1 Corinthians 11

Translator Notes

1. This verse likely concludes the argument of chapter 10 (chapter divisions are later additions). Paul's call to imitation is now explicitly grounded: mimētai mou ginesthe kathōs kagō Christou ('imitate me as I imitate Christ'). The chain of imitation — Christ → Paul → Corinthians — prevents both hero worship (Paul is not the ultimate model) and autonomy (the Corinthians cannot claim to follow Christ while ignoring apostolic example).

Translator Notes

1. The word paradoseis ('traditions, teachings handed down') is technical language for authoritative tradition passed from teacher to student. Paul praises their general faithfulness before addressing the specific problems. The verb paredōka ('I delivered, I handed over') will recur in verse 23 for the Lord's Supper tradition.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. The Greek kephalē ('head') is the crux of this passage. It can mean 'authority over' (as in most traditional readings) or 'source/origin' (as some scholars argue from its usage in Greek literature). The order — Christ/man, man/woman, God/Christ — is not hierarchical (God is mentioned last, not first) but likely traces the 'source' relationship. The Greek anēr can mean 'man' or 'husband,' and gynē can mean 'woman' or 'wife' — in this context about married couples at worship, 'husband' and 'wife' are likely.

Translator Notes

1. The phrase kata kephalēs echōn ('having [something] down from the head') likely refers to a cloth draped over the head. Roman men of high status sometimes covered their heads during religious rituals (capite velato), so Paul may be opposing a specific Roman practice rather than giving a universal rule. The double meaning of 'head' — the man's physical head and Christ as his metaphorical head — creates deliberate ambiguity.

Translator Notes

1. Crucially, Paul assumes women pray and prophesy in the assembly — the issue is not whether they participate but how. The word akatakalyptō ('uncovered, unveiled') describes the absence of a head covering. Paul equates an uncovered head with a shaved head (exurēmenē) — in the ancient world, a shaved female head was associated with shame, mourning, or the punishment of adulteresses.

Translator Notes

1. Paul uses a reductio ad absurdum: if being uncovered is acceptable, then so is being shorn (keirasthō) or shaved (xyrasthai). But since the Corinthians agree that a shaved/shorn woman is shameful (aischron), they should agree that covering is appropriate. The argument assumes shared cultural values about female appearance.

Translator Notes

1. Paul draws on Genesis 1:26-27. The statement that man is eikōn kai doxa theou ('image and glory of God') reflects Genesis 1:27. That woman is doxa andros ('glory of man') does not deny she bears God's image (Genesis 1:27 includes both male and female) but adds a relational dimension from the Genesis 2 narrative. The word doxa ('glory') here may mean 'that which reflects the glory of' — as the moon reflects the sun's light.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Draws on Genesis 1:26-27. Consult the TCR rendering of that passage for the underlying Hebrew and the rationale for key translation choices.

Translator Notes

1. Paul references Genesis 2:21-22 (woman created from man's rib/side). The preposition ek ('from, out of') emphasizes origin. Note that Paul will qualify this in verse 12: 'as woman came from man, so man comes through woman' — the dependency is mutual.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] References Genesis 2:21-22 — the TCR OT rendering of that text provides the Hebrew source and explains the translation decisions involved.

Translator Notes

1. Paul references Genesis 2:18 ('It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make a helper suitable for him'). The phrase dia ton andra ('for the sake of the man') echoes the 'helper' (ezer) concept. In Hebrew, ezer does not imply subordination — God himself is called Israel's ezer (Psalm 33:20, 70:5).
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Echoes Genesis 2:18. See the TCR's OT rendering for the Hebrew behind this passage and the translation rationale.
3. [TCR Cross-Reference] Echoes Psalm 33:20. See the TCR's OT rendering for the Hebrew behind this passage and the translation rationale.

Translator Notes

1. This verse is notoriously difficult. The Greek exousian echein epi tēs kephalēs ('to have authority on the head') could mean: (1) a sign of being under authority (traditional reading, requiring 'symbol of' as an interpretive addition), (2) the woman's own authority to pray and prophesy (the covering as her authorization), or (3) authority over her own head (the right to decide about covering). The phrase dia tous angelous ('because of the angels') may reference angels as guardians of worship order, or the Genesis 6:1-4 tradition, or angelic presence in the assembly. The ambiguity is genuine.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] This verse quotes Genesis 6:1-4 — see the TCR rendering of that passage for the Hebrew source text and translation decisions.

