I am always thanking God about you, for the blessing God has given you through Christ Jesus.

God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.

I am thankful that I did not immerse any of you, except for Crispus and Gaius,

And I gave baptism to the house of Stephanas; but I am not certain that any others had baptism from me.

For the Message of the Cross is foolishness to those who are on the way to perdition, but it is the power of God to those whom He is saving.

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

But it is from Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God [revealing His plan of salvation], and righteousness [making us acceptable to God], and sanctification [making us holy and setting us apart for God], and redemption [providing our ransom from the penalty for sin],

However, brothers and sisters, I could not talk to you as to spiritual people, but [only] as to worldly people [dominated by human nature], mere infants [in the new life] in Christ!

For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?

He who plants and he who waters are one [in importance and esteem, working toward the same purpose]; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.

I however am very little concerned at undergoing your scrutiny, or that of other men; in fact I do not even scrutinize myself.

For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.

I am not writing these [things] to shame you, but admonishing [you] as my dear children.

For this cause I have sent Timothy to you, who is my dear and true child in the Lord; he will make clear to you my ways in Christ, even as I am teaching everywhere in every church.

But some of you have been puffed up through getting the idea that I am not coming to Corinth.

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.

What will ye? Am I to come to you with a rod, or in love, and the spirit of mildness?

For I, though absent [from you] in body but present in spirit, have already passed judgment on him who has committed this [act], as if I were present.

In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are gathered together (and I am there in spirit), and the power of our Lord Jesus is there, too,

But now I am writing you not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer who is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or verbally abusive, a drunkard or a swindler. Do not even eat with such a person.

For what business is it of mine to judge outsiders (non-believers)? Do you not judge those who are within the church [to protect the church as the situation requires]?

If therefore you have things belonging to this life which need to be decided, is it men who are absolutely nothing in the Church--is it *they* whom you make your judges?

With a view to shame you, am I speaking. So, is it possible that there is among you - not so much as one wise man, who shall be able to judge between his brethren, -

I am free to do all things; but not all things are wise. I am free to do all things; but I will not let myself come under the power of any.

Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Am I therefore to take the members of Christ and make them part of a prostitute? Certainly not!

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is within you, whom you have [received as a gift] from God, and that you are not your own [property]?

But I am saying this as a concession, not as a command.

for I wish all men to be even as I myself am; but each his own gift hath of God, one indeed thus, and one thus.

And I say to the unmarried and to the widows: it is good for them if they may remain even as I am;

To the rest it is I who am speaking, not the Lord. If any brother has a wife who is not a believer, if he is willing to live with her, let him not send her away.

For, through his wife, the husband who is an unbeliever has become associated with Christ's People; and the wife who is an unbeliever has become associated with Christ's People through our Brother whom she has married. Otherwise your children would be 'defiled,' but, as it is, they belong to Christ's People.

Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing; but the keeping of the commandments of God is our aim.

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.

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.

Now I am saying this for your own benefit, not that I may put a restriction on you, but to promote appropriate and devoted service to the Lord without distraction.

But if a man thinks he is not acting properly toward the girl to whom he is engaged, if his passions are too strong, and that is what ought to be done, let him do as he pleases; it is no sin; let them be married.

The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.

Well then, with regard to food that has been offered to idols, I am quite aware that 'there is no such thing as an idol in the world' and that 'there is only the one God.'

(So-called gods there may be, in heaven or on earth ??as indeed there are plenty of them, both gods and 'lords' ??6 but for us there is one God, the Father, from whom all comes, and for whom we exist; one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom all exists, and by whom we exist.)

But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?

But, in thus sinning against the brethren am wounding their conscience, seeing it is weak, against Christ, are ye sinning.

Wherefore, if food cause my brother to fall, I will eat no flesh for ever, lest I cause my brother to fall. Am I not free?

Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord?

If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord.

Or am I alone and Barnabas bound to labor with our own hands?

I am not saying these [things] according to a human perspective. Or does the law not also say these [things]?

If others share this authority over you, do not I far more? Yet I have not availed myself of it, but am patiently enduring; so that I may not in any way hinder the progress of Christ's gospel.

