1 Cor 11

 

Footnotes

1. 11:2 Or “traditions” or “guidelines.” It is likely that the instructions Paul refers to here are regarding their public worship. This would include cultural customs about church order and not necessarily doctrinal matters.
2. 11:3 Or “source.” Although the Greek word kephale, found three times in this verse, can be “head,” it is used figuratively. It is not used in Greek literature or Scripture as “head over,” “chief,” or “ruler.” To say that Christ is the head of every man means that he is the source of our life and faith as the head of the body of Christ. Christ is the “head” as in the head of a river. See also vv. 8–9, which support this. The source of the woman is man, for Eve was taken from Adam. The source of the Messiah is God, for he provided a virgin birth for Christ and formed his body and fulfilled the prophecies God spoke about him. Another possible translation of v. 3 is “Christ has responsibility over all men, as the husband has responsibility for his wife, and God the Father has responsibility over Christ.”
3. 11:3 As translated from the Aramaic.
4. 11:4 Implied in both the Aramaic and the Greek, as also in v. 5. This section (vv. 3–16) is not focused on marriage or the role of women in the church, but on proper attitudes of reverence and conduct in public worship. Paul’s discussion here would have made obvious sense within the cultural standards of the Corinthians. It is a continuation of Paul’s teaching that if our conduct offends and divides the church, we are to change our ways in order to promote unity among the believers. See 1 Cor. 10:27–33.
5. 11:5 Or “unbound,” as translated from the Aramaic. The Greek is “with her head uncovered.” The Greek word akatakalyptos is commonly translated as “unveiled” or “uncovered.” However, the Greek Septuagint of Lev. 13:45 uses the word akatakalyptos in saying that a person who has “leprosy” signals to the world his disease by staying dirty and keeping his hair “disheveled.” Notice also that Paul affirms the right of women to pray and prophesy in public worship services.
6. 11:6 Or “So, if a women will not wear a head covering, . . .”
7. 11:6 That is, “having her hair cut off [like a prostitute],” which was the common practice in Corinth. For the public worship of that era, a woman would have her long hair braided and covered up so she would not be mistaken as a cult priestess of Isis or Dionysus.
8. 11:8 See Gen. 2:21–23; 1 Tim. 2:13.
9. 11:9 See Gen. 2:18. In Christ, there is no fundamental difference between man and woman, as both were created by God with different roles and personalities. Although the first woman, Eve, came from Adam, every other man came from a woman (mother). To use Gen. 2:18 to say that women are inferior to men is equal to saying that all men are inferior to their mothers.
10. 11:10 This literal translation is one of the most difficult verses in all the New Testament to translate and to interpret properly. Scholars and translators are divided in how to express this verse with proper meaning. First, Paul uses the Greek word exousia (authority), which is used for the authority of God, kings, and rulers, and can be translated “might” or “right.” It never occurs as a metaphor speaking of a piece of apparel. This is not a symbol of authority, but true authority on “the” (not her) head under which she ministers. Before Pentecost, the woman was not seen as anyone with authority, but at Pentecost the Holy Spirit fell upon men and women, giving each person the authority to take the gospel with power to the ends of the earth and prophesy under the direction of the Holy Spirit. The Gospels both begin and end with a visitation of angels to women. The angel Gabriel came to Mary and the angels of God greeted the women at the empty tomb. However, the Aramaic word used here is a homonym that can mean both “power” and “covering/veil.” This may explain the variation of the Greek texts.
11. 11:11 As translated from the Aramaic and implied in the Greek.
12. 11:13 As translated from the Aramaic. The Greek is “with her head uncovered.”
13. 11:15 Or “prayer shawl.” The Greek word peribolaion is translated in the Deut. 22:12 (LXX) as “prayer shawl.”
14. 11:16 Or “custom.”
15. 11:19 Differences of opinion between believers expose our hearts. Mature ones will overlook offenses and faults in order to maintain the precious unity of the body of Christ. Immature ones will cause splits, divisions, and cliques around their respective opinions. The ones whom God approves are those whose hearts remain pure in spite of petty differences.
16. 11:20 Implied both in the text and by the cultural context of the day.
17. 11:20 Paul is implying that it is the Lord’s Supper, not merely a meal for favored ones. Jesus is hosting the meal for the benefit of all every time we gather for communion.
18. 11:21 Apparently, the church of Corinth was divided between the “haves” and the “have nots.” Those who were wealthy would feast and become drunk, while those who had very little went hungry. The precious unity of the church was spoiled by this behavior. These shared meals were called “love feasts” (Judah 12).
19. 11:23 Or “betrayed.” Paul is using a play on words in the Greek text. He “handed down” to us the instructions for the Lord’s Table, but the Lord was “handed over” to his accusers.
20. 11:24 As translated from the Aramaic, which means “Eat and be satisfied.”
21. 11:29 Or “unworthily” or “irreverently.”
22. 11:29 Some manuscripts have “the Lord’s body.” This can be understood in at least two ways. It may refer to not recognizing the bread as Christ’s body given in sacrifice, or not recognizing Christ’s body on earth, the church. To properly discern the Lord’s body, which was beaten and bruised for our healing, would mean we would not be weak or sick or die prematurely.
23. 11:30 Or “asleep,” a metaphor for death.
24. 11:33 The Aramaic can be translated “strengthen [encourage] one another.”