and God will confirm you to the end, that ye may be unaccused in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

for I have been inform'd, my brethren, by some of Chloe's family, that there are contentions among you.

for Christ did not send me to baptize: but to preach the gospel: tho' not with the preaching of the wise, lest the cross of Christ should have been hinder'd in its efficacy.

for this divine doctrine, as foolish and weak as men may think it, far surpasses all their wisdom, and baffles all their power.

As for me, my brethren, when I appear'd among you, it was not to represent to you the divine mystery in sublime language, and with human literature.

my discourse, and my preaching did not consist in the persuasive reasonings of human wisdom, but in demonstrating the spiritual meaning of the scriptures:

However, I could not speak to you, my brethren, as to the spiritual, or as to the dispassionate, but as to novices in christianity.

according to the free gift of God bestowed upon me, I, as a skilful architect, have laid the foundation, and another builds thereon. but let every man take heed how he builds thereupon.

as for me, it is a matter of no great concern that I should be called to account by you, or any human authority; not that I am my own judge;

(for though I am not conscious to my self of any unfaithfulness, yet am I not hereby absolved:) but he that is my supreme judge, is the Lord.

These things, my brethren, I have represented to you in my own person, and that of Apollos, out of respect to you: to show you how to moderate your esteem by the rule prescrib'd, that you may not be transported in favour of one rather than another.

This I don't write to give you any confusion, but by way of remonstrance, to you who are my dear children.

for though you may have ten thousand christian preceptors, you cannot have many fathers; since it was I that first instructed you in the gospel of Christ Jesus:

and therefore I intreat you, to copy after me.

'tis for this end I have sent you Timothy, who is my dear disciple, and a faithful christian, who will inform you how I behave my self in every church where I teach the gospel of Christ.

as for me, though I am absent in person, yet being present by my authority, with regard to him that has committed this fact, I am come to the same resolution, as if I was present,

to deliver him up to satan, to suffer corporal punishment, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus Christ.

purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new mass, since you should be without leaven. for Christ our paschal lamb has been sacrificed for us.

but my meaning was, not to keep company with any christian known to be vicious, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or rapacious, no not even to eat with such a one.

Are all things lawful for me? however, all things are not expedient: are all things lawful for me? however, I will not be a slave to any.

Now as to the question you writ to me about; "whether it is best for a man not to marry?"

as to the married, I enjoin this rule, not as from my self, but from the Lord, that a woman should not leave her husband:

O wife, but you may save your husband? or how do you know, O man, but you may save your wife?

As to the case of celibacy, I have no positive instructions: yet my advice deserves to be regarded, as coming from one the divine favour has distinguished.

the unmarried is religiously concerned, how he may please the Lord:

he that is married is worldly concern'd, how he may please his wife.

so that he who marries, does well; but he who lives single, may have less trouble.

but she will be happier, if she remain a widow, in my opinion: and I think the divine spirit suggests the same.

so that your notions may endanger the life of thy weak brother, for whom Christ died.

wherefore if my eating makes my brother offend, I will never eat flesh rather than make my brother offend.

Am I not free? am I not an apostle? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not you become christians by my labour?

if I am not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am to you: for your being christians is the proof of my apostleship.

my answer to those who call me to account, is this:

for in barely preaching the gospel, I have nothing to glory in: because I am under an obligation to do it; yea, wo is unto me if I preach not the gospel.

now if I do this willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, it is a dispensation of trust which must be discharged.

whence then is my reward? why, from my preaching the gospel of Christ gratis, without making use of the privilege which the gospel gives me.

and I do all for the gospel's sake, that I may share in the benefits thereof.

You know, that in a race, tho' all run, but one receives the prize: so run, that you may obtain.

but I mortify my body, and bring it into subjection: lest after having been a herald to others, I my self should be thrown out.

