As a skilled architect, in accordance with God's unmerited favor given to me, I laid a foundation, and now another is building upon it. But every builder must be careful how he builds upon it;

Let no one deceive himself. If any one of you supposes that he is wise in this world's wisdom, as compared with the rest of you, to become really wise he must become a fool.

For although my conscience does not accuse me, yet I am not entirely vindicated by that. It is the Lord Himself who must examine me.

So you must stop forming any premature judgments, but wait until the Lord shall come again, for He will bring to light the secrets hidden in the dark and will make known the motives of men's hearts, and the proper praise will be awarded each of us.

You must clean out the old yeast, that you may be a fresh lump, as you are to be free from the old yeast. For our Passover Lamb, Christ, has already been sacrificed.

Now what I really meant was for you to stop associating with any so-called brother, if he is sexually immoral, a greedy grasper, an idolater, a slanderer, a drunkard, or a swindler -- with such a person you must even stop eating.

but for God to judge those who are outside? You must expel that wicked person from your membership.

for you have been bought and actually paid for. So you must honor God with your bodies.

The husband must always give his wife what is due her, and the wife too must do so for her husband.

You husbands and wives must stop refusing each other what is due, unless you agree to do so just for awhile, so as to have plenty of time for prayer, and then to be together again, so as to keep Satan from tempting you because of your lack of self-control.

But if she does leave him, she must remain single, or better, be reconciled to her husband. I instruct the husband too not to divorce his wife.

To the rest of the people I myself would say -- though the Lord Himself has said nothing about it -- if a Christian has a wife that is not a believer and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her;

and a woman who has a husband that is not a believer, but he consents to live with her, must not divorce her husband.

Only, everybody must continue to live in the station which the Lord assigned to him, in that in which God called him. These are my orders in all the churches.

Has a man been called after he was circumcised? He must not try to change it. Has a man been called without being circumcised? He must not be circumcised.

Everybody must remain in the station in which he was called.

Brothers, each one must continue close to God in the very station in which he was called.

A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. If her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she pleases, except that he must be a Christian.

But you must see to it that this right of yours does not become a stumbling block to overscrupulous people.

For in the law of Moses it is written, "You must not muzzle an ox that is treading out your grain." Is it that God is concerned about oxen only?

Do you not know that in a race the runners all run, but only one can get the prize? You must run in such a way that you can get the prize.

You must stop grumbling, as some of them did, and for it were destroyed by the destroying angel.

So the man who thinks he stands securely must be on the lookout not to fall.

You must follow my example, just as I myself am following Christ's.

You must judge for yourselves in this matter. Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with nothing on her head?

Yes, indeed, there must be parties among you, in order that people of approved fitness may come to the front among you.

A man, then, must examine himself, and only in this way should he eat any of the bread and drink from the cup.

But you must earnestly continue to cultivate your higher spiritual gifts. And yet I will show you a way that is better by far:

So, as you are ambitious for spiritual gifts, you must keep trying to excel for the upbuilding of the church.

Therefore, the man who speaks in ecstasy must pray for power to explain what he says.

Then what is our conclusion, brothers? When you meet together, everybody has a song, something to teach, a revelation, an ecstatic utterance, or an explanation of one. It must all be for the upbuilding of all.

If anybody speaks in ecstasy, there must be only two, or three at most, and let one speak at a time, and someone explain what he says.

Women must keep quiet in the churches, for no permission is given them to speak. On the contrary, they must take a subordinate place, just as the law says.

Everything must always be done in a proper and orderly way.

for He must continue to be king until He puts all His enemies under His feet.

For this decaying part of us must put on the body that can never decay, and this part once capable of dying must put on the body that can never die.

On the first day of every week each of you must put aside and store up something in proportion as he is prospered, so that no contributions need be made when I come back.

So no one must slight him at all. But send him on with your goodbye, that he may come back to me, for I am expecting him with the other brothers.

Yes, they have cheered my spirit, and yours too. You must deeply appreciate such men.