1 Corinthians 11:16

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
Some people may still want to argue about this. But we and the churches of God don't accept what those people are doing.

Revised Standard Version
If any one is disposed to be contentious, we recognize no other practice, nor do the churches of God.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
If there be eny man amonge you yt lusteth to stryve let him knowe that we have no soche custome nether the congregacions of God.

Hebrew Names Version
But if any man seems to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither do God's assemblies.

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.1 Corinthians 7:17; 14:33; 1 Timothy 6:4;">[xr]

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

New Century Version
Some people may still want to argue about this, but I would add that neither we nor the churches of God have any other practice.

Update Bible Version
But if any man seems to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.

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

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

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
But if any one be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.

Weymouth's 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.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
But if ony man is seyn to be ful of strijf, we han noon siche custom, nethir the chirche of God.

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

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

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].

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

Bible in Basic English
But if any man will not be ruled in this question, this is not our way of doing things, and it is not done in the churches of God.

Complete Jewish Bible
However, if anyone wants to argue about it, the fact remains that we have no such custom, nor do the Messianic communities of God.

Darby Translation
But if any one think to be contentious, *we* have no such custom, nor the assemblies of God.

Etheridge Translation
But if any man contendeth about these things, we have no such usage as this, neither the church of Aloha.

Murdock Translation
But if any one is contentious about these things, we on our part have no such custom, nor hath the church of God.

King James Version (1611)
But if any man seeme to be contentious, we haue no such custome, neither 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.

New Life Bible
If anyone wants to argue about this, my answer is that this is what we teach, and all the churches agree with me.

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

Geneva Bible (1587)
But if any man lust to be contentious, we haue no such custome, neither the Churches of God.

George Lamsa Translation
But if any man dispute these things, we have no precedent, neither has the church of God.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But, if anyone thinketh to be contentious, we, have no such custom, - nor yet the assemblies of God.

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

Bishop's Bible (1568)
If any man lust to striue, we haue no such custome, neither 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.

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

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

Lexham English Bible
But if anyone is disposed to be contentious, we have no such custom, nor do the churches of God.

Literal Translation
But if anyone thinks to be contentious, we do not have such a custom, nor the assemblies of God.

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

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But yf there be eny man amoge you that hath lust to stryue, let him knowe, that we haue no soch custome, nether the congregacions of God.

Mace New Testament (1729)
but if any man has a mind to be contentious, I answer, we have no such custom, nor any of the churches of God.

New English Translation
If anyone intends to quarrel about this, we have no other practice, nor do 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.

Simplified Cowboy Version
You can argue and throw a hissy fit about this if you want to, but this is the way God said to run his churches.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
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.

Contextual Overview

¹It pleases me that you continue to remember and honor me by keeping up the traditions of the faith I taught you. All actual authority stems from Christ. ³In a marriage relationship, there is authority from Christ to husband, and from husband to wife. The authority of Christ is the authority of God. Any man who speaks with God or about God in a way that shows a lack of respect for the authority of Christ, dishonors Christ. In the same way, a wife who speaks with God in a way that shows a lack of respect for the authority of her husband, dishonors her husband. Worse, she dishonors herself—an ugly sight, like a woman with her head shaved. This is basically the origin of these customs we have of women wearing head coverings in worship, while men take their hats off. By these symbolic acts, men and women, who far too often butt heads with each other, submit their "heads" to the Head: God. ¹⁰Don't, by the way, read too much into the differences here between men and women. Neither man nor woman can go it alone or claim priority. Man was created first, as a beautiful shining reflection of God—that is true. But the head on a woman's body clearly outshines in beauty the head of her "head," her husband. The first woman came from man, true—but ever since then, every man comes from a woman! And since virtually everything comes from God anyway, let's quit going through these "who's first" routines. ¹³Don't you agree there is something naturally powerful in the symbolism—a woman, her beautiful hair reminiscent of angels, praying in adoration; a man, his head bared in reverence, praying in submission? I hope you're not going to be argumentative about this. All God's churches see it this way; I don't want you standing out as an exception.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

seem: 1 Timothy 6:3, 1 Timothy 6:4

such: Acts 21:21, Acts 21:24

the churches: 1 Corinthians 7:17, 1 Corinthians 14:33, 1 Corinthians 14:34, 1 Corinthians 16:1, 1 Thessalonians 2:14

