1548 英翻中(林前9課11章) Be wise abut church order 對教會規矩要有智慧 21/04/2026
CHAPTER
9 BE WISE ABOUT CHURCH ORDER 1 Corinthians 11 第九課 明智地處理教會秩序 哥林多前書 11章
Since
Paul had some negative things to say to the church later in this section, he
opened it on a positive note by praising the church. Two matters in particular
merited praise: the church remembered Paul and appreciated him, and the church
was faithful to keep the teaching that had been given them. The word ordinances
simply means “traditions,” teachings that were passed on from one person to
another (2 Tim. 2:2). The traditions of men should be avoided (Matt. 15:2–3;
Col. 2:8), but the traditions that are given in the Word of God must be
observed. 由於保羅在本章後面要對教會說一些負面的話，所以他先以正面的語氣讚揚了教會。有兩件事尤其值得稱讚：教會記念保羅並感激他，而且教會忠實地遵守了所領受的教導。這裡的“規條”一詞的意思是“傳統”，即人與人之間傳承下來的教導（提摩太後書 2:2）。人的傳統應避免（太 15:2-3；歌羅西書 2:8），但必須遵守神話語中所賜的傳統。
One of
the biggest problems in the Corinthian church was disorder in the public
meetings. Some of the women were assuming more freedom than they should have;
there was disorder at the Lord’s Supper; and there was confusion in the use of
the spiritual gifts. The church had been greatly enriched with spiritual gifts,
but they were sadly lacking in spiritual graces. 哥林多教會最大的問題之一是公開聚會的混亂。有些婦女僭越了她們應有的自由；聖餐禮混亂；以及對屬靈恩賜的使用混亂。教會雖然在屬靈恩賜方面得到了極大的豐富，但令人遺憾的是，他們在屬靈恩典方面卻有所欠缺。
Paul
could have tried to solve these problems by issuing apostolic edicts, but
instead he patiently explained the spiritual principles that supported the
teachings he had given the church. He founded his arguments on the Word of God. 保羅本來可以頒布使徒詔令來解決這些問題，但他卻耐心地解釋了支持他所傳授給教會的教導的屬靈原則。他的論證是建立在神的話語之上。
Paul
dealt with three particular areas of confusion in their public worship. 保羅著重處理了他們在公開敬拜中三個特別令人困惑的問題。
1. Women Praying and
Prophesying (11:3–16) 1. 婦女禱告與預言（11:3-16）
The
Christian faith brought freedom and hope to women, children, and slaves. It
taught that all people, regardless of race or sex, were equal before their
Creator, and that all believers were one in Jesus Christ (Gal. 3:28). As we
have noted before, the local church was perhaps the only fellowship in the Roman Empire that welcomed all people, regardless of
nationality, social status, sex, or economic position. 基督教信仰為婦女、兒童和奴隸帶來了自由和希望。它教導說，所有人，無論種族或性別，在造物主面前都是平等的，所有信徒在耶穌基督裡合而為一（加拉太書 3:28）。正如我們之前提到的，地方教會或許是羅馬帝國唯一一個歡迎所有人的團體，無論其國籍、社會地位、性別或經濟狀況如何。
It was
to be expected that there would be some who would carry this newfound freedom
to excess. A new movement always suffers more from its disciples than from its
enemies, and this was true in Corinth.
Some of the women flaunted their “freedom” in the public 1 Corinthians 9; 11meetings
by refusing to cover their heads when they participated. 可以預見的是，有些人會過度利用這種新獲得的自由。一個新興運動往往受到其信徒而非敵人的攻擊，哥林多教會也不例外。有些婦女在公開聚會中拒絕蒙頭，以此炫耀她們的「自由」（哥林多前書 9:11）。
Paul
did not forbid the women to pray or to prophesy. (Prophesying is not quite the
same as our “preaching” or “expounding the Word.” A person with the gift of
prophecy proclaimed God’s message as it was given to him immediately by the
Spirit. The modern preacher studies the Word and prepares his message.) While
the New Testament does not seem to permit women elders (1 Tim. 3:2), women in
the early church who had the gift of prophecy were allowed to exercise it. They
were also permitted to pray in the public meet[1]ings. However,
they were not permitted to usurp authority over the men (1 Tim. 2:11–15) or to judge the messages of
the other prophets (1 Cor. 14:27–35).
