1 Corinthians – Chapter 11

New Testament34 Verses

Chapter Summary

1 Corinthians 11 opens with the words: "Be ye followers of me, as I also am of Christ." Across its 34 verses, two threads run through the text: God feeding His people and worship and praise. The Church invites us to read this chapter within the whole sweep of salvation history, where every page points toward Christ.

1Be ye followers of me, as I also am of Christ.

2Now I praise you, brethren, that in all things you are mindful of me and keep my ordinances as I have delivered them to you.

3But 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.

4Every man praying or prophesying with his head covered disgraceth his head.

5But every woman praying or prophesying with her head not covered disgraceth her head: for it is all one as if she were shaven.

6For if a woman be not covered, let her be shorn. But if it be a shame to a woman to be shorn or made bald, let her cover her head.

7The man indeed ought not to cover his head: because he is the image and glory of God. But the woman is the glory of the man.

8For the man is not of the woman: but the woman of the man.

9For the man was not created for the woman: but the woman for the man.

10Therefore ought the woman to have a power over her head, because of the angels.

11But yet neither is the man without the woman, nor the woman without the man, in the Lord.

12For as the woman is of the man, so also is the man by the woman: but all things of God.

13You yourselves judge. Doth it become a woman to pray unto God uncovered?

14Doth not even nature itself teach you that a man indeed, if he nourish his hair, it is a shame unto him?

15But if a woman nourish her hair, it is a glory to her; for her hair is given to her for a covering.

16But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, nor the Church of God.

17Now this I ordain: not praising you, that you come together, not for the better, but for the worse.

18For first of all I hear that when you come together in the church, there are schisms among you. And in part I believe it.

19For there must be also heresies: that they also, who are approved may be made manifest among you.

20When you come therefore together into one place, it is not now to eat the Lord's supper.

21For every one taketh before his own supper to eat. And one indeed is hungry and another is drunk.

22What, have you no houses to eat and to drink in? Or despise ye the church of God and put them to shame that have not? What shall I say to you? Do I praise you? In this I praise you not.

23For 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,

24And giving thanks, broke and said: Take ye and eat: This is my body, which shall be delivered for you. This do for the commemoration of me.

25In like manner also the chalice, after he had supped, saying: This chalice is the new testament in my blood. This do ye, as often as you shall drink, for the commemoration of me.

26For as often as you shall eat this bread and drink the chalice, you shall shew the death of the Lord, until he come.

27Therefore, whosoever shall eat this bread, or drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and of the blood of the Lord.

28But let a man prove himself: and so let him eat of that bread and drink of the chalice.

29For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the Lord.

30Therefore are there many infirm and weak among you: and many sleep.

31But if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.

32But whilst we are judged, we are chastised by the Lord, that we be not condemned with this world.

33Wherefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another.

34If any man be hungry, let him eat at home; that you come not together unto judgment. And the rest I will set in order, when I come.

Important Verses in 1 Corinthians 11

Be ye followers of me, as I also am of Christ.

1 Corinthians 11:1

Every man praying or prophesying with his head covered disgraceth his head.

1 Corinthians 11:4

The man indeed ought not to cover his head: because he is the image and glory of God. But the woman is the glory of the man.

1 Corinthians 11:7

But yet neither is the man without the woman, nor the woman without the man, in the Lord.

1 Corinthians 11:11

Historical Context

1 Corinthians addresses the divided church of Corinth, called back to unity and holiness within the broader story of God's covenant people. Chapter 11 of 16 moves toward the climax of the book as earlier promises and conflicts converge. It is a apostolic teaching addressed to a Christian community with 34 verses in the Douay-Rheims translation. It opens with the line: "Be ye followers of me, as I also am of Christ." The chapter ends with: "If any man be hungry, let him eat at home; that you come not together unto judgment. And the rest I will set in order,…" In terms of historical background, Corinth was a wealthy, cosmopolitan port city, and its young church mirrored its problems: factions, lawsuits, immorality, and confusion about worship. The book's material reflects the era summarized as follows: About AD 56, from Ephesus.

Who Wrote It

The Apostle Paul

When It Was Written

About AD 56, from Ephesus

Catholic Commentary

The letter combines theological exposition with pastoral exhortation for believers. A pivotal line is verse 1: "Be ye followers of me, as I also am of Christ." The passage repeatedly touches on God feeding His people.

Catholic exegesis reads 1 Corinthians 11 within the unity of Scripture and Tradition. Paul's teaching on the Eucharist and the body of Christ (CIC 1329, 791). St. Bernard of Clairvaux and other Fathers of the Church saw in texts like this a preparation for or reflection of Christ, the center of revelation (CIC 2340).

Applied to the life of faith, the passage supports the Church's conviction that Now you are the body of Christ. Whether read privately or heard in the liturgy, 1 Corinthians 11 calls for a response of faith, repentance, and charity.

Main Teachings

  • From the manna to the Last Supper, God feeds His people — fully in the Eucharist.
  • Worship is the heart of the covenant: giving God the praise and adoration that are His due.
  • Sin has real consequences, but God's judgment always aims at conversion and restoration.

Reflection for Today

1 Corinthians Chapter 11 contains Paul's teaching on the Eucharist, which Catholic theology understands as apostolic witness to the Real Presence. The Catechism cites Paul's words—"This is my body... This cup is the new covenant in my blood"—as evidence that the early Church believed in the Real Presence from the beginning (CIC 1329).

Paul's warning against receiving the Eucharist unworthily—"whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord"—grounds the Catholic practice of requiring confession before Communion for those in mortal sin. The Catechism teaches that proper preparation is essential for fruitful reception (CIC 1385).

The instruction to "discern the body" has been understood by the Church Fathers and Catholic tradition as recognizing Christ's Real Presence in the Eucharist. This chapter establishes that the Eucharist is not merely a memorial meal but a participation in Christ's sacrifice. The Catechism teaches that "the Eucharist is the memorial of Christ's Passover" (CIC 1362), making present the one sacrifice of the cross.

💡Catholic Reflection • Church Teachings

Frequently Asked Questions

What is 1 Corinthians Chapter 11 about?

1 Corinthians 11 contains 34 verses. It opens with "Be ye followers of me, as I also am of Christ." and closes with "If any man be hungry, let him eat at home; that you come not together unto judgment. And the rest I will set in order,…". The book as a whole is epistle.

What is a key verse in 1 Corinthians 11?

One of the most significant verses is verse 1: "Be ye followers of me, as I also am of Christ." It is often cited in Catholic teaching and preaching.

Who wrote 1 Corinthians and when?

The Apostle Paul. About AD 56, from Ephesus.

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