1 CORINTHIANS 11 — ORDER IN WORSHIP AND THE LORD'S SUPPER
Must women wear head coverings in church today? Study 1 Corinthians 11 with context, apologetic analysis, and cross-references.
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Dr. Lucas D. Shallua Commentary · 1 CORINTHIANS 11 — ORDER IN WORSHIP AND THE LORD'S SUPPER
01
The precise difficulties
Must women wear head coverings in church today?
Does verse 3 teach that women are subordinate to men?
What does "because of the angels" mean?
What does it mean to eat the Lord's Supper "in an unworthy manner," and should believers who feel unworthy abstain?
Does verse 30 mean that sickness is always caused by sin?
02
Verse and question study
Must women wear head coverings in church today?
Christians differ. Many interpreters believe that the specific practice of head covering was a cultural expression of modesty and order in first-century Corinth, and that the abiding principles are respect for others, the honoring of God's order in creation, and the avoidance of needless offense. Others believe the practice remains normative. In either case, Paul makes clear that women pray and prophesy publicly, and he does not restrict their participation. Believers should not make this matter a test of fellowship.
Does verse 3 teach that women are subordinate to men?
The meaning of "head" is debated, and Christians who hold different views of "headship" can find support in this verse. A reading consistent with the full witness of Scripture is that Paul affirms an order in the relationship of husband and wife, but also mutual dependence, mutual honor, and full participation of women in ministry. Verses 11–12 qualify any notion of superiority, and Paul elsewhere affirms the spiritual equality of all believers (Galatians 3:28) and commends women as coworkers (Romans 16:1–7).
What does "because of the angels" mean?
There is no consensus. The best approach is to acknowledge the uncertainty, and to note that the main point is that worship takes place in the presence of heavenly beings, and should be marked by order and reverence.
What does it mean to eat the Lord's Supper "in an unworthy manner," and should believers who feel unworthy abstain?
The unworthy manner described here is a divisive and selfish way of celebrating the Supper, which shows contempt for the poor and for the body of Christ. No one is worthy by their own merit; we come to the table because of Christ's grace. The self-examination that Paul commands should lead us to confess sin and reconcile with others, and then to participate with faith and gratitude. The Supper is a means of grace for all believers, and it is meant to strengthen the weak.
Does verse 30 mean that sickness is always caused by sin?
No. Paul says that in this case, the Corinthians' conduct has resulted in judgment, but other passages make clear that illness is not always connected to personal sin (John 9:1–3; 2 Corinthians 12:7–9). The passage teaches the seriousness of treating the Lord's Supper lightly, and it also shows the Father's discipline.
03
Historical and literary context
Chapters 11–14 address the church's public worship. The Corinthian church met in homes, as the earliest churches did, and gatherings included prayer, prophecy, singing, teaching, and a communal meal that culminated in the Lord's Supper. The passage on head coverings (11:2–16) is one of the most difficult in the letter. In Roman culture, a person's head covering could signal social status, modesty, or religious role: men sacrificed with the toga drawn over the head, and respectable married women generally covered their hair in public, while loose, uncovered hair could suggest a woman of ill repute or participation in ecstatic cults. The second half of the chapter describes how the Lord's Supper was celebrated in a full meal setting, where wealthy hosts and their friends could arrive early and eat their fill, and slaves and laborers, who arrived later, were left with little. Paul's concern is that the church's gatherings should reflect the unity and equality created by the cross.
04
Apologetic note
Paul's account of the Lord's Supper in verses 23–26 is the earliest written account of the Last Supper, composed in the mid-50s AD, earlier than any of the Gospels. Paul says that he "received" the tradition and "delivered" it, which implies that it was already established in the church's practice. This indicates that the church was celebrating the Lord's death as a sacrificial, covenant-making event within a generation of the crucifixion. A few decades later, Pliny the Younger reported to the emperor Trajan, around AD 112, that Christians gathered before dawn to sing a hymn to Christ as to a god and later assembled to share a meal. The continuity between Paul's description and these later accounts demonstrates that the practice was ancient and deeply rooted, and it counters the theory that the Lord's Supper developed under the influence of pagan mystery meals.