1 Corinthians 11:1-16:24 Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

Common⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. ² I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold firmly to the traditions, just as I delivered them to you. ³ 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. ⁴ Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. ⁵ But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her headit is the same as if her head were shaved. ⁶ For if a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut or shaved off, let her cover her head. ⁷ For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. ⁸ For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man; ⁹ neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. ¹⁰ Therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. ¹¹ In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. ¹² For as woman was made from man, so also man is born of woman. And all things are from God. ¹³ Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? ¹⁴ Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him, ¹⁵ but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering. ¹⁶ If anyone wants to be contentious, we have no other practice, nor do the churches of God. ¹⁷ But in the following instructions, I do not praise you, because you come together not for the better but for the worse. ¹⁸ For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you; and I partly believe it. ¹⁹ For there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized. ²⁰ Therefore when you meet together, it is not the Lord's supper that you eat, ²¹ for in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal, and one is hungry and another is drunk. ²² What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? No, I will not. ²³ For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, ²⁴ 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." ²⁵ 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." ²⁶ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. ²⁷ Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. ²⁸ Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. ²⁹ For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. ³⁰ That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. ³¹ But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. ³² But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world. ³³ So then, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. ³⁴ If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, so that you will not come together for judgment. About the other things I will give directions when I come. ¹² ¹ Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be uninformed. ² You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to mute idols, however you may have been moved. ³ Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit. ⁴ Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. ⁵ And there are varieties of service, but the same Lord. ⁶ There are varieties of working, but the same God who works all of them in all men. ⁷ But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. ⁸ To one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit, ⁹ to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, ¹⁰ and to another the working of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another distinguishing between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. ¹¹ But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as he wills. ¹² For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so it is with Christ. ¹³ For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one bodywhether Jews or Greeks, slaves or freeand we were all made to drink of one Spirit. ¹⁴ For the body is not made up of one member but of many. ¹⁵ If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason be any less a part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason be any less a part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? ¹⁸ But now God has arranged the members in the body, each one of them, just as he desired. ¹⁹ If they were all one member, where would the body be? ²⁰ As it is, there are many parts, but one body. ²¹ And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you," nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." ²² On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³ and those parts of the body which we think less honorable we treat with the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, ²⁴ while our more presentable members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving the greater honor to the parts that lacked it, ²⁵ so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. ²⁶ And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. ²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ, and individually members of it. ²⁸ And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, then those having gifts of healings, helps, administrations, and those speaking in various kinds of tongues. ²⁹ Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? ³⁰ Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? ³¹ But earnestly desire the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way. ¹³ ¹ If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. ³ If I give all I have to the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. ⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous or boastful, it is not arrogant ⁵ or rude, it does not seek its own, it is not provoked, it keeps no record of wrongs, ⁶ it does not rejoice in evil, but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. ⁸ Love never fails; but where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part; ¹⁰ but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. ¹¹ When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. ¹² For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know fullyeven as I have been fully known. ¹³ So now faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. ¹⁴ ¹ Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. ² For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God; for no one understands him, but in his spirit he speaks mysteries. ³ But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their edification and encouragement and comfort. ⁴ He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. ⁵ Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more that you would prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than he who speaks in tongues, unless some one interprets, so that the church may be edified. ⁶ But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking in tongues, what will I profit you unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching? ⁷ If even lifeless things, such as the flute or the harp, do not give a distinction in the notes, how will any one know what is played? ⁸ And if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle? ⁹ So it is with you, unless you utter by the tongue speech that is intelligible, how will anyone know what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air. ¹⁰ Undoubtedly there are many languages in the world, and none of them is without meaning. ¹¹ If then I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner to the one who is speaking, and the speaker will be a foreigner to me. ¹² So it is with you; since you are eager for spiritual gifts, strive to excel in building up the church. ¹³ Therefore, he who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret. ¹⁴ For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. ¹⁵ What am I to do? