Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:

I give thanks to my God always concerning you for the grace of God that was given to you in Christ Jesus,

So that in him you have wealth in all things, in word and in knowledge of every sort;

So your experience has confirmed the testimony that I bore to Christ,

So that having every grace you are living in the hope of the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ;

Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

God is faithful [i.e., He will continue working among you] and it is through Him that you were called into the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

Now I make request to you, my brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you will all say the same thing, and that there may be no divisions among you, so that you may be in complete agreement, in the same mind and in the same opinion.

Because it has come to my knowledge, through those of the house of Chloe, that there are divisions among you, my brothers.

That is, that some of you say, I am of Paul; some say, I am of Apollos; some say, I am of Cephas; and some say, I am Christ's.

Has Christ been divided? Paul, was he crucified for you? or was it into the name of Paul that you were baptized?

I give praise to God that not one of you had baptism from me, but Crispus and Gaius;

So that no one may be able to say that you had baptism in my name.

And I gave baptism to the house of Stephanas; but I am not certain that any others had baptism from me.

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.

For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

For, seeing that, in the wisdom of God, the world, through its wisdom, did not get to knew God, God was well-pleased - through the foolishness of the thing proclaimed, to save them that believe.

Seeing that the Jews make request for signs, and the Greeks are looking for knowledge:

we are preaching the Christ who was crucified -- a message that is a trap-stick to the Jews and nonsense to the Greeks,

but unto them that are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

Because that which the world deems foolish in God is wiser than men's wisdom, and that which it deems feeble in God is mightier than men's might.

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:

But God made selection of the foolish things of this world so that he might put the wise to shame; and the feeble things that he might put to shame the strong;

And the low things of the world, and the things without honour, did God make selection of, yes, even the things which are not, so that he might make as nothing the things which are:

So that no flesh might have glory before God.

for from him it is that ye believe in Christ Jesus, whom God has made to us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: that,

So that, as it is said in the holy Writings, Whoever has a desire for glory, let his glory be in the Lord.

And when I came to you, brothers, it was not with eloquent words or [superior] wisdom that I proclaimed to you the testimony [or, mystery] about God.

for I did not think I was to have any other knowledge among you, than that of Christ, a crucified saviour.

Yes, as for myself, it was in weakness and fear and great trembling that I came to you,

And my language and the Message that I proclaimed were not adorned with persuasive words of earthly wisdom, but depended upon truths which the Spirit taught and mightily carried home;

So that your faith might be based not on man's wisdom but on the power of God.

Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:

But we speak, God's, wisdom, in a sacred secret, that hidden wisdom , which God marked out beforehand, before the ages, for our glory, -

Which, none of the rulers of this age had come to know, for, had they known, not, in that case, the Lord of the glory, would they have crucified!

But, even as it is written - The things which eye hath not seen, and ear hath not heard, and upon the heart of man have not come up, - whatsoever things God hath prepared for them that love him,

For who of men knoweth the things of a man, - save the spirit of the man that is in him? thus, even the things of God, hath no one come to know, save the Spirit of God.

But we have not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which comes from God, so that we may have knowledge of the things which are freely given to us by God.

These truths we are setting forth, not in words that man's wisdom teaches but in words that the Spirit teaches, in this way fitting spiritual words to spiritual truths.

An unspiritual man does not accept the things that the Spirit of God teaches, for they are nonsense to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are appreciated by spiritual insight.

But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.

For who hath come to know the mind of the Lord, that shall instruct him? But, we, have, the mind of Christ.

for you are still worldly [minded]. And since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, is that not evidence that you are [still] worldly and living like [unspiritual] people?

What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Just ministers through whom you have believed, and each doing the work that the Lord gave him.

So that, neither is he that planteth anything, nor, he that watereth, - but, God, who causeth to, grow.

Moreover, he that planteth and he that watereth, are one: - howbeit, each one, his own reward, shall receive, - according to his own labour.

According to the grace of God that was given to me, as a wise master-builder, a foundation I have laid, and another doth build on it,

For there is no other base for the building but that which has been put down, which is Jesus Christ.

now if upon this foundation somebody builds gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble: he that builds such work,

Every man's work will be made clear in that day, because it will be tested by fire; and the fire itself will make clear the quality of every man's work.

if of any one the work doth remain that he built on it, a wage he shall receive;

if that man's work should be burnt, he will suffer loss: but should he himself escape, it will be as out of the fire.

Do you not see that you are God's holy house, and that the Spirit of God has his place in you?

If anyone destroys God’s sanctuary, God will destroy him; for God’s sanctuary is holy, and that is what you are.

