Corinthians (The First Epistle of Paul to the )

Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.

Now I praise you because you remember me in everything, and hold firmly to the traditions, just as I delivered them to you.

But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ.

Every man who has [something] on his head while praying or prophesying, disgraces his head.

But every woman who has her head uncovered while praying or prophesying, disgraces her head; for she is one and the same with her whose head is shaved.

For if a woman does not cover her head, let her also have her hair cut off; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, let her cover her head.

For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man.

For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man;

Therefore the woman ought to have [a symbol of] authority on her head, because of the angels.

However, in the Lord, neither is woman independent of man, nor is man independent of woman.

For as the woman originates from the man, so also the man [has his birth] through the woman; and all things originate from God.

Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a woman to pray to God [with head] uncovered?

Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him,

but if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her? For her hair is given to her for a covering.

But if one is inclined to be contentious, we have no other practice, nor have the churches of God.

But in giving this instruction, I do not praise you, because you come together not for the better but for the worse.

For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that divisions exist among you; and in part, I believe it.

For there must also be factions among you, in order that those who are approved may have become evident among you.

Therefore when you meet together, it is not to eat the Lord's Supper,

for in your eating each one takes his own supper first; and one is hungry and another is drunk.

What! Do you not have houses in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God, and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? In this I will not praise you.

For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread;

and when He had given thanks, He broke it, and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me."

In the same way [He took] the cup also, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink [it,] in remembrance of Me."

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.

Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord.

But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself, if he does not judge the body rightly.

For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep.

But if we judged ourselves rightly, we should not be judged.

But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord in order that we may not be condemned along with the world.

So then, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another.

If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, so that you may not come together for judgment. And the remaining matters I shall arrange when I come.