Reciprocal: Jeremiah 32:11 - according Romans 2:8 - contentious 1 Corinthians 4:17 - my ways 2 Corinthians 12:20 - debates 1 Timothy 6:5 - Perverse

Cross-References

Genesis 10:21
Shem, the older brother of Japheth, also had sons. Shem was ancestor to all the children of Eber.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

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, showing that they contend not for truth, but victory, can they but obtain it any way; for my part, as if the apostle should say, I shall not think it worth my while to continue the dispute any longer; enough has been said to satisfy any wise and good man, anyone that is serious, thoughtful, and modest; and shall only add,

we have no such custom, nor the churches of God; meaning, either that men should appear covered, and women uncovered in public service, and which should have some weight with all those that have any regard to churches and their examples; or that men should be indulged in a captious and contentious spirit; a man that is always contending for contention sake, and is continually cavilling and carping at everything that is said and done in churches, and is always quarrelling with one person or another, or on account of one thing or another, and is constantly giving uneasiness, is not fit to be a church member; nor ought he to be suffered to continue in the communion of the church, to the disturbance of the peace of it. This puts me in mind of a passage in the Talmud n.

"The Rabbans teach, that after the departure of R. Meir, R. Judah said to his disciples, do not let the disciples of R. Meir enter here, מפני שקנתרנין הן, "because they are contentious".''

n T. Bab. Nazir, fol. 49. 2. & Kiddushin, fol. 52. 2.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

But if any man seem to be contentious - The sense of this passage is probably this: “If any man, any teacher, or others, “is disposed” to be strenuous about this, or to make it a matter of difficulty; if he is disposed to call in question my reasoning, and to dispute my premises and the considerations which I have advanced, and to maintain still that it is proper for women to appear unveiled in public, I would add that in Judea we have no such custom, neither does it prevail among any of the churches. This, therefore, would be a sufficient reason why it should not be done in Corinth, even if the abstract reasoning should not convince them of the impropriety. It would be singular; would be contrary to the usual custom; would offend the prejudices of many and should, therefore, be avoided.”

We have no such custom - We the apostles in the churches which we have elsewhere founded; or we have no such custom in Judea. The sense is, that it is contrary to custom there for women to appear in public unveiled. This custom, the apostle argues, ought to be allowed to have some influence on the church of Corinth, even though they should not be convinced by his reasoning.

Neither the churches of God - The churches elsewhere. It is customary there for the woman to appear veiled. If at Corinth this custom is not observed, it will be a departure from what has elsewhere been regarded as proper; and will offend these churches. Even, therefore, if the reasoning is not sufficient to silence all cavils and doubts, yet the propriety of uniformity in the habits of the churches, the fear of giving offence should lead you to discountenance and disapprove the custom of your females appearing in public without their veil.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Corinthians 11:16. But if any man seem to be contentious — Ει δε τις δοκει φιλονεικος ειναι· If any person sets himself up as a wrangler-puts himself forward as a defender of such points, that a woman may pray or teach with her head uncovered, and that a man may, without reproach, have long hair; let him know that we have no such custom as either, nor are they sanctioned by any of the Churches of God, whether among the Jews or the Gentiles. We have already seen that the verb δοκειν, which we translate to seem, generally strengthens and increases the sense. From the attention that the apostle has paid to the subject of veils and hair, it is evident that it must have occasioned considerable disturbance in the Church of Corinth. They have produced evil effects in much later times.