If they had any questions, they were to ask their husbands (or other men)
outside of the church meeting. 保羅並沒有禁止婦女禱告或說預言。 （說預言與我們今天的「講道」或「講解聖經」並不完全相同。擁有預言恩賜的人會直接宣講聖靈所賜予的信息。而現代的傳道人則會研讀聖經，預備講道內容。）雖然新約聖經似乎不允許女性擔任長老（提摩太前書 3:2），但賜在早期教會中，擁有允許這種預言的婦女是被允許這種預言的婦女。她們也被允許在公開聚會中禱告。然而，她們不得篡奪男性的權柄（提前2:11-15），也不得評斷其他先知的教導（林前14:27-35）。如果她們有任何疑問，應在教會聚會之外詢問自己的丈夫（或其他男性）。
Eastern
society at that time was very jealous over its women. Except for the temple
prostitutes, the women wore long hair and, in public, wore a covering over
their heads. (Paul did not use the word veil, i.e., a cov[1]ering
over the face. The woman put the regular shawl over her head, and this covering
symbolized her sub[1]mission
and purity.) For the Christian women in the church to appear in public without
the covering, let alone to pray and share the Word, was both daring and
blasphemous. 當時的東方社會對女性極為忌諱。除了廟妓之外，其他女性都留著長髮，在公共場合會用頭巾遮住頭部。 （保羅並沒有使用「面紗」一詞，即遮蓋臉部的遮蓋物。女性用的是普通的披肩，這種遮蓋象徵著她們的順服和純潔。）對於教會中的基督徒女性來說，不戴頭巾出現在公共場合，更不用說禱告和分享神的話語，既大膽又褻瀆神明。
Paul
sought to restore order by reminding the Corinthians that God had made a
difference between men and women, that each had a proper place to God’s
economy. There were also appropriate customs that symbolized these
relationships and reminded both men and women of their correct places in the
divine scheme. Paul did not say, or even hint, that difference meant inequality
or inferiority. If there is to be peace in the church (1 Cor. 15:33), then there must be some kind
of order; and order of necessity involves rank. However, rank and quality are
two different things. The captain has a higher rank than the private, but the
private may be a better man. 保羅試圖恢復教會秩序，他提醒哥林多教會，上帝在男女之間設立了區別，男女在神的計劃中各有其位。也有一些相應的習俗象徵著這種關係，提醒男女在神的計劃中各自應有的位置。保羅並沒有說，甚至沒有暗示這種區別意味著不平等或低人一等。如果教會要有和平（林前15:33），就必須有某種秩序；秩序必然包含等級。然而，等級和素質是兩回事。上尉的等級高於士兵，但士兵可能更優秀。
God’s
order to the church is based on three fundamentals that Paul considered to be
self-evident.上帝對教會的秩序是基於保羅認為不言自明的三個基本原則。
Redemption
(vv. 3–7). There is a definite order of “headship” to the church: the Father is
the Head over Christ, Christ is the Head of the man, and the man is the head of
the woman. Some interpret head to mean “origin,” but this would mean that the
Father originated
Christ—something we cannot accept. In His redemptive ministry, the Son was
subject to the Father even though He is equal to the Father (John 10:30; 14:28). Likewise, the woman is subject to the
man even though to Christ she is equal to the man (1 Cor. 3:21–23; Gal. 3:28; Eph. 5:21–33). 救贖（3-7節）。教會的「領導權」有明確的秩序：父是基督的頭，基督是男人的頭，男人是女人的頭。有些人將“頭”解釋為“起源”，但這豈不是說父親創造了基督嗎？— 我們不能接受這種說法。在祂的救贖事工中，子順服父，儘管祂與父同等（約翰福音10:30；14:28）。同樣，女人順服男人，儘管她在基督面前與男人同等（哥林多前書3:21-23；加拉太書3:28；以弗所書5:21-33）。
Keep in
mind that Paul was writing about the rela[1]tionship within
the local assembly, not in the world at large. It is God’s plan that in the
home and in the local church, the men should exercise headship under the
authority of Jesus Christ. 請記住，保羅所寫的是地方教會內部的關係，而非整個世界的關係。神的計畫是，在家庭和地方教會中，男人應在耶穌基督的權柄下行使領導權。
The
important fact is this: both women and men must honor the Lord by respecting
the symbols of this headship—hair and the head-covering. Whenever a woman prays
or prophesies in the assembly, she must have long hair and must wear a
covering. The man should have short hair and not wear any covering. (This would
be a change for Paul, for devout Jewish men always wore a cap when they
prayed.) The man honors his Head (Christ) by being uncovered, while the woman
honors her head (the man) by being cov[1]ered.
