1 Corinthians 11-14

Legacy Standard Bible

11 ^(A)Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.

Head Coverings

² Now ^(B)I praise you because you ^(C)remember me in everything and ^(D)hold firmly to the traditions, just as I delivered them to you. ³ But I want you to understand that ^[a]Christ is the ^(E)head of every man, and ^(F)the man is the head of a woman, and God is the ^(G)head of ^[b]Christ. ⁴ Every man who has something on his head while praying or ^(H)prophesying, shames his head. ⁵ But every ^(I)woman who has her head uncovered while praying or prophesying, shames her head, for she is one and the same as the woman ^[c]whose head is ^(J)shaved. ⁶ For if a woman does not cover ^[d]her head, let her also ^[e]have her hair cut short. But if it is disgraceful for a woman to ^[f]have her hair cut short or ^[g]her head shaved, let her cover ^[h]her head. ⁷ For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the ^(K)image and glory of God, but the woman is the glory of man. ⁸ For ^(L)man ^[i]does not originate from woman, but woman from man. ⁹ For indeed man was not created for the woman’s sake, but ^(M)woman for the man’s sake. ¹⁰ Therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. ¹¹ Nevertheless, in the Lord, neither is woman ^[j]independent of man, nor is man ^[k]independent of woman. ¹² For as the woman ^[l]originates from the man, so also the man has his birth through the woman, but ^(N)all things ^[m]originate ^(O)from God. ^13 (P)Judge ^[n]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 a glory to her? For her hair is given to her for a covering. ¹⁶ But if one is inclined to be contentious, ^(Q)we have no ^[o]other practice, nor have ^(R)the churches of God.

The Lord’s Supper

¹⁷ But in giving this instruction, ^(S)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 ^[p]as a church, I hear that ^[q](T)divisions exist among you, and in part I believe it. ¹⁹ For there ^(U)must also be factions among you, ^(V)so that those who are approved may become ^[r]evident among you. ²⁰ Therefore when you meet together in the same place, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper, ²¹ for in your eating each one takes his own supper first, and one is hungry and ^(W)another is drunk. ²² For do you not have houses in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the ^(X)church of God and ^(Y)shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall ^(Z)I praise you? In this I will not praise you.

²³ For ^(AA)I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that ^(AB)the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was being 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 ^(AC)the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the ^(AD)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 death of the Lord ^(AE)until He comes.

²⁷ Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be ^(AF)guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. ²⁸ But a man must ^(AG)test himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. ²⁹ For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. ³⁰ For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number ^[s](AH)sleep. ³¹ But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. ³² But when we are judged, we are ^(AI)disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with ^(AJ)the world.

³³ So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. ³⁴ If anyone is ^(AK)hungry, let him eat ^(AL)at home, so that you will not come together for judgment. The remaining matters I will ^(AM)direct ^(AN)when I come.

Concerning Spiritual Gifts

12 Now concerning ^(AO)spiritual gifts, brothers, ^(AP)I do not want you to be ignorant. ^2 (AQ)You know that when you were pagans, you were ^(AR)being led astray to the ^(AS)mute idols, however you were led. ³ Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking ^[t](AT)by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is ^[u](AU)accursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is ^(AV)Lord,” except ^[v](AW)by the Holy Spirit.

⁴ Now there are ^(AX)varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. ⁵ And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. ⁶ And there are varieties of workings, but the same ^(AY)God who works everything in everyone. ⁷ But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit ^(AZ)for what is profitable. ⁸ For to one is given the word of ^(BA)wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of ^(BB)knowledge according to the same Spirit; ⁹ to someone else ^(BC)faith ^[w]by the same Spirit, and to another ^(BD)gifts of ^[x]healing ^[y]by the one Spirit, ¹⁰ and to another the workings of ^(BE)miracles, and to another ^(BF)prophecy, and to another the ^[z](BG)distinguishing of spirits, to someone else various ^(BH)kinds of tongues, and to another the ^[aa](BI)translation of tongues. ¹¹ But one and the same Spirit works all these things, ^(BJ)distributing to each one individually just as He wills.

