1 Corinthians 11:2-14:40
New Catholic Bible
Liturgical Assemblies and Their Problems[a]
Propriety in Worship[b]
The Question of Head Coverings. 2 I praise you because you remember me in everything and you maintain the traditions just as I handed them down to you.
3 But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the husband is the head of his wife, and God is the head of Christ. 4 Any man who prays or prophesies with his head covered brings disgrace on his head. 5 And any woman who prays or prophesies with her head unveiled brings disgrace upon her head, for it is just as though she had her head shaved. 6 Indeed, if a woman refuses to wear a veil, then she might as well have her hair cut off. If it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, then she should wear a veil.
7 It is not right for a man to have his head covered, since he is the image of God and the reflection of his glory, whereas woman is the reflection of the glory of man. 8 For man was not made from woman, but woman was made from man. 9 Nor was man created for the sake of woman, but woman was created for the sake of man.
10 Therefore, a woman should have on her head a sign[c] of her dependence, because of the angels. 11 Nevertheless, in the Lord, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. 12 Although woman came from man, so does every man come from a woman, and all things come from God.
13 The Question of Long Hair. Judge for yourselves. Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head unveiled? 14 Does not nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, he is disgraced, 15 whereas if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair was given to her as a covering. 16 However, if anyone wishes to argue further on this point, we have no such custom to do so, nor do any of the Churches of God.
The Lord’s Supper, Sign of Unity[d]
17 Do You Despise the Church of God? Now in giving you this instruction I cannot praise you, because your meetings tend to do more harm than good. 18 To begin with, when you come together in your assembly, I hear that there are divisions among you, and to some extent I am inclined to believe it. 19 There must be such factions among you so that it will become clear to you which groups should be trusted.
20 [e]When you do assemble, it is not to eat the Lord’s supper, 21 for each of you goes ahead with his own supper, and one goes hungry while another has too much to drink. 22 Do you not have homes in which you can eat and drink? Or do you have such contempt for the Church of God that you humiliate those who have nothing? What should I say to you? Should I praise you? In this matter, I cannot praise you.
23 You Proclaim the Death of the Lord.[f]For what I received from the Lord I handed on to you: the Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and after giving thanks he broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
25 In the same fashion, after the supper,[g] he also took the cup and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Whenever you drink it, do this in remembrance of me.” 26 And so, whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.
27 God’s Judgment on the Community.[h] Therefore, anyone who eats the bread and drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner is guilty of an offense against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Everyone should examine himself about eating the bread and drinking from the cup. 29 For a person who eats and drinks without discerning the body of the Lord is eating and drinking judgment on himself.
30 That is why many of you are weak and ill, and a number of you have fallen asleep. 31 If we were to examine ourselves, we would not be condemned. 32 However, when we are judged by the Lord, he is disciplining us to save us from being condemned together with the world.
33 Practical Conclusion. Therefore, brethren, when you come together for the meal, wait for one another. 34 If anyone is hungry, he should eat at home, so that in assembling you may not incur condemnation. As for the other matters, I will resolve them when I come.
The Gifts of the Spirit in the Service of the Church[i]
Chapter 12
Discerning the Gifts of the Spirit. 1 Now in regard to the gifts of the Spirit, brethren, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were still pagans you were constantly being enticed and led astray to the worship of mute idols. 3 Therefore, I wish you to understand that no one speaking under the influence of the Spirit of God says, “May Jesus be cursed.”[j] Likewise, no one can say “Jesus is Lord,” except under the influence of the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit Distributes the Gifts for the Common Good.[k] 4 There are different varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different forms of activity, but the same God who produces all of them in everyone.
7 To each of us, the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one, is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom; and to another, the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit. 9 Another by the same Spirit is granted faith, while still another is granted the gift of healing by the same Spirit.
10 To one, is granted the gift of mighty deeds;[l] to another, the gift of prophecy; and to yet another, the gift to discern spirits. One receives the gift of tongues and another the ability to interpret them. 11 One and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing them individually to each person as he wills.
12 You Are the Body of Christ.[m] The body is one, although it has many parts; and all the parts, though many, form one body. So it is with Christ. 13 For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, Jews as well as Greeks, slaves as well as free men, and we were all given the same Spirit to drink.
14 Now the body is one, although it has many parts. 15 If the foot were to say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it nevertheless still belongs to the body. 16 Or if an ear were to say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it nevertheless still belongs to the body.
