Verse-by-Verse Commentary
The Book of 1 Corinthians
Chapter 11: The Lord's Supper
1 Corinthians 11 addresses order in worship and the Lord's table. Paul teaches an order of headship, 'the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God,' and applies it to the covering of men and women in prayer and prophecy, while insisting that 'in the Lord' man and woman are not independent, for 'all things of God.' Then he rebukes the Corinthians for turning the Lord's Supper into a selfish, divided meal that shames the poor. He recalls its holy institution, received 'of the Lord': 'this is my body, which is broken for you... this cup is the new testament in my blood.' To eat and drink 'unworthily,' 'not discerning the Lord's body,' is to eat 'damnation'; so 'let a man examine himself.' The chapter shows us God's order, the sacred memorial of Christ's death, and the reverence His table demands.
About This Commentary
This is a verse-by-verse study of 1 Corinthians chapter 11. For each section you will find the KJV text, the Greek words that sharpen the meaning, plain explanation, and a Gospel Focus. Here Paul teaches an order of headship, corrects the abuse of the Lord's Supper, and recalls its sacred institution as the memorial of Christ's death. Every Scripture quotation is from the King James Version.
Setting the Stage
The Head of Christ Is God
An order of headship in creation and worship, rooted in God Himself.
Not the Lord's Supper
Their selfish, divided meals dishonored the Lord's table.
This Is My Body
The Supper is the memorial of Christ's broken body and shed blood.
Let a Man Examine Himself
Discern the Lord's body; eat and drink with reverence.
The Head of Christ Is God (1 Corinthians 11:1-16)
Paul teaches an order of headship and applies it to men and women in prayer and prophecy, while affirming their mutual dependence in the Lord.
The Image and Glory of God
"Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you. But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head. But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered. For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man. For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man. For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels. Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord. For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God. Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered? Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering. But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God."
Word Study
"head," Greek kephale (κεφαλή). The word means the physical head, and figuratively one who is chief, the source or leader. Paul sets an order: "the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God." This is not a chain of unequal beings but an order of relationship and honor. Note carefully the last phrase, "the head of Christ is God." This does not mean Christ is a lesser, second divine person eternally beneath the Father, for there is one God, and Jesus is that one God manifest in flesh. It speaks of Christ in His incarnation, the Son, the man Christ Jesus, who lived in perfect submission to the Father, saying, "my Father is greater than I" (John 14:28) and "I came... not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me" (John 6:38). The one God, as the eternal Father, is the "head" of the same God as He came in flesh, the Son. It is the order of the incarnation, the humanity of Christ yielded wholly to the deity, not two Gods, nor two persons in a Godhead. Just as the Son is the head of man and man the head of woman without any being less human, so God is the head of Christ without Christ being less than fully God. All headship finally rests in the one God, "for... all things of God."
Explanation
Paul addresses order and covering in worship, grounding it in a chain of headship: "the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God." As the incarnate Son willingly took a place under the Father, so an ordered, honoring relationship runs through creation, symbolized in that culture by head coverings. Yet Paul guards against any notion of inferiority: "neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord," for "all things [are] of God." His concern is reverent, orderly worship that honors God's design, not the abolishing of one sex before the other.
Gospel Focus
Paul begins with a call to imitation: "Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ." He commends the Corinthians for keeping "the ordinances" he delivered, then teaches on order in worship. He grounds it in an order of headship that runs from God to Christ to man to woman: "the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God." This is an order of relationship and honor, not of worth, for in the same passage Paul insists on mutual dependence. He applies the principle to a cultural sign of the day: in that setting, a man praying or prophesying with his head covered, or a woman with her head uncovered, brought dishonor. The man is "the image and glory of God," and the woman "the glory of the man," reflecting the order of creation, "the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man." Yet Paul immediately guards against any thought of the woman's inferiority: "Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord. For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God." In the Lord, man and woman need each other and both come from God; there is order, but no superiority of being. Paul appeals to their own judgment and to "nature itself," which gives the woman "long hair... for a covering" as a natural glory. And he closes graciously: if anyone wants to be "contentious" about the custom, "we have no such custom, neither the churches of God", the deeper point is honor, order, and peace in worship, not endless dispute over a cultural form. Behind the whole passage stands the truth that God is a God of order, and that all headship, in the home, the church, and the incarnation itself, rests at last in the one God from whom are all things.
