all of which verifies the testimony we bore to Christ when we were with you.

He will also make you stand firm [in the faith] to the end [of your lives], so that you will be [considered] without just blame on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ [returns].

For when the world, through wisdom, knew not God in the wisdom of God: it pleased God through foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

For consider, brothers, what happened when God called you. Not many of you were what men call wise, not many of you were influential, not many were of high birth.

And when I came to you, my brothers, I did not come with wise words of knowledge, putting before you the secret of God.

For I determined to be utterly ignorant, when among you, of everything except of Jesus Christ, and of Him as having been crucified.

And I was weak, apprehensive and fearful when I was [there] with you. [Note: This probably refers to Paul's sense of inadequacy in view of the task before him].

Yet, when among mature believers we do set forth a wisdom, but a wisdom that does not belong to this world or to the leaders of this world who are passing away;

Because you are still in the flesh: for when there is envy and division among you, are you not still walking after the way of the flesh, even as natural men?

For when one says, I am of Paul; and another says, I am of Apollos; are you not talking like natural men?

So, do not judge anything until the appointed time, when the Lord returns [i.e., to do the judging]. He will both shed light on the hidden things done in the dark and make known the motives of people's hearts. Then each person [i.e., who deserves it] will receive praise from God.

And with our hands we do the hardest work: when they give us curses we give blessings, when we undergo punishment we take it quietly;

When evil things are said about us we give gentle answers: we are made as the unclean things of the world, as that for which no one has any use, even till now.

In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you have come together with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus,

When I formerly writ to you, not to keep company with the vicious:

When any controversy arises among you, will any one presume to appeal to the Gentiles, and not to Christians?

And yet, when you have mundane issues to settle, you refer them to the judgment of men who from the point of view of the church are of no account!

but when a contest arises, you must refer the decision to infidels?

Have you not knowledge that evil-doers will have no part in the kingdom of God? Have no false ideas about this: no one who goes after the desires of the flesh, or gives worship to images, or is untrue when married, or is less than a man, or makes a wrong use of men,

Everything is permissible for me, but not all things are beneficial. Everything is permissible for me, but I will not be enslaved by anything [and brought under its power, allowing it to control me].

Do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, “The two shall be one flesh.”

Stay away from [any involvement in] sexual immorality. Every sin a person commits is outside [the realm] of his body; but the one who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. [Note: Possibly this means that sex, because it requires the deepest and most complete commitment of human involvement, becomes a unique sin when its true purpose and expression are violated].

Do not deprive one another sexually—except when you agree for a time, to devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again; otherwise, Satan may tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

However, each one must live his life in the situation the Lord assigned when God called him. This is what I command in all the churches.

Was anyone already circumcised when he was called? He should not undo his circumcision. Was anyone called while uncircumcised? He should not get circumcised.

let every man continue in the same state he was in when he turn'd christian.

If you were a servant when you became a Christian, let it not be a grief to you; but if you have a chance to become free, make use of it.

For he who was a servant when he became a Christian is the Lord's free man; and he who was free when he became a Christian is the Lord's servant.

brethren, let every man conscientiously continue in the state he was in when he was converted.

This I say, brethren, because the time is coming, when they who have wives will be as those that have none;

If, however, a father thinks that he is not acting fairly by his unmarried daughter, when she is past her youth, and if under these circumstances her marriage ought to take place, let him act as he thinks right. He is doing nothing wrong-let the marriage take place.

It is right for a wife to be with her husband as long as he is living; but when her husband is dead, she is free to be married to another; but only to a Christian.

However, not everyone has this knowledge. In fact, some have been so used to idolatry up until now that when they eat food offered to an idol, their conscience, being weak, is defiled.

But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.

For it says in the law of Moses, It is not right to keep the ox from taking the grain when he is crushing it. Is it for the oxen that God is giving orders?

Is God simply thinking about the oxen? Or is it really in our interest that He speaks? Of course, it was written in our interest, because it is His will that when a plough-man ploughs, and a thresher threshes, it should be in the hope of sharing that which comes as the result.

What then is my reward? This, that when I am giving the good news, I may give it without payment, not making use of my rights as a preacher of the good news.

To them that were without law, became I as though I had been without law - when I was not without law as pertaining to God, but under a law as concerning Christ - to win them that were without law.

But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

No temptation has taken hold of you but what is common to human nature. And God is to be trusted not to let you be tempted beyond your strength, but when temptation comes, to make a way out of it, so that you can bear up under it.

When an unbeliever invites you to dinner and you agree to go, eat whatever is put before you, instead of letting scruples of conscience induce you to ask any questions about it.

when I say conscience, I don't mean your own, but that of the other: for why should I expose my liberty to the censure of another man's conscience?

A man who wears a veil when praying or prophesying dishonors his Head;

And every woman who prays or prophesies when she has her head uncovered disgraces her head; for she is one and the same as the woman whose head is shaved [in disgrace].

This [i.e., the order of creation] is the reason that the woman should have [a symbol of] authority on her [physical] head [i.e., hair or a shawl to indicate subjection to her husband], and because of the angels. [Note: This difficult phrase probably means that angels, who observe the activities of Christian assemblies, are pleased when they see things being done in their proper order].

Still, when in union with the Lord, woman is not independent of man, or man of woman;

Judge of this for your own selves: is it seemly for a woman to pray to God when she is unveiled?

