Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,

Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:

I thank my God always for you because of the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus,

That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;

while our testimony about the Messiah has been confirmed among you.

so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift [which comes from the Holy Spirit], as you eagerly wait [with confident trust] for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ [when He returns].

And He will also confirm you to the end [keeping you strong and free of any accusation, so that you will be] blameless and beyond reproach in the day [of the return] of our Lord Jesus Christ.

God is ever true to His promises, and it was by Him that you were, one and all, called into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

(Well, I did baptize the household of Stephanas, but no one else, as far as I remember.)

For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to evangelize—not with clever words, so that the cross of Christ will not be emptied of its effect.

For to those who are on the way to destruction, the story of the cross is nonsense, but to us who are to be saved, it means all the power of God.

For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

Sage, scribe, critic of this world, where are they all? Has not God stultified the wisdom of the world?

For since the world through all its [earthly] wisdom failed to recognize God, God in His wisdom was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached [regarding salvation] to save those who believe [in Christ and welcome Him as Savior].

For Jews demand signs (attesting miracles), and Greeks pursue [worldly] wisdom and philosophy,

while we proclaim a Christ who has been crucified--to the Jews a stumbling-block, to Gentiles foolishness,

for this divine doctrine, as foolish and weak as men may think it, far surpasses all their wisdom, and baffles all their power.

For consider your calling, brothers, that not many [were] wise according to human standards, not many [were] powerful, not many [were] well born.

so that all flesh may not boast before God.

But it is from Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became God-given wisdom for us—our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption,

For I did not judge it well to know anything among you save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

And I did not use persuasive words of [human] wisdom in my message and preaching, but they were [accompanied by] a demonstration of the Holy Spirit and power [from God]. [Note: This "demonstration" could have included the evidence of miraculous spiritual gifts which Paul utilized while there in Corinth. See 14:18].

However, what we preach is wisdom, to those who are thoroughly instructed: yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who will soon come to nothing.

it is the mysterious Wisdom of God that we discuss, that hidden wisdom which God decreed from all eternity for our glory.

but just as it is written [in Scripture],“Things which the eye has not seen and the ear has not heard,
And which have not entered the heart of man,
All that God has prepared for those who love Him [who hold Him in affectionate reverence, who obey Him, and who gratefully recognize the benefits that He has bestowed].”

But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

A material man will not accept what the Spirit of God offers. It seems mere folly to him, and he cannot understand it, because it takes spiritual insight to see its true value.

But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.

For who has penetrated the mind of the Lord, and will instruct Him? But *we* have the mind of Christ.

For you are yet carnal: for while there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are you not carnal, and walk as men?

For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

After all, who is Apollos? And who is Paul? They are [only] servants through whom you believed [in Christ], with each one doing what the Lord gave him to do.

I planted, Apollos watered, but God [all the while] was causing the growth.

So that neither the planter nor the waterer is of any importance. God who gives the increase is all in all.

Now the one who plants and the one who waters are one, but each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.

For we are all fellow-workers in God's service; you people are God's farm land; [you are] God's building.

According to the grace of God vouchsafed me, like a skillful master-builder, I have laid a foundation; but another will be building upon it. Let each take heed how he builds on it.

After all, no one can lay any other foundation than the one that is already laid, and that is Jesus the Messiah.

On that foundation, if a man proceeds to build gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble, each man's work will be made manifest.

each one’s work will be clearly shown [for what it is]; for the day [of judgment] will disclose it, because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality and character and worth of each person’s work.

If any person’s work which he has built [on this foundation, that is, any outcome of his effort] remains [and survives this test], he will receive a reward.

But if any person’s work is burned up [by the test], he will suffer the loss [of his reward]; yet he himself will be saved, but only as [one who has barely escaped] through fire.

Do you not know and understand that you [the church] are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells [permanently] in you [collectively and individually]?

If anyone destroys the temple of God [corrupting it with false doctrine], God will destroy the destroyer; for the temple of God is holy (sacred), and that is what you are.

for the wisdom of this world is folly, in the eye of God: as it is written, "he surprizes the wise in all their artifices."

Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;

Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;

All things are yours; and ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's.

For while my conscience does not trouble me at all, that does not prove that I am innocent. It is the Lord who must examine me.

Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

Now I have applied these things [that is, the analogies about factions] to myself and Apollos for your benefit, believers, so that you may learn from us not to go beyond what is written [in Scripture], so that none of you will become arrogant and boast in favor of one [minister or teacher] against the other.

Every one of you already has all that heart can desire; already you have grown rich; without waiting for us, you have ascended your thrones! Yes indeed, would to God that you had ascended your thrones, that we also might reign with you!

For, I think, God hath set forth us the apostles last of all, as men doomed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, both to angels and men.

We, are foolish for Christ's sake, but, ye, prudent in Christ; we are weak, but, ye, mighty; ye, all-glorious, but, we, dishonoured.

To this very hour we hunger and thirst, we are ill-clad and knocked about, we are waifs,

Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.

I am not writing all this to shame you, but I am offering you advice as my dearly-loved children.

For even if you were to have ten thousand teachers [to guide you] in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers [who led you to Christ and assumed responsibility for you], for I became your father in Christ Jesus through the good news [of salvation].

For this reason I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my way of life in Christ [my conduct and my precepts for godly living], just as I teach everywhere in every church.

But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power.

What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness?

On all hands, there is reported to be among you - fornication, and such fornication as this - which, not among the nations, is found , - as that one should have, his father's wife: -

In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are all assembled and my spirit is with you, together with the power of our Lord Jesus,

to turn such a person over to Satan for his body to be destroyed [Note: This probably refers to his removal from their fellowship. See verse 2], in order for his spirit to be saved in the day of the Lord [i.e., the judgment day]. [Note: This implies that his removal from their fellowship will have produced a genuine repentance before that time].

Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?

not at all meaning with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous and extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world:

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

But those outside God will judge. Remove the evil person {from among yourselves}.

When any controversy arises among you, will any one presume to appeal to the Gentiles, and not to Christians?

Do you not know that the saints (God’s people) will [one day] judge the world? If the world is to be judged by you, are you not competent to try trivial (insignificant, petty) cases?

Do you not know that we will judge angels, not to mention ordinary matters?

If then you have ordinary matters to be settled, will you submit them for judgment to men who are nothing in the church?

I say [this] to your shame. So is there not anyone wise among you who will be able to render a decision between his brothers?

Why, the very fact that you have lawsuits with one another is already a defeat. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded?

But ye treat ill, and defraud, and that the brethren.

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit or have any share in the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate [by perversion], nor those who participate in homosexuality,

nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers [whose words are used as weapons to abuse, insult, humiliate, intimidate, or slander], nor swindlers will inherit or have any share in the kingdom of God.

And all this describes what some of you were. But now you have had every stain washed off: now you have been set apart as holy: now you have been pronounced free from guilt; in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and through the Spirit of our God.

All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats; but God will bring to nothing both it and them: but the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.

And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.

Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body [with her]? For it says, "The two will become one flesh."

While a man who is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit?

Run away from sexual immorality [in any form, whether thought or behavior, whether visual or written]. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the one who is sexually immoral sins against his own body.

Now as to the matters of which you wrote: It is good (beneficial, advantageous) for a man not to touch a woman [outside marriage].

The wife does not have [sole] authority over her own [physical] body, but the husband [also has his right to it]. And in the same way, the husband also does not have [sole] authority over his own [physical] body, but the wife [i.e., has her right to it, as well].

Stop depriving one another, except by agreement for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

But I say this by way of advice, not by way of precept. For I would that all men were even as myself:

For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.

But I say to the unmarried and to the widows, [that as a practical matter] it is good if they remain [single and entirely devoted to the Lord] as I am.

If, however, they cannot maintain self-control, by all means let them marry; for marriage is better than the fever of passion.

But, unto the rest, say, I - not the Lord, - if, any brother, hath, a wife that believeth not, and, she, is well pleased to dwell with him, let him not leave her;

And, a woman who hath a husband that believeth not, and, he, is well pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave her husband; -

but if the infidel will separate, let him go: a brother or a sister is not inslaved in such cases. but God has called us to peace; for how do you know,

For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?

But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches.

Was anyone already circumcised when he was called? He should not undo his circumcision. Was anyone called while uncircumcised? He should not get circumcised.

Being circumcised or being uncircumcised does not make any difference; all that matters is keeping God's commands.

Were you called [while] a slave? Do not let it be a concern to you. But if indeed you are able to become free, rather make use of [it].