I thank my God always about you, in respect of the grace of God given to you in Christ Jesus;

just as the testimony about Christ has been confirmed in you,

For it has been reported to me about you, my brothers, by members of Chloe’s household, that there is rivalry among you.

For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

For since, according to God's [true] wisdom, the world did not know about Him through its wisdom, God was pleased to save those who believe [in Christ] through the "foolishness" of the message preached.

but we preach about a crucified Christ, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.

Brothers, think about your own calling. Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.

So, as it is written [Jer. 9:23f], "The person who [wants to] boast, let him boast about the Lord."

When I came to you, brothers, I didn't come and tell you about God's secret with rhetorical language or wisdom.

For I decided to be concerned about nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

Instead, we speak about God's wisdom in a hidden secret, which God destined before the world began for our glory.

None of the rulers of this age knew about this [divine] wisdom, for if they had [known it], they would not have crucified the glorious Lord [i.e., Jesus].

For God unveiled them to us through His Spirit, for the Spirit by searching discovers everything, even the deepest truths about God.

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.

But the spiritual person [i.e., one who has the Holy Spirit] is able to discern all things [i.e., has the ability to make right judgments about things], and he himself [i.e., his conduct] cannot be [critically] discerned by any [unbelieving] man.

for ye are yet carnal. For where there are envy and strife among you, are you not carnal, and walking about according to man?

Let no one deceive himself about this; whoever of you imagines he is wise with this world's wisdom must become a 'fool,' if he is really to be wise.

Therefore let no one boast about his human teachers.

whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things about to be -- all are yours,

One should think about us this way -- as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.

I for my part care very little about being examined by you or by any human court. I do not even offer myself for investigation.

Now I have applied these things [that is, the analogies about factions] to myself and Apollos for your benefit, believers, so that you may learn from us not to go beyond what is written [in Scripture], so that none of you will become arrogant and boast in favor of one [minister or teacher] against the other.

unto the present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and wander about,

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.

For although you have ten thousand guardians [Note: This word means someone who transported a child to his teacher] in [the fellowship of] Christ, you do not have many [spiritual] fathers. For I [spiritually] conceived you people through [preaching to you] the good news [about Christ]. [Note: Paul here refers to his work in establishing the church at Corinth].

This is why I have sent Timothy to you. He is my dearly loved and faithful son in the Lord. He will remind you about my ways in Christ Jesus, just as I teach everywhere in every church.

Some of you seem to think that I am not coming to visit you, and are putting on airs about it.

And you are arrogant [about it] instead [of being ashamed]. Should you not be grieved to the point of removing from your fellowship the person who has done this [terrible] deed?

For though I am absent in body but present in spirit, I have already decided about the one who has done this thing as though I were present.

Your boasting [over the supposed spirituality of your church] is not good [indeed, it is vulgar and inappropriate]. Do you not know that [just] a little leaven ferments the whole batch [of dough, just as a little sin corrupts a person or an entire church]?

Is it not certain that the saints will be the judges of the world? if then the world will be judged by you, are you unable to give a decision about the smallest things?

So if you have disputes about such matters, do you appoint them as judges who are of no account in the church?

I speak shame about you. So there is not among you not even one wise man who will be able to arbitrate between his brother?

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,

Now concerning [the things] about which you wrote: "[It is] good for a man not to touch a woman."

But I, not the Lord, say this to the rest of you [Note: Paul now addresses the matter of mixed marriages, a circumstance Jesus never taught about]: If any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she agrees to continue living with him [Note: In these verses Paul addresses a situation where one marriage partner is converted after they are married], he should not divorce her.

Were you called as a slave? Do not worry about it. But if indeed you are able to be free, make the most of the opportunity.

About virgins: I have no command from the Lord, but I do give an opinion as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy.

But I want you to be free from concern. The unmarried man is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord;

but the married man is concerned about worldly things, how he may please his wife,

and his interests are divided. The unmarried woman or the virgin is concerned about the matters of the Lord, how to be holy and set apart both in body and in spirit; but a married woman is concerned about worldly things, how she may please her husband.

An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the affairs of the Lord, so that she may be holy in body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world, that is, about how she can please her husband. I'm saying this for your benefit, not to put a noose around your necks, but to promote good order and unhindered devotion to the Lord.

If however anyone considereth it behaving unseemly towards his virginity, if he should be beyond the bloom of life, - and, thus, it ought to come about, what he chooseth, let him do, - he sinneth not: let them marry:

But [another] man, who has a conviction in his heart [about the matter], and does not feel it is necessary [to get married], but has control over his will [i.e., his sexual passion], and has made up his mind to keep [from marrying] his own virgin [fiancee] --- that man is doing the right thing [also].

