From Paul, who has been called to be an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, And from Sosthenes, our Brother.

I give praise to my God for you at all times, because of the grace of God which has been given to you in Christ Jesus;

(according as the testimony of the Christ has been confirmed in you,)

for he, who has called you to the communication of his son Jesus Christ our Lord, will make good his promise.

For it has been shewn to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of the house of Chloe, that there are strifes among you.

By 'quarrelling' I mean that each of you has his party-cry, "I belong to Paul," "And I to Apollos," "And I to Cephas," "And I to Christ."

Is the Christ divided? has Paul been crucified for you? or have ye been baptised unto the name of Paul?

For Christ has not sent me to baptise, but to preach glad tidings; not in wisdom of word, that the cross of the Christ may not be made vain.

For it has been written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nought the understanding of the intelligent.

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

For since, in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom has not known God, God has been pleased by the foolishness of the preaching to save those that believe.

while we proclaim a Christ who has been crucified--to the Jews a stumbling-block, to Gentiles foolishness,

but to those whom God has called, whether they are Jews or Greeks, a Christ who is God's power and God's wisdom.

[This is] because the foolishness of God [is not foolishness at all and] is wiser than men [far beyond human comprehension], and the weakness of God is stronger than men [far beyond the limits of human effort].

For you see God's design for you, my brothers, that he has not taken a great number of the wise after the flesh, not the strong, not the noble:

But God has chosen the foolish things of the world, that he may put to shame the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world, that he may put to shame the strong things;

and the ignoble things of the world, and the despised, has God chosen, and things that are not, that he may annul the things that are;

But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who has been made to us wisdom from God, and righteousness, and holiness, and redemption;

So that, as it is said in the holy Writings, Whoever has a desire for glory, let his glory be in the Lord.

And when I came to you, brothers and sisters, proclaiming to you the testimony of God [concerning salvation through Christ], I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom [no lofty words of eloquence or of philosophy as a Greek orator might do];

But we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, the wisdom that has been hidden, which God foreordained before the worlds for our glory,

which none of the rulers of this world has known. For had they known it, they wouldn't have crucified the Lord of glory.

but according as it is written, Things which eye has not seen, and ear not heard, and which have not come into man's heart, which God has prepared for them that love him,

but God has revealed to us by his Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.

For who has knowledge of the things of a man but the spirit of the man which is in him? in the same way, no one has knowledge of the things of God but the Spirit of God.

Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who comes from God, so that we may understand what has been freely given to us by God.

But he who has the Spirit, though judging all things, is himself judged by no one.

For who has known the mind of the Lord, who shall instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

Who then is Apollos, and who Paul? Ministering servants, through whom ye have believed, and as the Lord has given to each.

I have planted; Apollos watered; but God has given the increase.

Still, though planter and waterer are on the same level, each will get his own wage for the special work that he has done.

According to the grace of God which has been given to me, as a wise architect, I have laid the foundation, but another builds upon it. But let each see how he builds upon it.

For no one can lay any other foundation than what has been laid down. That foundation is Jesus Christ.

each one’s work will be clearly shown [for what it is]; for the day [of judgment] will disclose it, because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality and character and worth of each person’s work.

If the work of any one which he has built upon the foundation shall abide, he shall receive a reward.

But if any person’s work is burned up [by the test], he will suffer the loss [of his reward]; yet he himself will be saved, but only as [one who has barely escaped] through fire.

Do you not know and understand that you [the church] are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells [permanently] in you [collectively and individually]?

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, "He has taken the wise in their craftiness."

And again, The Lord has knowledge of the reasonings of the wise, that they are nothing.

So do not criticize at all; the hour of reckoning has still to come, when the Lord will come to bring dark secrets to the light and to reveal life's inner aims and motives. Then each of us will get his meed of praise from God.

And these things, brethren, I have, in figure, applied to my self and Apollos, for your sakes, that you may learn in us not to think more of teachers than what has been written; and that no one of you be vain of one to the injury of another.

For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?

Every one of you already has all that heart can desire; already you have grown rich; without waiting for us, you have ascended your thrones! Yes indeed, would to God that you had ascended your thrones, that we also might reign with you!

For I think that God has set us the apostles for the last, as appointed to death. For we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and men.

When evil things are said about us we give gentle answers: we are made as the unclean things of the world, as that for which no one has any use, even till now.

It is actually reported [everywhere] that there is sexual immorality among you, a kind of immorality that is condemned even among the [unbelieving] Gentiles: that someone has [an intimate relationship with] his father’s wife.

And ye are puffed up, and ye have not rather mourned, in order that he that has done this deed might be taken away out of the midst of you.

For [although I] am absent in body but present in spirit, I have already passed judgment on the one who has done this in this way, as [if I] were present.

to deliver, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (ye and my spirit being gathered together, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ), him that has so wrought this:

Purge out the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, according as ye are unleavened. For also our passover, Christ, has been sacrificed;

Does any one of you, when he has a complaint (civil dispute) with another [believer], dare to go to law before unrighteous men (non-believers) instead of [placing the issue] before the saints (God’s people)?

