INTRODUCTION TO 1 CORINTHIANS 11 In this chapter the apostle blames both men and women for their indecent appearance in public worship, and admonishes them how they should behave with the reasons of it; and also corrects some abuses and irregularities among them, at, or before, the Lord's supper; w... [ Continue Reading ]
BE YE FOLLOWERS OF ME, EVEN AS I ALSO AM OF CHRIST. c] These words more properly close the preceding chapter, than begin a new one, and refer to the rules therein laid down, and which the apostle would have the Corinthians follow him in, as he did Christ: that as he sought, both in private and publi... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW I PRAISE YOU, BRETHREN,.... The apostle prefaces what he had to say by way of commendation of them; though some think that this is said in an ironical way, because there are many things both in this chapter, and in the following part of this epistle, delivered in a way of reproof; but whoever co... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT I WOULD HAVE YOU TO KNOW,.... Though they were mindful of him, and retained in memory many things he had declared among them, and kept the ordinances as delivered to them; yet there were some things in which they were either ignorant, or at least did not so well advert to, and needed to be put i... [ Continue Reading ]
EVERY MAN PRAYING OR PROPHESYING,.... This is to be understood of praying and prophesying in public, and not in private; and not to be restrained to the person that is the mouth of the congregation to God in prayer, or who preaches to the people in the name of God; but to be applied to every individ... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT EVERY WOMAN THAT PRAYETH OR PROPHESIETH,.... Not that a woman was allowed to pray publicly in the congregation, and much less to preach or explain the word, for these things were not permitted them: see 1 Corinthians 14:34 but it designs any woman that joins in public worship with the minister i... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR IF THE WOMAN BE NOT COVERED,.... That is, if her head is not covered with some sort of covering, as is the custom of the place where she lives, LET HER ALSO BE SHORN; let her hair be cut short; let her wear it as men do theirs; and let her see how she will look, and how she will like that, and... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR A MAN INDEED OUGHT NOT TO COVER HIS HEAD,.... The Ethiopic version adds, "whilst he prays"; which is a proper interpretation of the words, though a wrong version; for the apostle's meaning is not, that a man should not have his head covered at any time, but whilst he is in public worship, prayin... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THE MAN IS NOT OF THE WOMAN,.... In the present state of things, and according to the ordinary course of generation and propagation of mankind, man is of the woman, though not without the means of man; he is conceived in her, bore by her, and born of her; but the apostle respects the original fo... [ Continue Reading ]
NEITHER WAS THE MAN CREATED FOR THE WOMAN,.... To be subservient to her; for she was not in being when he was created; and though it is the proper business of man to provide for, take care of, and defend the woman, as the weaker vessel, yet these were not the original ends of his creation; he was ma... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THIS CAUSE OUGHT THE WOMAN TO HAVE POWER ON HER HEAD,.... The generality of interpreters, by power, understand the veil, or covering on the woman's head, as a sign of the man's power over her, and her subjection to him; which Dr. Hammond endeavours to confirm, by observing that the Hebrew word ר... [ Continue Reading ]
NEVERTHELESS, NEITHER IS THE MAN WITHOUT THE WOMAN,.... This is said, partly to repress the pride and insolence of man, that he might not be too much elated with himself, and his superiority over the woman, and look with any degree of disdain and contempt upon her, and treat her with indifference an... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR AS THE WOMAN IS OF THE MAN,.... Originally; so Eve was of Adam, made out of one of his ribs: EVEN SO IS THE MAN ALSO BY THE WOMAN; now man is born of a woman, he is conceived of one, and brought into the world by one. This is the way in which mankind is propagated, the species preserved, contin... [ Continue Reading ]
JUDGE IN YOURSELVES,.... The apostle having gone through a variety of reasoning and arguments, showing the superiority of the man to the woman, by which he would prove, that the one should be covered, and the other uncovered, returns to his subject again, and appeals to the common sense and understa... [ Continue Reading ]
DOTH NOT EVEN NATURE ITSELF TEACH YOU,.... By nature is either meant, the law and light of nature, reason in man, common sense, or rather custom, which is second nature; and which, in this case, must be restrained to the Greeks and Jews; for though among the Grecians the men cut their hair, and did... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT IF A WOMAN HAVE LONG HAIR,.... And wears it, without cutting it, as men do: IT IS A GLORY TO HER; it is comely and beautiful; it is agreeable to her sex, she looks like herself; it becomes and adorns her: FOR HER HAIR IS GIVEN HER FOR A COVERING; not instead of a covering for her head, or any... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT IF ANY MAN SEEM TO BE CONTENTIOUS,.... That is, if anyone will not be satisfied with reasons given, for men's praying and prophesying with their heads uncovered, and women's praying and prophesying with their heads covered; but will go on to raise objections, and continue carping and cavilling,... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW IN THIS THAT I DECLARE UNTO YOU,.... The Syriac version reads, "this is what I command"; which some refer to what he had been discoursing of, adding to his arguments, and the examples of the church, his own orders and command, that men should worship God publicly, uncovered, and women covered; t... