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:

I give praise to my God for you at all times, because of the grace of God which has been given to you in Christ Jesus;

So that in him you have wealth in all things, in word and in knowledge of every sort;

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

Now I make request to you, my brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you will all say the same thing, and that there may be no divisions among you, so that you may be in complete agreement, in the same mind and in the same opinion.

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 God has given us the revelation of these things through his Spirit, for the Spirit makes search into all things, even the deep things of God.

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

Now the planter and the waterer are working for the same end: but they will have their separate rewards in the measure of their work.

Every man's work will be made clear in that day, because it will be tested by fire; and the fire itself will make clear the quality of every man's work.

If any man's work comes through the test, he will have a reward.

If the fire puts an end to any man's work, it will be his loss: but he will get salvation himself, though as by fire.

If anyone makes the house of God unclean, God will put an end to him; for the house of God is holy, and you are his house.

So let no one take pride in men. For all things are yours;

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

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 it seems to me that God has put us the Apostles last of all, as men whose fate is death: for we are put on view to the world, and to angels, and to men.

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.

This pride of yours is not good. Do you not see that a little leaven makes a change in all the mass?

Is it not certain that the saints will be the judges of the world? if then the world will be judged by you, are you unable to give a decision about the smallest things?

More than this, it is not to your credit to have causes at law with one another at all. Why not put up with wrong? why not undergo loss?

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,

Or is a thief, or the worse for drink, or makes use of strong language, or takes by force what is not his, will have any part in the kingdom of God.

I am free to do all things; but not all things are wise. I am free to do all things; but I will not let myself come under the power of any.

Food is for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will put an end to them together. But the body is not for the desires of the flesh, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body:

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.

It is my desire that all men might be even as I am. But every man has the power of his special way of life given him by God, one in this way and one in that.

For how may you be certain, O wife, that you will not be the cause of salvation to your husband? or you, O husband, that you may not do the same for your wife?

Only, as the Lord has given to a man, and as is the purpose of God for him, so let him go on living. And these are my orders for all the churches.

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

Now I say this for your profit; not to make things hard for you, but because of what is right, and so that you may be able to give all your attention to the things of the Lord.

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.

But it will be better for her to keep as she is, in my opinion: and it seems to me that I have the Spirit of God.

Now about things offered to images: we all seem to ourselves to have knowledge. Knowledge gives pride, but love gives true strength.

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.

Still, all men have not that knowledge: but some, being used till now to the image, are conscious that they are taking food which has been offered to the image; and because they are not strong in the faith, their minds are troubled.

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?

For this reason, if food is a cause of trouble to my brother, I will give up taking meat for ever, so that I may not be a cause of trouble to my brother.

For though I was free from all men, I made myself a servant to all, so that more might have salvation.

To the feeble, I was as one who is feeble, so that they might have salvation: I have been all things to all men, so that some at least might have salvation.

And I do all things for the cause of the good news, so that I may have a part in it.

Do you not see that in a running competition all take part, but only one gets the reward? So let your minds be fixed on the reward.

And every man who takes part in the sports has self-control in all things. Now they do it to get a crown which is of this world, but we for an eternal crown.

For it is my desire, my brothers, that you may keep in mind how all our fathers were under the cloud, and they all went through the sea;

And they all had baptism from Moses in the cloud and in the sea;

And they all took the same holy food;

And the same holy drink: for they all took of the water from the holy rock which came after them: and the rock was Christ.

You have been put to no test but such as is common to man: and God is true, who will not let any test come on you which you are not able to undergo; but he will make with the test a way out of it, so that you may be able to go through it.

Because we, being a number of persons, are one bread, we are one body: for we all take part in the one bread.

We are free to do all things, but there are things which it is not wise to do. We are free to do all things, but not all things are for the common good.

For the earth is the Lord's and all things in it.

So then, if it is a question of food or drink, or any other thing, whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Even as I give way to all men in all things, not looking for profit for myself, but for the good of others, that they may get salvation.

Now I am pleased to see that you keep me in memory in all things, and that you give attention to the teaching which was handed down from me to you.

For as the woman is from the man, so the man is through the woman; but all things are from God.

But if any man will not be ruled in this question, this is not our way of doing things, and it is not done in the churches of God.

For first of all, it has come to my ears that when you come together in the church, there are divisions among you, and I take the statement to be true in part.

If, then, anyone takes the bread or the cup of the Lord in the wrong spirit, he will be responsible for the body and blood of the Lord.

For this cause a number of you are feeble and ill, and a number are dead.

If any man is in need of food, let him take his meal in his house; so that you may not come together to your damage. And the rest I will put in order when I come.

And there are different operations, but the same God, who is working all things in all.

But all these are the operations of the one and the same Spirit, giving to every man separately as his pleasure is.

For as the body is one, and has a number of parts, and all the parts make one body, so is Christ.

For through the baptism of the one Spirit we were all formed into one body, Jews or Greeks, servants or free men, and were all made full of the same Spirit.

And if the ear says, Because I am not the eye, I am not a part of the body; it is a part of the body all the same.

If all the body was an eye, where would be the hearing? if all was hearing, where would be the smelling?

And if they were all one part, where would the body be?

But now they are all different parts, but one body.

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;

So that there might be no division in the body; but all the parts might have the same care for one another.

And if there is pain in one part of the body, all the parts will be feeling it; or if one part is honoured, all the parts will be glad.

Are all Apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? have all the power of working wonders?

Are all able to take away disease? have all the power of tongues? are all able to give their sense?

And if I have a prophet's power, and have knowledge of all secret things; and if I have all faith, by which mountains may be moved from their place, but have not love, I am nothing.

And if I give all my goods to the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it is of no profit to me.

Love has the power of undergoing all things, having faith in all things, hoping all things.

But when that which is complete is come, then that which is in part will be no longer necessary.

For now we see things in a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now my knowledge is in part; then it will be complete, even as God's knowledge of me.

Go after love; still desiring to have the things which the Spirit gives, but most of all that you may have the prophet's power.

Now though it is my desire for you all to have the power of tongues, it would give me more pleasure to be hearing the prophet's word from you; for this is a greater thing than using tongues, if the sense is not given at the same time, for the good of the church.

But, now, my brothers, if I come to you using tongues, what profit will it be to you, if I do not give you a revelation, or knowledge, or the word of the prophet, or teaching?

For if the war-horn gives out an uncertain note, who will get ready for the fight?

So if you, in using a strange tongue, say words which have no sense, how will anyone take in what you are saying? for you will be talking to the air.

But if the sense of the voice is not clear to me, I am like a man from a strange country to him who is talking, and he will be the same to me.

For if you give a blessing with the spirit, how will the man who has no knowledge say, So be it, after your prayer, seeing that he has not taken in what you are saying?

For your giving of the blessing is certainly well done, but of no profit to the man without knowledge.

I give praise to God that I am able to make use of tongues more than you all:

In the law it is said, By men of other tongues and by strange lips will my words come to this people; and not even so will they give ear to me, says the Lord.

If, then, the church has come together, and all are using tongues, and there come in men without knowledge or faith, will they not say that you are unbalanced?

But if all are teaching as prophets, and a man without faith or knowledge comes in, he is tested by all, he is judged by all;

The secrets of his heart are made clear; and he will go down on his face and give worship to God, saying that God is truly among you.

For you may all be prophets in turn so that all may get knowledge and comfort;

For God is not a God whose ways are without order, but a God of peace; as in all the churches of the saints.

Let all things be done in the right and ordered way.