to the church of God sanctified in Christ Jesus that is in Corinth, called [to be] saints, together with all those who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place, their [Lord] and ours.

just as the testimony about Christ has been confirmed in you,

so that you do not lack in any spiritual gift [as you] eagerly await the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ,

God [is] faithful, by whom you were called to fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

But I say this, that each of you is saying, "I am with Paul," and "I [am] with Apollos," and "I [am] with Cephas," and "I [am] with Christ."

For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the intelligence of the intelligent I will confound."

Where [is] the wise person? Where [is] the scribe? Where [is] the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

but to those [who are] called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ [is] the power of God and the wisdom of God.

For the foolishness of God is wiser than human [wisdom], and the weakness of God [is] stronger than human [strength].

For consider your calling, brothers, that not many [were] wise according to human standards, not many [were] powerful, not many [were] well born.

But the foolish [things] of the world God chose in order that he might put to shame the wise, and the weak [things] of the world God chose in order that he might put to shame the strong,

But from him you are in Christ Jesus, who became wisdom to us from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption,

so that, just as it is written, "The one who boasts, let him boast in the Lord."

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."

For to us God has revealed [them] through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches all [things], even the depths of God.

For who among men knows the things of a man, except the spirit of the man that [is] in him? Thus also no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.

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,

But the natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he is not able to understand [them], because they are spiritually discerned.

Now the spiritual [person] discerns all [things], but he himself is judged by no one.

And I, brothers, was not able to speak to you as to spiritual [people], but as to fleshly [people], as to infants in Christ.

for you are still fleshly. For where [there is] jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and do you not live like [unregenerate] people?

Therefore, what is Apollos and what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, and to each as the Lord gave.

So then, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who is causing [it] to grow.

According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon [it]. But each one must direct his attention to how he is building upon [it].

For no one is able to lay another foundation than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

the work of each one will become evident. For the day will reveal [it], because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the work of each one, of what sort it is.

If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, but so as through fire.

If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy this one. For God's temple is holy, which you are.

Let no one deceive himself. If anyone thinks [himself] to be wise among you in this age, let him become a fool, in order that he may become wise.

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God, for it is written, "The one who catches the wise in their craftiness,"

and again, "The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile."

and you [are] Christ's, and Christ [is] God's.

Thus let a person consider us as servants of Christ and stewards of God's mysteries.

In this case, moreover, it is sought in stewards that one be found faithful.

But to me it is a very little matter that I be judged by you or by a human court, but I do not [even] judge myself.

For I am conscious of nothing against myself, but not by this am I vindicated. But the one who judges me is the Lord.

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]?

Already you are satiated! Already you are rich! Apart from us you reign as kings! And would that indeed you reigned as kings, in order that we also might reign as kings with you!

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.

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

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.

For the kingdom of God [is] not with talk, but with power.

It is reported everywhere [that there] is sexual immorality among you, and sexual immorality of such a kind which [does] not [even exist] among the Gentiles, so that someone has the wife of [his] father.

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.

Your boasting [is] not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole batch of dough?

Clean out the old leaven in order that you may be a new batch of dough, just as you are unleavened. For Christ our Passover has been sacrificed.

So then, let us celebrate the feast, not with the old leaven or with the leaven of wickedness and sinfulness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

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.

For what [is it] to me to judge those outside? Should you not judge those inside?

Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if by you the world is judged, are you unworthy of the most insignificant courts?

I say [this] to your shame. So is there not anyone wise among you who will be able to render a decision between his brothers?

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?

Food [is] for the stomach, and the stomach for food, but God will abolish {both of them}. Now the body [is] not for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.

And God both raised up the Lord and will raise us up by his power.

Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body [with her]? For it says, "The two will become one flesh."

But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit [with him].

Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a person commits is outside his body, but the one who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.

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?

Now concerning [the things] about which you wrote: "[It is] good for a man not to touch a woman."

But I say this as a concession, not as a command.

Now I say to the unmarried and to the widows: [It is] good for them if they remain as I [am].

But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn [with sexual desire].

For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the brother, since otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy.

But if the unbeliever leaves, let him leave. The brother or the sister is not bound in such [cases]. But God has called us in peace.

But to each one as the Lord has apportioned. As God has called each one, thus let him live--and thus I order in all the churches.

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

Were you called [while] a slave? Do not let it be a concern to you. But if indeed you are able to become free, rather make use of [it].

For the one who is called in the Lord [while] a slave is the Lord's freedperson. Likewise the one who is called [while] free is a slave of Christ.

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.

Therefore, I consider this to be good because of the impending distress, that [it is] good for a man to be thus.

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],

and those who weep as [if they] do not weep, and those who rejoice as [if they] do not rejoice, and those who buy as [if they] do not possess,

and those who make use of the world as [if they] do not make full use of [it]. For the present form of this world is passing away.

But the one who is married cares for the things of the world, how he may please his wife,

and he is divided. And the unmarried woman or the virgin cares for the things of the Lord, in order that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But the married woman cares for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.

But if anyone thinks he is behaving dishonorably concerning his virgin, if she is past her prime and it ought to be thus, let him do what he wishes. He does not sin. Let them marry.

A wife is bound for as long a time [as] her husband lives. But if her husband {dies}, she is free to marry whomever she wishes, only in the Lord.

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

If anyone thinks he knows anything, he has not yet known as it is necessary to know.

But if anyone loves God, this one is known by him.

Therefore, concerning the eating of food sacrificed to idols, we know that "an idol [is] nothing in the world" and that "[there is] no God except one."

For even if after all [there] are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth, just as [there] are many gods and many lords,

yet to us [there is] one God, the Father, from whom [are] all [things], and we [are] for him, and [there is] one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom [are] all [things], and we [are] through him.

But this knowledge [is] not in everyone. But some, being accustomed until now to the idol, eat [this food] as food sacrificed to idols, and their conscience, [because it] is weak, is defiled.

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.

For if someone should see you who has knowledge reclining for a meal in an idol's temple, will not his conscience, [because it] is weak, be strengthened so that [he] eats the food sacrificed to idols?

For the one who is weak--the brother for whom Christ died--is destroyed by your knowledge.

Now [if you] sin in this way against the brothers and wound their conscience, which is weak, you sin against Christ.

My defense to those who examine me is this:

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?

Who ever serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat the fruit of it? Who shepherds a flock and does not drink from the milk of the flock?

For in the law of Moses it is written, "You must not muzzle an ox [while it] is threshing." It is not about oxen God is concerned, is it?

Or doubtless does he speak {for our sake}? For it is written {for our sake}, because the one who plows ought to plow in hope and the one who threshes [ought to do so] in hope of a share.

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.

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 proclaim the gospel, it is not to me a reason for boasting, for necessity is imposed on me. For woe is to me if I do not proclaim the gospel.