But I have used none of these privileges, nor am I writing this [to suggest] that any such provision be made for me now. For it would be better for me to die than to have anyone deprive me of my boast [in this matter of financial support].

For if I am a preacher of the good news, I have no cause for pride in this; because I am forced to do so, for a curse is on me if I do not.

For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward; but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with an administration.

What then is my reward? This, that when I am giving the good news, I may give it without payment, not making use of my rights as a preacher of the good news.

For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to everyone, so that I may win more [for Christ].

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 those who are without (outside) the Law, [I became] as one without the Law, though [I am] not without the law of God, but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law.

To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.

But, all things, am I doing, for the sake of the glad-message, that a joint-partaker thereof, I may become.

Therefore I do not run without a definite goal; I do not flail around like one beating the air [just shadow boxing].

But am beating my body under, and leading it captive, lest, by any means, - unto others, having proclaimed, the contest , I myself, should be rejected.

Again, let us not give way to the desires of the flesh, as some of them did, of whom twenty-three thousand came to their end in one day.

Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

I am speaking as to wise and sensible people; judge [carefully and thoughtfully consider] for yourselves what I say.

Since there is one bread, we [believers] who are many are [united into] one body; for we all partake of the one bread [which represents the body of Christ].

Therefore, what am I saying? That food sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?

On the contrary, the things which the Gentiles (pagans) sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons [in effect], and not to God; and I do not want you to become partners with demons [by eating at feasts in pagan temples].

Now I am not speaking about your own conscience, but the [conscience] of the other [person]. For why [is] my freedom judged by another's conscience?

For if I by grace be a partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks?

just as I myself am in the habit of pleasing everybody in everything, not aiming at my own welfare but at that of as many people as possible, in order that they may be saved.

Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.

Now I am pleased to see that you keep me in memory in all things, and that you give attention to the teaching which was handed down from me to you.

But I am anxious that you should understand that the Christ is the Head of every man, that man is the Head of woman, and that God is the Head of the Christ.

But in giving you this order, there is one thing about which I am not pleased: it is that when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse.

for, in the first place, when you meet as a Church, there are divisions among you. This is what I am told, and I believe that there is some truth in it.

What? have you not houses to take your meals in? or have you no respect for the church of God, putting the poor to shame? What am I to say to you? am I to give you praise? certainly not.

But, concerning the spiritually gifted, brethren, I am not wishing you to be ignorant.

Therefore I am informing you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

and whom God has appointed in the church: first, apostles, second, prophets, third, teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helps, administrations, kinds of tongues.

But let your desires be turned to the more important things given by the Spirit. And now I am pointing out to you an even better way.

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

and if I give away to feed others all my goods, and if I give up my body that I may be burned, and have not love, I am profited nothing.

When I was a child, I spake as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child: now that I am become a man, I have put away childish things.

For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

Pursue [this] love [with eagerness, make it your goal], yet earnestly desire and cultivate the spiritual gifts [to be used by believers for the benefit of the church], but especially that you may prophesy [to foretell the future, to speak a new message from God to the people].

I am willing, indeed, that you should all speak in tongues, but rather that you should prophesy; for greater is he that prophesies than he that speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, in order that the church may receive instruction.

But if the sense of the voice is not clear to me, I am like a man from a strange country to him who is talking, and he will be the same to me.

So with yourselves; since your heart is set on possessing 'spirits,' make the edification of the church your aim in this desire to excel.

For, if I am praying in a tongue, my spirit, is praying, but, my mind, is unfruitful.

Then what am I to do? I will pray with the spirit [by the Holy Spirit that is within me] and I will pray with the mind [using words I understand]; I will sing with the spirit [by the Holy Spirit that is within me] and I will sing with the mind [using words I understand].

I give praise to God that I am able to make use of tongues more than you all:

If anyone thinks and claims that he is a prophet [a true spokesman for God] or spiritually astute [filled with and energized by the Holy Spirit], let him recognize that the things which I write to you are the Lord’s commandment.

If anyone does not recognize this [that it is a command of the Lord], he is not recognized [by God].

Now I am going to make clear to you, my brothers, what the good news was which I gave to you, and which you took, and on which your faith is based,

After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.

Last of all, he appeared even to me, who am, as it were, the abortion.

For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.