I say this to put you to shame. Has it come to this, that there does not exist among you a single wise man competent to decide between a man and his brother,

But a brother who has a cause at law against another takes it before Gentile judges.

"meat is design'd for the belly, and the belly for meat:" true, yet God has design'd both for destruction. now the body is not design'd for licentiousness, but for the glory of the Lord; since the Lord died for the glorification of the body:

And God has both raised up the Lord, and will raise us up from among the dead by his power.

Or do you not know that a man who has to do with a prostitute is one with her in body? For God says, "The two shall become one."

But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit [with Him]. [Note: Just as the person who has sex with someone enters a close physical union with that person, so the person who becomes a Christian enters a close spiritual union with Christ].

Or are you not conscious that your body is a house for the Holy Spirit which is in you, and which has been given to you by God? and you are not the owners of yourselves;

For a payment has been made for you: let God be honoured in your body.

The wife has not authority over her own body, but the husband: in like manner also the husband has not authority over his own body, but the wife.

Now I wish all men to be even as myself: but every one has his own gift of God: one man thus, and another thus.

For married people these are my instructions (and they are the Lord's, not mine). A wife is not to separate from her husband ??11 if she has separated, she must either remain single or be reconciled to him ??and a husband must not put away his wife.

or if she has already left him, let her either remain as she is or be reconciled to him; and that a husband is not to send away his wife.

To the rest I declare—I, not the Lord [since Jesus did not discuss this]—that if any [believing] brother has a wife who does not believe [in Christ], and she consents to live with him, he must not leave her.

And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to dwell with her, let her not leave her husband.

For, in such cases, the unbelieving husband has become--and is--holy through union with a Christian woman, and the unbelieving wife is holy through union with a Christian brother. Otherwise your children would be unholy, but in reality they have a place among God's people.

But if the unbeliever go away, let them go away; a brother or a sister is not bound in such cases, but God has called us in peace.

for what, hast thou known, O wife, whether the husband thou shalt save? or what, hast thou known, O husband, whether the wife thou shalt save?

However, as the Lord has divided to each, as God has called each, so let him walk; and thus I ordain in all the assemblies.

Has any one been called circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised: has any one been called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised.

Being circumcised or not being circumcised has no value, but keeping God's commands is important.

Let each abide in that calling in which he has been called.

Hast thou been called being a bondman, let it not concern thee; but and if thou canst become free, use it rather.

For the slave who has been called to belong to the Lord is the Lord's free person. In the same way, the free person who has been called is the Messiah's slave.

It is the Lord who has made payment for you: be not servants of men.

Now concerning virgins, I have no commandment from the Lord, but I give my judgment as one who has obtained mercy from the Lord to be trustworthy.

I think, then, that, in view of the time of suffering that has now come upon us, what I have already said is best-that a man should remain as he is.

Hast thou been bound to a wife? seek not to be loosed; hast thou been loosed from a wife? seek not a wife.

But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you.

But I say this, believers: the time has been shortened, so that from now on even those who have wives should be as though they did not;

but he that has married cares for the things of the world, how he shall please his wife.

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

But if any man thinks he is [being tempted to] behave improperly toward his virgin [fiancee], and she is past prime [marriageable] age, and feels the need [to get married] [Note: The Greek says "and so it has to be"], he should do what he wants; they should get married --- that man has not sinned.

But he who stands firm in his heart, having no need, but has authority over his own will, and has judged this in his heart to keep his own virginity, he does well.

A wife has been given so long a time as her husband may live; but if her husband may die, she is free to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.

With reference to food that has been offered in sacrifice to idols-We are aware that all of us have knowledge! Knowledge breeds conceit, while love builds up character.

If anyone imagines that he knows and understands anything [of divine matters, without love], he has not yet known as he ought to know.

But if anyone has love for God, God has knowledge of him.

In this matter, then, of eating food offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world [it has no real existence], and that there is no God but one.

However, not everyone has this knowledge. In fact, some have been so used to idolatry up until now that when they eat food offered to an idol, their conscience, being weak, is defiled.

However, food will not bring us closer to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat food that has been offered to an idol, and no better off if we do.

For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols;

For in the law of Moses it has been written, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that plows. Is there a care to God for oxen,

or does he say it altogether for our sakes? For for our sakes it has been written, that the plougher should plough in hope, and he that treads out corn, in hope of partaking of it.

So also the Lord has ordained to those that announce the glad tidings to live of the glad tidings.

For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast about, for this obligation has been entrusted to me. How terrible it would be for me if I didn't preach the gospel!

And if I preach willingly, I receive my wages; but if against my will, a stewardship has nevertheless been entrusted to me.

To those who have no Law I became like a man who has no Law- -not that I am free from God's Law; no, for I am under Christ's Law-to win those who have no law.

And every man who takes part in the sports has self-control in all things. Now they do it to get a crown which is of this world, but we for an eternal crown.

Neither be ye idolaters, as some of them were; as has been written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and arose up to play.