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR FIRST OF ALL, WHEN YE COME TOGETHER IN THE CHURCH,.... The place where the church met together to perform divine service, called "one place". 1 Corinthians 11:20 and is distinguished from their own "houses", 1 Corinthians 11:22 and the first thing he took notice of as worthy of dispraise and rep... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THERE MUST BE ALSO HERESIES AMONG YOU.... This is a reason why he was ready to believe there might be something of truth in the report he had received of the divisions among them; for if there were heresies, false doctrines, and bad principles, among them, such as were subversive of the fundamen... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN YE COME TOGETHER THEREFORE INTO ONE PLACE,.... Though επι το αυτο does not signify so much the unity of the place, as of the persons meeting together, and their conjunction; so the phrase is used by the Septuagint, in Deuteronomy 25:11, yet it supposes a place where the church were wont to ass... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR IN EATING,.... Not at the Lord's table, but at tables spread for them in the place of divine worship, where everyone brought his own food, under a pretence that others, particularly the poor, should eat with him; but instead of that, he sat down and ate it himself, and would not stay till the re... [ Continue Reading ]
WHAT? HAVE YE NOT HOUSES TO EAT AND DRINK IN?.... This shows that one taking his supper before another, was not in their own houses, before they came to the place of divine worship, but in the house of God; and the apostle suggests, that if they must have their ante-suppers, and were disposed to eat... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR I HAVE RECEIVED OF THE LORD,.... The apostle observes unto them the rule, use, and end of the Lord's supper; his view in it is, to correct the disorders among them, and to bring them to a strict regard to the rule which had such a divine authority stamped upon it; and to observe to them, that in... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN HE HAD GIVEN THANKS,.... So Luke 22:19, but Matthew 26:26 and Mark 14:22 say "he blessed"; not the bread, but his Father; for to bless and give thanks is one and the same thing with the Jews; so we often read of their blessing for the fruits of the earth, for wine and bread; concerning whic... [ Continue Reading ]
AFTER THE SAME MANNER ALSO HE TOOK THE CUP,.... That is, off from the table, or out of the hands of the master of the house, and blessed or gave thanks, as he did before when he took the bread; see Matthew 26:27, "when he had supped"; the Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions, read, "when they had s... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR AS OFTEN AS YE EAT THIS BREAD, AND DRINK THIS CUP,.... Not any bread, or any cup: but what is ate and drank in an ordinance way, and according to the institution and appointment of Christ, and with a view to the end proposed by him; and though there is no set fixed time for the administration of... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREFORE,.... Since this is the plain institution of the Lord's supper, the form and manner of administering of it; and since the bread and wine in it are representations of the body and blood of Christ, and the design of the whole is to remember Christ, and show forth his death; it follows, that... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT LET A MAN EXAMINE HIMSELF,.... Whether he has a true sense of sin, sorrow and repentance for it; otherwise he will see no need of a Saviour, nor will he look to Christ for salvation, or be thankful to him for redemption by him; all which are necessary in a due observance of this ordinance; also,... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR HE THAT EATETH AND DRINKETH UNWORTHILY,.... As before explained, 1 Corinthians 11:27 "eateth and drinketh damnation to himself"; or guilt, or judgment, or condemnation; for by either may the word be rendered; nor is eternal damnation here meant; but with respect to the Lord's own people, who may... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THIS CAUSE MANY ARE WEAK AND SICKLY,.... Because of their unworthy participation of the Lord's supper, many in the Corinthian church were attended with bodily infirmities and diseases; either by way of fatherly chastisement and correction in such who were truly the Lord's people, though they had... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR IF WE WOULD JUDGE OURSELVES,.... Examine, try, and prove ourselves as above directed, before we eat and drink; or condemn ourselves, by confessing, acknowledging, and mourning over sin, and by repentance for it; or separate ourselves from the company of profane sinners, come out from among them,... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT WHEN WE ARE JUDGED,.... This is said by way of consolation to the saints, that when the hand of the Lord is upon them, and he is afflicting them, they should consider these things, not as the effects of his vindictive wrath and justice, as proper punishments for their sins, but as fatherly chast... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREFORE, MY BRETHREN,.... Though he had said some very awful and awakening things to bring them to themselves, to reclaim them, and rectify disorders among them; yet he hoped well of them in general, and softens the severe things he had said, by calling them "brethren"; and hereby prepares them to... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IF ANY MAN HUNGER LET HIM EAT AT HOME,.... Whereby the apostle shows his dislike of their ante-suppers in the place of public worship, at which they behaved in so indecent a manner, neglecting the poor, and too freely indulging themselves; and therefore if anyone was hungry, and could not wait t... [ Continue Reading ]