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also; I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also. ¹⁶ Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how can any one in the position of an outsider say the "Amen" to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying? ¹⁷ For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other man is not edified. ¹⁸ I thank God that I speak in tongues more than you all; ¹⁹ but in the church I would rather speak five words with my mind, to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue. ²⁰ Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; be infants in evil, but in thinking be mature. ²¹ In the law it is written, "By men of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people, and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord." ²² Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; but prophecy is for believers, not for unbelievers. ²³ Therefore if the whole church assembles together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are mad? ²⁴ But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all; ²⁵ the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so, he will fall on his face, and worship God, declaring that God is really among you. ²⁶ What is the outcome then, brethren? When you come together, each one has a hymn, or a teaching, or a revelation, or a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification. ²⁷ If anyone speaks in a tongue, it should be by two or at the most three, and each in turn; and one must interpret. ²⁸ But if there is no interpreter, he must keep silent in the church; and let him speak to himself and to God. ²⁹ Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said. ³⁰ But if a revelation is made to another who is sitting, the first one must keep silent. ³¹ For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged; ³² and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets. ³³ For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints, ³⁴ the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be submissive, as even the law says. ³⁵ If they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for a woman to speak in church. ³⁶ Did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached? ³⁷ If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord's command. ³⁸ But if anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized. ³⁹ Therefore, my brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. ⁴⁰ But all things should be done decently and in an orderly way. ¹⁵ ¹ Now I would remind you, brethren, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, ² by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. ³ For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, ⁴ that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, ⁵ and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. ⁶ After that he appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. ⁷ Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. ⁸ And last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared to me also. ⁹ For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. ¹⁰ But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. No, I worked harder than all of themyet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. ¹¹ Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed. ¹² Now if Christ is preached that he has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? ¹³ But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised; ¹⁴ if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and so is your faith. ¹⁵ More than that, we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. ¹⁶ For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised. ¹⁷ And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. ¹⁸ Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. ¹⁹ If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all men most to be pitied. ²⁰ But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. ²¹ For since by a man came death, by a man came also the resurrection of the dead. ²² For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. ²³ But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then, at his coming, those who belong to him. ²⁴ Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all rule and all authority and power. ²⁵ For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. ²⁶ The last enemy to be destroyed is death. ²⁷ "For God has put all things in subjection under his feet." But when it says, "All things are put in subjection under him," it is plain that he is excepted who put all things under him. ²⁸ When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to the one who put all things under him, that God may be all in all. ²⁹ Otherwise, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are people baptized for them? ³⁰ Why are we also in danger every hour? ³¹ I protest, brethren, by my pride in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day. ³² If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die." ³³ Do not be deceived: "Bad company corrupts good morals." ³⁴ Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame. ³⁵ But someone will ask, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?" ³⁶ You foolish man! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. ³⁷ And that which you sow, you do not sow the body which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or of something else. ³⁸ But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body. ³⁹ For not all flesh is the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of birds, and another of fish. ⁴⁰ There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another. ⁴¹ There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. ⁴² So is it with the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised imperishable; ⁴³ it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; ⁴⁴ it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. ⁴⁵ So it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. ⁴⁶ However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; and then the spiritual. ⁴⁷ The first man was from the earth, of dust; the second man is from heaven. ⁴⁸ As was the man of dust, so are those who are of the dust; and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. ⁴⁹ Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. ⁵⁰ Now I tell you this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. ⁵¹ Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, ⁵² in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. ⁵³ For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. ⁵⁴ When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then will come to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory." ⁵⁵ "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" ⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. ⁵⁷ But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁵⁸ Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. ¹⁶ ¹ Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you must also do. ² On the first day of every week, each one of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that no collections be made when I come. ³ And when I arrive, I will send those whom you approve with letters to carry your gift to Jerusalem. ⁴ If it seems advisable for me to go also, they will accompany me. ⁵ But I will come to you after I go through Macedonia, for I am going through Macedonia; ⁶ and perhaps I will stay with you or even spend the winter, so that you may help me on my journey, wherever I go. ⁷ For I do not want to see you now just in passing; I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. ⁸ But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, ⁹ for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries. ¹⁰ Now if Timothy comes, see that he is with you with nothing to fear, for he is doing the work of the Lord, just as I am. ¹¹ So let no one despise him. Send him on his way in peace, that he may return to me; for I am expecting him with the brethren. ¹² As for our brother Apollos, I strongly urged him to come to you with the other brethren, but it was not at all his will to come now. He will come when he has opportunity. ¹³ Be on the your guard, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. ¹⁴ Let all that you do be done in love. ¹⁵ You know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints. Now I urge you, brethren, ¹⁶ to be subject to such men and to everyone who helps in the work and labors. ¹⁷ I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have supplied what was lacking on your part. ¹⁸ For they refreshed my spirit and yours also. Give recognition to such men. ¹⁹ The churches of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Prisca greet you warmly in the lord, with the church that is in their house. ²⁰ All the brethren send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss. ²¹ I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. ²² If anyone does not love the Lordlet him be accursed. Come, O Lord! ²³ The grace of The Lord Jesus be with you. ²⁴ My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.