1 Corinthians 11 — Clausal Layout (English)

independentparticipialrelativepurposecausecomparativecontentconditionaldashed = verbless / suspended

Flush-left = a main (independent) clause. Each dependent line begins directly beneath the word it attaches to in the line above — the anchor word is dotted-underlined, and lights up when you hover its dependent clause; each tag also names the attachment. A dashed border marks verbless, elliptical, or suspended lines. Where a long sentence's staircase runs wider than the page, the diagram scrolls sideways. (In print, or without JavaScript, lines fall back to stepped indent columns.)

The hinge and the traditions 11:1–2

Be imitators of me,independent — the hinge — capping 10:23–11:1 and opening what follows

just as I also am of Christ.comparative — elliptical — Paul's imitation itself derivative

Now I praise youindependent — the praise granted — withheld at vv. 17, 22

because you remember me in everythingcause — the first ground — settled remembrance (perfect)

and — just as I delivered them to you —comparative — fronted comparative — leans on κατέχετε below; παρέδωκα anticipates v. 23

you hold fast to the traditions.cause — the second ground — the παραδόσεις kept

Headship and the covered head 11:3–16

vv. 3–6 — the κεφαλή triad and the shame arguments

But I want you to knowindependent — the disclosure formula — the premise laid down

that the head of every man is Christ,content — the triad, first limb — κεφαλή: 'head', sense debated (authority / source)

and the head of woman is man,content — second limb — copula gapped

and the head of Christ is God.content — third limb — even Christ has a head: ordered relation, not inferiority

Every man praying or prophesyingparticipial — fronted participial subject — leans on καταισχύνει below

having something down over his headparticipial — the offending manner — κατὰ κεφαλῆς, a covering hanging down

shames his head.independent — gnomic verdict — κεφαλή double-edged: his own head and his Head, Christ

But every woman praying or prophesying with her head uncoveredparticipial — the mirror case — women's praying and prophesying assumed, the manner at issue

shames her head;independent — the same verdict — her own head and her head, the man

for it is one and the same as the woman who is shaved.cause — the cultural equation — uncovered equals shorn

For if a woman will not cover herself,conditional — protasis — leans on the imperative below

then let her also be shorn;independent — the reductio — go all the way

but if it is disgraceful for a woman to be shorn or shaved,conditional — the second protasis — the shame conceded, copula gapped

let her cover herself.independent — the resolving imperative

vv. 7–12 — creation order, and its mutual qualification

For a man indeed ought not to cover his head,independent — the grounding shifts to Genesis — μέν anticipating the δέ below

since he is the image and glory of God;participial — causal participle — Gen 1:26–27

but the woman is the glory of man.independent — the δέ limb — glory of man, pointedly not 'image of man'

For man is not from woman,cause — ground from origin — Gen 2: ἐκ, 'from'

but woman from man;cause — the counter-limb — verb gapped

for indeed man was not created for the sake of the woman,cause — ground from purpose — καὶ γάρ, Gen 2:18

but woman for the sake of the man.cause — the counter-limb — verb gapped

For this reason the woman ought to have authority on her head,independent — the famously dense conclusion — ἐξουσίαν read as her own authority to pray and prophesy, not a sign of another's

because of the angels.cause — διά + acc ground — left as terse as Paul left it; likely the angels attending worship's order

Nevertheless, neither is woman apart from man nor man apart from woman, in the Lord;independent — πλήν — the correction: mutual interdependence in the Lord, verbless

for as the woman is from the man,comparative — fronted comparative — leans on the clause below; verb gapped

so also the man is through the woman;cause — the balance — ἐκ answered by διά: every man born through a woman

but all things are from God.cause — the relativizing close — God the source of both

vv. 13–16 — propriety, nature, and the churches' custom

Judge for yourselves:independent — the appeal to their own judgment

is it fitting for a woman to pray to God uncovered?content — the matter to judge — πρέπον, the instinct of fittingness; expects 'no'

Does not nature itself teach youindependent — the second question — οὐδέ expects 'yes, it does'

that if a man has long hair it is a dishonor to him,content — nature's lesson, male limb — with the ἐάν protasis internal

but if a woman has long hair it is a glory to her?content — the female limb — δόξα, the keyword of vv. 7–8 again