Now about food sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge [concerning this]. Knowledge [alone] makes [people self-righteously] arrogant, but love [that unselfishly seeks the best for others] builds up and encourages others to grow [in wisdom].

If anyone seems to himself to have knowledge, so far he has not the right sort of knowledge about anything;

About eating food offered to idols, then, we know that “an idol is nothing in the world,” and that “there is no God but one.”

But there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience about the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.

For if somebody sees you, who are intelligent about this matter, attending a dinner in an idol's temple, will not he, with his sensitive conscience, be led to eat meat that is offered to idols?

Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?

Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to stop doing manual labor [in order to support our ministry]?

For in the law of Moses it is written, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that is treading out corn. Is God occupied about the oxen,

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.

If other people have the right to receive a share of what you have, should we not have even more [right to it]? Yet we did not make use of this right, but instead we put up with whatever we had to so we would not become a hindrance to [the spread of] the good news [about Christ].

Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?

Even so the Lord directed that those who proclaim the good news [about Christ] should get their living from [preaching] that good news.

But for my part, I have never availed myself of any of these rights. I do not say this to bring it about in my own case. I would rather die than let any one make void this boast of mine.

For if I preach the Good News, I have nothing to boast about; for necessity is laid on me; but woe is to me, if I don't preach the Good News.

I am speaking as to wise and sensible people; judge [carefully and thoughtfully consider] for yourselves what I say.

Eat anything that is sold in the meat market without raising any question about it on the grounds of conscience,

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.

Now I am not speaking about your own conscience, but the [conscience] of the other [person]. For why [is] my freedom judged by another's conscience?

If I partake with thankfulness, why am I maligned about which I express thanks?

Now if anyone is inclined to be contentious [about this], we have no other practice [in worship than this], nor do the churches of God [in general].

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.

and after giving thanks He broke it and said, "This is my body which is about to be broken for you. Do this in memory of me."

If anyone is too hungry [to wait], let him eat at home, so that you will not come together for judgment [on yourselves]. About the remaining matters [of which I was informed], I will take care of them when I come.

Now about the spiritual gifts [the special endowments given by the Holy Spirit], brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed.

So it is my desire for you to be clear about this; that no one is able to say by the Spirit of God that Jesus is cursed; and no one is able to say that Jesus is Lord, but by the Holy Spirit.

diversities in work, and yet one and the same God--He who in each person brings about the whole result.

But these results are all brought about by one and the same Spirit, who bestows His gifts upon each of us in accordance with His own will.

you are contesting about the superiority of your gifts: but I point out to you a more excellent way.

It is not glad about injustice, but rejoices in the truth.

[Love] conceals all [people's] faults; it believes [the best about] all people; it hopes [for the best in] all people; it endures [ill treatment from] all people.

For the person who speaks in a foreign language is not actually speaking to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands him, because he is talking about secrets by the Spirit.

For if you in your spirit bless God, how shall he who fills the place of the unlearned say the Amen to your thanksgiving, when he does not know what you are talking about?

But if something is revealed [supernaturally, at about the same time] to another person sitting nearby, the first one should finish speaking [i.e., before the second one begins].

And if they have a desire for knowledge about anything, let them put questions to their husbands privately: for talking in the church puts shame on a woman.

Now if what we preach about Christ is that he was raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no such thing as a resurrection of the dead?

In addition, we are found to be false witnesses about God, because we have testified about God that He raised up Christ—whom He did not raise up if in fact the dead are not raised.

For, as it says, He has put all things under his feet. But when he says, All things are put under him, it is clear that it is not said about him who put all things under him.

I protest, by the boasting which I do about you, my brothers, through our union with Christ Jesus our Lord, I myself run the risk of dying every single day!

Make no mistake about this: 'bad company is the ruin of good character.'

Come to your senses and stop sinning, for some people are ignorant about God. I say this to your shame.

But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory.

Now concerning the collection for the saints: just as I gave directions about [it] to the churches of Galatia, so you do also.

Now I will come to you, when I have passed through Macedonia; for I am about to pass through Macedonia;

I do not care about seeing you at this moment merely in the by-going; my hope is to stay among you for some time, with the Lord's permission.

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.

Now I urge you, brothers--you know about the household of Stephanas, that they are the first fruits of Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the ministry for the saints--

I was glad about the arrival of Stephanus, Fortunatus, and Achaicus because they have supplied the fellowship with you that I lacked.