She is showing her submission both to God and to the man. 關鍵在於：男女都必須尊重這種領導權的象徵 — 頭髮和頭巾，以此來榮耀主。每當婦女在教會中禱告或說預言時，她必須留長髮並戴頭巾。男人則應留短髮，且不戴任何頭巾。 （這對保羅來說是一個改變，因為虔誠的猶太男子在禱告時總是戴帽子。）男人不戴頭巾是為了榮耀他的頭（基督），而女人戴頭巾是為了榮耀她的頭（男人）。她這樣做既表明了她對神的順服，也表明了她對男人的順服。
The
Corinthian women who appeared in the assembly without the head-covering were
actually putting
themselves on the low level of the temple prostitutes. The prostitutes wore
their hair very short, and they did not wear a head-covering in public. Their
hairstyle and manner announced to others just what they were and what they were
offering. “If you are going to abandon the covering,” wrote Paul, “then why not
go all the way and cut your hair?” 那些在教會中不戴頭巾的哥林多婦女，其實是把自己置於聖殿妓女的低等地位。妓女們都留著很短的頭髮，在公共場合不戴頭巾。她們的髮型和舉止向世人昭示她們的身分和她們提供的服務。 “如果你要放棄頭巾，”保羅寫道，“為什麼不乾脆把頭髮也剪掉呢？”
In
Jewish law, a woman proved guilty of adultery had her hair cut off (Num. 5:11–31). Paul used two different
words in 1 Corinthians 11:5–6: shaved means exactly that, all the hair shaved
off; shorn means “cut short.” Either one would be a disgrace to a woman. 在猶太律法中，被認定犯有通姦罪的婦女會被剪掉頭髮（民 5:11-31）。保羅在哥林多前書 11:5-6 中使用了兩個不同的字：shaved 的意思是剃光頭髮；shorn 的意思是「剪短」。無論哪種方式，對女人來說都是一種恥辱。
Both
man and woman are made in the image of God and for the glory of God; but since
the woman was made from the man (Gen. 2:18–25), she is also the “glory of the
man.” She glorifies God and brings glory to the man by submitting to God’s
order and keeping her head covered in public worship. Thus, Paul tied together
both local custom and biblical truth, the one pointing to the other. 男人和女人都是照著神的形像造的，都是為了神的榮耀；但既然女人是由男人造的（創 2:18-25），她也是「男人的榮耀」。她順服神的命令，在公開敬拜時遮蓋頭部，以此榮耀神，也為男人帶來榮耀。因此，保羅將地方習俗與聖經真理連結起來，二者相輔相成。
Creation
(vv. 8–12). We have already touched briefly on this truth. God’s order is based
on the fact that man was created first (1 Tim. 2:13), and that the woman was created for the man. Again,
priority does not imply inferiority; for Paul made it clear in 1 Corinthians
11:11–12 that there is partnership as well as headship in God’s creation. The
man and the woman are spiritually one in the Lord (Gal. 3:28), and one cannot do without the other.