I would not have you ignorant, my brethren, that all our fathers were under the Cloud, all passed thro' the sea:

wherefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.

are all things lawful for me? yet all things are not expedient: are all things lawful for me? yet all things do not edify.

when I say conscience, I don't mean your own, but that of the other: for why should I expose my liberty to the censure of another man's conscience?

thus I endeavour to be acceptable to all men in all things, not seeking my own advantage, but that of others, so as they may be saved.

Imitate herein my example as I do that of Christ.

now I commend you, brethren, for remembring all my orders, and for keeping the rules I delivered to you.

a woman may as well have the tonsure, as not wear her veil: the one is as indecent as the other.

A man ought not to be veil'd: he has the honour of being invested with authority from God, and may glory in his priority to the woman.

and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, "take, eat; this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me."

in the same manner he took the cup, after supper, and said, "this cup is the new covenant in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me."

but when we are punished, we are chastised by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.

wherefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, stay for one another.

and if any one is press'd with hunger, let him eat at home; that ye may not otherwise meet with punishment. as for other matters, I will set them in order when I come.

Now concerning those who are spiritual, my brethren, I would not have you be mistaken.

now to particular men the spirit gives particular gifts, that they may be displayed to greater advantage.

and tho' I distribute my whole substance to the poor, and give my body to be burned, and have not social affection, it profits me nothing.

when I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I reasoned as a child: but when I became a man, I laid aside my childish ways.

I wish you all had the gift of languages, but rather that you expounded: for greater is he that expounds, than he that speaks unknown languages, except he interpret what he says, that the church may be edified by it.

in like manner, if you express yourselves in words of obscure signification, you may as well talk to the wind, for how shall any comprehend you?

there are, it may be, as many different languages in the world as there are people, and none of them without signification.

therefore if I don't know the meaning of the language, with respect to him that speaks, I shall be a barbarian; and he that speaks shall be a barbarian to me.

for if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit indeed prays, but my meaning is of no benefit to others.

what then is to be done? why, I will pray by the spirit, but my prayer shall be intelligible: I will sing by the spirit, but my hymn shall be intelligible.

yet in the church I had rather speak five words that convey my meaning to the instruction of others, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.

in the law it is written, " with men of other tongues and other lips, will I speak unto this people: and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord."

what is then to be done, my brethren? when you come together, one of you with a psalm, another with a doctrine, another with a strange tongue, another with a revelation, another with an interpretation: let the whole be done to edification.

for ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may receive instruction and exhortation.

What I have explain'd to you, my brethren, is the gospel which I preached to you, which you have received, and wherein you have persisted:

and last of all, he was seen by me too, who am as it were an abortive;

it is by the divine favour that I am what I am: and his favour to me was not in vain; no, I laboured more than they all: yet it was not I, it was the divine favour which assisted me.

and when all things shall be reduced under subjection to him, then shall the son also himself be subject to him that put all things under his subjection, that God may be all in all.

I am daily receiving new mortifications, witness your cruel boastings against me, which I bear for the sake of Christ Jesus our Lord;

besides, my engaging with those monsters, as I may say, at Ephesus, what advantage was it to me? if the dead don't rise, "let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die."

this I say, my brethren, because the body, as it is at present, cannot possess the kingdom of God; and what is corruptible, can't enjoy incorruptibility.

therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye inflexibly steady, and continually surpass others in the work of the Lord, knowing that he will not leave your christian labour unrewarded.

every sabbath-day let every one of you set apart something of what he has happily gain'd, for the common treasury, that there may be no collection when I come.

and if it be so considerable as to induce me to go, they shall accompany me.

pass thro' Macedonia) and perhaps I shall make some stay, if not pass the winter with you, that you may forward me on my journey, wherever I go.

for I do not design to see you in my passage thither, yet I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permit.

for I have a very fair and promising opportunity given me of propagating the gospel, tho' there are many opposers.

If Timothy visit you, take care he may be perfectly safe: for he labours in the cause of christianity, as well as I.

let no man therefore despise him: but conduct him safe, that he may come to me: for I and the brethren expect him.

for they have quieted my mind as well as yours: therefore to such have a regard.

I Paul salute you, and with my own handwriting.

present my love to every christian among you. amen.