Thus when I came to you, my brothers, I did not come to proclaim to you God's secret purpose with any elaborate words or wisdom.

so that your faith might not rest on any human 'wisdom' but on the power of God.

The foundation is laid, namely Jesus Christ, and no one can lay any other.

If the structure raised by any man survives, he will be rewarded;

It matters very little to me that you or any human court should cross-question me on this point. I do not even cross-question myself;

So let us celebrate our festival, not with any old leaven, not with vice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of innocence and integrity.

What I now write is that you are not to associate with any so-called brother who is immoral or lustful or idolatrous or given to abuse or drink or robbery. Associate with him! Do not even eat with him!

When any of you has a grievance against his neighbour, do you dare to go to law in a sinful pagan court, instead of laying the case before the saints?

Shun immorality! Any other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his body.

To other people I would say (not the Lord): ??if any brother has a wife who is not a believer, and if she consents to live with him, he must not put her away;

and if any wife has a husband who is not a believer, and if he consents to live with her, she must not put her husband away.

Was a man circumcised at the time he was called? Then he is not to efface the marks of it. Has any man been called when he was uncircumcised? Then he is not to get circumcised.

(for you were bought for a price; you must not turn slaves to any man).

At the same time, if any man considers he is not behaving properly to the maid who is his spiritual bride, if his passions are strong and if it must be so, then let him do what he wants ??let them be married; it is no sin for him.

Now mere food will not bring us any nearer to God; if we abstain we do not lose anything, and if we eat we do not gain anything.

But see that the exercise of your right does not prove any stumbling-block to the weak.

Therefore if food is any hindrance to my brother's welfare, sooner than injure him I will never eat flesh as long as I live, never!

If others share this right over you, why not we all the more? We did not avail ourselves of it, you say? No, we do not mind any privations if we can only avoid putting any obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ.

Only, I have not availed myself of any of these rights, and I am not writing in order to secure any such provision for myself. I would die sooner than let anyone deprive me of this, my source of pride.

Do I imply, you ask, that 'food offered to an idol has any meaning, or that an idol itself means any thing'?

Eat any food that has been sold in the market, instead of letting scruples of conscience oblige you to ask any questions about 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.

Any man who prays or prophesies with a veil on his head dishonours his head,

while any woman who prays or prophesies without a veil on her head dishonours her head; she is no better than a shaven woman.

(Of course, in the Lord, woman does not exist apart from man, any more than man apart from woman;

Thank God, I speak in 'tongues' more than any of you;

If they want any information, let them ask their husbands at home; it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in church.

To sum up, my brothers. Set your heart on the prophetic gift, and do not put any check upon speaking in 'tongues';

At any rate, whether I or they have done most, such is what we preach, such is what you believed.

The chances are, I shall spend some time with you, possibly even pass the winter with you, so that you may speed me forward on any journey that lies before me.

'If any one has no love for the Lord, God's curse be on him! Maran atha!