Furthermore, the woman may have come from the man at the beginning, but today,
it is the man who is born of the woman. Man and woman belong to each other and
need each other. 創造（8-12節）。我們之前已經簡要地談到這個真理。神的秩序是基於這樣一個事實：男人先被創造（提前2:13），女人是為男人而造。再次強調，優先並不意味著低人一等；因為保羅在哥林多前書11:11-12中清楚地表明，在神的創造中，既有夥伴關係，也有領導權。男人和女人在主裡屬靈合一（加3:28），彼此不可或缺。此外，女人起初或許是由男人所生，但如今，是男人由女人所生。男人和女人彼此相屬，彼此需要。
Why did Paul bring up the angels in 1 Corinthians 11:10? He was
arguing from the facts of creation, and the angels were a part of that
creation. The angels also know their place and show respect when they worship
God, for they cover their faces (Isa. 6:2). Finally, in some special way, the
angels share in the public wor[1]ship
of the church and learn from the church (Eph. 3:10; 1 Peter 1:12).
Public worship is a serious thing, for the angels are present; and we ought to
conduct ourselves as if we were in heaven. 保羅為何在哥林多前書11:10提到天使？他是從創造的事實出發進行論證，而天使正是創造的一部分。天使也知道自己的地位，敬拜神時會用手遮住臉，以示尊重（賽6:2）。此外，天使以某種特殊的方式參與教會的公開敬拜，並從教會學習（弗3:10；彼前1:12）。公開敬拜是一件嚴肅的事，因為天使也在場；我們應當舉止得體，如同身處天上一般。
Nature (vv. 13–16). In a general way, it is true that nature gives
women longer hair and men shorter hair. The Romans, Greeks, and Jews (except
for the Nazarites) pretty much followed this custom.
Nowhere does the Bible tell us how long our hair should be. It simply states
that there ought to be a noticeable difference between the length of the men’s
hair and the women’s hair so that there be no confusion of the sexes. It is shameful
for the man to look like a woman or the woman to look like a man. 自然（13-16節）。一般來說，自然賦予女性較長的頭髮，男性較短的頭髮。羅馬人、希臘人和猶太人（拿細耳人除外）大多遵循這項習俗。聖經中並沒有規定頭髮應該要多長。它只是指出，男女的頭髮長度應該有明顯的區別，以免混淆性別。男人看起來像女人，女人看起來像男人，都是可恥的。
The woman’s long hair is her glory, and it is given to her “instead
of a covering” (literal translation). In other words, if local custom does not
dictate a headcovering,
her long hair can be that covering. I do not think that Paul meant for all
women in every culture to wear a shawl for a head-covering; but he did expect
them to use their long hair as a covering and as a symbol of their submission
to God’s order. This is something that every woman can do. 女人的長髮是她的榮耀，是給她的「代替遮蓋物」（直譯）。換句話說，如果當地習俗不要求戴頭巾，那麼她的長髮就可以起到遮蓋的作用。我認為保羅並不是想要所有文化中的所有女性都用披肩遮蓋頭部；但他確實希望她們用長髮作為遮蓋，並以此象徵她們順服上帝的旨意。這是每個女人都能做到的。
In my ministry in different parts of the world, I have noticed that
the basic principle of headship applies in every culture; but the means of
demonstrating it differs from place to place. The important thing is the
submission of the heart to the Lord and the public manifestation of obedience
to God’s order. 在我於世界各地服事的經驗中，我注意到，領導權的基本原則適用於每一種文化；但體現領導權的方式卻因地而異。重要的是內心順服主，並公開地表明對神旨意的服從。
2. Selfishness at the
“Love Feasts” (11:17–22) 2. 愛筵上的自私（11:17-22）
Since the beginning of the church, it was customary for the believers
to eat together (Acts 2:42,
46). It was an opportunity for fellowship and for sharing with those who were
less privileged. No doubt they climaxed this meal by observing the Lord’s
Supper. They called this meal “the love feast” since its main emphasis was show[1]ing
