Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:

I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;

Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:

God is faithful, by whom you were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were you baptized in the name of Paul?

For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us who are saved it is the power of God.

For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

For you see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

And of him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

That, according as it is written, He that glories, let him glory in the Lord.

But as it is written, Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love him.

But God has revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God.

For what man knows the things of a man, except the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knows no man, but the Spirit of God.

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

But he that is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.

And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.

For you are yet carnal: for while there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are you not carnal, and walk as men?

Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom you believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?

So then neither is he that plants anything, neither he that waters; but God that gives the increase.

According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another builds thereon. But let every man take heed how he builds thereupon.

For no other foundation can a man lay than what is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall test every man's work of what sort it is.

If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

If any man defiles the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seems to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He takes the wise in their own craftiness.

And again, The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.

And you are Christ's; and Christ is God's.

Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.

Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not my own self.

For I know nothing against myself; yet am I not thereby justified: but he that judges me is the Lord.

And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that you might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.

For who makes you to differ from another? and what have you that you did not receive? now if you did receive it, why do you glory, as if you had not received it?

Now you are full, now you are rich, you have reigned as kings without us: and I would to God you did reign, that we also might reign with you.

For I think that God has set forth us the apostles last, as appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.

We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are honorable, but we are despised.

Being defamed, we entreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the trash of all things unto this day.

I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you.

For this cause have I sent unto you Timothy, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which are in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church.

Now some are puffed up, as though I would not come to you.

For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.

It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife.

For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that has so done this deed,

Your glorying is not good. Know you not that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?

Purge out therefore the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, as you are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:

Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such a one no not to eat.

I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren?

Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because you go to law one with another. Why do you not rather take wrong? why do you not rather allow yourselves to be defrauded?

Foods for the belly, and the belly for foods: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.

And God has both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.

What? know you not that he who is joined to a harlot is one body? for two, says he, shall be one flesh.

But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.

Flee fornication. Every sin that a man does is outside the body; but he that commits fornication sins against his own body.

What? know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have of God, and you are not your own?

Now concerning the things of which you wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.

For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man has his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.

I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.

But if they cannot have self-control, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.

But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God has called us to peace.

But as God has distributed to every man, as the Lord has called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches.

Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised.

Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.

Are you called being a servant? care not for it: but if you may be made free, use it rather.

For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ's servant.

Brethren, let every man, however he is called, therein abide with God.

Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: yet I give my judgment, as one that has obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful.

I suppose therefore that this is good for the present distress, I say, that it is good for a man so to be.

But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remains, that both they that have wives be as though they had none;

And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not;

And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passes away.

But I would have you without concern. He that is unmarried cares for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord:

But he that is married cares for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife.

There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman cares for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married cares for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.

And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is proper, and that you may attend upon the Lord without distraction.

The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband is dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.

But she is happier if she so abide, after my judgment: and I think also that I have the Spirit of God.

And if any man thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know.

But if any man loves God, the same is known by him.

As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one.

For though there be those called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,)

But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

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.

But food commends us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse.

For if any man sees you who have knowledge eating in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him who is weak be encouraged to eat those things which are offered to idols;

My answer to them that do examine me is this,

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

Say I these things as a man? or says not the law the same also?

For it is written in the law of Moses, You shall not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treads out the grain. Does God care for oxen?

Or says he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that plows should plow in hope; and that he that threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope.

If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your material things?

For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!

For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a stewardship of the gospel is committed unto me.

What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my right in the gospel.

And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;