death on our behalf as well as His resurrection and return to reign. We need to remember that it is not for us alone, but we need to be aware of and care about those who are celebrating with us. We are to examine ourselves to see what sins we need the Lord to forgive and cleanse. We need to tell them to Jesus. Then, we should see if there is anything between us and other worshippers. Some churches even allow time right then for people to confess and forgive each other. Jesus said in Matthew 5:23-24 to leave worship and go to be reconciled to someone who isn’t there. At any rate, we should be aware of the needs and feelings of those around us in worship. If we judge ourselves now, God will need to judge us later.
Prayer: Dear gracious Creator God, thank You for being such a loving commander and guide. You always know what is best for us even when we can’t see beyond our current circumstances or don’t know what to do. Please guide couples to establish or reestablish this God-planned pattern of decision-making and authority. Please direct each person so that each one will be in proper alignment with You and other people around them. Please help me to properly assess my thoughts and behavior before communion so that I don’t take it unworthily. Although I never can be worthy of Your mercy and grace on my own merit, it’s Your sacrifice, Jesus, that we commemorate in communion that made me worthy. Help me to keep short accounts with You regarding my own sins, but also to be quick to forgive others because You did the same for them. Please help me to act appropriately regarding others and holy communion. Again, all for Your glory, Lord. AMEN
Action: (Ask the Holy Spirit, which one of these He wants you to work on or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will thank God for His sovereign rule over everything in heaven and on earth, especially the chain of command or responsibility He has established.
- I will accept the authority God has placed over me–husband or other leaders–and look for specific ways I can show them respect.
- I will, before the next communion service, examine my thoughts and actions and see those things for which I need to repent and be reconciled to God and other people. (Be specific.)
- I will go to someone I have hurt or wronged or who has hurt or wronged me and repent and be reconciled. (Be specific.)
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.