¹² For even ^(BK)as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, ^(BL)so also is Christ. ¹³ For also ^[ab](BM)by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether ^(BN)Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to ^(BO)drink of one Spirit.

¹⁴ For also ^(BP)the body is not one member, but many. ¹⁵ If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason ^[ac]any the less a part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason ^[ad]any the less a part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸ But now God has ^(BQ)appointed the members, each one of them, in the body, ^(BR)just as He desired. ¹⁹ And if they were all one member, where would the body be? ²⁰ But now ^(BS)there are many members, but one body. ²¹ And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; or again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” ²² On the contrary, how much more is it that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary, ²³ and those members of the body which we think as less honorable, ^[ae]on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable, ²⁴ whereas our more presentable members have no such need. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked, ²⁵ so that there may be no ^[af]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 ^[ag]honored, all the members rejoice with it.

²⁷ Now you are ^(BT)Christ’s body, and ^(BU)individually members of it. ²⁸ And God has ^[ah](BV)appointed in ^(BW)the church, first ^(BX)apostles, second ^(BY)prophets, third ^(BZ)teachers, then ^[ai](CA)miracles, then ^(CB)gifts of healings, helps, ^(CC)administrations, various ^(CD)kinds of tongues. ²⁹ Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of ^[aj]miracles? ³⁰ Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all ^[ak](CE)translate? ³¹ But ^[al]you ^(CF)earnestly desire the greater gifts.

And I will yet show you a more excellent way.

The Excellence of Love

13 If I speak with the ^(CG)tongues of men and of ^(CH)angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a ^(CI)clanging cymbal. ² And if I have the gift of ^(CJ)prophecy, and know all ^(CK)mysteries and all ^(CL)knowledge; and if I have ^(CM)all faith, so as to ^(CN)remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³ And if I ^(CO)give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I ^(CP)surrender my body ^[am]to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.

⁴ Love ^(CQ)is patient, love is kind, ^(CR)is not jealous, does not brag, is not ^(CS)puffed up; ⁵ it does not act unbecomingly, ^(CT)does not seek its own, is not provoked, ^(CU)does not take into account a wrong suffered; ^6 (CV)it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but ^(CW)rejoices with the truth; ^7 [an](CX)it bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

⁸ Love never fails, but if there are gifts of ^[ao](CY)prophecy, they will be done away; if there are ^(CZ)tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. ⁹ For we ^(DA)know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰ but when the ^[ap]perfect comes, the partial will be done away. ¹¹ When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child. When I ^[aq]became a man, I did away with childish things. ¹² For now we ^(DB)see in a mirror ^[ar]dimly, but then ^(DC)face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also ^(DD)have been fully known. ¹³ But now abide faith, hope, love—these three; but the ^[as]greatest of these is ^(DE)love.

Prophecy and Tongues

14 ^(DF)Pursue love, yet ^(DG)earnestly desire ^(DH)spiritual gifts, but especially that you may ^(DI)prophesy. ² For one who ^(DJ)speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one ^[at]understands, but ^[au]in his spirit he speaks ^(DK)mysteries. ³ But one who prophesies speaks to men for ^(DL)edification and ^(DM)exhortation and encouragement. ⁴ One who ^(DN)speaks in a tongue ^(DO)edifies himself; but one who ^(DP)prophesies ^(DQ)edifies the church. ⁵ But I wish that you all ^(DR)spoke in tongues, but ^(DS)even more that you would prophesy. And greater is one who prophesies than one who ^(DT)speaks in tongues, unless he ^[av]translates, so that the church may receive ^(DU)edification.