Translator Notes

1. The qualifier en kyriō ('in the Lord') is crucial — whatever hierarchical or source-relationship Paul has established, it is mutual in Christ. The double negative oute...chōris...oute...chōris ('neither without...nor without') creates complete interdependence. This verse significantly qualifies verses 7-9.

Translator Notes

1. Paul balances his earlier creation argument: if woman originated from man (Genesis 2), every man since has been born through (dia) a woman. The final clause ta de panta ek tou theou ('but all things are from God') places both sexes under divine sovereignty, preventing either from claiming ultimacy over the other.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Draws on Genesis 2. Consult the TCR rendering of that passage for the underlying Hebrew and the rationale for key translation choices.

Translator Notes

1. Paul appeals to the Corinthians' own sense of propriety (prepon, 'fitting, proper, appropriate'). This is an argument from cultural sensibility, not from divine command — a weaker form of argumentation that suggests Paul recognizes the cultural specificity of the practice.

Translator Notes

1. The appeal to physis ('nature') is an argument from what seems natural or customary. The claim that long hair on men is atimia ('disgrace, dishonor') reflects Greco-Roman cultural norms, not universal biology — many ancient Near Eastern men wore long hair (Nazirites, Spartans). Paul is arguing from cultural convention, which weakens the argument's universal applicability.

Translator Notes

1. The statement that long hair is given (dedotai, divine passive — given by God) as a peribolaion ('covering, wrap') creates a potential problem for Paul's argument: if long hair is a natural covering, why require an additional artificial covering? Some scholars argue Paul is saying long hair is the only covering needed; others that the natural covering teaches the principle of covering, which should be honored with an additional veil.

Translator Notes

1. Paul's final argument is from church practice: hēmeis toiautēn synētheian ouk echomen ('we have no such custom'). The ambiguity is whether 'no such custom' means 'no custom of women being uncovered' or 'no custom of being contentious about it.' The appeal to universal church practice (hai ekklēsiai tou theou) serves as Paul's trump card when other arguments may not persuade.

Translator Notes

1. The shift from praise (v. 2, 'I commend you') to criticism (ouk epainō, 'I do not commend you') signals a more serious problem. The Corinthians' assemblies are actually making things worse (eis to hēsson) rather than better (eis to kreisson) — their worship is counter-productive.

Translator Notes

1. The word schismata ('divisions') recurs from 1:10. The phrase meros ti pisteuō ('I partly believe') is diplomatically restrained — Paul does not dismiss the reports entirely but also does not accept every detail uncritically. The 'first of all' (prōton men) implies a list, but the second item is never explicitly stated (it may be the spiritual gifts discussion in chapters 12-14).

Translator Notes

1. The word haireseis ('factions, parties, sects' — the origin of 'heresies') in this context means party divisions, not formal theological heresy. Paul's statement that factions 'must' (dei) exist is not endorsement but recognition of a divine purpose: divisions reveal who is dokimoi ('tested, approved, genuine'). The furnace of conflict refines character.

Translator Notes

1. The phrase kyriakon deipnon ('the Lord's Supper') appears only here in the New Testament — Paul may have coined the term. The adjective kyriakos ('belonging to the Lord') marks this meal as distinct from ordinary dining. Paul's judgment is blunt: what they do when they gather is not the Lord's Supper at all. Their behavior has invalidated the meal.

Translator Notes

1. The verb prolambanei ('takes beforehand, goes ahead with') indicates that wealthier members, who could arrive earlier and bring better food, were eating before the poorer members arrived (slaves and laborers who could not leave work early). The result: hos men peina hos de methyei ('one hungers, another is drunk'). The Lord's Supper, which was supposed to enact equality in Christ, was instead reinforcing Corinthian social stratification.

Translator Notes

1. Paul's indignation builds through four questions. The key accusation: kataphhroneite tēs ekklēsias tou theou ('you despise the church of God') and kataischynete tous mē echontas ('you humiliate those who do not have'). The 'have-nots' (tous mē echontas) are poor members who arrive with little or no food. The wealthy are not merely eating their own food but humiliating the poor by creating a two-tier meal that mirrors the social hierarchy the gospel was supposed to dissolve.

