For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel -- and not with clever speech, so that the cross of Christ would not become useless.

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.

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

But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.

But God chose what the world thinks foolish to shame the wise, and God chose what the world thinks weak to shame the strong.

My conversation and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

so that your faith would not be based on human wisdom but on the power of God.

Now we do speak wisdom among the mature, but not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are perishing.

But just as it is written, "Things that no eye has seen, or ear heard, or mind imagined, are the things God has prepared for those who love him."

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

And we speak about these things, not with words taught us by human wisdom, but with those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people.

For who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to advise him? But we have the mind of Christ.

So, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but instead as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ.

I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused it to grow.

So neither the one who plants counts for anything, nor the one who waters, but God who causes the growth.

The one who plants and the one who waters work as one, but each will receive his reward according to his work.

According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master-builder I laid a foundation, but someone else builds on it. And each one must be careful how he builds.

If someone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss. He himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not acquitted because of this. The one who judges me is the Lord.

We are fools for Christ, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, we are dishonored!

I am not writing these things to shame you, but to correct you as my dear children.

But I will come to you soon, if the Lord is willing, and I will find out not only the talk of these arrogant people, but also their power.

For the kingdom of God is demonstrated not in idle talk but with power.

So then, let us celebrate the festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of vice and evil, but with the bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth.

But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who calls himself a Christian who is sexually immoral, or greedy, or an idolater, or verbally abusive, or a drunkard, or a swindler. Do not even eat with such a person.

But God will judge those outside. Remove the evil person from among you.

But you yourselves wrong and cheat, and you do this to your brothers and sisters!

Some of you once lived this way. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

"All things are lawful for me" -- but not everything is beneficial. "All things are lawful for me" -- but I will not be controlled by anything.

"Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, but God will do away with both." The body is not for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.

But the one united with the Lord is one spirit with him.

Flee sexual immorality! "Every sin a person commits is outside of the body" -- but the immoral person sins against his own body.

But because of immoralities, each man should have relations with his own wife and each woman with her own husband.

It is not the wife who has the rights to her own body, but the husband. In the same way, it is not the husband who has the rights to his own body, but the wife.

I wish that everyone was as I am. But each has his own gift from God, one this way, another that.

But if they do not have self-control, let them get married. For it is better to marry than to burn with sexual desire.

To the married I give this command -- not I, but the Lord -- a wife should not divorce a husband

(but if she does, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband), and a husband should not divorce his wife.

For the unbelieving husband is sanctified because of the wife, and the unbelieving wife because of her husband. Otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy.

But if the unbeliever wants a divorce, let it take place. In these circumstances the brother or sister is not bound. God has called you in peace.

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.

With regard to the question about people who have never married, I have no command from the Lord, but I give my opinion as one shown mercy by the Lord to be trustworthy.

But if you marry, you have not sinned. And if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face difficult circumstances, and I am trying to spare you such problems.

But a married man is concerned about the things of the world, how to please his wife,

and he is divided. An unmarried woman or a virgin is concerned about the things of the Lord, to be holy both in body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the things of the world, how to please her husband.

I am saying this for your benefit, not to place a limitation on you, but so that without distraction you may give notable and constant service to the Lord.

But the man who is firm in his commitment, and is under no necessity but has control over his will, and has decided in his own mind to keep his own virgin, does well.

So then, the one who marries his own virgin does well, but the one who does not, does better.

A wife is bound as long as her husband is living. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes (only someone in the Lord).

But in my opinion, she will be happier if she remains as she is -- and I think that I too have the Spirit of God!

With regard to food sacrificed to idols, we know that "we all have knowledge." Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.

But if someone loves God, he is known by God.

With regard then to eating food sacrificed to idols, we know that "an idol in this world is nothing," and that "there is no God but one."

But this knowledge is not shared by all. And some, by being accustomed to idols in former times, eat this food as an idol sacrifice, and their conscience, because it is weak, is defiled.

But be careful that this liberty of yours does not become a hindrance to the weak.

If others receive this right from you, are we not more deserving? But we have not made use of this right. Instead we endure everything so that we may not be a hindrance to the gospel of Christ.

But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing these things so that something will be done for me. In fact, it would be better for me to die than -- no one will deprive me of my reason for boasting!

For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward. But if I do it unwillingly, I am entrusted with a responsibility.

To those free from the law I became like one free from the law (though I am not free from God's law but under the law of Christ) to gain those free from the law.

Do you not know that all the runners in a stadium compete, but only one receives the prize? So run to win.

Each competitor must exercise self-control in everything. They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one.

But God was not pleased with most of them, for they were cut down in the wilderness.

No trial has overtaken you that is not faced by others. And God is faithful: He will not let you be tried beyond what you are able to bear, but with the trial will also provide a way out so that you may be able to endure it.

"Everything is lawful," but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is lawful," but not everything builds others up.

Do not seek your own good, but the good of the other person.

But if someone says to you, "This is from a sacrifice," do not eat, because of the one who told you and because of conscience --

I do not mean yours but the other person's. For why is my freedom being judged by another's conscience?

just as I also try to please everyone in all things. I do not seek my own benefit, but the benefit of many, so that they may be saved.

But I want you to know that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ.

But any woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered disgraces her head, for it is one and the same thing as having a shaved head.

For if a woman will not cover her head, she should cut off her hair. But if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, she should cover her head.

For a man should not have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God. But the woman is the glory of the man.

For man did not come from woman, but woman from man.

Neither was man created for the sake of woman, but woman for man.

For just as woman came from man, so man comes through woman. But all things come from God.

but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering.

Now in giving the following instruction I do not praise you, because you come together not for the better but for the worse.

But if we examined ourselves, we would not be judged.

But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned with the world.

Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit.

And there are different ministries, but the same Lord.

And there are different results, but the same God who produces all of them in everyone.

For in fact the body is not a single member, but many.

But as a matter of fact, God has placed each of the members in the body just as he decided.

So now there are many members, but one body.

but our presentable members do not need this. Instead, God has blended together the body, giving greater honor to the lesser member,

so that there may be no division in the body, but the members may have mutual concern for one another.

But you should be eager for the greater gifts. And now I will show you a way that is beyond comparison.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but I do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

And if I have prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.

If I give away everything I own, and if I give over my body in order to boast, but do not have love, I receive no benefit.

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

Love never ends. But if there are prophecies, they will be set aside; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be set aside.

but when what is perfect comes, the partial will be set aside.

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. But when I became an adult, I set aside childish ways.

For now we see in a mirror indirectly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, just as I have been fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.

For the one speaking in a tongue does not speak to people but to God, for no one understands; he is speaking mysteries by the Spirit.

But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouragement, and consolation.

The one who speaks in a tongue builds himself up, but the one who prophesies builds up the church.