To the church of God which is in Corinth, to those who have been made holy in Christ Jesus, saints by the selection of God, with all those who in every place give honour to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:

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

For the word of the cross seems foolish to those who are on the way to destruction; but to us who are on the way to salvation it is the power of God.

As it says in the holy Writings, I will put an end to the wisdom of the wise, and will put on one side the designs of those who have knowledge.

For because, by the purpose of God, the world, with all its wisdom, had not the knowledge of God, it was God's pleasure, by so foolish a thing as preaching, to give salvation to those who had faith in him.

But to those of God's selection, Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power and the wisdom of God.

But still we have wisdom for those who are complete in knowledge, though not the wisdom of this world, and not of the rulers of this world, who are coming to nothing:

But as it says in the holy Writings, Things which the eye saw not, and which had not come to the ears or into the heart of man, such things as God has made ready for those who have love for him.

And the teaching I gave you, my brothers, was such as I was able to give, not to those who have the Spirit, but to those who are still in the flesh, even to children in Christ.

Let us be judged as servants of Christ, and as those who are responsible for the secret things of God.

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.

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

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:

For it is no business of mine to be judging those who are outside; but it is yours to be judging those who are among you;

As for those who are outside, God is their judge. So put away the evil man from among you.

If then there are questions to be judged in connection with the things of this life, why do you put them in the hands of those who have no position in the church?

If you get married it is not a sin; and if an unmarried woman gets married it is not a sin. But those who do so will have trouble in the flesh. But I will not be hard on you.

But I say this, my brothers, the time is short; and from now it will be wise for those who have wives to be as if they had them not;

And for those who are in sorrow, to give no signs of it; and for those who are glad, to give no signs of joy; and for those who are getting property, to be as if they had nothing;

And for those who make use of the world, not to be using it fully; for this world's way of life will quickly come to an end.

For though there are those who have the name of gods, in heaven or on earth, as there are a number of gods and a number of lords,

And in this way, doing evil to the brothers, and causing trouble to those whose faith is feeble, you are sinning against Christ.

My answer to those who are judging me is this.

And to the Jews I was as a Jew, so that I might give the good news to them; to those under the law I was the same, not as being myself under the law, but so that I might give the good news to those under the law.

To those without the law I was as one without the law, not as being without law to God, but as under law to Christ, so that I might give the good news to those without the law.

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

For divisions are necessary among you, in order that those who have God's approval may be clearly seen among you.

No, those parts which seem to be feeble are the more necessary;

And to those parts of the body which seem to have less honour we give all the more honour; and to those parts of the body which are a cause of shame to us we give the greater respect;

But those parts of the body which are beautiful have no need of such care: and so the body has been joined together by God in such a way as to give more honour to those parts which had need of it;

And God has put some in the church, first, Apostles; second, prophets; third, teachers; then those with wonder-working powers, then those with the power of taking away disease, helpers, wise guides, users of strange tongues.

For this reason tongues are for a sign, not to those who have faith, but to those who have not: but the prophet's word is for those who have faith, and not for the rest who have not.

But now Christ has truly come back from the dead, the first-fruits of those who are sleeping.

But every man in his right order: Christ the first-fruits; then those who are Christ's at his coming.

For his rule will go on till he has put all those who are against him under his feet.

Those who are of the earth are like the man who was from the earth: and those who are of heaven are like the one from heaven.