which none of the rulers of this age knew. For if they had known [it], they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

But just as it is written, "[Things] which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and have not entered into the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love him."

Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who [is] from God, in order that we may know the things freely given to us by God,

"For who has known the mind of the Lord; who has advised him?" But we have the mind of Christ.

Now I have applied these things, brothers, to myself and Apollos for your sake, in order that in us you may learn not [to go] beyond what is written, lest someone be inflated with pride on behalf of one [person] against the other.

For who concedes you [superiority]? And what do you have that you did not receive? But if indeed you received [it], why do you boast as [if you] did not receive [it]?

For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as condemned to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world and to angels and to people.

[when we are] slandered, we encourage. We have become like the refuse of the world, the offscouring of all [things], until now.

For if you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, yet [you do] not [have] many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I fathered you through the gospel.

Because of this, I have sent to you Timothy, who is my dear and faithful child in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ Jesus, just as I teach everywhere in every church.

But some have become arrogant, as [if] I were not coming to you.

But I am coming to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will know not the talk of the ones who have become arrogant, but the power.

And you are inflated with pride, and should you not rather have mourned, so that the one who has done this deed would be removed from your midst?

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.

[I have decided] to hand over such a person to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, in order that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.

By no means [did I mean] the sexually immoral people of this world or the greedy people and swindlers or idolaters, since then you would have to depart out of the world.

But now I have written to you not to associate with any so-called brother, if he is a sexually immoral person or a greedy person or an idolater or an abusive person or a drunkard or a swindler--with such a person not even to eat.

Therefore, if you have courts with regard to ordinary matters, do you seat these despised [people] in the church?

Therefore it is already completely a loss for you that you have lawsuits with one another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded?

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit [who is] in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?

But because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife and let each woman have her own husband.

The wife does not have authority over her own body, but her husband [does]. And likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but his wife [does].

Now concerning virgins I do not have a command from the Lord, but I am giving an opinion as one shown mercy by the Lord to be trustworthy.

But if you marry, you have not sinned, and if the virgin marries, she has not sinned. But such people will have affliction in the flesh, and I would spare you.

But I say this, brothers: the time is shortened, that from now on even those who have wives should be as [if they] do not have [wives],

But she is happier if she remains thus, according to my opinion--and I think I have the Spirit of God.

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

But food does not bring us close to God. For neither if we eat do we have more, nor if we do not eat do we lack.

Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord?

Do we not have the right to eat and drink?

Do we not have the right to take along a sister [as] wife, like the rest of the apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas?

Or do only I and Barnabas not have the right {to refrain from working}?

If we have sown spiritual [things] among you, [is it too] great [a thing] if we reap material [things] from you?

If others share this right over you, do we not [do so] even more? Yet we have not made use of this right, but we endure all [things], in order that we may not cause any hindrance to the gospel of Christ.

Do you not know that those performing the holy services eat the things from the temple, [and] those attending to the altar have a share with the altar?

But I have not made use of any of these [rights]. And I am not writing these [things] in order that it may be thus with me. For [it would be] better to me rather to die than [for] anyone to deprive me of my reason for boasting.

For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward, but if [I do so] unwillingly, I have been entrusted with a stewardship.

For [although I] am free from all [people], I have enslaved myself to all, in order that I may gain more.

I have become like a Jew to the Jews, in order that I may gain the Jews. To those under the law [I became] as under the law ([although I] myself am not under the law) in order that I may gain those under the law.

To the weak I became weak, in order that I may gain the weak. I have become all [things] to all [people], in order that by all means I may save some.

Now these [things] happened to those [people] as an example, but are written for our instruction, on whom the ends of the ages have come.

For if a woman does not cover herself, let her [hair] be shorn off. But if [it is] shameful for a woman to [have her head] shorn or shaved, let her cover her [head].

Because of this, the woman ought to have [a symbol of] authority on her head, on account of the angels.

But if anyone is disposed to be contentious, we have no such custom, nor do the churches of God.

For do you not have houses for eating and drinking? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who do not have [anything]? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? In this I will not praise [you]!

Because of this, many [are] weak and sick among you, and quite a few {have died}.

Now the eye is not able to say to the hand, "I do not have need of you," or again, the head to the feet, "I do not have need of you."

and [the parts] of the body which we think to be less honorable, these we clothe with more abundant honor, and our unpresentable [parts] come to have more abundant presentability,

but our presentable [parts] do not have need [of this]. Yet God composed the body by giving more abundant honor to the part which lacked [it],

in order that there not be a division in the body, but the members would have the same concern for one another.

Not all have gifts of healing, [do they]? Not all speak with tongues, [do they]? Not all interpret, [do they]?

If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a ringing brass gong or a clashing cymbal.

And if I have [the gift of] prophecy and I 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.

And if I parcel out all my possessions, and if I hand over my body in order that I will be burned, but do not have love, it benefits [me] nothing.

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

Now I make known to you, brothers, the gospel which I proclaimed to you, which you have also received, in which you also stand,

then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at once, the majority of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep.

And as a further result, those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.

If {we have put our hope} in Christ in this life only, we are of all people most pitiable.

But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.

I die every day--yes indeed, by my boasting in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord!

Sober up correctly and {stop sinning}, for some have no knowledge of God--I say [this] to your shame.

And just as we have borne the image of the [one who is] made of earth, we will also bear the image of the heavenly.

Now I urge you, brothers--you know about the household of Stephanas, that they are the first fruits of Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the ministry for the saints--

for they have refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore recognize such people.