1 Corinthians 11:16
New International Version
If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice—nor do the churches of God.

New Living Translation
But if anyone wants to argue about this, I simply say that we have no other custom than this, and neither do God’s other churches.

English Standard Version
If anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do the churches of God.

Berean Standard Bible
If anyone is inclined to dispute this, we have no other practice, nor do the churches of God.

Berean Literal Bible
Now if anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do the churches of God.

King James Bible
But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.

New King James Version
But if anyone seems to be contentious, we have no such custom, nor do the churches of God.

New American Standard Bible
But if anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor have the churches of God.

NASB 1995
But if one is inclined to be contentious, we have no other practice, nor have the churches of God.

NASB 1977
But if one is inclined to be contentious, we have no other practice, nor have the churches of God.

Legacy Standard Bible
But if one is inclined to be contentious, we have no other practice, nor have the churches of God.

Amplified Bible
Now if anyone is inclined to be contentious [about this], we have no other practice [in worship than this], nor do the churches of God [in general].

Christian Standard Bible
If anyone wants to argue about this, we have no other custom, nor do the churches of God.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But if anyone wants to argue about this, we have no other custom, nor do the churches of God.

American Standard Version
But if any man seemeth to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But if a man disputes against these things, we have no such custom, neither does the church of God.

Contemporary English Version
This is how things are done in all of God's churches, and this is why none of you should argue about what I have said.

Douay-Rheims Bible
But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, nor the church of God.

English Revised Version
But if any man seemeth to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
If anyone wants to argue about this [they can't, because] we don't have any custom like this-nor do any of the churches of God.

Good News Translation
But if anyone wants to argue about it, all I have to say is that neither we nor the churches of God have any other custom in worship.

International Standard Version
But if anyone wants to argue about this, we do not have any custom like this, nor do any of God's churches.

Literal Standard Version
and if anyone thinks to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the assemblies of God.

Majority Standard Bible
If anyone is inclined to dispute this, we have no other practice, nor do the churches of God.

New American Bible
But if anyone is inclined to be argumentative, we do not have such a custom, nor do the churches of God. B. The Lord’s Supper

NET Bible
If anyone intends to quarrel about this, we have no other practice, nor do the churches of God.

New Revised Standard Version
But if anyone is disposed to be contentious—we have no such custom, nor do the churches of God.

New Heart English Bible
But if anyone seems to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither do God's churches.

Webster's Bible Translation
But if any man seemeth to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.

Weymouth New Testament
But if any one is inclined to be contentious on the point, we have no such custom, nor have the Churches of God.

World English Bible
But if any man seems to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither do God’s assemblies.

Young's Literal Translation
and if any one doth think to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the assemblies of God.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Roles in Worship
15but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering. 16 If anyone is inclined to dispute this, we have no other practice, nor do the churches of God. 17In the following instructions I have no praise to offer, because your gatherings do more harm than good.…

Cross References
1 Corinthians 4:5
Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.

1 Corinthians 7:17
Regardless, each one should lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him and to which God has called him. This is what I prescribe in all the churches.

1 Corinthians 9:1
Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you yourselves not my workmanship in the Lord?

1 Corinthians 9:6
Or are Barnabas and I the only apostles who must work for a living?

1 Corinthians 11:15
but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering.


Treasury of Scripture

But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.

seem.

1 Timothy 6:3,4
If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; …

such.

Acts 21:21,24
And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs…

the churches.

1 Corinthians 7:17
But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches.

1 Corinthians 14:33,34
For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints…

1 Corinthians 16:1
Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye.

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Assemblies Churches Contentious Custom Disposed God's Inclined Point Practice Question Recognize Ruled Seem Seemeth Seems Wants Way
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Assemblies Churches Contentious Custom Disposed God's Inclined Point Practice Question Recognize Ruled Seem Seemeth Seems Wants Way
1 Corinthians 11
1. He reproves them, because in holy assemblies,
4. their men prayed with their heads covered,
6. and women with their heads uncovered;
17. and because generally their meetings were not for the better, but for the worse;
21. as, namely, in profaning with their own feast the Lord's supper.
25. Lastly, he calls them to the first institution thereof.














(16) But if any man seem to be contentious.--The argument, and the appeal to their own good sense having been completed, the Apostle now adds that if, after all, some one continues to argue the matter captiously, and is not satisfied with the reason given, the answer to such a one must be simply--We, the Apostles and the churches of God, have no such custom as that women should pray and teach with uncovered head. It has been suggested that the word "custom" refers, not to the uncovering the head, but to the "contention" just mentioned. But the former interpretation seems more natural; and the Apostle's object here is, not so much to merely censure the contentious spirit, as to show how such an objector must be dealt with. It is noticeable that the appeal is made to the practice of the churches (plural), not the Church. Thus it is not the authority of the Church as such that is quoted, but it is the uniformity of practice in the several Christian churches that is appealed to. The Church in Corinth has no right to become exceptional.

