1 Corinthians 11:1-17 * as both chiasmus and parallelism

I've worked out two different versions of the design of this very profound passage of scripture. These are so compelling that I felt it necessary to present both of them here. I invite you to hover your mouse cursor over (or tap on, if using a touch-screen device) the presentation's lines of text and vertical bars to compare the colorful thematic pairings that are dynamically represented therein. For more instruction, read the Directions found at the bottom of the page.

You can find links to a video where I explain these two versions in this post on The Open Scroll Blog: Head Coverings: 1 Corinthians 11 Interactive * TWO VERSIONS

These interactive presentations are supplemental to this study, Head Covering: The Modeling of Divine Order (and associated video )

The first presentation illustrates 1 Corinthians 11:1-17 as a chiasmus. To describe the basic structure most simply, what is written in verses 1-10a is repeated in verses 10b-17 in reverse order, as a 10+10 chiasm. This description is intended to help guide you as you explore this as you interact with the presentation on your screen.

The second presentation illustrates 1 Corinthians 11:1-17 as a parallelism. To describe the basic structure most simply, what is written in verses 1-2 is repeated in verses 3-17 in the same order, as a 2+2 parallelism. The bulk of the text is within what is technically labeled the a' section. The structure of a' can be described as a simple division, where what is presented in verses 3-7 is supported by what is written in 8-15. The basic structure of verses 3-7 is such that, what is written in 3-6b is repeated in 6c-7 in reverse order, as a 3+3 chiasm. The basic structure of verses 8-15 is such that, what is written in 8-10 is repeated in 11-15 in the same order, as a 2+2 parallelism.

Generated with the Chiasmatron 2000 (republished on May 7, 2024)

Attribution: Bob Schlenker

Directions:

What you see above is an exhibit of the linguistic structure that appears throughout the Bible. The passage of scripture is straight from the Bible. Nothing has been added or removed or shifted out of sequence.

What's the point of this design? Firstly, be inspired by the awesomeness of the Author's Word. Meditate prayerfully on what you see, seeking insight about each thematic pairing. How are the elements alike? How do they differ. Why are they paired? If questions are raised that would not otherwise be raised, ask them. May the Author Himself grant you insight.

Pass your mouse cursor over the passage. Hovering over a line of text will cause it to be highlighted along with matching elements. Hovering over a bar will produce the same result.

If a line of text is underlined, click on it. Commentary will appear in a window and the highlighting will remain. If you see a bar that looks different, click on it to produce the same result.

Tip: If this presentation is too big to fit on screen, you can make your browser full screen. Try F11. You can also adjust the zoom (ctrl - to zoom out). If you have a monitor that rotates into a portrait display, the vertical real estate can be very useful. If it helps you see what you want to see, you can drag the pop-up commentary window around the screen.

For more explanation, see: About These Thematic Patterns

For more examples, see: Interactive Content