I continually give thanks to God on your behalf, for the favour he has bestowed on you thro' Jesus Christ;

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

where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputant of this age? has not God prov'd the wisdom of this world to be downright folly.

those who were looked upon by the world as vile, as despicable, as nothing, these has God chosen to reduce their sufficiency to nothing.

for from him it is that ye believe in Christ Jesus, whom God has made to us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: that,

this is what God has revealed to us by his spirit: for the spirit penetrates into all things, even the profound counsels of God.

now the spirit which we have received, is not the spirit of this world, but that which comes from God; that we might know what he has graciously bestowed upon us.

if the work abide which somebody has built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

for who has distinguish'd thee above another? or 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?

this you have made a matter of levity, instead of being concern'd in discarding him that has done such an action.

as for me, though I am absent in person, yet being present by my authority, with regard to him that has committed this fact, I am come to the same resolution, as if I was present,

purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new mass, since you should be without leaven. for Christ our paschal lamb has been sacrificed for us.

"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:

the wife has not the right of her own person, but the husband: and so likewise the husband has not the right of his own person, but the wife.

but if she has separated herself, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.

But as to the other cases, which were not decided by the Lord; I say, if any brother has a pagan wife, who likes to live with him, let him not put her away.

and if a woman has a pagan husband, who likes to live with her, let her not leave him.

but if the infidel will separate, let him go: a brother or a sister is not inslaved in such cases. but God has called us to peace; for how do you know,

Whatever condition God has allotted to any man, let him go on in the same state he was in when he became a christian: this I give as a standing rule to all churches.

As to the case of celibacy, I have no positive instructions: yet my advice deserves to be regarded, as coming from one the divine favour has distinguished.

but he that has been steady in his purpose, and finds no necessity to alter it; if he is a master of his passion, and is heartily determin'd to keep his virginity, it is well.

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.

even so has the Lord ordained, that they who preach the gospel, should live by the gospel.

A man ought not to be veil'd: he has the honour of being invested with authority from God, and may glory in his priority to the woman.

but if any man has a mind to be contentious, I answer, we have no such custom, nor any of the churches of God.

wherefore I give you to understand, that no man who has the spirit of God, can pronounce Jesus anathema: and that no man can acknowledge Jesus to be the Lord, but by the holy spirit.

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.

of which the graceful have no need: but God has contrived the symmetry of the body, by bestowing an additional advantage where it seem'd to want it.

which God has placed in the church, first apostles, next prophets, then teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, assistants, governours, interpreters of languages.

Now if it has been declared, that Christ rose from the dead, how comes it, that some among you assert, "there is no resurrection of the dead?"

but every one in proper order: Christ has the precedence, next they who were Christians shall rise at his advent.

for he must reign, "till God has cast all his enemies under his feet."

but thanks be to God, who has given us the victory, thro' our Lord Jesus Christ.

every sabbath-day let every one of you set apart something of what he has happily gain'd, for the common treasury, that there may be no collection when I come.

as to brother Apollos, I earnestly entreat him to make you a visit, with the brethren: but he has not the least mind to it at present; however, he will be with you when a fit occasion offers.