love for the saints by sharing with one another. 自教會建立之初，信徒們就習慣一起用餐（使徒行傳 2:42, 46）。這是彼此團契、與境況較差的人分享的機會。毫無疑問，他們會在用餐的最後舉行主的晚餐。他們稱這頓飯為“愛筵”，因為其主要目的是透過彼此分享來表達對聖徒的愛。
The “agape feast” (from the Greek word for “love”) was part of the
worship at Corinth,
but some serious abuses had crept in. As a result, the love feasts were doing
more harm than good to the church. For one thing, there were various cliques in
the church, and people ate with their own “crowd” instead of fellow[1]shipping
with the whole church family. While Paul condemned this selfish practice, he
did take a positive view of the results: at least God would use this to reveal
those who were true believers. 「愛筵」（希臘文「agape」意為「愛」）是哥林多教會敬拜的一部分，但嚴重的弊端卻悄悄滋長。結果，愛筵對教會弊大於利。一方面，教會內部出現了各種小團體，人們只與自己的「圈子」一起用餐，而不是與整個教會大家庭團契。保羅雖然譴責這種自私的做法，但他對結果持正面態度：至少上帝會藉此顯明哪些人是真正的信徒。
Another fault was selfishness: the rich people brought a great deal of food for themselves, while the poorer members went hungry. The original idea of the agape feast was sharing, but that idea had been lost. Some of the members were even getting drunk. It is likely that the weekly agape feast was the only decent meal some of the poorer members regularly had; and to be treated so scornfully by the richer members not only hurt their stomachs, but also their pride. 另一個問題是自私：富人帶來了大量的食物供自己享用，而貧窮的信徒卻挨餓。愛筵的初衷是分享，但這初衷早已被遺忘。有些信徒甚至喝得酩酊大醉。很可能每週一次的愛筵是某些貧窮信徒唯一能定期吃到的像樣飯菜；而富裕的信徒如此輕蔑地對待他們，不僅讓他們食不果腹，也讓他們顏面盡失。
However, this
“remembering” is not simply the recalling of historical facts. It is a participation in spiritual realities. At the
Lord’s Table, we do not walk around a monument and admire it. We have
fellowship with a living Savior as our hearts reach out by faith. 當然，晚宴上的分歧不過是教會深層問題的展現。哥林多人自以為是成熟的信徒，實際上卻如同孩童一般。保羅並沒有建議他們放棄筵席，而是要他們恢復筵席的真正意義。 「富足的人若餓了，就讓他們在家吃吧。你們若辱罵那些比你們不幸的信徒，就是藐視教會了！」愛筵本應是造就彼此的機會，他們卻把它變成了令人難堪的場合。
我記得十幾歲時參加主日學野餐的一件事。負責遊戲的人設計了一個接力賽，參賽者們一邊後退一邊互相扔雞蛋。當然，隊伍之間的距離越遠，參賽者丟雞蛋的力氣就越大，結果十分滑稽。
然而，我們當中有些人注意到有兩個主日學的孩子饒有興致地看著雞蛋。他們來自一個貧困家庭，可能很少吃雞蛋，因為他們買不起。小女孩走到主持遊戲的女士面前問道：「如果還有剩餘的雞蛋，我和弟弟可以帶回家嗎？」這位女士明智地在遊戲結束前叫停了遊戲，頒發了獎品，並將所有的雞蛋都給了這兩個孩子。她明白，讓一些聖徒享樂而犧牲其他人的利益是不對的。
Second, we should look ahead (v. 26b). We observe the Supper “till he come.” The return of Jesus Christ is the
blessed hope of the church and the individual Christian. Jesus not only died
for us, but He arose again and ascended to heaven; and one day He shall return
to take us to heaven. Today, we are not all
that we should be; but when we see Him, “we shall be like him” (1 John
3:2).
Third, we should look within (vv. 27–28, 31–32).
Paul did not say that we had to be worthy to
partake of the Supper, but only that we should partake in a worthy manner. At
a Communion service in Scotland,
the pastor noted that a woman in the congregation did not accept the
bread and cup from the elder, but instead sat weeping. The pastor left the
table and went to her side and said, “Take it, my dear, it’s for sinners!” And, indeed, it is; but sinners saved by
God’s grace must not treat the Supper in a sinful manner.
