Bible Strands
1 Corinthians 11:28
Each one must examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Paul addresses the Corinthian church while they are gathered for the Lord's Supper. He interrupts their meal to establish a procedural requirement before they partake.
The words — δοκιμαζέτω (dokimazetō) translates literally as "should examine" or "test," functioning as a present imperative. The text places this command directly on "each one" (ἄνθρωπος) regarding self-inspection.
The thread — The directive to self-examine parallels Paul’s instruction in Galatians 6:4 to test one’s own work and his challenge in 2 Corinthians 13:5 to verify whether one remains in the faith. It also aligns with Lamentations 3:40, which commands testing one’s ways before returning to the Lord.
Why it lands — The text requires every participant to personally assess their spiritual condition before eating the bread and drinking the cup. It demands immediate self-evaluation to prevent unworthy participation and the resulting judgment described in the surrounding verses.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
Cross-references
- Galatians 6:4 Each one should test his own work. Then he will have reason to boast in himself alone, and not in someone else.
- 2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you—unless you fail the test?
- Lamentations 3:40 Let us examine and test our ways, and turn back to the LORD.
- Matthew 5:23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,
- Psalms 26:2 Test me, O LORD, and try me; examine my heart and mind.
- Haggai 1:5 Now this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Consider carefully your ways.
- 1 Corinthians 11:31 Now if we judged ourselves properly, we would not come under judgment.
- Haggai 1:7 This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Consider carefully your ways.
- 1 John 3:20 Even if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts, and He knows all things.
- Numbers 9:10 “Tell the Israelites: ‘When any one of you or your descendants is unclean because of a dead body, or is away on a journey, he may still observe the Passover to the LORD.