For her hair has been given to her in place of a covering.cause — the reason — hair the natural analogue of the covering, a divine-passive gift

But if anyone is inclined to be contentious,conditional — protasis — leans on the settlement below

we have no such custom,independent — the apostolic settlement — dispute foreclosed

nor do the churches of God.independent — the catholic precedent — verb gapped

The Lord's Supper abused 11:17–22

vv. 17–19 — no praise: the report of divisions

But in giving this chargeparticipial — sentence-opening participle — leans on the verdict below

I do not praise you,independent — the praise of v. 2 withheld — the chapter's frame turns

because you come together not for the better but for the worse.cause — the reason — συνέρχομαι, the section's keyword, damaged assemblies

For first of all, when you come together as a church,participial — genitive absolute, connectives fronted — μέν solitarium, no δέ answers

I hearindependent — the report reaches Paul (cf. 1:11)

that there are divisions among you,content — indirect discourse — σχίσματα, the word of 1:10

and in part I believe it.independent — the measured concession

For there must even be factions among you,cause — why he credits it — the quasi-eschatological δεῖ

so that the approved may become evident among you.purpose — the providential design — οἱ δόκιμοι disclosed by the sifting (cf. δοκιμαζέτω, v. 28)

vv. 20–22 — not the Lord's Supper: the indignant questions

When you come together, then, in the same place,participial — genitive absolute — leans on the indictment below

it is not the Lord's Supper that you eat;independent — the indictment — κυριακὸν δεῖπνον, the NT's only 'Lord's Supper'

for each one takes his own supper ahead in the eating,cause — the reason — ἕκαστος and τὸ ἴδιον against the common meal; προλαμβάνει answered at v. 33

and one goes hungry while another gets drunk.cause — the ὃς μέν … ὃς δέ pair — the social rift at the table

What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in?independent — the diatribe volley opens — μή expects 'surely you do'

Or do you despise the church of Godindependent — the alternative sharpened — contempt for God's assembly

and humiliate those who have nothing?independent — the shame-verb of vv. 4–5 — now the poor are shamed

What shall I say to you?independent — deliberative subjunctive

Shall I praise you?independent — the verb of v. 2 posed as a question

In this I do not praise you.independent — the verdict — the inclusio with v. 17 sealed

The institution narrative 11:23–26

vv. 23–25 — the received tradition: bread and cup

For I received from the Lordindependent — the corrective tradition — the technical παρέλαβον (cf. 15:3), traced to the Lord

that which I also delivered to you:relative — on the thing received — παρέδωκα, the verb of v. 2

that the Lord Jesus, on the night in which he was being betrayed, took bread,content — the tradition's content — παρεδίδετο/παρέδωκα wordplay: handed on, on the night he was handed over

and, having given thanks, he broke itcontent — the actions continue — εὐχαριστήσας, whence 'Eucharist'

and said:content — the verb of saying — carrying the words of institution

'This is my body, which is for you;content — the bread-word — ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν, the vicarious self-gift (later witnesses add κλώμενον)

do this in remembrance of me.'content — the memorial command — present imperative: a repeated rite, not a single act

In the same way also the cup, after supper,content — the cup — 'took' gapped; μετὰ τὸ δειπνῆσαι, after the meal proper

saying:participial — the participle of saying — carrying the cup-word

'This cup is the new covenant in my blood;content — the cup-word — Jer 31:31 and Exod 24:8: the promised covenant ratified in blood

do this,content — the memorial command repeated

as often as you drink it,conditional — ὁσάκις ἐάν — indefinite recurrence built into the command

in remembrance of me.'purpose — the εἰς-phrase of purpose — ἀνάμνησις, covenantal memorial

v. 26 — Paul's gloss: the meal as proclamation

For as often as you eat this breadconditional — protasis — leans on the apodosis below

and drink the cup,conditional — the protasis's second limb

you proclaim the Lord's death,independent — the interpretation — καταγγέλλετε indicative: the Supper itself preaches the cross

until he comes.conditional — ἄχρι οὗ + subjunctive — the eschatological terminus: back to the cross, forward to the parousia

Worthy participation and the Lord's discipline 11:27–34

vv. 27–32 — examine yourself: judgment now, that not condemnation then

So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthilyrelative — conditional relative — leans on the apodosis below; ἀναξίως an adverb: the manner, not the person

will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.independent — the liability — ἔνοχος + genitive, answerable for what the meal proclaims