If we are to
participate in a worthy manner, we must examine our own hearts, judge our sins,
and confess them to the Lord. To come to the Table with unconfessed sin in our
lives is to be guilty of Christ’s body and blood, for it was sin that nailed
Him to the cross. If we will not judge our own sins, then God will judge us and
chasten us until we do confess and forsake our sins.
The Corinthians
neglected to examine themselves, but they were experts at examining everybody
else. When the church gathers together,
we must be careful not to become “religious detectives” who watch others, but
who fail to acknowledge our own sins. If we eat and drink in an unworthy
manner, we eat and drink judgment (chastening) to ourselves, and that is
nothing to take lightly.
Chastening is
God’s loving way of dealing with His sons and daughters to encourage them to
mature (Heb. 12:1–11). It is not a judge condemning a criminal, but a loving
Father punishing His disobedient (and perhaps stubborn) children. Chastening
proves God’s love for us, and chastening can, if we cooperate, perfect God’s
life in us.
Finally, we should look around (vv.
33–34). We should not look around in order to
criticize other believers, but in order to discern the Lord’s body (1 Cor. 11:29). This perhaps has a dual
meaning: we should discern His body in the loaf, but also in the church around
us—for the church is the body of Christ.
“For we being many are one bread, and one body” (1 Cor. 10:17). The Supper should be a demonstration of
the unity of the church—but there was not much unity in the Corinthian church.
In fact, their celebration of the Lord’s Supper was only a demonstration of
their disunity.
The Lord’s Supper
is a family meal, and the Lord of the family desires that His children love one
another and care for one another. It is impossible for a true Christian to get
closer to his Lord while at the same time he is separated from his fellow
believers. How can we remember the Lord’s death and not love one another?
“Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another” (1 John 4:11).
No one ought to
come to the Table who is not a true believer. Nor should a true believer come
to the Table if his heart is not right with God and with his fellow Christians.
This is why many churches have a time of spiritual preparation before they
observe the Lord’s Supper, lest any of the participants bring chastening on themselves.
I recall one church member who approached me and shared with me a personal
defeat that had not only hurt him spiritually, but had been “advertised” by
others and was about to bring reproach on him and the church.
“What can I do to
make this right?” he asked, convincing me that he had indeed judged the sin and
confessed it. I reminded him that the next week we were going to observe the
Lord’s Supper, and I suggested that he ask the Lord for direction. The evening of
the Supper, I opened the service in a way I had not done before. “Is there
anyone here who has anything to share with the church?” I asked, and my
repentant friend stood to his feet and walked forward, meeting me at the table.
In a quiet, concise manner, he admitted that he had sinned, and he asked the
church’s forgiveness. We felt a wave of Spirit-given love sweep over the
congregation, and people began to weep openly. At that observance of the
Supper, we truly discerned the Lord’s body.
The Communion is
not supposed to be a time of “spiritual autopsy” and grief, even though confession
of sin is important. It should be a time of thanksgiving and joyful
anticipation of seeing the Lord! Jesus gave thanks, even though He was about to
suffer and die. Let us give thanks also.
Since Paul had some negative things to say to the church later in this section, he opened it on a positive note by praising the church. Two matters in particular merited praise: the church remembered Paul and appreciated him, and the church was faithful to keep the teaching that had been given them. The word ordinances simply means “traditions,” teachings that were passed on from one person to another (2 Tim. 2:2). The traditions of men should be avoided (Matt. 15:2–3; Col. 2:8), but the traditions that are given in the Word of God must be observed.
One of the biggest problems in the Corinthian church was disorder in the public meetings. Some of the women were assuming more freedom than they should have; there was disorder at the Lord’s Supper; and there was confusion in the use of the spiritual gifts. The church had been greatly enriched with spiritual gifts, but they were sadly lacking in spiritual graces.
