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Christian Order

^1 (C1)Imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.

^2 (C1)I praise and appreciate you because you ^(C2)remember me in everything and you ^(C3)firmly hold to the ^(F1)traditions the substance of my instructions, just as I have passed them on to you.³ But I want you to understand that Christ is the ^(C1)head (authority over) of every man, and ^(C2)man is the head of woman, and God is the ^(C3)head of Christ.⁴ Every man who prays or ^(F1)(C1)prophesies with something on his head dishonors his head and the One who is his head.⁵ And every ^(C1)woman who prays or prophesies when she has her ^(F1)head uncovered disgraces her head; for she is one and the same as the ^(F2)woman whose head is ^(C2)shaved in disgrace.⁶ If a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off; and ^(F1)if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, she should cover her head.⁷ A man ought not have his head covered during worship, since he is the ^(C1)image and reflected glory of God; but the woman is the expression of man's glory. ^(VR1)8 For ^(C1)man does not originate from woman, but woman from man; ^(VR1)9 for indeed man was not created for the sake of woman, but ^(C1)woman for the sake of man. ^(VR1)10 Therefore the woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head, ^(F1)for the sake of the angels so as not to offend them.¹¹ Nevertheless, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman.¹² For as the woman originates from the man, so also man is born through the woman; and ^(C1)all things whether male or female originate ^(C2)from God as their Creator.^13 (F1)(C1)Judge for yourselves; is it proper for a woman to offer prayer to God publicly with her head uncovered?¹⁴ Does not common sense 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 ornament and glory? For her long hair is given to her as a covering.¹⁶ Now if anyone is inclined to be contentious about this, ^(C1)we have no other practice in worship than this, nor do ^(C2)the churches of God in general.

¹⁷ But in giving this next instruction, ^(C1)I do not praise you, because when you meet together it is not for the better but for the worse.¹⁸ For, in the first place, when you meet together in church, I hear that there are ^(C1)divisions among you; and in part I believe it,¹⁹ for doubtless there ^(C1)have to be factions among you, ^(C2)so that those who are of approved character may be clearly recognized among you.²⁰ So when you meet together, it is not to eat the ^(F1)Lord's Supper,²¹ for when you eat, each one hurries to get his own supper first not waiting for others or the poor. So one goes hungry while ^(C1)another gets drunk.²² What! Do you not have houses in which to eat and drink? Or do you show contempt for the ^(C1)church of God and ^(C2)humiliate those impoverished believers who have nothing? What will I say to you? Shall ^(C3)I praise you for this? In this I will not praise you!

The Lord's Supper

^23 (F1)For ^(C1)I received from the Lord Himself that instruction which I passed on to you, that ^(C2)the Lord Jesus on the night in which He was betrayed took bread;²⁴ and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is (represents) My body, which is offered as a sacrifice for you. Do this in affectionate remembrance of Me."²⁵ In the same way, after supper He took ^(C1)the cup, saying, "This cup is the ^(C2)new covenant ratified and established in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in affectionate remembrance of Me."²⁶ For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are symbolically proclaiming the fact of the Lord's death ^(C1)until He comes again.

²⁷ So then whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in a way that is unworthy of Him will be ^(C1)guilty of profaning and sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.²⁸ But a person must prayerfully ^(C1)examine himself and his relationship to Christ, and only when he has done so should he eat of the bread and drink of the cup.²⁹ For anyone who eats and drinks without solemn reverence and heartfelt gratitude for the sacrifice of Christ, eats and drinks a judgment on himself if he does not ^(F1)recognize the body of Christ.³⁰ That careless and unworthy participation is the reason why many among you are weak and sick, and a number ^(C1)sleep in death.³¹ But if we evaluated and judged ourselves honestly recognizing our shortcomings and correcting our behavior, we would not be judged.³² But when we fall short and are judged by the Lord, we are ^(C1)disciplined by undergoing His correction so that we will not be condemned to eternal punishment along with ^(C2)the world.

³³ So then, my brothers and sisters, when you come together to eat the Lord's Supper, wait for one another and see to it that no one is left out.³⁴ If anyone is too ^(C1)hungry to wait, let him eat ^(C2)at home, so that you will not come together for judgment on yourselves. About the remaining matters of which I was informed, I will ^(C3)take care of them ^(C4)when I come.