To the Church of God in Corinth, to those who have been consecrated by union with Christ Jesus and called to become his People, and also to all, wherever they may be, who invoke the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ-their Master and ours,

The Message of the Cross is indeed mere folly to those who are in the path to Ruin, but to us who are in the path of Salvation it is the very power of God.

For since the world, in God's wisdom, did not by its philosophy learn to know God, God saw fit, by the 'folly' of our proclamation, to save those who believe in Christ!

But to those who have received the Call, whether Jews or Greeks, Christ, the Power of God and the Wisdom of God!

Yet there is a philosophy that we teach to those whose faith is matured, but it is not the philosophy of to-day, nor that of the leaders of to-day-men whose downfall is at hand.

It is what Scripture speaks of as-'What eye never saw, nor ear ever heard, what never entered the mind of man-even all that God has prepared for those who love him.'

Whatever is used by those who build upon this foundation, whether gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw,

What have I to do with judging those outside the Church? Is it not for you to judge those who are within the Church,

While God judges those who are outside? 'Put away the wicked man from among you.'

My advice, then, to those who are not married, and to widows, is this: It would be well for them to remain as I am myself.

To those who are married my direction is-yet it is not mine, but the Master's-that a woman is not to leave her husband

still, if you should marry, that is not wrong; nor, if a young woman marries, is that wrong. But those who marry will have much trouble to bear, and my wish is to spare you.

What I mean, Brothers, is this-The time is short. Meanwhile, let those who have wives live as if they had none,

Those who are weeping as if not weeping, those who are rejoicing as if not rejoicing, those who buy as if not possessing,

And those who use the good things of the world as using them sparingly; for this world as we see it is passing away.

Do not you know that those who do the work of the Temple live on what comes from the Temple, and that those who serve at the altar share the offerings with the altar?

So, too, the Master has appointed that those who tell the Good News should get their living from the Good News.

To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win Jews. To those who are subject to Law I became like a man subject to Law-though I was not myself subject to Law-to win those who are subject to Law.

To those who have no Law I became like a man who has no Law- -not that I am free from God's Law; no, for I am under Christ's Law-to win those who have no law.

Look at the people of Israel. Do not those who eat the sacrifices share with the altar?

No! Those parts of the body that seem naturally the weaker are indispensable;

And those parts which we deem less honorable we surround with special honor; and our ungraceful parts receive a special grace which our graceful parts do not require.

If, however, I do not happen to know the language, I shall be a foreigner to those who speak it, and they will be foreigners to me.

Therefore the gift of the 'tongues' is intended as a sign, not for those who believe in Christ, but for those who do not, while the gift of preaching is intended as a sign, not for those who do not believe in Christ, but for those who do.

While, if all those present use the gift of preaching, and an unbeliever, or a man without the gift, comes in, he is convinced of his sinfulness by them all, he is called to account by them all;

But, in truth, Christ has been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of those who are at rest.

But each in his proper order-Christ the first-fruits; afterwards, at his Coming, those who belong to the Christ.

Those who are of the dust are like him who came from the dust; and those who are of Heaven are like him who came from Heaven.