To: God's church in Corinth, to those who have been sanctified by the Messiah Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah their Lord and ours.

That's why I sent Timothy to you. He is my dear and dependable son in the Lord and will help you remember how I live for the Messiah Jesus as I teach everywhere in every church.

So if you have cases dealing with this life, why do you appoint as judges people who have no standing in the church?

Don't become a stumbling block to Jews or Greeks or to the church of God,

For in the first place, I hear that when you gather as a church there are divisions among you, and I partly believe it.

You have homes in which to eat and drink, don't you? Or do you despise God's church and humiliate those who have nothing? What should I say to you? Should I praise you? I will not praise you for this!

God has appointed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then those who perform miracles, those who have gifts of healing, those who help others, administrators, and those who speak various kinds of languages.

The person who speaks in a foreign language builds himself up, but the person who prophesies builds up the church.

Now I wish that all of you could speak in foreign languages, but especially that you could prophesy. The person who prophesies is more important than the person who speaks in a foreign language, unless he interprets it so that the church may be built up.

In the same way, since you're so desirous of spiritual gifts, you must keep on desiring them for building up the church.

But in church I would rather speak five words with my mind to instruct others than 10,000 words in a foreign language.

Now if the whole church gathers in the same place and everyone is speaking in foreign languages, when uneducated people or unbelievers come in, they will say that you are out of your mind, won't they?

If an interpreter is not present, the speaker should remain silent in the church and speak to himself and God.

If they want to learn anything, they should ask their own husbands at home, for it is inappropriate for a woman to speak out in church.

For I am the least of the apostles and not even fit to be called an apostle because I persecuted God's church.

The churches in Asia greet you. Aquila and Prisca and the church in their house greet you warmly in union with the Lord.