Therefore, you don't lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus the Messiah to be revealed.

We don't speak about these things with words taught us by human wisdom, but with words taught by the Spirit, as we explain spiritual things to spiritual people.

You know that you are God's sanctuary and that God's Spirit lives in you, don't you?

It is a very small thing to me that I should be examined by you or by any human court. In fact, I don't even evaluate myself.

Your boasting is not good. You know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough, don't you?

You know that the saints will rule the world, don't you? And if the world is going to be ruled by you, can't you handle insignificant cases?

You know that we will rule angels, not to mention things in this life, don't you?

You know that wicked people will not inherit the kingdom of God, don't you? Stop deceiving yourselves! Sexually immoral people, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, homosexuals,

You know that your bodies belong to the Messiah, don't you? Should I take what belongs to the Messiah and unite them with a prostitute? Certainly not!

You know that the person who unites himself with a prostitute becomes one body with her, don't you? For it is said, "The two will become one flesh."

You know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God, don't you? You do not belong to yourselves,

We have the right to earn our food, don't we?

We have the right to take a believing wife with us like the other apostles, the Lord's brothers, and Cephas, don't we?

If others enjoy this right over you, don't we have a stronger claim? But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we tolerate everything in order not to put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of the Messiah.

You know that those who work in the Temple get their food from the Temple and that those who serve at the altar get their share of its offerings, don't you?

You know that in a race all the runners run but only one wins the prize, don't you? You must run in such a way that you may be victorious.

But God wasn't pleased with most of those people, and so they were struck down in the wilderness.

Let's stop being idolaters, as some of them were. As it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to play."

These things happened to them to serve as an example, and they were written down as a warning for us in whom the culmination of the ages has been attained.

Look at the Israelis from a human point of view. Those who eat the sacrifices share in what is on the altar, don't they?

You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot dine with the Lord and dine with demons,

However, if someone says to you, "This was offered as a sacrifice," don't eat it, both out of consideration for the one who told you and also for the sake of conscience.

Don't become a stumbling block to Jews or Greeks or to the church of God,

just as I myself try to please everybody in every way. I don't look out for my own benefit, but rather for the benefit of many people, so that they might be saved.

You have homes in which to eat and drink, don't you? Or do you despise God's church and humiliate those who have nothing? What should I say to you? Should I praise you? I will not praise you for this!

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I don't want you to be ignorant.

The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you," or the head to the feet, "I don't need you."

However, our attractive parts don't need this. But God has put the body together and has given special honor to the parts that lack it,

Love never fails. Now if there are prophecies, they will be done away with. If there are languages, they will cease. If there is knowledge, it will be done away with.

But when what is complete comes, then what is incomplete will be done away with.

In the same way, lifeless instruments like the flute or harp produce sounds. But if there's no difference in the notes, how can a person tell what tune is being played?

If I don't know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker will be a foreigner to me.

His secret, inner heart will become known, and so he will bow down to the ground and worship God, declaring, "God is truly among you!"

What, then, does this mean, brothers? When you gather, everyone has a psalm, teaching, revelation, foreign language, or interpretation. Everything must be done for upbuilding.

But everything must be done in a proper and orderly way.

Then the end will come, when after he has done away with every ruler and every authority and power, the Messiah hands over the kingdom to God the Father.

The last enemy to be done away with is death,

Come back to your senses as you should, and stop sinning! For some of you I say this to your shame don't fully know God.

Everything you do should be done lovingly.