because God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.

So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.

For no one can lay any other foundation than what has been laid down. That foundation is Jesus Christ.

Therefore don’t judge anything prematurely, before the Lord comes, who will both bring to light what is hidden in darkness and reveal the intentions of the hearts. And then praise will come to each one from God.

Do not deprive one another sexually—except when you agree for a time, to devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again; otherwise, Satan may tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

But if they do not have self-control, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with desire.

So then he who marries his virgin does well, but he who does not marry will do better.

About eating food offered to idols, then, we know that “an idol is nothing in the world,” and that “there is no God but one.”

Then the weak person, the brother for whom Christ died, is ruined by your knowledge.

But I have used none of these rights, and I have not written this to make it happen that way for me. For it would be better for me to die than for anyone to deprive me of my boast!

What then is my reward? To preach the gospel and offer it free of charge and not make full use of my authority in the gospel.

What am I saying then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?

Or are we provoking the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?

And God has placed these in the church:

first apostles, second prophets,
third teachers, next miracles,
then gifts of healing, helping,
managing, various kinds of languages.

For now we see indistinctly, as in a mirror,
but then face to face.
Now I know in part,
but then I will know fully,
as I am fully known.

I wish all of you spoke in other languages, but even more that you prophesied. The person who prophesies is greater than the person who speaks in languages, unless he interprets so that the church may be built up.

What then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with my understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with my understanding.

I thank God that I speak in other languages more than all of you;

yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, in order to teach others also, than 10,000 words in another language.

It is written in the law:

I will speak to these people
by people of other languages
and by the lips of foreigners,
and even then, they will not listen to Me,

says the Lord.

What then is the conclusion, brothers? Whenever you come together, each one has a psalm, a teaching, a revelation, another language, or an interpretation. All things must be done for edification.

and that He appeared to Cephas,
then to the Twelve.

Then He appeared to over 500 brothers at one time;
most of them are still alive,
but some have fallen asleep.

Then He appeared to James,
then to all the apostles.

But by God’s grace I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not ineffective. However, I worked more than any of them, yet not I, but God’s grace that was with me.

But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised;

and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation is without foundation, and so is your faith.

If we have put our hope in Christ for this life only, we should be pitied more than anyone.

Then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father, when He abolishes all rule and all authority and power.

And when everything is subject to Christ, then the Son Himself will also be subject to the One who subjected everything to Him, so that God may be all in all.

Otherwise what will they do who are being baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, then why are people baptized for them?

However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, then the spiritual.

When this corruptible is clothed
with incorruptibility,
and this mortal is clothed
with immortality,
then the saying that is written will take place:
Death has been swallowed up in victory.