But let a person examine himself,independent — the remedy — δοκιμαζέτω, cognate with οἱ δόκιμοι (v. 19)

and so let him eat of the breadindependent — οὕτως — examined, then partaking: not abstention

and drink of the cup;independent — the coordinate command

for the one who eats and drinks eats and drinks judgment on himself,cause — the ground of the whole command (v. 28) — κρίμα, chastening judgment (v. 32), critical text without ἀναξίως

if he does not discern the body.participial — conditional participle — τὸ σῶμα deliberately double: the Lord's body in the meal, the church-body shamed at it

For this reason many among you are weak and ill,independent — the verdict read off the community — copula gapped

and a number have fallen asleep.independent — κοιμῶνται — the believers' euphemism: discipline, not damnation

But if we judged ourselves rightly,conditional — contrary-to-fact protasis — διεκρίνομεν, the verb of v. 29 turned inward

we would not be judged;independent — the unreal apodosis — self-judgment forestalls the Lord's

but when we are judged by the Lord,participial — sentence-opening participle — leans on παιδευόμεθα below

we are disciplined,independent — the reassurance — παιδεύω, fatherly training (cf. Heb 12)

so that we may not be condemned with the world.purpose — the aim — judgment now spares from κατάκριμα then

vv. 33–34 — the practical close: wait for one another

So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat,participial — fronted temporal participle with the warm address — leans on the imperative below

wait for one another.independent — the cure for προλαμβάνει (v. 21) — ἀλλήλους against ἕκαστος

If anyone is hungry,conditional — protasis — the hunger of v. 21 provided for

let him eat at home,independent — private meals belong at home (cf. v. 22)

so that you may not come together for judgment.purpose — the aim — κρίμα and συνέρχομαι, the section's two keywords, joined last

The remaining matters I will set in order when I come.independent — the deferral — ὡς ἂν ἔλθω internal: regulations kept for the visit (cf. 4:19; 16:5)

Analysis. 1 Corinthians 11 falls into two worship-problems framed by one verb: ἐπαινῶ, granted in v. 2 and pointedly withheld in vv. 17 and 22. The headship argument (vv. 3–16) opens with a single disclosure verb — θέλω δὲ ὑμᾶς εἰδέναι — carrying the κεφαλή triad as three coordinate content lines; from there the layout alternates flush-left gnomic verdicts (the twin καταισχύνει clauses, each with its fronted participial subject leaning forward) with the olive protasis-imperative pairs of v. 6, the Genesis grounds of vv. 8–9 hanging beneath 'the woman is the glory of man', and the πλήν correction of vv. 11–12 back at the margin, before vv. 13–16 turn diatribe: κρίνατε with its πρέπον question, nature's question with its ὅτι-pair on long hair, and the φιλόνεικος protasis closed by the churches' custom. The Supper half sets the institution narrative (vv. 23–26) as a suspended quotation column — the words of institution hang as content lines from εἶπεν and λέγων, two and three levels beneath ἐγὼ γὰρ παρέλαβον — and ends (vv. 27–34) with the κρίνω-wordplay cascade (κρίμα, διακρίνων, διεκρίνομεν, ἐκρινόμεθα, κρινόμενοι, κατακριθῶμεν) laid out as protasis-apodosis pairs around the double command: examine yourself, wait for one another. Cruxes the layout takes a side on: κεφαλή in v. 3 is rendered simply 'head' and the triad kept coordinate — displaying ordered relation without forcing 'authority over' against 'source', though the grounds of vv. 8–9 (ἐκ, 'from') argue from origin and the tags say so; ἐξουσίαν ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς (v. 10) is translated as the woman's own authority to pray and prophesy ('to have authority on her head'), not a symbol of another's rule; διὰ τοὺς ἀγγέλους is given its own dashed line and left as terse as Paul left it, the tag glossing the angels as attendants of worship order; τοῦτο ποιεῖτε is read — with the present imperatives and the ὁσάκις clauses — as instituting a repeated rite whose every performance proclaims the Lord's death until he comes; and τὸ σῶμα in v. 29 is tagged as deliberately double: the Lord's body in the meal and the church-body being humiliated at it.