⁶ But now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in tongues, what will I profit you unless I speak to you either by way of ^(DV)revelation or of ^(DW)knowledge or of ^(DX)prophecy or of ^(DY)teaching? ⁷ Yet even lifeless things, either flute or harp, in producing a sound, if they do not produce a distinction in the tones, how will it be known what is played on the flute or on the harp? ⁸ For if ^(DZ)the trumpet produces an indistinct sound, who will prepare himself for battle? ⁹ So also you, unless you utter by the tongue a word that is clear, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be ^(EA)speaking into the air. ¹⁰ There are, perhaps, a great many kinds of sounds in the world, and none is without meaning. ¹¹ If then I do not know the meaning of the sound, I will be to the one who speaks a ^[aw](EB)barbarian, and the one who speaks will be a ^[ax]barbarian ^[ay]to me. ¹² So also you, since you are zealous for ^[az]spiritual gifts, seek to abound for the ^(EC)edification of the church.

¹³ Therefore let one who speaks in a tongue pray that he may ^[ba]translate. ¹⁴ For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. ^15 (ED)What is the outcome then? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also; I will ^(EE)sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also. ¹⁶ Otherwise if you bless ^[bb]in the spirit only, how will the one who fills the place of the ^[bc]uninformed say ^(EF)the “Amen” at your ^(EG)giving of thanks, since he does not know what you are saying? ¹⁷ For you are giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not ^(EH)edified. ¹⁸ I thank God that I speak in tongues more than you all; ¹⁹ however, in the church I desire to speak five words with my mind so that I may instruct others also, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue.

^20 (EI)Brothers, ^(EJ)do not be children in your thinking; rather in evil ^(EK)be infants, but in your thinking be mature. ²¹ In ^(EL)the Law it is written, “^(EM)By men of strange tongues and by the lips of strangers I will speak to this people, and even so they will not listen to Me,” says the ^[bd]Lord. ²² So then tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but ^(EN)prophecy is for a sign not to unbelievers but to those who believe. ²³ Therefore if the whole church assembles together and all speak in tongues, and ^[be]uninformed men or unbelievers enter, will they not say that ^(EO)you are out of your mind? ²⁴ But if all ^(EP)prophesy, and an unbeliever or an ^[bf]uninformed man enters, he is ^(EQ)convicted by all, he is called to account by all; ^25 (ER)the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so he will ^(ES)fall on his face and worship God, declaring that ^(ET)surely God is among you.

Orderly Worship

^26 (EU)What is the outcome then, ^(EV)brothers? When you assemble, ^(EW)each one has a ^(EX)psalm, has a ^(EY)teaching, has a ^(EZ)revelation, has a ^(FA)tongue, has a ^[bg](FB)translation. Let ^(FC)all things be done for edification. ²⁷ If anyone speaks in a ^(FD)tongue, it should be by two or at the most three, and each in turn, and one must ^[bh](FE)translate; ²⁸ but if there is no ^[bi]translator, he must keep silent in the church, and let him speak to himself and to God. ²⁹ And let two or three ^(FF)prophets speak, and let the others ^(FG)pass judgment. ³⁰ But if a revelation is made to another who is seated, the first one must keep silent. ³¹ For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be exhorted. ³² And the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets; ³³ for God is not a God of ^(FH)confusion but of ^[bj]peace, as in ^(FI)all the churches of the ^(FJ)saints.

³⁴ The women are to ^(FK)keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak, but ^(FL)are to subject themselves, just as ^(FM)the Law also says. ³⁵ But if they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home, for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in church. ^36 [bk]Was it from you that the word of God first went forth? Or has it arrived to you only?

^37 (FN)If anyone thinks he is a prophet or ^(FO)spiritual, let him recognize that the things which I write to you ^(FP)are the Lord’s commandment. ³⁸ But if anyone remains ignorant about this, he ^[bl]is ignored by God.

³⁹ Therefore, my brothers, ^(FQ)earnestly desire to ^(FR)prophesy, and do not forbid to speak in tongues. ⁴⁰ But ^(FS)all things must be done properly and in an orderly manner.