17 If the whole body were an eye, how would we be able to hear? If the whole body were an ear, how would we exercise a sense of smell? 18 But God arranged each part in the body as he intended. 19 If all the members were identical, where would the body be?
20 As it is, there are many members, but one body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I do not need you,” any more than the head can say to the feet, “I do not need you.” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are in fact indispensable, 23 and those parts of the body that we regard as less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable parts are treated with greater propriety, 24 whereas our more respectable members have no need of this.
But God has so designed the body as to give greater honor to the more humble parts, 25 in order that there may be no dissension within the body and each part may have equal concern for all the others. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together with it. If one member is honored, all the members rejoice together with it.
27 You therefore are the body of Christ, and each of you is a part of it. 28 And those whom God has appointed in the Church are first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then doers of mighty deeds, those who have the gifts of healing, helping others, administering, and various kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all doers of mighty deeds? 30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? 31 Set your hearts on the greater gifts.
Hymn to Love.[n] Now I will show you a more excellent way.
Chapter 13
1 If in speaking I use human tongues
and angelic as well,
but do not have love,[o]
I am nothing more than a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
2 If I have the gift of prophecy
and the ability to understand all mysteries and all knowledge,
and have all the faith necessary to move mountains,
but do not have love,
I am nothing.
3 If I give away everything to feed the poor
and hand over my body to be burned,
but do not have love,
I achieve nothing.
4 Love is patient;
love is charitable.
Love is not envious;
it does not have an inflated opinion of itself;
it is not filled with its own importance.
5 Love is never rude;
it does not seek its own advantage.
It is not prone to anger;
neither does it brood over setbacks.
6 Love does not rejoice over wrongdoing
but rejoices in the truth.
7 Love bears all things,
believes all things,
hopes all things,
endures all things.
8 Love never fails.
Prophecies will eventually cease,
tongues will become silent,
and knowledge will pass away,
9 for our knowledge is partial
and our prophesying is partial;
10 but when we encounter what is perfect,
that which is imperfect will pass away.
11 When I was a child,
I used to talk like a child,
think like a child,
and reason like a child.
However, when I became a man,
I put all childish ways aside.
12 At the present time we see indistinctly, as in a mirror;
then we shall see face to face.
My knowledge is only partial now;
then I shall know fully,
even as I am fully known.
13 Thus there are three things that endure: faith, hope, and love,
and the greatest of these is love.[p]
Chapter 14
Seek the Gifts That Build Up the Community.[q] 1 Make love your aim, but strive earnestly after the spiritual gifts, especially for that of prophecy. 2 If anyone speaks in tongues, he is speaking not to men but to God, and no one understands him, for he is speaking mysteries in the Spirit. 3 On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to men for their building up, their encouragement, and their consolation.
4 Whoever speaks in a tongue builds himself up, but whoever prophesies builds up the Church. 5 I wish that all of you could speak in tongues, but I would much prefer that you could prophesy. For the one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless the latter can interpret what he is saying so that the Church may be built up.
6 Now suppose, brethren, that I should come to you and speak in tongues. Of what value would I be to you if you were unable to discern from my words any revelation or knowledge or prophecy or instruction? 7 Even inanimate things produce sound, such as a flute or a harp. If they do not produce distinct notes, how can anyone tell what tune is being played?
8 Or again, if the bugle call is unclear, who will get ready for battle? 9 Similarly, if you speak in tongues and your speech is unintelligible, how will anyone be able to understand what you are saying? For you will be talking to empty air.
10 There are many different languages that are used in the world, and none of them is without meaning. 11 But if I do not comprehend the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner to the speaker and he will be a foreigner to me. 12 Since you are eager to acquire spiritual gifts, try to excel in those that build up the Church.
13 Therefore, anyone who speaks in tongues should pray for the ability to interpret. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit is at prayer but my mind derives no benefit. 15 What then should I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind. I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind.
16 If you are praising only with the spirit, how will the uninstructed person who is present be able to answer “Amen” to your thanksgiving when he does not comprehend what you are saying? 17 Your thanksgiving may be inspiring, but the other person has not been edified.
18 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than any of you, 19 but when I am in the church I would prefer to speak five intelligible words to instruct others rather than ten thousand words in a tongue.
