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Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Corinthians 11:16

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... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 1 Corinthians 11:16

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... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - 1 Corinthians 11:13-16

1 Corinthians 11:13-16. Judge in yourselves For what need of more arguments in so plain a case? Is it comely Decent, suitable to female modesty; that a woman pray unto God The Most High, with that bold and undaunted air which she must have if, contrary to universal custom, she appears in public with her head uncovered? Doth not even nature The light of nature, or natural reason; teach you Previous to any arguments on the subject; that if a man have long hair Carefully adjusted, it... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - 1 Corinthians 11:2-16

11:2-34 ORDER IN PUBLIC WORSHIPWhen women pray or prophesy (11:2-16)Paul had heard from the visitors from Corinth of disorder in the public worship of the church. To start with, some of the Corinthian women were speaking in the church services without the veil over their heads. This was shameful by current social standards in that part of the world. Paul argues that Christians do not have to show their new-found freedom by rejecting the local customs of politeness and etiquette. In fact, these... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - 1 Corinthians 11:16

any man = any one. App-123 . contentious = fond of strife. Greek. philoneikos. Only here. custom . See John 18:39 . neither . Greek. oude. churches . App-186 . read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - 1 Corinthians 11:16

But if any man seemeth to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.If any man seemeth to be contentious ... This was Paul's way of saying, "Look, we do not intend to argue this question endlessly; the whole matter is already solved by the type of behavior which marks God's churches everywhere." This is grounds for holding that in this whole passage it is decorous conduct with which Paul is concerned, since it touched on the all-important question of the proper... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - 1 Corinthians 11:16

1 Corinthians 11:16. But if any man seem to be, &c.— Be, or is disposed to be, &c. "If any one, from a love of disputing, or from his own different views of what is naturally decent, should controvert what I advance, I shall not contend further; but content myself with saying, that we have here no such custom, for women to appear with their heads uncovered; neither do I know of its prevailing in any other of the churches of God, whether planted by me, or any of my brethren. I think,... read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - 1 Corinthians 11:16

16. A summary close to the argument by appeal to the universal custom of the churches. if any . . . seem—The Greek also means "thinks" (fit) (compare :-). If any man chooses (still after all my arguments) to be contentious. If any be contentious and thinks himself right in being so. A reproof of the Corinthians' self-sufficiency and disputatiousness (1 Corinthians 1:20). we—apostles: or we of the Jewish nation, from whom ye have received the Gospel, and whose usages in all that is good ye... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - 1 Corinthians 11:2-16

C. Propriety in worship 11:2-16This section and the next (1 Corinthians 11:17-34) deal with subjects different from meat offered to idols, but Paul did not introduce them with the phrase "now concerning." These were additional subjects about which he wanted to give the Corinthians guidance. He had evidently learned of the Corinthians’ need for instruction in these matters either through their letter to him, from the messengers that brought that letter to him, or from other sources. read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - 1 Corinthians 11:13-16

3. The argument from propriety 11:13-16Paul returned to the main argument (1 Corinthians 11:4-6), but now he appealed to the Corinthians’ own judgment and sense of propriety. He raised two more rhetorical questions. The first (1 Corinthians 11:13 b) expects a negative answer and the second (1 Corinthians 11:14-15) a positive one. The apostle appealed to the nature of things. His points were that "nature" itself distinguishes between the sexes, and that a woman’s naturally longer hair reinforces... read more

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