It may be well to make two general remarks on the scope and bearing of this remarkable passage.

1. As St. Paul taught regarding Slavery (1Corinthians 7:21) that the object of Christianity was not to suddenly efface existing political arrangements, so he teaches here that Christianity did not seek to obliterate these social distinctions which were universally recognised. We know now how mighty an instrument Christ's Religion has been in elevating the social condition of woman, but this has been accomplished by gradually leavening the world with Christian principle, and not by sudden external revolution. The arguments and illustrations which the Apostle here employs have a more abiding and a wider application than the particular case to which he applied them. They have been written "for our learning" as well as for the instruction of those to whom they were originally addressed. And the lesson which they teach us is, that Christianity did not come to unsex woman, but to raise, dignify, and ennoble her as woman--to abolish for ever her real wrongs, but not to yield to a revolutionary clamour for imaginary rights. Old and New Testament alike emphasise the truth that (as has been quaintly and truly said) "woman was not made from man's head to be his ruler, nor from his feet to be his slave, but from his side to be his equal, and from beneath his strong arm to demand his protection."

2. The influence of St. Paul's instruction as to women not uncovering their heads in public worship has lasted long after the necessity for that particular expression of her relationship to man has passed away. While, in succeeding ages, again and again, some have forgotten the principles of the teaching, which are eternal, the particular application of them, which was only temporary, has been continuously and universally observed. Surely this is an illustration and evidence of the Divine Wisdom which withheld the apostolic writers from, as a rule, laying down minute directions for worship, or dogmatic formulas of faith. Men would, in a servile obedience to rules, have soon and completely forgotten the living principles on which they were based. To this day the universal custom in Christian places of worship, of women being covered and men uncovered, and the increasing revolt against the acknowledgment of the subordination of woman to man, of which that practice was originally the avowed symbol, is a striking proof of how the same spirit, which led Jews of old to be scrupulous in their observance of certain external ordinances, while forgetting the weighter matters of which they were to be the outward expression, was not merely a Jewish but a human weakness.

Verse 16. - But if any man seem to be contentious. St. Paul cuts the question short, as though impatient of any further discussion of a subject already settled by instinctive decorum and by the common sense of universal usage. "Seem to be contentious" is (like the Latin videtur) only a courteous way of saying "is contentious." If any of you wish to be disputatious and quarrelsome about this minor matter of ritual, I must content myself with saying that he must take his own course (for a similar use of the euphemistic "seem," see Philippians 3:4; Hebrews 4:1; James 1:26). We have no such custom. The emphatic "we" means the apostles and the leaders of the Church at Jerusalem and Antioch. Such custom. Not referring to "contentiousness," but to the women appearing with uncovered heads. Neither the Churches of God. If you Corinthians prefer these abnormal practices in spite of reason, common sense, and my arguments, you must stand alone in your innovations upon universal Christian practice. But catholic custom is against your "self opinionated particularism."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
If
Εἰ (Ei)
Conjunction
Strong's 1487: If. A primary particle of conditionality; if, whether, that, etc.

anyone
τις (tis)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5100: Any one, some one, a certain one or thing. An enclitic indefinite pronoun; some or any person or object.

is inclined to dispute [this],
δοκεῖ (dokei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1380: A prolonged form of a primary verb, doko dok'-o of the same meaning; to think; by implication, to seem.

we
ἡμεῖς (hēmeis)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person Plural
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

have
ἔχομεν (echomen)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural
Strong's 2192: To have, hold, possess. Including an alternate form scheo skheh'-o; a primary verb; to hold.

no
οὐκ (ouk)
Adverb
Strong's 3756: No, not. Also ouk, and ouch a primary word; the absolute negative adverb; no or not.

[other]
τοιαύτην (toiautēn)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 5108: (including the other inflections); from toi and houtos; truly this, i.e. Of this sort (to denote character or individuality).

practice,
συνήθειαν (synētheian)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 4914: A custom, habit, practice. From a compound of sun and ethos; mutual habituation, i.e. Usage.

nor
οὐδὲ (oude)
Conjunction
Strong's 3761: Neither, nor, not even, and not. From ou and de; not however, i.e. Neither, nor, not even.

[do] the
αἱ (hai)
Article - Nominative Feminine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

churches
ἐκκλησίαι (ekklēsiai)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Plural
Strong's 1577: From a compound of ek and a derivative of kaleo; a calling out, i.e. a popular meeting, especially a religious congregation.

of God.
Θεοῦ (Theou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.


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NT Letters: 1 Corinthians 11:16 But if any man seems to be (1 Cor. 1C iC 1Cor i cor icor)
1 Corinthians 11:15
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