This Is Not to Eat the Lord's Supper (1 Corinthians 11:17-22)
The Corinthians' divisions and selfishness at their gatherings turned the Lord's Supper into a shameful meal.
Ye Come Together Not for the Better, but for the Worse
"Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse. For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it. For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you. When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper. For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken. What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not."
Word Study
"divisions," Greek schismata, from schisma (σχίσμα). The word means a tear or rent, as in torn cloth, and figuratively a split or faction. "When ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you." The very gatherings meant to display the one body of Christ were being torn by cliques and self-interest. When the church assembled to eat together, the wealthy went ahead with their own food and drink while the poor went hungry, so that "one is hungry, and another is drunken." Such schismata turned the sacred meal into a display of contempt, shaming "them that have not." Paul is scandalized: "despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not?" A torn, selfish gathering "is not to eat the Lord's supper" at all, whatever they called it. The Lord's table, which should knit believers into one body, had become an occasion of division, and that emptied the supper of its meaning.
Explanation
Paul cannot praise their gatherings, for "ye come together not for the better, but for the worse." At the shared meal preceding the Lord's Supper, "there be divisions among you" — the wealthy eating and drinking to excess while the poor go hungry and ashamed. Such selfish disorder was a contradiction: "this is not to eat the Lord's supper." By turning the Lord's table into an occasion of class division, they "despise... the church of God, and shame them that have not." The Supper meant to unite them was exposing and deepening their divisions.
Gospel Focus
Paul now turns to a grievous disorder: the very meetings of the church were doing harm. "Ye come together not for the better, but for the worse." The problem was "divisions among you", the same party spirit that ran through the whole letter, now poisoning the Lord's table. In that day the Lord's Supper was joined to a shared meal, but the Corinthians had corrupted it. Instead of sharing, "every one taketh before other his own supper," so that the rich feasted and even got drunk while the poor, who had little, went hungry. The sacred meal became a stage for social pride, humiliating the needy. Paul is indignant: "What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not?" If they merely wanted to eat, they could do that at home; but to turn the Lord's table into a showcase of selfishness was to despise the church and its Lord. Such a gathering, however religious in name, "is not to eat the Lord's supper" at all. The Lord's table is meant to proclaim a body given and blood shed for all alike, rich and poor, and to bind believers into one body; to observe it in division and contempt is to deny the very thing it signifies. God's people do not come to the table to display their status but to remember a Lord who gave Himself for all, and to love one another as He loved them.
This Cup Is the New Testament in My Blood (1 Corinthians 11:23-34)
Paul recalls the holy institution of the Supper and calls for reverent self-examination in discerning the Lord's body.
This Do in Remembrance of Me
"For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another. And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come."
Word Study
"new testament," Greek kaine diatheke (καινὴ διαθήκη). The word diatheke means a covenant, a solemn arrangement God establishes with His people, here the "new" covenant. "This cup is the new testament in my blood." Jesus takes the cup and declares that His blood ratifies the new covenant God had promised through Jeremiah, "I will make a new covenant... I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more" (Jeremiah 31:31-34). As the old covenant was sealed with the blood of sacrifice at Sinai, so the new and better covenant is sealed with the blood of Christ, His own blood, shed for the remission of sins. Every time believers drink the cup, they proclaim that a new covenant has been cut in the blood of the Lord, and that they are its people, forgiven and brought near. The One whose blood seals the covenant is no mere man; it is "the blood of the Lord," the one God come in flesh, who "purchased" the church "with his own blood" (Acts 20:28). To drink the cup is to declare our part in that covenant sealed by the Lord's own life poured out.
Explanation
Paul recounts the Supper's institution "which I also received of the Lord" — the bread, "this is my body," and the cup, "this cup is the new testament in my blood" — "this do... in remembrance of me." To eat it is to "shew the Lord's death till he come." Because it is so holy, careless participation is grave — to partake "unworthily" is to be "guilty of the body and blood of the Lord." So "let a man examine himself," "discerning the Lord's body." Reverence, self-examination, and love for the whole body are the Supper's proper dress; irreverence had even brought chastening upon them.
