For Christ did not send me to immerse people, but to preach the good news. [Note: Christ specifically commissioned Paul to preach; most of the immersing was done by his attendants]. It was not to be done with words of [human] wisdom, so that the [message of the] cross of Christ would not have its power taken away.

For you see God's design for you, my brothers, that he has not taken a great number of the wise after the flesh, not the strong, not the noble:

For the natural man is not able to take in the things of the Spirit of God: for they seem foolish to him, and he is not able to have knowledge of them, because such knowledge comes only through the Spirit.

I gave you milk and not meat, because you were, then, unable to take it, and even now you are not able;

According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God; for it is written, He who takes the wise in their craftiness.

And again, "The Lord takes knowledge of the reasonings of the wise--how useless they are."

So let no one take pride in men. For all things are yours;

As for us Apostles, let any one take this view of us--we are Christ's officers, and stewards of God's secret truths.

In writing this much, brethren, with special reference to Apollos and myself, I have done so for your sakes, in order to teach you by our example what those words mean, which say, "Nothing beyond what is written!" --so that you may cease to take sides in boastful rivalry, for one teacher against another.

We work [for our living], working hard with our own hands. When we are reviled and verbally abused, we bless. When we are persecuted, we take it patiently and endure.

So my desire is that you take me as your example.

But I will come to you in a short time, if it is pleasing to the Lord, and I will take note, not of the word of those who are full of pride, but of the power.

It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality such as is unknown even among pagans ??that a man has taken his father's wife!

And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.

Take away, then, the old leaven, so that you may be a new mass, even as you are without leaven. For Christ has been put to death as our Passover.

But I had not in mind the sinners who are outside the church, or those who have a desire for and take the property of others, or those who give worship to images; for it is not possible to keep away from such people without going out of the world completely:

But the sense of my letter was that if a brother had the name of being one who went after the desires of the flesh, or had the desire for other people's property, or was in the way of using violent language, or being the worse for drink, or took by force what was not his, you might not keep company with such a one, or take food with him.

Take away the wicked person from you, yourselves.

How is it, that if any one of you has a cause at law against another, he takes it before a Gentile judge and not before the saints?

So then, if you have cases [or, courts] for deciding matters of this life, do you appoint [as judges] those who have no standing in the church? [i.e., heathens]. [Note: This difficult passage may also be taken as a statement, using sarcasm, "you appoint as judges..."].

But a brother who has a cause at law against another takes it before Gentile judges.

Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?

So far from doing this, you yourselves do wrong and take your brothers' property.

Or is a thief, or the worse for drink, or makes use of strong language, or takes by force what is not his, will have any part in the kingdom of God.

Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.

Now I take up the matters about which you wrote me. It may be good thing for a man to remain unmarried;

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.

But if the unbeliever wants a divorce, let it take place. In these circumstances the brother or sister is not bound. God has called you in peace.

Were you called while a slave? It should not be a concern to you. But if you can become free, by all means take the opportunity.

If you are married to a wife, make no attempt to get free from her: if you are free from a wife, do not take a wife.

But and if thou take a wife, thou sinnest not. Likewise if a virgin marry, she sinneth not. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in their flesh: but I saver you.

And the wife is not the same as the virgin. The virgin gives her mind to the things of the Lord, so that she may be holy in body and in spirit: but the married woman takes thought for the things of the world, how she may give pleasure to her husband.

If, however, a father thinks that he is not acting fairly by his unmarried daughter, when she is past her youth, and if under these circumstances her marriage ought to take place, let him act as he thinks right. He is doing nothing wrong-let the marriage take place.

But God's approval of us is not based on the food we take: if we do not take it we are no worse for it; and if we take it we are no better.

But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.

For if a man sees you, who have knowledge, taking food as a guest in the house of an image, will it not give him, if he is feeble, the idea that he may take food offered to images?

Have we no right to take food and drink?

have we not a right to take round a sister as wife, as also the other apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?

Or I only and Barnabas, have we no right to take a rest from work?

Who ever goes to war without looking to someone to be responsible for his payment? who puts in vines and does not take the fruit of them? or who takes care of sheep without drinking of their milk?

For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?

But I have used none of these things. Neither wrote I these things that it should be so done unto me. For it were better for me to die than any man should take this rejoicing from me.

What pay then do I get? Why, that in my preaching I can offer the good news without cost, and so not take full advantage of my rights as a preacher.

Do you not see that in a running competition all take part, but only one gets the reward? So let your minds be fixed on the reward.

And every man who takes part in the sports has self-control in all things. Now they do it to get a crown which is of this world, but we for an eternal crown.

