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

just as the testimony about Christ has been confirmed among you --

so that you do not lack any spiritual gift as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

God is faithful, by whom you were called into fellowship with his son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Now I mean this, that each of you is saying, "I am with Paul," or "I am with Apollos," or "I am with Cephas," or "I am with Christ."

Is Christ divided? Paul wasn't crucified for you, was he? Or were you in fact baptized in the name of Paul?

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 I will thwart the cleverness of the intelligent."

Where is the wise man? Where is the expert in the Mosaic law? Where is the debater of this age? Has God not made the wisdom of the world foolish?

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.

Think about the circumstances of your call, brothers and sisters. Not many were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were born to a privileged position.

But God chose what the world thinks foolish to shame the wise, and God chose what the world thinks weak to shame the strong.

God chose what is low and despised in the world, what is regarded as nothing, to set aside what is regarded as something,

He is the reason you have a relationship with Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption,

so that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."

When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come with superior eloquence or wisdom as I proclaimed the testimony of God.

But just as it is written, "Things that no eye has seen, or ear heard, or mind imagined, are the things God has prepared for those who love him."

God has revealed these to us by the Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.

Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things that are freely given to us by God.

And we speak about these things, not with words taught us by human wisdom, but with those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people.

The one who is spiritual discerns all things, yet he himself is understood by no one.

For who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to advise him? But we have the mind of Christ.

So, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but instead as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ.

for you are still influenced by the flesh. For since there is still jealousy and dissension among you, are you not influenced by the flesh and behaving like unregenerate people?

What is Apollos, really? Or what is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, and each of us in the ministry the Lord gave us.

The one who plants and the one who waters work as one, but each will receive his reward according to his work.

For no one can lay any foundation other than what is being laid, which is Jesus Christ.

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

If someone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, which is what you are.

Guard against self-deception, each of you. If someone among you thinks he is wise in this age, let him become foolish so that he can become wise.

For the wisdom of this age is foolishness with God. As it is written, "He catches the wise in their craftiness."

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

One should think about us this way -- as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.

Now what is sought in stewards is that one be found faithful.

So for me, it is a minor matter that I am judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself.

For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not acquitted because of this. The one who judges me is the Lord.

I have applied these things to myself and Apollos because of you, brothers and sisters, so that through us you may learn "not to go beyond what is written," so that none of you will be puffed up in favor of the one against the other.

For who concedes you any superiority? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you received it, why do you boast as though you did not?

Already you are satisfied! Already you are rich! You have become kings without us! I wish you had become kings so that we could reign with you!

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

We are fools for Christ, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, we are dishonored!

when people lie about us, we answer in a friendly manner. We are the world's dirt and scum, even now.

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

For this reason, I have sent Timothy to you, who is my dear and faithful son in the Lord. He will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church.

Some have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you.

But I will come to you soon, if the Lord is willing, and I will find out not only the talk of these arrogant people, but also their power.

For the kingdom of God is demonstrated not in idle talk but with power.

It is actually reported that sexual immorality exists among you, the kind of immorality that is not permitted even among the Gentiles, so that someone is cohabiting with his father's wife.

For even though I am absent physically, I am present in spirit. And I have already judged the one who did this, just as though I were present.

Your boasting is not good. Don't you know that a little yeast affects the whole batch of dough?

So then, let us celebrate the festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of vice and evil, but with the bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth.

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

Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you not competent to settle trivial suits?

So if you have ordinary lawsuits, do you appoint as judges those who have no standing in the church?

I say this to your shame! Is there no one among you wise enough to settle disputes between fellow Christians?

"All things are lawful for me" -- but not everything is beneficial. "All things are lawful for me" -- but I will not be controlled by anything.

"Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, but God will do away with both." The body is not for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.

Now God indeed raised the Lord and he will raise us by his power.

Or do you not know that anyone who is united with a prostitute is one body with her? For it is said, "The two will become one flesh."

But the one united with the Lord is one spirit with him.

Flee sexual immorality! "Every sin a person commits is outside of the body" -- but the immoral person 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 with regard to the issues you wrote about: "It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman."

It is not the wife who has the rights to her own body, but the husband. In the same way, it is not the husband who has the rights to his own body, but the wife.

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

I wish that everyone was as I am. But each has his own gift from God, one this way, another that.

To the unmarried and widows I say that it is best for them to remain as I am.

But if they do not have self-control, let them get married. For it is better to marry than to burn with sexual desire.

To the rest I say -- I, not the Lord -- if a brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is happy to live with him, he should not divorce her.

And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is happy to live with her, she should not divorce him.

For the unbelieving husband is sanctified because of the wife, and the unbelieving wife because of her husband. Otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy.

But if the unbeliever wants a divorce, let it take place. In these circumstances the brother or sister is not bound. God has called you in peace.

Nevertheless, as the Lord has assigned to each one, as God has called each person, so must he live. I give this sort of direction in all the churches.

Was anyone called after he had been circumcised? He should not try to undo his circumcision. Was anyone called who is uncircumcised? He should not get circumcised.

Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Instead, keeping God's commandments is what counts.

Were you called as a slave? Do not worry about it. But if indeed you are able to be free, make the most of the opportunity.

For the one who was called in the Lord as a slave is the Lord's freedman. In the same way, the one who was called as a free person is Christ's slave.

With regard to the question about people who have never married, I have no command from the Lord, but I give my opinion as one shown mercy by the Lord to be trustworthy.

Because of the impending crisis I think it best for you to remain as you are.

And I say this, brothers and sisters: The time is short. So then those who have wives should be as those who have none,

those who use the world as though they were not using it to the full. For the present shape of this world is passing away.

And I want you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord.

But a married man is concerned about the things of the world, how to please his wife,

and he is divided. An unmarried woman or a virgin is concerned about the things of the Lord, to be holy both in body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the things of the world, how to please her husband.

If anyone thinks he is acting inappropriately toward his virgin, if she is past the bloom of youth and it seems necessary, he should do what he wishes; he does not sin. Let them marry.

But the man who is firm in his commitment, and is under no necessity but has control over his will, and has decided in his own mind to keep his own virgin, does well.

A wife is bound as long as her husband is living. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes (only someone in the Lord).

But in my opinion, she will be happier if she remains as she is -- and I think that I too have the Spirit of God!

But if someone loves God, he is known by God.

With regard then to eating food sacrificed to idols, we know that "an idol in this world is nothing," and that "there is no God but one."

If after all there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords),

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

But this knowledge is not shared by all. And some, by being accustomed to idols in former times, eat this food as an idol sacrifice, and their conscience, because it is weak, is defiled.

Now food will not bring us close to God. We are no worse if we do not eat and no better if we do.

So by your knowledge the weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed.

This is my defense to those who examine me.

Am I saying these things only on the basis of common sense, or does the law not say this as well?

For it is written in the law of Moses, "Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain." God is not concerned here about oxen, is he?

Or is he not surely speaking for our benefit? It was written for us, because the one plowing and threshing ought to work in hope of enjoying the harvest.