Gospel Focus
To correct the abuse, Paul recalls the sacred origin of the Supper, which he "received of the Lord" and "delivered" to them. On "the same night in which he was betrayed," the Lord Jesus "took bread... brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me." Then the cup: "This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me." The Supper is a memorial, "in remembrance of me," and a proclamation: "as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come." Every observance looks back to the cross and forward to His coming, preaching His death until He returns. Because the Supper is so holy, it must be approached with reverence. To eat "unworthily," carelessly, selfishly, without regard for its meaning, is to "be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord," a serious thing. So "let a man examine himself, and so let him eat." The one who eats "not discerning the Lord's body", failing to recognize the sacredness of what the bread signifies and the unity of the body of believers, "eateth and drinketh damnation to himself," bringing judgment. Paul says this was why "many are weak and sickly... and many sleep", God had disciplined the careless. Yet even this judgment is fatherly: "when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world." God corrects His own in love, to save them from sharing the world's condemnation. The remedy is self-examination: "if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged." Practically, Paul tells them to "tarry one for another," to wait and share, and if merely hungry, to eat at home, so their gatherings honor the Lord rather than inviting His chastening. The Lord's table is not a common meal but the holy memorial of His death; it calls for a searched heart, a discerning of His body, and a love that waits for the brethren.
Chapter 11 in Review
1 Corinthians 11 addresses order in worship and the sanctity of the Lord's table. Paul teaches an order of headship, "the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God," and applies it to men and women in prayer and prophecy, while insisting that "in the Lord" neither is independent, for "all things of God." Then he rebukes the Corinthians whose "divisions" and selfishness at the table meant "this is not to eat the Lord's supper," for the rich shamed the poor. He recalls the Supper's institution, received "of the Lord": "this is my body, which is broken for you... this cup is the new testament in my blood," a memorial that shows "the Lord's death till he come." To eat "unworthily," "not discerning the Lord's body," brings judgment, so "let a man examine himself."
For the Apostolic reader this chapter joins God's order to God's table. The headship of God over Christ speaks of the incarnation, the Son yielded wholly to the Father who is the one God, not of two divine persons, for Jesus is that one God come in flesh; and all order in creation and worship rests at last in Him from whom are all things. The Lord's Supper is no empty form but a holy memorial of Christ's broken body and shed blood, sealing the new covenant "in my blood," the blood of the Lord who purchased us. It proclaims His death until He comes, and it binds believers, rich and poor, into one body, so it must never be observed in division or contempt. Come to the table with a searched heart, discerning the Lord's body, remembering the death that saved you, and loving the brethren for whom He also died. The God of order and the Lord of the table calls His people to reverence, unity, and love.
- "The head of Christ is God" speaks of the incarnate Son yielded to the Father, the one God (11:3).
- God is a God of order, yet man and woman are mutually dependent "in the Lord" (11:11-12).
- Division and selfishness at the table mean "this is not to eat the Lord's supper" (11:20).
- The Supper is Christ's own memorial: "this is my body... the new testament in my blood" (11:24-25).
- It proclaims "the Lord's death till he come" (11:26).
- "Let a man examine himself," discerning the Lord's body, lest he eat judgment (11:28-29).
Questions for Reflection
- Do you honor God's order in worship and the home with a humble, peaceable spirit?
- How does "the head of Christ is God" fit the truth that Jesus is the one God come in flesh?
- Do you come to the Lord's table with reverence, or with carelessness or division?
- What does it mean to "examine" yourself and "discern the Lord's body" before communion?
References & Sources
Scripture is quoted from the King James Version (KJV). Supporting passages are listed so every claim can be verified in its own setting. Headship, the image of God, and mutual dependence in the Lord: 1 Corinthians 11:1-16; Genesis 1:26-27; 2:18-23; Galatians 3:28. The head of Christ is God; the incarnate Son yielded to the Father: 1 Corinthians 11:3; John 6:38; 14:28; Philippians 2:5-8; 1 Timothy 3:16. The abuse of the Lord's Supper and division: 1 Corinthians 11:17-22; Jude 12; James 2:1-6. The institution and the new covenant in Christ's blood: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; Luke 22:19-20; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 9:15; Acts 20:28. Self-examination and the Lord's chastening: 1 Corinthians 11:27-34; 2 Corinthians 13:5; Hebrews 12:5-11. If anything here does not look right, a verse, a reference, or a wording, please tell us at info@FruitBearers.net. Thank you for helping us keep Bible Learning error free.
- Headship and order in worship; the head of Christ is God: 1 Corinthians 11:1-16; John 6:38; Philippians 2:5-8.
- The abuse of the Lord's table: 1 Corinthians 11:17-22; James 2:1-6.
- The institution of the Supper and self-examination: 1 Corinthians 11:23-34; Luke 22:19-20; Jeremiah 31:31-34.