Then do not go after false gods, as some of them did; as it is said in the holy Writings, After resting and feasting, the people got up to take their pleasure.

Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

The cup of blessing which we take, does it not give us a part in the blood of Christ? and is not the broken bread a taking part in the body of Christ?

Because we, being a number of persons, are one bread, we are one body: for we all take part in the one bread.

See Israel after the flesh: do not those who take as food the offerings of the altar take a part in the altar?

It is not possible for you, at the same time, to take the cup of the Lord and the cup of evil spirits; you may not take part in the table of the Lord and the table of evil spirits.

Whatever meat may be had at the public market, take as food without question of right or wrong;

If a Gentile makes a feast for you, and you are pleased to go as a guest, take whatever is put before you, without question of right or wrong.

But if anyone says to you, This food has been used as an offering, do not take it, on account of him who said it, and on account of his sense of right and wrong:

But if I give praise to God for the food which I take, let no man say evil of me for that reason.

So take me for your example, even as I take Christ for mine.

but I would have you take notice, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the wife, is the man; and the head of Christ, is God.

Every man who takes part in prayer, or gives teaching as a prophet, with his head covered, puts shame on his head.

Man does not take his origin from woman, but woman takes hers from man.

for as the woman was taken from the man, so man is born of the woman: and all are from God.

Be judges yourselves of the question: does it seem right for a woman to take part in prayer unveiled?

For first of all, it has come to my ears that when you come together in the church, there are divisions among you, and I take the statement to be true in part.

But now, when you come together, it is not possible to take the holy meal of the Lord:

For each one in eating takes his own supper before others, and one is hungry and another drinks to excess.

What? have you not houses to take your meals in? or have you no respect for the church of God, putting the poor to shame? What am I to say to you? am I to give you praise? certainly not.

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 way, with the cup, after the meal, he said, This cup is the new testament in my blood: do this, whenever you take it, in memory of me.

For whenever you take the bread and the cup you give witness to the Lord's death till he comes.

If, then, anyone takes the bread or the cup of the Lord in the wrong spirit, he will be responsible for the body and blood of the Lord.

But let no man take of the bread and the cup without testing himself.

For a man puts himself in danger, if he takes part in the holy meal without being conscious that it is the Lord's body.

If any man is in need of food, let him take his meal in his house; so that you may not come together to your damage. And the rest I will put in order when I come.

Are all able to take away disease? have all the power of tongues? are all able to give their sense?

It is not rude; it is not self-seeking, it is not provoked [nor overly sensitive and easily angered]; it does not take into account a wrong endured.

It takes no pleasure in wrongdoing, but has joy in what is true;

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 the bugle--to take another example--gives an uncertain sound, who will prepare for battle?

So if you, in using a strange tongue, say words which have no sense, how will anyone take in what you are saying? for you will be talking to the air.

For if you give a blessing with the spirit, how will the man who has no knowledge say, So be it, after your prayer, seeing that he has not taken in what you are saying?

If any person speaks in a language [supernaturally], there should be [only] two, or at most three people [doing it in one meeting], and they should take turns. And [only] one person should interpret [the language spoken].

the women should be silent in the churches, for they are not authorized to speak, but are to take a subordinate place, as the Law says.

What, did the gospel take its rise from you? or was it communicated to you alone?

If any man thinketh himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him take knowledge of the things which I write unto you, that they are the commandment of the Lord.

Now brothers, I want to clarify for you the gospel I proclaimed to you; you received it and have taken your stand on it.

By the very pride I take in you, brothers, through our union with Christ Jesus our Lord, I face death every day.

If, after the way of men, I was fighting with beasts at Ephesus, what profit is it to me? If the dead do not come to life again, let us take our pleasure in feasting, for tomorrow we come to an end.

And in the same way as we have taken on us the image of the man from the earth, so we will take on us the image of the one from heaven.

But this I tell you, brothers: Our physical bodies cannot take part in the kingdom of God; what is decaying will never take part in what is immortal.

Listen very carefully, I tell you a mystery [a secret truth decreed by God and previously hidden, but now revealed]; we will not all sleep [in death], but we will all be [completely] changed [wondrously transformed],

But whenever this perishable [body] puts on incorruptibility and this mortal [body] puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will take place: "Death is swallowed up in victory.

On the first day of every week each one of you is to put something aside, in proportion to his prosperity, and save it so that no collections [will need to] be made when I come.

And whenever I arrive, whomever you approve by letters, I will send these to take your gift to Jerusalem.

I shall remain some time with you; possibly spending the winter, in order that you may help me forward in whatever journey I take.

If Timothy comes, take care that he has no cause for feeling anxious while he is with you. He is doing the Master's work no less than I am.