To the Church of God in Corinth, to those who have been consecrated by union with Christ Jesus and called to become his People, and also to all, wherever they may be, who invoke the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ-their Master and ours,

May God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ bless you and give you peace.

And so became yourselves a confirmation of my testimony to the Christ.

And God himself will strengthen you to the end, so that at the Day of our Lord Jesus Christ you may be found blameless.

For I have been informed, my Brothers, by the members of Chloe's household, that party feeling exists among you.

So that no one can say that you were baptized into my Faith.

My mission from Christ was not to baptize, but to tell the Good News; not, however, in the language of philosophy, lest the cross of the Christ should be robbed of its meaning.

For my own part, Brothers, when I came to you, it was with no display of eloquence or philosophy that I came to tell the hidden purpose of God;

My Message and my Proclamation were not delivered in the persuasive language of philosophy, but were accompanied by the manifestation of spiritual power,

And as for us, it is not the Spirit of the World that we have received, but the Spirit that comes from God, that we may realize the blessings given to us by him.

In fulfillment of the charge which God had entrusted to me, I laid the foundation like a skillful master-builder; but another man is now building upon it. Let every one take care how he builds;

Let no one deceive himself. If any one among you imagines that, as regards this world, he is a wise man, let him become a 'fool,' that he may become wise.

But it weighs very little with me that I am judged by you or by any human tribunal. No, I do not even judge myself;

For, though I am conscious of nothing against myself, that does not prove me innocent. It is the Lord who is my judge.

All this, Brothers, I have, for your sakes, applied to Apollos and myself, so that, from our example, you may learn to observe the precept-'Keep to what is written,' that none of you may speak boastfully of one teacher to the disparagement of another.

For, as it seems to me, God has exhibited us, the Apostles, last of all, as men doomed to death. We are made a spectacle to the universe, both to angels and to men!

It is with no wish to shame you that I am writing like this; but to warn you as my own dear children.

Though you may have thousands of instructors in the Faith of Christ, yet you have not many fathers. It was I who, through union with Christ Jesus, became your father by means of the Good News.

Therefore I entreat you-Follow my example.

This is my reason for sending Timothy to you. He is my own dear faithful child in the Master's service, and he will remind you of my methods of teaching the Faith of Christ Jesus-methods which I follow everywhere in every Church.

To deliver such a man as this over to Satan, that what is sensual in him may be destroyed, so that his spirit may be saved at the Day of the Lord.

Get rid entirely of the old leaven, so that you may be like new dough-free from leaven, as in truth you are. For our Passover Lamb is already sacrificed-Christ himself;

I told you, in my letter, not to associate with immoral people- -

Everything is allowable for me! Yes, but everything is not profitable. Everything is allowable for me! Yes, but for my part, I will not let myself be enslaved by anything.

With reference to the subjects about which you wrote to me: It would be well for a man to remain single.

Do not deprive each other of what is due-unless it is only for a time and by mutual consent, so that your minds may be free for prayer till you again live as man and wife-lest Satan should take advantage of your want of self-control and tempt you.

My advice, then, to those who are not married, and to widows, is this: It would be well for them to remain as I am myself.

To those who are married my direction is-yet it is not mine, but the Master's-that a woman is not to leave her husband

How can you tell, wife, whether you may not save your husband? and how can you tell, husband, whether you may not save your wife?

With regard to unmarried women, I have no command from the Master to give you, but I tell you my opinion, and it is that of a man whom the Master in his mercy has made worthy to be trusted.

still, if you should marry, that is not wrong; nor, if a young woman marries, is that wrong. But those who marry will have much trouble to bear, and my wish is to spare you.

Yet she will be happier if she remains as she is-in my opinion, for I think that I also have the Spirit of God.

Therefore, if what I eat makes my Brother fall, rather than make my Brother fall, I will never eat meat again.

Am I not free? Am I not an Apostle? Have I not seen our Lord Jesus? Are not you yourselves my work achieved in union with the Lord?

If I am not an Apostle to others, yet at least I am to you; for you are the seal that stamps me as an Apostle in union with the Lord.

The defense that I make to my critics is this:

I, however, have not availed myself of any of these rights. I am not saying this to secure such an arrangement for myself; indeed, I would far rather die-Nobody shall make my boast a vain one!

If I tell the Good News, I have nothing to boast of, for I can but do so. Woe is me if I do not tell it!

