I thank my God always for you because of the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus,

For I have been informed by Chloe's people, that there are quarrels among you, my brethren.

so that no one would say you were baptized in my name.

For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospelnot with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

so that no flesh may boast before God.

and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

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

"For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ.

According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it.

Let no one deceive himself. If any one among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become a fool so that he may become wise.

But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you, or by any human court; I do not even judge myself.

I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not acquitted by this. It is the Lord who judges me.

Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that in us you may learn not to go beyond what is written, so that no one of you will become arrogant in favor of one against the other.

I do not write this to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children.

Therefore I urge you, be imitators of me.

For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every church.

you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.

I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people;

"All things are lawful for me," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful for me," but I will not be mastered by anything.

Do not deprive one another, except by agreement for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

Now concerning virgins, I have no command of the Lord, but I give my opinion as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy.

But I want you to be free from concern. One who is unmarried is concerned about the affairs of the Lord, how he may please the Lord;

but a married man is concerned about the affairs of the world, how he may please his wife,

and his interests are divided. The unmarried woman, and the virgin, is concerned about the affairs of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit; but the married woman is concerned about the affairs of the world, how she may please her husband.

But in my judgment she is happier if she remains as she is; and I think that I also have the Spirit of God.

Therefore, if food causes my brother to fall, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to fall.

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

If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

This is my defense to those who would examine me.

But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this in the hope that you will do such things for me. I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of my ground for boasting.

For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion. For woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!

For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward; but if it is not of my will, I have a stewardship entrusted to me.

What then is my reward? Just this: that in my preaching I may offer the gospel free of charge, and so not make full use of my right in the gospel.

I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.

But I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.

the other man's conscience, I mean, not yours. For why should my freedom be judged by another's conscience?

just as I try to please all men in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.

Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold firmly to the traditions, just as I delivered them to you.

For there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized.

and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me."

In the same way he took the cup also after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."

So then, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another.

You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to mute idols, however you may have been moved.

so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.

If I give all I have to the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.

Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.

Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more that you would prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than he who speaks in tongues, unless some one interprets, so that the church may be edified.

If then I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner to the one who is speaking, and the speaker will be a foreigner to me.

Therefore, he who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret.

For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful.

For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other man is not edified.

but in the church I would rather speak five words with my mind, to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue.

In the law it is written, "By men of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people, and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord."

For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged;

Therefore, my brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues.

And last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared to me also.

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. No, I worked harder than all of themyet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.

When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to the one who put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

I protest, brethren, by my pride in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

On the first day of every week, each one of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that no collections be made when I come.

If it seems advisable for me to go also, they will accompany me.

and perhaps I will stay with you or even spend the winter, so that you may help me on my journey, wherever I go.

for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.

So let no one despise him. Send him on his way in peace, that he may return to me; for I am expecting him with the brethren.

For they refreshed my spirit and yours also. Give recognition to such men.

I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand.

My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.