[This letter is from] Paul, who was called by the will of God to be an apostle of Jesus Christ, and [from] our brother Sosthenes;

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:

Who will give you strength to the end, to be free from all sin in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

God is true, through whom you have been given a part with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

For it hath been signified unto me, concerning you, my brethren, - by them who are of the household of Chloe, - that there are strifes among you,

Is Christ divided? Was it Paul who was crucified for you? Or were you baptized in Paul’s name?

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.

Where is the wise? where is he who has knowledge of the law? where is the man of this world who has a love of discussion? has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

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.

Whereas, we, proclaim a Christ who hath been crucified, - unto Jews, indeed, an occasion of stumbling, and, unto Gentiles, foolishness;

Yet to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is God’s power and God’s wisdom,

For consider, brethren, God's call to you. Not many who are wise with merely human wisdom, not many of position and influence, not many of noble birth have been called.

On the contrary - the foolish things of the world, hath God chosen, that he might put to shame them who are wise, and, the weak things of the world, hath God chosen, that he might put to shame the things that are mighty,

those who were looked upon by the world as vile, as despicable, as nothing, these has God chosen to reduce their sufficiency to nothing.

But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who is made by God unto us wisdom,

But God has given you a place in Christ Jesus, through whom God has given us wisdom and righteousness and salvation, and made us holy:

in order that, as it is written: The one who boasts must boast in the Lord.

For I had not determined to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, - and, him, as one who had been crucified!

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.

For who has knowledge of the things of a man but the spirit of the man which is in him? in the same way, no one has knowledge of the things of God but the Spirit of God.

Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who comes from God, so that we may understand what has been freely given to us by God.

We also speak of these things, not in words taught or supplied by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining and interpreting spiritual thoughts with spiritual words [for those being guided by the Holy Spirit].

A person who isn't spiritual doesn't accept the things of God's Spirit, for they are nonsense to him. He can't understand them because they are spiritually evaluated.

But he who has the Spirit, though judging all things, is himself judged by no one.

For who has knowledge of the mind of the Lord, so as to be his teacher? But we have the mind of Christ.

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.

What then is Apollos? and what is Paul? They are but servants who gave you the good news as God gave it to them.

I did the planting, Apollos did the watering, but it was God who kept the plants growing.

So then the planter is nothing, and the waterer is nothing; but God who gives the increase.

and he who is planting and he who is watering are one, and each his own reward shall receive, according to his own labour,

For other foundation no one is able to lay beside the one which is laid, who is Jesus Christ.

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

If the structure which one builds is burned up, he will get no pay; and yet he himself will be saved, but just as one who goes through a fire.

if any man divide the temple of God, him shall God destroy: for you, who are the temple of God, are consecrated to him.

For the wisdom of this world is foolish before God. As it is said in the holy Writings, He who takes the wise in their secret designs:

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

For I am not conscious of any wrong in myself; but this does not make me clear, for it is the Lord who is my judge.

For this reason let there be no judging before the time, till the Lord comes, who will make clear the secret things of the dark, and the designs of the heart; and then will every man have his praise from God.

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 it seems to me that God has put us apostles on exhibition at the disgraced end of the procession, as they do with men who are doomed to die in the arena.

we are made fools for our attachment to Christ, while you, who are christians too, still pass for the wise: we are in poverty, but you are in power: you meet with esteem, but we find contempt.

This I don't write to give you any confusion, but by way of remonstrance, to you who are my dear children.

For though you have ten thousand teachers in the Christian life, you certainly could not have many fathers. For it was I myself who became your father through your union with Christ Jesus, which resulted from my telling you the good news.

For this cause I have sent Timothy to you, who is my dear and true child in the Lord; he will make clear to you my ways in Christ, even as I am teaching everywhere in every church.

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.

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 myself, being present in spirit though not in body, have come to a decision about him who has done this thing;

as if I were present, judged him who hath so done this, In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit,

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:

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 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 any of you has a legal dispute against another, do you dare go to court before the unrighteous, and not before the saints?