20 Brethren, do not be childish in your thinking. Be like infants in regard to evil, but in your thinking be mature. 21 In the Law[r] it is written,
“By people speaking strange tongues
and by the lips of foreigners
I will speak to this people,
and even so they will not listen to me,
says the Lord.”
22 Clearly, then, tongues are intended as a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is designed not for unbelievers but for believers.
23 Therefore, if the whole Church has assembled and everyone is speaking in tongues, would not any uninstructed person or any unbeliever on entering conclude that you are all out of your minds? 24 However, if everyone is prophesying and an unbeliever or uninstructed person should enter, he would be reproved by all and judged by all, 25 and the secrets of his heart would be revealed. Then he would fall down and worship God, declaring, “God is truly in your midst.”
26 Let Everything Be Done Properly and in an Orderly Fashion. And so, what then should be done, brethren? When you assemble, each of you should bring a psalm or some lesson or a revelation, or speak in a tongue, or offer an interpretation. Everything should be done with the goal in mind of building up. 27 If any of you speak in a tongue, let only two or at most three come forward, one at a time, and someone must interpret. 28 If no one is available to interpret, let those who speak in tongues be silent in the church and speak only to themselves and to God.
29 As for the prophets, let two or three speak, and let the rest weigh their words. 30 Should a revelation be made to someone else who is sitting there, let the one who is speaking stop. 31 You can all prophesy, but one at a time, so that all may receive instruction and encouragement. 32 Indeed, the spirits of the prophets are subject to their prophets’ control, 33 for God is not a God of disorder but of peace.
As in all the Churches of the saints, 34 [s]women are to keep silent at the assemblies. For they are not permitted to speak, since the Law asserts that they are to be subordinate. 35 If there is anything they wish to know, they should ask their husbands at home. It is improper for them to speak in the church.
36 Did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only ones to whom it has come? 37 Anyone who claims to be a prophet or to have spiritual powers must recognize that what I am writing to you is a commandment of the Lord. 38 Anyone who does not acknowledge this should be ignored.
39 Therefore, brethren, be eager to prophesy and do not forbid speaking in tongues. 40 But ensure that everything is done properly and in an orderly fashion.
Footnotes
- 1 Corinthians 11:2 Gatherings of Christians are liturgical assemblies. The members listen to the Word of God, give thanks, break bread, the Lord is present and the Spirit enters their hearts. On more than one point, Christians readily imitated the mode of acting of the Jews, who came together in their synagogues on the Sabbath, but they were more distrustful of the religious customs of the pagans. In any case, through the celebration of the Eucharist and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the Christian Liturgy is profoundly original. Paul does not wish to impose laws upon it but insists that it be genuine worship.
- 1 Corinthians 11:2 In ancient times men went with heads uncovered, while women wore a veil as a sign of modesty and also of dependence on their husbands.
- 1 Corinthians 11:10 Sign: of the presence of the Lord, who demands holiness and propriety (see Deut 23:15).
- 1 Corinthians 11:17 From the very beginning, the Church has celebrated the Eucharist. She does so by renewing the actions and words of Jesus on the night of the Last Supper, and here we have the most ancient document written about it. The document evokes the celebration itself and expresses its most profound meaning. Nevertheless, Paul does not intend to give an explanation of the subject. He is simply intervening in the face of abuses. He stresses that the Eucharist is not to be celebrated in the same way as one organizes a sacred meal in a temple with one’s friends. We are not going to partake passingly in some magical or symbolic food of immortality. Celebrating the Eucharist is a serious action that engages the whole community in the highest reality of its faith: the union with Christ in his Passion, the unity that he imparts to human beings, and the expectation of his coming and its accomplishment for all. Such an action entails exigencies for Liturgy and life.
- 1 Corinthians 11:20 Before the Eucharist, the Corinthians apparently held an ordinary meal, an early form of the agape (see 2 Pet 2:13; Jude 12). Paul condemns the abuses that occurred in it.
- 1 Corinthians 11:23 This is the earliest written New Testament account of the institution of the Eucharist. The words over the bread and the cup stress the Lord’s self-giving, and the words “Do this in remembrance of me” command Christians to repeat his action.
- 1 Corinthians 11:25 After the supper: i.e., after the Passover supper. The Lord’s Supper was first celebrated by Jesus in connection with the Passover meal (see Mt 26:18-30). The cup: a symbol of the New Covenant in the blood of Jesus (Lk 22:20; see Jer 31:31-34). The Old Covenant was the Mosaic Covenant (see Ex 24:3-8).
