To: God's church in Corinth, to those who have been sanctified by the Messiah Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah their Lord and ours.

For the message about the cross is nonsense to those who are being destroyed, but it is God's power to us who are being saved.

For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom did not know God, God was pleased to save those who believe through the nonsense of our preaching.

but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, the Messiah is God's power and God's wisdom.

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

But God has revealed those things to us by his Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the deep things of God.

After all, is it my business to judge outsiders? You are to judge those who are in the community, aren't you?

When one of you has a complaint against another, does he dare to take the matter before those who are unrighteous and not before the saints?

I say to those who are unmarried, especially to widows: It is good for them to remain like me.

This is what I mean, brothers: The time is short. From now on, those who have wives should live as though they had none,

and those who mourn as though they did not mourn, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they did not own a thing,

and those who use the things in the world as though they were not dependent on them. For the world in its present form is passing away.

But you must see to it that this right of yours does not become a stumbling block for those who are weak.

This is my defense to those who would examine me:

You know that those who work in the Temple get their food from the Temple and that those who serve at the altar get their share of its offerings, don't you?

In the same way, the Lord has ordered that those who proclaim the gospel should make their living from the gospel.

To the Jews I became like a Jew in order to win Jews. To those under the Law I became like a man under the Law, in order to win those under the Law (although I myself am not under the Law).

To those who do not have the Law, I became like a man who does not have the Law in order to win those who do not have the Law. However, I am not free from God's Law, but I'm subject to the Messiah's law.

But God wasn't pleased with most of those people, and so they were struck down in the wilderness.

Look at the Israelis from a human point of view. Those who eat the sacrifices share in what is on the altar, don't they?

You have homes in which to eat and drink, don't you? Or do you despise God's church and humiliate those who have nothing? What should I say to you? Should I praise you? I will not praise you for this!

On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are in fact indispensable,

God has appointed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then those who perform miracles, those who have gifts of healing, those who help others, administrators, and those who speak various kinds of languages.

Yes, even those who have died believing in the Messiah are lost.

But at this moment the Messiah stands risen from the dead, the first one offered in the harvest of those who have died.

However, this will happen to each person in the proper order: first the Messiah, then those who belong to the Messiah when he comes.

Otherwise, what will those people do who are being baptized because of those who have died? If the dead are not raised at all, why are they being baptized because of them?

There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the splendor of those in heaven is of one kind, and that of those on earth is of another.

Those who are made of the dust are like the man from the dust; those who are heavenly are like the man who is from heaven.