to the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, and called to be saints, with all those in every place who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.

I always thank my God for you because of the grace of God that was given to you in Christ Jesus.

so that you do not lack any spiritual gift as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

For members of Chloe's household have made it clear to me, my brothers and sisters, that there are quarrels among you.

Now I mean this, that each of you is saying, "I am with Paul," or "I am with Apollos," or "I am with Cephas," or "I am with Christ."

I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius,

so that no one can say that you were baptized in my name!

For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel -- and not with clever speech, so that the cross of Christ would not become useless.

For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

so that no one can boast in his presence.

so that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."

so that your faith would not be based on human wisdom but on the power of God.

Instead we speak the wisdom of God, hidden in a mystery, that God determined before the ages for our glory.

But just as it is written, "Things that no eye has seen, or ear heard, or mind imagined, are the things God has prepared for those who love him."

Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things that are freely given to us by God.

For no one can lay any foundation other than what is being laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?

Guard against self-deception, each of you. If someone among you thinks he is wise in this age, let him become foolish so that he can become wise.

And again, "The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile."

Now what is sought in stewards is that one be found faithful.

So for me, it is a minor matter that I am judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself.

I have applied these things to myself and Apollos because of you, brothers and sisters, so that through us you may learn "not to go beyond what is written," so that none of you will be puffed up in favor of the one against the other.

For who concedes you any superiority? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you received it, why do you boast as though you did not?

Already you are satisfied! Already you are rich! You have become kings without us! I wish you had become kings so that we could reign with you!

It is actually reported that sexual immorality exists among you, the kind of immorality that is not permitted even among the Gentiles, so that someone is cohabiting with his father's wife.

turn this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.

Your boasting is not good. Don't you know that a little yeast affects the whole batch of dough?

Clean out the old yeast so that you may be a new batch of dough -- you are, in fact, without yeast. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.

When any of you has a legal dispute with another, does he dare go to court before the unrighteous rather than before the saints?

Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you not competent to settle trivial suits?

Do you not know that we will judge angels? Why not ordinary matters!

The fact that you have lawsuits among yourselves demonstrates that you have already been defeated. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! The sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, passive homosexual partners, practicing homosexuals,

Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Should I take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never!

Or do you not know that anyone who is united with a prostitute is one body with her? For it is said, "The two will become one flesh."

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?

Do not deprive each other, except by mutual agreement for a specified time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then resume your relationship, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

I wish that everyone was as I am. But each has his own gift from God, one this way, another that.

To the unmarried and widows I say that it is best for them to remain as I am.

But if they do not have self-control, let them get married. For it is better to marry than to burn with sexual desire.

Let each one remain in that situation in life in which he was called.

I am saying this for your benefit, not to place a limitation on you, but so that without distraction you may give notable and constant service to the Lord.

But in my opinion, she will be happier if she remains as she is -- and I think that I too have the Spirit of God!

With regard to food sacrificed to idols, we know that "we all have knowledge." Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.

If someone thinks he knows something, he does not yet know to the degree that he needs to know.

With regard then to eating food sacrificed to idols, we know that "an idol in this world is nothing," and that "there is no God but one."

But be careful that this liberty of yours does not become a hindrance to the weak.

For this reason, if food causes my brother or sister to sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I may not cause one of them to sin.

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.

Don't you know that those who serve in the temple eat food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar receive a part of the offerings?

But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing these things so that something will be done for me. In fact, it would be better for me to die than -- no one will deprive me of my reason for boasting!

What then is my reward? That when I preach the gospel I may offer the gospel free of charge, and so not make full use of my rights in the gospel.

To the weak I became weak in order to gain the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that by all means I may save some.

I do all these things because of the gospel, so that I can be a participant in it.

Do you not know that all the runners in a stadium compete, but only one receives the prize? So run to win.

Instead I subdue my body and make it my slave, so that after preaching to others I myself will not be disqualified.

For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea,

and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they were all drinking from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ.

These things happened as examples for us, so that we will not crave evil things as they did.

So let the one who thinks he is standing be careful that he does not fall.

No trial has overtaken you that is not faced by others. And God is faithful: He will not let you be tried beyond what you are able to bear, but with the trial will also provide a way out so that you may be able to endure it.

Is not the cup of blessing that we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread that we break a sharing in the body of Christ?

Am I saying that idols or food sacrificed to them amount to anything?

No, I mean that what the pagans sacrifice is to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be partners with demons.

Or are we trying to provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we really stronger than he is?

Eat anything that is sold in the marketplace without questions of conscience,

If I partake with thankfulness, why am I blamed for the food that I give thanks for?

just as I also try to please everyone in all things. I do not seek my own benefit, but the benefit of many, so that they may be saved.

But I want you to know that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ.

Does not nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace for him,

For there must in fact be divisions among you, so that those of you who are approved may be evident.

Do you not have houses so that you can eat and drink? Or are you trying to show contempt for the church of God by shaming those who have nothing? What should I say to you? Should I praise you? I will not praise you for this!

For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night in which he was betrayed took bread,

That is why many of you are weak and sick, and quite a few are dead.

But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned with the world.

If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, so that when you assemble it does not lead to judgment. I will give directions about other matters when I come.

You know that when you were pagans you were often led astray by speechless idols, however you were led.

So I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus is cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.

If the foot says, "Since I am not a hand, I am not part of the body," it does not lose its membership in the body because of that.

And if the ear says, "Since I am not an eye, I am not part of the body," it does not lose its membership in the body because of that.

On the contrary, those members that seem to be weaker are essential,

so that there may be no division in the body, but the members may have mutual concern for one another.

But you should be eager for the greater gifts. And now I will show you a way that is beyond comparison.

And if I have prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.

Pursue love and be eager for the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.

I wish you all spoke in tongues, but even more that you would prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets so that the church may be strengthened.

It is similar for lifeless things that make a sound, like a flute or harp. Unless they make a distinction in the notes, how can what is played on the flute or harp be understood?

So then, one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret.

I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you,

but in the church I want to speak five words with my mind to instruct others, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue.

So if the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and unbelievers or uninformed people enter, will they not say that you have lost your minds?

If anyone considers himself a prophet or spiritual person, he should acknowledge that what I write to you is the Lord's command.

Now I want to make clear for you, brothers and sisters, the gospel that I preached to you, that you received and on which you stand,

For I passed on to you as of first importance what I also received -- that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures,

and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures,

and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.

Then he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me has not been in vain. In fact, I worked harder than all of them -- yet not I, but the grace of God with me.

Also, we are found to be false witnesses about God, because we have testified against God that he raised Christ from the dead, when in reality he did not raise him, if indeed the dead are not raised.