- 1 Corinthians 11:27 In this passage Paul presents a profound teaching: The reception of Christ’s Body is a source of life and unity; it also has an effect on the relationships of human beings and on their salvation. But if the fraternal bond created by communion loosens, as at Corinth, the community becomes disunited in spirit and in body.
- 1 Corinthians 12:1 These pages have new relevance today. Such words as “charism” and “prophet” have once again become common in the Church. We are deeply interested in the relationships, undertakings, and inspirations that characterize the life and vitality of communities. God does indeed grant the grace of renewal for the sake of the authentic development of the Christian community. Nevertheless, we should not stop at the visible gifts, but should seek initiatives that help to unite the community and promote true love and the knowledge of the mystery of Christ. Christian experience is not a spectacle but a lived reality. This is a principle for discernment.
- 1 Corinthians 12:3 Cursed: to say this is to fail to recognize Jesus as the messenger of God (see Jn 8:48f; 9:24).
- 1 Corinthians 12:4 Note that these verses speak of the intervention of the three divine Persons. The charismatic movement cannot become a competition of visions nor a conflict of claims and a quest for prestige.
- 1 Corinthians 12:10 Mighty deeds: this phrase refers to actions that cannot be explained by natural means—hence, actions of God intended to show his power and purpose.
- 1 Corinthians 12:12 The Church, united and in harmony like a physical body, really forms the Body of Christ (1 Cor 10:17; Col 1:8-24; Eph 1:22-23; 5:23), brought into being by participation in his Eucharistic Body and given life by the life of the Spirit. This is one of Paul’s major ideas regarding the mystery of the Church.
- 1 Corinthians 12:31 This may be termed a passage for the ages. The word “love” summarizes for Paul all the newness that Jesus brings to the world. Wherever love exists, something of the eternal and the divine enters into the life and communication of human beings. In comparison to love, every other value is relative and transitory; love is the ultimate meaning.
We should leave aside all the cloying sentiments with which the words “love” and “charity” are often burdened and read these few strophes to rediscover this supreme reality that is so simple, so demanding, and so sublime. What a reversal this emphasis on genuine love is for the Corinthians! All the gifts that they like permit pretense, vanity, and ostentation even in the religious sphere; love is the direct opposite of all that.
Where love is lacking, all the charisms lose their power and meaning, even those that are the most needed and the most fruitful for the mission of the Church. The gifts are all provisional. When humankind attains its completion in the love of God, it will be genuinely and definitively fulfilled. In the fullness of this communion and in the complete vision of the Lord, faith and hope themselves will be left behind. But love alone will remain; it is eternal, for God is love (1 Jn 4:8). Even on earth, love is the reality and the power by which Christians must live. - 1 Corinthians 13:1 Love: the Greek term for this word means selfless concern for the welfare of others regardless of whether they are lovable or not. It arises from a willingness to love in obedience to the command of God and a desire to follow Christ’s love manifested on the cross (see Jn 13:34f; 1 Jn 3:16).
- 1 Corinthians 13:13 The greatest of these is love: this conclusion follows from the fact that God is love (1 Jn 4:8) and has communicated his love to us (1 Jn 4:10) and commands us to love one another (Jn 13:34f).
- 1 Corinthians 14:1 The Corinthians aimed especially at a spectacular gift that Paul calls the gift of tongues. The reference is to a type of ecstatic prayer: the inspired person speaks in the midst of the assembly, using incomprehensible words, in a kind of religious rapture; he or she sings the praises of God, either in foreign languages that an inspired interpreter can translate, or by repeating litanies of hardly articulated words, without any order, in a state of ecstasy.
In v. 14, Paul contrasts “spirit” and “mind”: the spirit is the innermost part of the soul, where the Holy Spirit acts in mysterious ways; the mind is the soul insofar as it reflects and analyzes itself; it is the level, that is, of self-consciousness and the communication of thought.
When inspiration disregards the mind, the way is opened to enthusiasm and disorder, instead of fraternal exchanges and communion. - 1 Corinthians 14:21 In the Law: i.e., the Old Testament; see Rom 3:10-19 where Paul cites a number of passages from the Old Testament and then calls them “the Law” in v. 19.
- 1 Corinthians 14:34 Paul is not against women speaking in church (see 1 Cor 11:5). He is against women speaking in a disorderly manner in church.