Paul could have tried to solve these problems by issuing apostolic edicts, but instead he patiently explained the spiritual principles that supported the teachings he had given the church. He founded his arguments on the Word of God.
Paul dealt with three particular areas of confusion in their public worship.
1. Women Praying and Prophesying (11:3–16)
The Christian faith brought freedom and hope to women, children, and slaves. It taught that all people, regardless of race or sex, were equal before their Creator, and that all believers were one in Jesus Christ (Gal. 3:28). As we have noted before, the local church was perhaps the only fellowship in the Roman Empire that welcomed all people, regardless of nationality, social status, sex, or economic position.
It was to be expected that there would be some who would carry this newfound freedom to excess. A new movement always suffers more from its disciples than from its enemies, and this was true in Corinth. Some of the women flaunted their “freedom” in the public 1 Corinthians 9; 11meetings by refusing to cover their heads when they participated.
Paul did not forbid the women to pray or to prophesy. (Prophesying is not quite the same as our “preaching” or “expounding the Word.” A person with the gift of prophecy proclaimed God’s message as it was given to him immediately by the Spirit. The modern preacher studies the Word and prepares his message.) While the New Testament does not seem to permit women elders (1 Tim. 3:2), women in the early church who had the gift of prophecy were allowed to exercise it. They were also permitted to pray in the public meet ings. However, they were not permitted to usurp authority over the men (1 Tim. 2:11–15) or to judge the messages of the other prophets (1 Cor. 14:27–35). If they had any questions, they were to ask their husbands (or other men) outside of the church meeting.
第九章 明智地處理教會秩序 哥林多前書 11章
由於保羅在本章後面要對教會說一些負面的話，所以他先以正面的語氣讚揚了教會。有兩件事尤其值得稱讚：教會記念保羅並感激他，而且教會忠實地遵守了所領受的教導。這裡的“規條”一詞的意思是“傳統”，即從一個人傳給另一個人的教導（提摩太後書 2:2）。人的傳統應避免（太 15:2-3；歌羅西書 2:8），但必須遵守神話語中所賜的傳統。
哥林多教會最大的問題之一是公開聚會的混亂。有些婦女僭越了她們應有的自由；聖餐禮混亂；以及對屬靈恩賜的使用混亂。教會雖然在屬靈恩賜方面得到了極大的豐富，但令人遺憾的是，他們在屬靈恩典方面卻有所欠缺。
保羅本來可以頒布使徒詔令來解決這些問題，但他卻耐心地解釋了支持他所傳授給教會的教導的屬靈原則。他的論證建立在神的話語之上。
保羅著重處理了他們在公開敬拜中三個特別令人困惑的問題。
1. 婦女禱告和說預言（11:3-16）
基督教信仰為婦女、兒童和奴隸帶來了自由和希望。它教導說，所有人，無論種族或性別，在造物主面前都是平等的，所有信徒在耶穌基督裡合而為一（加拉太書 3:28）。正如我們之前提到的，地方教會或許是羅馬帝國唯一一個歡迎所有人的團體，無論其國籍、社會地位、性別或經濟狀況如何。
可以預見的是，有些人會過度利用這種新獲得的自由。一個新興運動往往受到其信徒而非敵人的攻擊，哥林多教會也不例外。有些婦女在公開聚會中拒絕蒙頭，以此炫耀她們的「自由」（哥林多前書 9:11）。
保羅並沒有禁止婦女禱告或說預言。 （說預言與我們今天的「講道」或「講解聖經」並不完全相同。擁有預言恩賜的人會直接宣講聖靈所賜予的信息。而現代的傳道人則會研讀聖經，預備講道內容。）雖然新約聖經似乎不允許女性擔任長老（提摩太前書 3:2），但賜在早期教會中，擁有允許這種預言的婦女是被允許這種預言的婦女。她們也被允許在公開聚會中禱告。然而，她們不得篡奪男性的權柄（提前2:11-15），也不得評斷其他先知的教導（林前14:27-35）。如果她們有任何疑問，應在教會聚會之外詢問自己的丈夫（或其他男性）。