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?

I say this to put you to shame. Is there not among you one wise man who may be able to give a decision between his brothers?

But a brother who has a cause at law against another takes it before Gentile judges.

But it is you who wrong and rob others, and your own brothers at that!

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,

nor theives, nor avaricious people, nor any who are addicted to hard drinking, to abusive language or to greed of gain, will inherit God's Kingdom.

And God who made the Lord Jesus come back from the dead will do the same for us by his power.

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.

But he who is united to the Lord is one spirit.

Keep away from the desires of the flesh. Every sin which a man does is outside of the body; but he who goes after the desires of the flesh does evil to his body.

Don’t you know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,

It is not the wife who has the rights to her own body, but the husband. In the same way, it is not the husband who has the rights to his own body, but the wife.

Now to those people who are not married [Note: This probably refers to all unmarried people, and not just to widowers, as some think], or who are widows, I say it is [a] good [idea] for them to remain like me [i.e., single. See verse

And to those who are married, I do not command but the Lord. The wife is not to separate from her husband.

But to the rest I say, and not the Lord; If a brother has a wife who is not a Christian, and it is her desire to go on living with him, let him not go away from her.

And if a woman has a husband who is not a Christian, and it is his desire to go on living with her, let her not go away from her husband.

For the husband who has not faith is made holy through his Christian wife, and the wife who is not a Christian is made holy through the brother: if not, your children would be unholy, but now are they holy.

But if the one who is not a Christian has a desire to go away, let it be so: the brother or the sister in such a position is not forced to do one thing or the other: but it is God's pleasure that we may be at peace with one another.

If any man who is a Christian has had circumcision, let him keep so; and if any man who is a Christian has not had circumcision, let him make no change.

For he who was a servant when he became a Christian is the Lord's free man; and he who was free when he became a Christian is the Lord's servant.

It is the Lord who has made payment for you: be not servants of men.

Now about virgins I have no orders from the Lord: but I give my opinion as one to whom the Lord has given mercy to be true to him.

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.

But I want you to be free from worry. The man who is not married is concerned about the affairs of the Lord [and] how to please the Lord.

But the one who is married cares for the things of the world, how he may please his wife,

And the wife and the virgin are differentiated. The unmarried woman is concerned for the things of the Lord, so that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she who is married is concerned for the things of the world, how s

But if a man thinks he is not acting properly toward the girl to whom he is engaged, if his passions are too strong, and that is what ought to be done, let him do as he pleases; it is no sin; let them be married.

But the man who is strong in mind and purpose, who is not forced but has control over his desires, does well if he comes to the decision to keep her a virgin.

So then, he who gets married to his virgin does well, and he who keeps her unmarried does better.

A wife, is bound for as long a time as her husband is living; but, if the husband have fallen asleep, she is, free, to be married unto whom she pleaseth, - only, in the Lord;

I now want to reply to the matter of idolatrous sacrifices [which you wrote to me about]. We know that we all possess knowledge. [Note: This may be a statement posed to Paul by the Corinthians, who seemed quite preoccupied with "knowledge"]. Knowledge [only] makes people arrogant, while love builds them up [spiritually].

But anyone who loves God is known by him.

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,

There is for us only one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we are for him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we have our being through him.

But remember, it is not everyone who has this 'knowledge.' Some who have hitherto been accustomed to idols eat the food as food which has been really offered to an idol, and so their weaker conscience is contaminated.

But take heed lest somehow this privilege of yours becomes a stumbling-block to those who are weak.

For if a man sees you, who have knowledge, taking food as a guest in the house of an image, will it not give him, if he is feeble, the idea that he may take food offered to images?

And so, through your knowledge, you are the cause of destruction to your brother, for whom Christ underwent death.

My answer to those who are judging me is this.

Have we no right to take along a wife who is a believer, even as the rest of the apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?

Or do Barnabas and I alone have no right to refrain from working?