Translator Notes

1. The technical language parelabon...paredōka ('I received...I delivered') is the standard terminology for transmitting authoritative tradition in both Jewish and early Christian circles. Paul claims to have received this tradition apo tou kyriou ('from the Lord') — whether through a direct revelation or through a chain of tradition originating from Jesus is debated. The phrase en tē nykti hē paredideto ('on the night he was being handed over/betrayed') uses paredideto, which can mean 'betrayed' (by Judas) or 'handed over' (by God — cf. Romans 8:32). The ambiguity may be intentional.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. The verb eucharistēsas ('having given thanks') is the origin of 'Eucharist.' The words touto mou estin to sōma to hyper hymōn ('this is my body which is for you') are among the most debated in Christian history — 'is' (estin) has been interpreted as literal identity, symbolic representation, spiritual presence, and more. The SBLGNT does not include 'broken' (klōmenon), which appears in later manuscripts. The command touto poieite ('do this') establishes the meal as a repeated practice, not a one-time event. The word anamnēsis ('remembrance') is more than mere memory — in Jewish Passover theology, it means making the past event present and effective.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. The phrase meta to deipnēsai ('after supper') indicates the cup came after the meal, not during it — the original context was a full Passover meal. The declaration touto to potērion hē kainē diathēkē estin en tō emō haimati ('this cup is the new covenant in my blood') explicitly invokes Jeremiah 31:31-34, where God promises a new covenant to replace the Sinai covenant. Jesus's blood is the ratifying sacrifice of this new covenant, just as the blood of Exodus 24:8 ratified the old.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] This verse quotes Jeremiah 31:31-34 — see the TCR rendering of that passage for the Hebrew source text and translation decisions.
3. [TCR Cross-Reference] This verse quotes Exodus 24:8 — see the TCR rendering of that passage for the Hebrew source text and translation decisions.

Translator Notes

1. Paul adds his own interpretive comment to the tradition. The verb katangallete ('you proclaim, you announce publicly') means the Lord's Supper is a proclamation — every celebration is a sermon in action. The temporal marker achri hou elthē ('until he comes') gives the meal an eschatological horizon: it looks backward to the cross and forward to the return. The meal exists in the tension between 'already' (Christ has died) and 'not yet' (Christ has not yet returned).

Translator Notes

1. The adverb anaxiōs ('unworthily, in an unworthy manner') modifies the manner of eating, not the worthiness of the eater. In context, 'unworthily' means eating in a way that perpetuates social divisions (vv. 21-22). The word enochos ('guilty, liable, answerable for') is a legal term — eating without regard for others makes one liable for the very body and blood the meal commemorates.

Translator Notes

1. The verb dokimazatō ('let him test, let him examine') is from the metallurgical testing vocabulary — test yourself as you would test metal for quality. The self-examination is not a general inventory of sins but specifically: am I participating in a way that honors the body of Christ (both the crucified body and the community)?

Translator Notes

1. The phrase mē diakrinōn to sōma ('not discerning the body') is ambiguous: 'the body' could mean Christ's body in the bread, the church as Christ's body, or both. Given the context of social divisions at the meal, 'the body' most likely refers to the community — failing to recognize the gathered church as Christ's body leads to judgment. The SBLGNT does not include 'unworthily' or 'of the Lord' in this verse, following the earliest manuscripts.

Translator Notes

1. Paul attributes actual physical illness and death in the Corinthian community to their abuse of the Lord's Supper. The verb koimōntai ('sleep') is the Christian euphemism for death (cf. 7:39; 15:6, 18, 20, 51). Whether Paul means divine punishment, natural consequences of social dysfunction, or a spiritual-physical connection is debated, but the severity of the statement is unmistakable.

Translator Notes

1. The wordplay between diekrinomen ('we were judging/discerning ourselves') and ekrinometha ('we would be judged') connects back to verse 29's diakrinōn ('discerning'). Self-examination prevents divine judgment — the discipline is restorative, not retributive.

Translator Notes

1. The verb paideuometha ('we are disciplined, educated, trained') uses the vocabulary of parental correction — God's judgment on the community is disciplinary (corrective) not condemnatory (destructive). The purpose clause hina mē syn tō kosmō katakrithōmen ('so that we may not be condemned with the world') distinguishes between divine discipline within the family and final condemnation.

Translator Notes

1. The practical solution is remarkably simple: allēlous ekdechesthe ('wait for one another'). The entire problem — rich eating before poor arrive, social stratification at the Lord's table — is solved by the basic act of waiting. The verb ekdechesthe means 'welcome, receive, wait for' — it implies hospitality, not mere delay.

Translator Notes

1. Paul's second practical instruction: if you cannot wait, eat at home (en oikō esthietō). The purpose clause hina mē eis krima synerchēsthe ('so that you may not come together for judgment') reframes their gatherings as potentially judicial events — assemblies that should bring blessing can instead bring krima ('judgment'). The closing phrase ta de loipa ('the remaining matters') indicates Paul has more to say but will handle it in person.