The Word Made Fresh
1I try to imitate Christ’s example, so you can imitate me.
2I bless you for remembering me in all the things I taught you. 3But it’s important to remember that Christ is over each of us as a husband is over his wife, and God is over Christ. 4If a man prays or prophesies with his head covered, his head is disgraced. 5But a woman is disgraced if she does so with her head uncovered, because that’s like having her head shaved. 6If a woman refuses to wear a veil she should have her hair cut off. But if it’s shameful for a woman to cut off her hair she should wear a veil. 7A man shouldn’t wear a veil because he reflects God’s glory, but a woman is a reflection of man. 8After all, a man was not made from a woman, but a woman was made from a man. 9And men weren’t created for the sake of women; but women were created for the sake of men. 10This is why women should have their head covered. 11But as far as the Lord is concerned, men and women aren’t independent of one another. 12Woman came from man, and now man comes through woman; but everything comes from God. 13You be the judge: should a woman pray to God with her head unveiled? 14The nature of things teaches us that if a man has long hair it degrades him, 15but long hair is a woman’s glory because her hair was given to her as a veil. 16Anyway, if anyone wants to argue about this, we and God’s churches have no such customs.
17Now in what follows I can’t commend you because when you gather it does more harm than good. 18For example, I have heard that when you come together as a church you argue about things, and I tend to believe such reports. 19After all there must be divisions among you because that’s the only way to make it clear who is genuine. 20So, when you gather, it really isn’t to enjoy the Lord’s supper, 21because when it’s time to eat each of you goes ahead with his own meal, so that one goes hungry while another gets drunk. 22What is that about? Don’t each of you eat and drink in your own homes? Or are you injuring the church of God by humiliating the poor? What can I tell you? Should I approve of this? I do not!
23What I passed on to you I received from the Lord: on the night he was betrayed he took a loaf of bread, 24gave thanks, broke it and said, “This is my body broken for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25In the same way, after supper he took the cup and said, “This is the new covenant in my blood. Always do this in remembrance of me.” 26Whenever you eat this bread and drink from this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he returns.
27So, anyone who eats the Lord’s bread or drinks from the Lord’s cup in ways that don’t honor the Lord will have to answer for the Lord’s body and blood. 28First, take a close look at yourselves, and then eat the bread and drink from the cup. 29Anyone who eats and drinks, and does so without recognizing the body of the Lord, eats and drinks in judgment against themselves. 30This is why so many of you are weak and sick, and some have even died. 31When we judge ourselves we’re not really being judged; 32but when the Lord judges us we are disciplined so that we won’t be condemned along with the world.
33So when you gather to eat, don’t be in a hurry, but wait for each other. 34If you’re hungry eat at home so that when you come together you won’t be condemned for being greedy.
I’ll give some instructions regarding the other things you asked about when I get there.
Commentary
1-16: Paul’s comments here are cultural rather than spiritual. Verses 11 and 12 are the crux of the topic; tiptoe past the rest of this paragraph.
17-22: On to other issues. Paul chides them for the way they observe the Lord’s Supper. The reason Christians break bread is so they can share it with each other. Hoarding your own stash is not the way the followers of Jesus are supposed to act.
23-26: Another reason we observe the ritual of breaking bread and sharing a cup is to express the reality that Christ has died, his body broken and his blood poured out, but we understand that we do this in expectation that Christ will come again.
27-32: Verse 28, where he writes, “First, take a close look at yourselves, and then…” is the reason in our liturgy we pray a prayer of confession before we come to the Lord’s table. If we would judge ourselves, he says, Christ would have no need to judge us. Still, Christ’s judgment is for the purpose of correction, not condemnation.
33-34: In summary, he tells them, share the bread and the cup not out of hunger but in fellowship with one another and with Christ.
He mentions that they have asked about other matters as well, but defers commenting on them until he can visit them in person. We will discover that his plans to visit will be delayed, and he will write the letter we call 2 Corinthians.
Takeaway
The next time you partake of Holy Communion, imagine yourself as one of the disciples sharing with the others the bread and cup after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension. It is an act of community, not individuality.