What is my reward, then? To present the Good News free of all cost, and so make but a sparing use of the rights which it gives me.

And I do everything for the sake of the Good News, that with them I may share in its blessings.

Do not you know that on a race-course, though all run, yet only one wins the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.

No, I bruise my body and make it my slave, lest I, who have called others to the contest, should myself be rejected.

No temptation has come upon you that is not common to all mankind. God will not fail you, and he will not allow you to be tempted beyond your strength; but, when he sends the temptation, he will also provide the way of escape, so that you may have strength to endure.

Therefore, my dear friends, shun the worship of idols.

If, for my part, I take the food thankfully, why should I be abused for eating that for which I give thanks?

For I, also, try to please everybody in everything, not seeking my own advantage, but that of men in general, that they may be saved.

Imitate me, as I myself imitate Christ.

I praise you, indeed, because you never forget me, and are keeping my injunctions in mind, exactly as I laid them upon you.

Indeed, if a woman does not keep her head covered, she may as well cut her hair short. But, since to cut her hair short, or shave it off, marks her as one of the shameless women, let her keep her head covered.

And, after saying the thanksgiving, broke it and said "This is my own body given on your behalf. Do this in memory of me."

And in the same way with the cup, after supper, saying "This cup is the new Covenant made by my blood. Do this, whenever you drink it, in memory of me."

Yet, in being judged by the Lord, we are undergoing discipline, so that we may not have judgment passed upon us with the rest of the world.

Therefore, my Brothers, when you meet together to eat the Supper, wait for one another.

If a man is hungry, let him eat at home, so that your meetings may not bring a judgment upon you. The other details I will settle when I come.

Even though I dole my substance to the poor, even though I sacrifice my body, that I may boast, yet have not Love, it avails me nothing!

As yet we see, in a mirror, dimly, but then-face to face! As yet my knowledge is incomplete, but then I shall know in full, as I have been fully known.

Now I want you all to speak in 'tongues,' but much more I wish that you should preach. A Preacher is of more account than he who speaks in 'tongues,' unless he interprets his words, so that the faith of the Church may be built up.

This being so, Brothers, what good shall I do you, if I come to you and speak in 'tongues,' unless my words convey some revelation, or knowledge, or take the form of preaching or teaching?

If, however, I do not happen to know the language, I shall be a foreigner to those who speak it, and they will be foreigners to me.

If, when praying, I use the gift of 'tongues,' my spirit indeed prays, but my mind is a blank.

What, then, is my conclusion? Simply this-I will pray with my spirit, but with my mind as well; I will sing with my spirit, but with my mind as well.

Your thanksgiving may be excellent, but the other is not helped by it.

But at a meeting of the Church I would rather speak five words with my mind, and so teach others, than ten thousand words when using the gift of 'tongues.'

It is said in the Law-'In strange tongues and by the lips of strangers will I speak to this people, but even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord.'

For you can all preach in turn, so that all may learn some lesson and all receive encouragement.

Any one who ignores it may be ignored.

Therefore, my Brothers, strive for the gift of preaching, and yet do not forbid speaking in 'tongues.'

For at the very beginning of my teaching I gave you the account which I had myself received-that Christ died for our sins (as the Scriptures had foretold),

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

But it is through the love of God that I am what I am, and the love that he showed me has not been wasted. No, I have toiled harder than any of them, and yet it was not I, but the love of God working with me.

And, when everything has been placed under him, the Son will place himself under God who placed everything under him, that God may be all in all!

Daily I face death-I swear it, Brothers, by the pride in you that I feel through my union with Christ Jesus, our Lord.

Some one, however, may ask 'How do the dead rise? and in what body will they come?'

Therefore, my dear Brothers, stand firm, unshaken, always diligent in the Lord's work, for you know that, in union with him, your toil is not in vain.

On my arrival, I will send any persons, whom you may authorize by letter, to carry your gift to Jerusalem;

And, if it appears to be worth while for me to go also, they shall go with me.

And I shall probably make some stay with you or, perhaps, remain for the winter, so that you may yourselves send me on my way, wherever I may be going.

No one, therefore, should slight him. See him safely on his way to me, for I am expecting him with some of our Brothers.

They have cheered my heart, and your hearts also. Recognize the worth of such men as these.

I, Paul, add this greeting in my own handwriting.

May the blessing of the Lord Jesus be with you.

My love to all of you who are in union with Christ Jesus.