Let no man have a false idea. If any man seems to himself to be wise among you, let him become foolish, so that he may be wise.

For, the wisdom of this world, is, foolishness with God; for it is written - He that taketh the wise in their knavery, -

And again, The Lord has knowledge of the reasonings of the wise, that they are nothing.

So that let no one boast in men; for all things are yours.

including Paul, and Apollos, and Cephas [i.e., Peter], and the world, and life and death, and present and future things. All of these things are yours. [Note: Paul is showing that, as Christians, they really possessed and should value all preachers and circumstances of life alike].

Here, furthermore, it is sought in stewards, that, faithful, one be found.

But it is a small thing to me that I am judged by you or by man's judging; I am not even a judge of myself.

For, of nothing, to myself, am I conscious: nevertheless, not hereby, am I declared righteous, but, he that doth examine me, is the Lord.

So that do not judge anything before the time, until the Lord shall come, who shall also both bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and shall make manifest the counsels of hearts; and then shall each have his praise from God.

My brothers, it is because of you that I have taken Apollos and myself as examples of these things, so that in us you might see that it is not wise to go farther than what is in the holy Writings, so that no one of you may be lifted up against his brother.

For who made you better than your brother? or what have you that has not been given to you? but if it has been given to you, what cause have you for pride, as if it had not been given to you?

For even now you are full, even now you have wealth, you have been made kings without us: truly, I would be glad if you were kings, so that we might be kings with you.

For it seems to me that God has put us the Apostles last of all, as men whose fate is death: for we are put on view to the world, and to angels, and to men.

When evil things are said about us we give gentle answers: we are made as the unclean things of the world, as that for which no one has any use, even till now.

I am not saying these things to put you to shame, but so that, as my dear children, you may see what is right.

for though you may have ten thousand christian preceptors, you cannot have many fathers; since it was I that first instructed you in the gospel of Christ Jesus:

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

This is the reason that I am sending Timothy to you. He is my dearly loved and faithful [spiritual] son in [the service of] the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways [i.e., my teaching and conduct] which are in [the service of] Christ. I teach these things in every congregation wherever [I go].

But some of you have become conceited over the thought that I am not coming to see you.

But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will; and I will know, not the word of them that are puffed up, but the power.

What will ye? that, with a rod, I should come unto you? or, with love, and a spirit of meekness?

It is said, in fact, that there is among you a sin of the flesh, such as is not seen even among the Gentiles, that one of you has his father's wife.

And in place of feeling sorrow, you are pleased with yourselves, so that he who has done this thing has not been sent away from among you.

For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,

that is, when you are assembled, and I virtually there, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

That this man is to be handed over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may have forgiveness in the day of the Lord Jesus.

This pride of yours is not good. Do you not see that a little leaven makes a change in all the mass?

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.

so that we may keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of evil and wickedness, but with unleavened food of sincerity and truth.

In my letter I said to you that you were not to keep company with those who go after the desires of the flesh;

Not at all, meaning the fornicators of this world, or the covetous and extortioners, or idolaters, - else had ye been obliged, in that case, to go out of the world!

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.

For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?

But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.

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?

Is it not certain that the saints will be the judges of the world? if then the world will be judged by you, are you unable to give a decision about the smallest things?

Is it not certain that we are to be the judges of angels? how much more then of the things of this life?

With a view to shame you, am I speaking. So, is it possible that there is among you - not so much as one wise man, who shall be able to judge between his brethren, -

But, brother with brother, sueth for judgment, and that before unbelievers?

Already, indeed, it is an utter defeat for you, that ye are having, law-suits, one with another. Wherefore are ye not rather taking wrong? Wherefore are ye not rather suffering yourselves to be defrauded?

Nay! but, ye, are doing wrong, and defrauding, - and that your brethren.

Have you not knowledge that evil-doers will have no part in the kingdom of God? Have no false ideas about this: no one who goes after the desires of the flesh, or gives worship to images, or is untrue when married, or is less than a man, or makes a wrong use of men,

Some of you used to be like that; but you have washed it all away, you have been consecrated, you have become upright, by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ and through the Spirit of our God.

"Everything is permissible for me [to do];" but not everything is profitable. [Note: The words in quote marks in this and the following verse are thought to have been commonly held views of that day, to which Paul gives an inspired reply]. "Everything is permissible for me [to do];" but I will not be ruled by anything.

Do you not see that your bodies are part of the body of Christ? how then may I take what is a part of the body of Christ and make it a part of the body of a loose woman? such a thing may not be.

Or do you not see that he who is joined to a loose woman is one body with her? for God has said, The two of them will become one flesh.