But in giving you this order, there is one thing about which I am not pleased: it is that when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse.

For first of all, it has come to my ears that when you come together in the church, there are divisions among you, and I take the statement to be true in part.

But now, when you come together, it is not possible to take the holy meal of the Lord:

For when you take your food, everyone takes his meal before the other; and one has not enough food, and another is the worse for drink.

For it was handed down to me from the Lord, as I gave it to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night when Judas was false to him, took bread,

And when it had been broken with an act of praise, he said, This is my body which is for you: do this in memory of me.

After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

A man should examine himself, and only when he has done so should he eat any of the bread or drink from the cup.

For the man who eats and drinks brings a judgment upon himself by his eating and drinking, when he does not discern the body.

But if punishment does come, it is sent by the Lord, so that we may be safe when the world is judged.

So then, my brothers, when you come together to the holy meal of the Lord, let there be waiting for one another.

If any man is in need of food, let him take his meal in his house; so that you may not come together to your damage. And the rest I will put in order when I come.

You are conscious that when you were Gentiles, in whatever way you were guided, you went after images without voice or power.

so I tell you now, that no one is speaking in the Spirit of God when he cries, 'Cursed be Jesus,' and that no one can say, 'Jesus is Lord,' except in the holy Spirit.

When one member suffers, all the others suffer with it; and when one member is honored, all the members are glad with it.

Is never glad when wrong is done, but always glad when truth prevails;

But when the perfect comes,
the partial will come to an end.

When I was a child, I used to speak as a child, to prefer as child, to reason as a child: now I have become a man, I have laid aside the things of the child!

For now [i.e., during the church's infant state] we see in a mirror [Note: God's word is elsewhere likened to a mirror. See James 1:22-25] indistinctly [i.e., because of having only partial knowledge and prophecy], but then [i.e., when the church matures and has the completed Scriptures], we will see face to face [i.e., clearly]. Now I have [only] partial knowledge, but then I will have full knowledge, just as [God has] full knowledge of me.

He who, when speaking, uses the gift of 'tongues' is speaking, not to men, but to God, for no one understands him; yet in spirit he is speaking of hidden truths.

He who, when speaking, uses the gift of 'tongues' builds up his own faith, while he who preaches builds up the faith of the Church.

I should be right glad were you all to speak in 'tongues,' but yet more glad were you all to prophesy. And, in fact, the man who prophesies is superior to him who speaks in 'tongues,' except when the latter can interpret in order that the Church may get a blessing.

Moreover when things without life give sound: whether it be a pipe, or a harp - except they make a distinction in the sounds - how shall it be known what is piped or harped?

Even so, likewise, when ye speak with tongues, except ye speak words that have signification, how shall it be understood what is spoken? For ye shall but speak in the air.

Therefore let him who, when speaking, uses the gift of 'tongues' pray for ability to interpret them.

If, when praying, I use the gift of 'tongues,' my spirit indeed prays, but my mind is a blank.

Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest?

But at a meeting of the Church I would rather speak five words with my mind, and so teach others, than ten thousand words when using the gift of 'tongues.'

when therefore the whole church is assembled, and all speak different languages, if such as are either unlearned, or are unbelievers should come in, will they not say you are all mad?

But if all are prophesying when an unlearned or unbelieving man enters, he is convicted in conscience by your speaker, he feels himself judged by all,

How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.

And the prophets' spirits are [to be] under the prophets' control [i.e., a prophet was to determine if or when he exercised his gift],

yea, and we are no better than enthusiastic impostors by affirming that God raised up Christ, when he never did raise him up.

But each one [is raised up] in his own turn: Christ as the firstfruits [See verse 20]; then those who are Christ's [i.e., believers], when He returns.

Then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father, when He abolishes all rule and all authority and power.

For God has put everything under His feet. But when it says “everything” is put under Him, it is obvious that He who puts everything under Him is the exception.

And when everything is subject to Christ, then the Son Himself will also be subject to the One who subjected everything to Him, so that God may be all in all.

But someone will say, “How are the dead raised? What kind of body will they have when they come?”

And when you sow the seed you are not sowing the body that it will become, but bare grain, of wheat perhaps, or some other grain.

It is planted in shame; it comes again in glory: feeble when it is planted, it comes again in power:

in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, when the last trumpet sounds. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised, incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

When this corruptible is clothed
with incorruptibility,
and this mortal is clothed
with immortality,
then the saying that is written will take place:
Death has been swallowed up in victory.

On the first day of the week, each of you is to set something aside and save in keeping with how he prospers, so that no collections will need to be made when I come.

When I arrive, I will send with letters those you recommend to carry your gracious gift to Jerusalem.

Now I will come unto you, when I shall pass through Macedonia: for I do pass through Macedonia.

Now if [or, probably, "when"] Timothy comes [i.e., there to Corinth], make sure he feels at ease [Note: Due to his youthful age and inexperience, Timothy was probably inclined to be easily intimidated], for he is doing the Lord's work, just as I am.

So no one is to slight him. But see him off cordially when he comes back to me, for I am expecting him with the other brothers.

About our brother Apollos: I strongly urged him to come to you with the brothers, but he was not at all willing to come now. However, he will come when he has an opportunity.

And I was glad when Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus arrived [here in Ephesus], for they have provided [me] with what you were not able to.

If anyone loves not the Lord, let him be accursed, when the Lord cometh!