None of the rulers of this age knew this wisdom, for if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

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.

For

who has known the Lord’s mind,
that he may instruct Him?

But we have the mind of Christ.

According to God’s grace that was given to me, I have laid a foundation as a skilled master builder, and another builds on it. But each one must be careful how he builds on it.

Now, brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the saying: “Nothing beyond what is written.” The purpose is that none of you will be inflated with pride in favor of one person over another.

For who makes you so superior? What do you have that you didn’t receive? If, in fact, you did receive it, why do you boast as if you hadn’t received it?

You are already full! You are already rich! You have begun to reign as kings without us—and I wish you did reign, so that we could also reign with you!

For I think God has displayed us, the apostles, in last place, like men condemned to die: We have become a spectacle to the world and to angels and to men.

For you can have 10,000 instructors in Christ, but you can’t have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

This is why I have sent Timothy to you. He is my dearly loved and faithful son in the Lord. He will remind you about my ways in Christ Jesus, just as I teach everywhere in every church.

For though I am absent in body but present in spirit, I have already decided about the one who has done this thing as though I were present.

I did not mean the immoral people of this world or the greedy and swindlers or idolaters; otherwise you would have to leave the world.

So if you have cases pertaining to this life, do you select those who have no standing in the church to judge?

Therefore, to have legal disputes against one another is already a moral failure for you. Why not rather put up with injustice? Why not rather be cheated?

Don’t you know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,

Now in response to the matters you wrote about: “It is good for a man not to have relations with a woman.”

But because sexual immorality is so common, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband.

A wife does not have the right over her own body, but her husband does. In the same way, a husband does not have the right over his own body, but his wife does.

But if they do not have self-control, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with desire.

About virgins: I have no command from the Lord, but I do give an opinion as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy.

However, if you do get married, you have not sinned, and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But such people will have trouble in this life, and I am trying to spare you.

And I say this, brothers: The time is limited, so from now on those who have wives should be as though they had none,

But she is happier if she remains as she is, in my opinion. And I think that I also have the Spirit of God.

About food offered to idols: We know that “we all have knowledge.” Knowledge inflates with pride, but love builds up.

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.

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

Don’t we have the right to eat and drink?

Don’t we have the right to be accompanied by a Christian wife like the other apostles, the Lord’s brothers, and Cephas?

Or do Barnabas and I alone have no right to refrain from working?

If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it too much if we reap material benefits from you?

If others have this right to receive benefits from you, don’t we even more?

However, we have not made use of this right; instead we endure everything so that we will not hinder the gospel of Christ.

But I have used none of these rights, and I have not written this to make it happen that way for me. For it would be better for me to die than for anyone to deprive me of my boast!

For if I preach the gospel, I have no reason to boast, because an obligation is placed on me. And woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!

For if I do this willingly, I have a reward, but if unwillingly, I am entrusted with a stewardship.

Although I am a free man and not anyone’s slave, I have made myself a slave to everyone, in order to win more people.

To the weak I became weak, in order to win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I may by every possible means save some.

Now these things happened to them as examples, and they were written as a warning to us, on whom the ends of the ages have come.

So if a woman’s head is not covered, her hair should be cut off. But if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, she should be covered.

This is why a woman should have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.

But if anyone wants to argue about this, we have no other custom, nor do the churches of God.

Don’t you have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you look down on the church of God and embarrass those who have nothing? What should I say to you? Should I praise you? I do not praise you for this!

This is why many are sick and ill among you, and many have fallen asleep.

And those parts of the body that we think to be less honorable, we clothe these with greater honor, and our unpresentable parts have a better presentation.

But our presentable parts have no need of clothing. Instead, God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the less honorable,

so that there would be no division in the body, but that the members would have the same concern for each other.

Do all have gifts of healing?
Do all speak in other languages?
Do all interpret?

If I speak human or angelic languages
but do not have love,
I am a sounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

If I have the gift of prophecy
and understand all mysteries
and all knowledge,
and if I have all faith
so that I can move mountains
but do not have love, I am nothing.

And if I donate all my goods to feed the poor,
and if I give my body in order to boast
but do not have love, I gain nothing.

There are doubtless many different kinds of languages in the world, and all have meaning.

Now brothers, I want to clarify for you the gospel I proclaimed to you; you received it and have taken your stand on it.

Then He appeared to over 500 brothers at one time;
most of them are still alive,
but some have fallen asleep.

Therefore, whether it is I or they, so we proclaim and so you have believed.

In addition, we are found to be false witnesses about God, because we have testified about God that He raised up Christ—whom He did not raise up if in fact the dead are not raised.

Therefore, those who have fallen asleep in Christ have also perished.

If we have put our hope in Christ for this life only, we should be pitied more than anyone.

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

I affirm by the pride in you that I have in Christ Jesus our Lord: I die every day!

But someone will say, “How are the dead raised? What kind of body will they have when they come?”

And just as we have borne
the image of the man made of dust,
we will also bear
the image of the heavenly man.

Brothers, you know the household of Stephanas: They are the firstfruits of Achaia and have devoted themselves to serving the saints. I urge you

I am pleased to have Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus present, because these men have made up for your absence.

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