Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,

From Paul, who has been called to be an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, And from Sosthenes, our Brother.

For Christ sent me, not to give baptism, but to be a preacher of the good news: not with wise words, for fear that the cross of Christ might be made of no value.

in order that it may be as Scripture says, "He who boasts--let his boast be in the Lord."

My message and my preaching were not accompanied by clever, wise words, but by a display of the Spirit's power,

And as for myself, brethren, I found it impossible to speak to you as spiritual men. It had to be as to worldlings--mere babes in Christ.

for you are still unspiritual. For when there are still jealousy and wrangling among you, are you not still unspiritual and living by a human standard?

if a man's work is burnt up, he will be a loser ??and though he will be saved himself, he will be snatched from the very flames.

Do you not know and understand that you [the church] are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells [permanently] in you [collectively and individually]?

Let no man deceive himself. If any man seem wise among you, let him be a fool in this world, that he may be wise.

But to me it is a very little matter that I be judged by you or by a human court, but I do not [even] judge myself.

These things, brethren, I have by a figure transferred to myself and Apollos, for your sakes; that ye may learn in us, not to think of men above what is here written, that ye may not be puffed up for one above another.

God, it seems to me, has exhibited us Apostles last of all, as men condemned to death; for we have come to be a spectacle to all creation--alike to angels and to men.

Which is it to be? Am I to come to you with a rod of discipline or with love and a spirit of gentleness?

Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:

But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.

And such were some of you [before you believed]. But you were washed [by the atoning sacrifice of Christ], you were sanctified [set apart for God, and made holy], you were justified [declared free of guilt] in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the [Holy] Spirit of our God [the source of the believer’s new life and changed behavior].

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.

it cannot be. why, don't you perceive, that where there is such an attachment, they are but as one person? for the scripture says, "they two shall be as one."

Withhold not yourselves from one another, except by agreement for a time that you may be at leisure for prayer, and come together again, that Satan may not tempt you by your incontinence.

I would like all men to be as I am. However, everyone is endowed by God in his own way; he has a gift for the one life or the other.

To unmarried people and to widows I would say this: It would be a fine thing for them to remain single, as I am.

But if the one who is not a Christian has a desire to go away, let it be so: the brother or the sister in such a position is not forced to do one thing or the other: but it is God's pleasure that we may be at peace with one another.

Was any man already circumcised when he was called [by God to be a Christian]? Then he should not [try to] become uncircumcised. [Note: Some Jews in that day resorted to a surgical procedure in an attempt to conceal their circumcision]. Was any man uncircumcised when he was called? Then he should not become circumcised.

Were you called [while] a slave? Do not let it be a concern to you. But if indeed you are able to become free, rather make use of [it].

Brothers, each person should remain [in fellowship] with God in the [same] state he was in when he was called [by God to be a Christian].

I think therefore that this is good by reason of the distress that is upon us, namely, that it is good for a man to be as he is.

But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none;

And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not;

And they that use this world, be as though they used it not: For the fashion of this world goeth away.

if any man thinks it would be a reflexion upon his manhood to be a stale batchelor, and so ought to marry; let him follow his bent, he is at liberty, let such marry.

A wife is bound [i.e., to stay married] for as long as her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free to be married to anyone she wants; [but it must be] only in the Lord [i.e., he must be a faithful Christian].

I now want to reply to the matter of idolatrous sacrifices [which you wrote to me about]. We know that we all possess knowledge. [Note: This may be a statement posed to Paul by the Corinthians, who seemed quite preoccupied with "knowledge"]. Knowledge [only] makes people arrogant, while love builds them up [spiritually].

But see lest anywise this your right to eat itself be a stumbling-block to the weak.

For if any one were to see you, who know the real truth of this matter, reclining at table in an idol's temple, would not his conscience (supposing him to be a weak believer)

Wherefore if meat be a fall-trap to my brother, I will eat no flesh for ever, that I may not be a fall-trap to my brother.

Don’t we have the right to be accompanied by a Christian wife like the other apostles, the Lord’s brothers, and Cephas?

Or speaketh he chiefly for our sakes? surely for our sakes it was written: for he who ploweth, ought to plow in hope; and he that thresheth in hope, ought to be a partaker of his hope.

If others receive this right from you, are we not more deserving? But we have not made use of this right. Instead we endure everything so that we may not be a hindrance to the gospel of Christ.

And I do all things for the gospel's sake, that I may be a joint partaker thereof.

But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

For I want you to be [fully] aware, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud, and all of them passed [safely] through the [Red] Sea. [Note: This refers to God guiding the Israelites through the desert during the daytime by a cloud moving along above them . See Ex. 13:21-22].

But now I mean his conscience, not your own. "Why, on what ground," you may object, "is the question of my liberty of action to be decided by a conscience not my own?

For if I by grace be a partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks?

Do not be a cause of stumbling either to Jews of to Gentiles, or to the church of God.

For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.

But if any man appears to be a lover of strife, we have no such custom, nor the congregations of God.

If the foot should say, "Because I am a hand, I am not part a part the body," would it not indeed be a part of the body?

Now if all of it were one part, there wouldn't be a body, would there?

in order that there not be a division in the body, but the members would have the same concern for one another.

Can every one be an Apostle? can every one be a Preacher? can every one be a Teacher? can every one have supernatural powers?

For now we see by a mirror darkly, but then we shall see face to face; now I know in part, but then I shall know fully as I also am known.

But now, brothers, if I come to you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, unless I speak to you by a revelation, or by a knowledge, or by a prophecy, or by a doctrine?

Moreover when things without life give sound: whether it be a pipe, or a harp - except they make a distinction in the sounds - how shall it be known what is piped or harped?

So also you by a tongue if you utter a word not easily understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for you will speak to the air.

There are, it may be, a number of different voices in the world, and no voice is without sense.

If then I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be to him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh will be a barbarian unto me.

Brothers, do not become children in [your] understanding, but with respect to wickedness be as a child, and in [your] understanding be mature.

Foreign languages, then, are meant to be a sign, not for believers, but for unbelievers, while prophecy is meant, not for unbelievers, but for believers.

But if there be a revelation to another sitting there, let the first be silent.

If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.

For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead.

And what you yourself sow is not the plant that will [eventually] come up, but simply a seed. It may be a grain of wheat or something else.

This is how it will be at the resurrection of the dead. What is planted is decaying, what is raised cannot decay.

On the first of the week let each of you put by at home, laying up in whatever degree he may have prospered, that there may be no collections when I come.

But I will be at Ephesus till Pentecost;

All the brothers salute you. Salute each other by a holy kiss.