to the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who being sanctified by Christ Jesus, are saints by that vocation, to all that any where invoke the name of Jesus Christ, who is both their Lord and ours.

for I have been inform'd, my brethren, by some of Chloe's family, that there are contentions among you.

For tho' the doctrine of the cross seems folly to those that perish: yet we that are to be saved, do feel its energy is divine.

for consider, brethren, that not many worldly wise, not many men of power, not many men of birth are among you that are called.

but God hath chosen those who are foolish in the opinion of the world, to confound the wise; and the weak men of the world to confound the mighty:

However, what we preach is wisdom, to those who are thoroughly instructed: yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who will soon come to nothing.

but the animal man does not receive the effusions of the spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him; neither can he understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

but they are all expos'd to the judgment of the spiritual, whilst he himself is not subject to the judgment of any man.

for how can he, that does not know the mind of the Lord, instruct another? but as for us, we are acquainted with the mind of the Lord.

for you are still subject to your passions. since envy, and strife, and divisions are among you, are you not actuated by the vices of the animal part?

while one cries I am Paul's disciple, and another, I am Apollo's, are ye not vicious?

For we are fellow labourers employed by God: you are his field, and his mansion.

Don't you know, that you are the temple of God, and that the spirit of God dwells in you?

if any man divide the temple of God, him shall God destroy: for you, who are the temple of God, are consecrated to him.

and again, "the Lord knows, that the thoughts of the wise are vain."

therefore, let no one glory in men: for all are yours:

all are yours; and you are Christ's; and Christ is God's.

for it seems as if God had exposed us apostles the last upon the stage, as persons appointed to death. for we are made a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men.

we are made fools for our attachment to Christ, while you, who are christians too, still pass for the wise: we are in poverty, but you are in power: you meet with esteem, but we find contempt.

to this very day we suffer both hunger, thirst, and penury: we are buffeted from place to place, as vagabonds:

we are fatigu'd by our manual toil: when reviled, we pray: when persecuted, we don't repine:

and when we are defamed, we intreat: in a word, we are look'd upon as the dregs and scum of mankind, even to this day.

This I don't write to give you any confusion, but by way of remonstrance, to you who are my dear children.

that is, when you are assembled, and I virtually there, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

for what have I to do to judge those who are without the church; but are not you to judge those that are within?

those that are without, God will judge. therefore expel the libertine from your community.

don't you know that these are to judge the world? if the world is to be judg'd by you, are not you qualify'd to decide your petty causes?

if then you have the cognizance of such matters, why do ye set those to judge who are despised by the church? I speak it to your shame.

beside, you are absolutely in the wrong in going to law with one another at all: why don't you rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer loss?

Are all things lawful for me? however, all things are not expedient: are all things lawful for me? however, I will not be a slave to any.

Don't you know, that your bodies are parts of Christ's mystical body? now, how can that which is Christ's, be made the property of a very creature?

it cannot be. why, don't you perceive, that where there is such an attachment, they are but as one person? for the scripture says, "they two shall be as one."

what! know ye not that your bodies are the temple of the holy spirit, which is in you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own?

for you are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.

for the unbelieving husband is christianiz'd by the believing wife, and the unbelieving wife is christianiz'd by the believing husband: else were your children heathens: whereas they are christians.

are you contracted to a wife? seek not to be disengag'd. are you disengag'd from your wife? don't look out for another;

and they that weep, as those that are unconcern'd; and they that rejoice, as those that do not; and they that buy, as those that have no possessions;

for tho' there are several titular deities, both in heaven and on earth: such as the whole crowd of gods, and lords among the Gentiles;

yet to us there is but one God, the father, from whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

But every one has not this knowledge: for some still imagine the idol represents a deity: and eat the meat under the notion of an offering to such a being: by which erroneous opinion they are infected with idolatry.

meat does not recommend us to God: if we eat, we are not the better men; if we don't eat, we are not the worse.

Am I not free? am I not an apostle? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not you become christians by my labour?

or I and Barnabas, are we only excluded the privilege of not working?

for it is written in the law of Moses, "thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn." are oxen the objects of divine care?

to the Jews, I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain those who are under the law;

to those who are without the law, as without that law, (not as being under no law to God, but as under the law to Christ) that I might gain those who are without the law.

now these things were examples to deter us from longing after things that are pernicious, as they did.

All these things happened to them for examples: and are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come.

you have met with no trials yet, but such as are common to men: and God who is faithful, will not suffer you to be tempted above your strength; but will with the temptation make a way to escape, by enabling you to bear it.

for the bread being one, as many as we are, we are one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.

consider the custom of the Jews by descent, are not they which eat of the sacrifices, partakers of the altar? what say I then?

Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?

are all things lawful for me? yet all things are not expedient: are all things lawful for me? yet all things do not edify.

if any of the unbelievers invite you to an entertainment, and you are disposed to go; whatever is set before you, eat, without asking any question out of a scruple of conscience.

however, the man and the woman are equal with respect to the Lord.

for as the woman was taken from the man, so man is born of the woman: and all are from God.

Now in what I am going to say, I do not commend you, because your assemblies are not to your advantage, but to your prejudice.

for there must be factions among you, whereby it will appear who among you are the approved.

what, have you no houses to eat and drink in? or have ye a contempt for the church of God, or is it to insult those who are in want? what shall I say to you? shall I commend such behaviour? I do not approve of it.

hence it is, that many are weak and sickly among you, and no small number now sleep in their graves.

but when we are punished, we are chastised by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.

Now concerning those who are spiritual, my brethren, I would not have you be mistaken.

Now there are different gifts, but the same spirit.

and there are different offices, but the same Lord.

and there are different operations, but it is the same God who performs them all in every one.

but all are wrought by one and the same spirit, distributing to every one in particular, as he thinks fit.

For as the body is one, tho' it has many members, and all the members of that one body, tho' many, are one body: so also is the body of Christ.

thus, tho' there are many members, yet there is but one body.

nay, those parts of the body, which seem to be of the least account, are much more necessary.

Thus you are the body of Christ, being the particular members of it.

are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?

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

there are, it may be, as many different languages in the world as there are people, and none of them without signification.

wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to believers, but to unbelievers: but expounding the prophets, not for unbelievers so much as for those who believe.

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?

the prophetic gifts are to be subservient to the prophets.

Let your women be silent in your assemblies: for they are not allowed to discourse there; but are to observe orders, as indeed the law implies:

if any one pretends to be a prophet, or to spiritual gifts, let him be assured that the rules which I have here prescrib'd, are the commandments of the Lord.

after that, he was seen by above five hundred brethren at once: of whom the greater part remain alive to this day, but some are now dead.

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

for if the dead are not raised, then was not Christ raised:

and if Christ was not raised, your faith is meer illusion, your sins are not yet forgiven.

then they too who died christians, are entirely lost.

if our expectations as christians all terminate in this life, we of all men are most to be pitied.

for he hath subjected all things to him. but when it is said all things are subjected, it is plain that he is to be excepted, who did subject all things to him.

If it be not so, what can they effect who are baptized for the dead? if the dead rise not at all, why are they then baptized for the dead?

foolish as you are, the grain you sow, is not revived except it die.

there are celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is of one kind, and the glory of the terrestrial of another.

as was the terrestrial, such are they also that are terrestrial: and as is the celestial, such also shall they be who are to be celestial.

for I have a very fair and promising opportunity given me of propagating the gospel, tho' there are many opposers.

I am glad that Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus are come: for what was wanting on your side, they have supplied.