1 Corinthians 11 Bible study: Received from the Lord

In Favor's introduction to the letter, the chapter's first verse closes the part that begins at 10:1: "Be imitators of me, even as I also am of Christ." (11:1) (tap imitators). Then a new part opens with praise: "Now I praise you, brothers, that you remember me in all things, and hold firm the traditions, even as I delivered them to you." (11:2) (tap praise, traditions). What follows, as the WEB has it: "But I would have you know that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonors his head. But every woman praying or prophesying with her head uncovered dishonors her head. For it is one and the same thing as if she were shaved. For if a woman is not covered, let her hair also be cut off. But if it is shameful for a woman to have her hair cut off or be shaved, let her be covered. For a man indeed ought not to have his head covered, because he is the image and glory of God, but the woman is the glory of the man. For man is not from woman, but woman from man; for man wasn’t created for the woman, but woman for the man. For this cause the woman ought to have authority over her own head, because of the angels. Nevertheless, neither is the woman independent of the man, nor the man independent of the woman, in the Lord. For as woman came from man, so a man also comes through a woman; but all things are from God. Judge for yourselves. Is it appropriate that a woman pray to God unveiled? Doesn’t even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him? But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her, for her hair is given to her for a covering. But if any man seems to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither do God’s assemblies." (11:3-16). These notes give no reading of head in 11:3, of the covering, of "authority over her own head, because of the angels" (11:10), of "nature itself" (11:14), or of "such custom" (11:16). Christians read this passage in more than one way; these notes choose none, and apply it to no one, no gathering and no practice today.

ἐπαινέωepaineosay ep-ahee-NEH-o

Strong's: "to applaud". "Now I praise you, brothers, that you remember me in all things" (11:2): behind praise is this verb. Later in the chapter: "But in giving you this command I don’t praise you" (11:17), and "Shall I praise you? In this I don’t praise you." (11:22). The New Testament has the verb six times (counted in RP2018), and four of them are in this chapter, in these three verses.