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

to the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, and called to be saints, with all those in every place who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.

For you were made rich in every way in him, in all your speech and in every kind of knowledge --

He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will thwart the cleverness of the intelligent."

God has revealed these to us by the Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.

The one who is spiritual discerns all things, yet he himself is understood by no one.

The one who plants and the one who waters work as one, but each will receive his reward according to his work.

each builder's work will be plainly seen, for the Day will make it clear, because it will be revealed by fire. And the fire will test what kind of work each has done.

If what someone has built survives, he will receive a reward.

If someone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss. He himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

If someone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, which is what you are.

So then, do not judge anything before the time. Wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the motives of hearts. Then each will receive recognition from God.

I have applied these things to myself and Apollos because of you, brothers and sisters, so that through us you may learn "not to go beyond what is written," so that none of you will be puffed up in favor of the one against the other.

For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men condemned to die, because we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to people.

For this reason, I have sent Timothy to you, who is my dear and faithful son in the Lord. He will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church.

But I will come to you soon, if the Lord is willing, and I will find out not only the talk of these arrogant people, but also their power.

Your boasting is not good. Don't you know that a little yeast affects the whole batch of dough?

But God will judge those outside. Remove the evil person from among you.

Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you not competent to settle trivial suits?

Do you not know that we will judge angels? Why not ordinary matters!

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! The sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, passive homosexual partners, practicing homosexuals,

thieves, the greedy, drunkards, the verbally abusive, and swindlers will not inherit the kingdom of God.

"All things are lawful for me" -- but not everything is beneficial. "All things are lawful for me" -- but I will not be controlled by anything.

"Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, but God will do away with both." The body is not for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.

Now God indeed raised the Lord and he will raise us by his power.

Or do you not know that anyone who is united with a prostitute is one body with her? For it is said, "The two will become one flesh."

For how do you know, wife, whether you will bring your husband to salvation? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will bring your wife to salvation?

Nevertheless, as the Lord has assigned to each one, as God has called each person, so must he live. I give this sort of direction in all the churches.

But if you marry, you have not sinned. And if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face difficult circumstances, and I am trying to spare you such problems.

But the man who is firm in his commitment, and is under no necessity but has control over his will, and has decided in his own mind to keep his own virgin, does well.

So then, the one who marries his own virgin does well, but the one who does not, does better.

But in my opinion, she will be happier if she remains as she is -- and I think that I too have the Spirit of God!

With regard to food sacrificed to idols, we know that "we all have knowledge." Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.

If after all there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords),

yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we live, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we live.

But this knowledge is not shared by all. And some, by being accustomed to idols in former times, eat this food as an idol sacrifice, and their conscience, because it is weak, is defiled.

Now food will not bring us close to God. We are no worse if we do not eat and no better if we do.

For if someone weak sees you who possess knowledge dining in an idol's temple, will not his conscience be "strengthened" to eat food offered to idols?

For this reason, if food causes my brother or sister to sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I may not cause one of them to sin.

Am I saying these things only on the basis of common sense, or does the law not say this as well?

For it is written in the law of Moses, "Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain." God is not concerned here about oxen, is he?

But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing these things so that something will be done for me. In fact, it would be better for me to die than -- no one will deprive me of my reason for boasting!

For since I am free from all I can make myself a slave to all, in order to gain even more people.

To the weak I became weak in order to gain the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that by all means I may save some.

I do all these things because of the gospel, so that I can be a participant in it.

Do you not know that all the runners in a stadium compete, but only one receives the prize? So run to win.

Instead I subdue my body and make it my slave, so that after preaching to others I myself will not be disqualified.

For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea,

and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,

and all ate the same spiritual food,

and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they were all drinking from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ.

These things happened as examples for us, so that we will not crave evil things as they did.

No trial has overtaken you that is not faced by others. And God is faithful: He will not let you be tried beyond what you are able to bear, but with the trial will also provide a way out so that you may be able to endure it.

Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all share the one bread.

just as I also try to please everyone in all things. I do not seek my own benefit, but the benefit of many, so that they may be saved.

For if a woman will not cover her head, she should cut off her hair. But if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, she should cover her head.

For just as woman came from man, so man comes through woman. But all things come from God.

Do you not have houses so that you can eat and drink? Or are you trying to show contempt for the church of God by shaming those who have nothing? What should I say to you? Should I praise you? I will not praise you for this!

For this reason, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.

If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, so that when you assemble it does not lead to judgment. I will give directions about other matters when I come.

And there are different results, but the same God who produces all of them in everyone.

To each person the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the benefit of all.

It is one and the same Spirit, distributing as he decides to each person, who produces all these things.

For just as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body -- though many -- are one body, so too is Christ.

For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body. Whether Jews or Greeks or slaves or free, we were all made to drink of the one Spirit.

If the whole body were an eye, what part would do the hearing? If the whole were an ear, what part would exercise the sense of smell?

If they were all the same member, where would the body be?

If one member suffers, everyone suffers with it. If a member is honored, all rejoice with it.

Not all are apostles, are they? Not all are prophets, are they? Not all are teachers, are they? Not all perform miracles, do they?

Not all have gifts of healing, do they? Not all speak in tongues, do they? Not all interpret, do they?

But you should be eager for the greater gifts. And now I will show you a way that is beyond comparison.

And if I have prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.

It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never ends. But if there are prophecies, they will be set aside; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be set aside.

but when what is perfect comes, the partial will be set aside.

For now we see in a mirror indirectly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, just as I have been fully known.

I wish you all spoke in tongues, but even more that you would prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets so that the church may be strengthened.

Now, brothers and sisters, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I help you unless I speak to you with a revelation or with knowledge or prophecy or teaching?

If, for example, the trumpet makes an unclear sound, who will get ready for battle?

It is the same for you. If you do not speak clearly with your tongue, how will anyone know what is being said? For you will be speaking into the air.

If then I do not know the meaning of a language, I will be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me.

What should I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind. I will sing praises with my spirit, but I will also sing praises with my mind.

For you are certainly giving thanks well, but the other person is not strengthened.

I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you,

It is written in the law: "By people with strange tongues and by the lips of strangers I will speak to this people, yet not even in this way will they listen to me," says the Lord.

So if the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and unbelievers or uninformed people enter, will they not say that you have lost your minds?

But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or uninformed person enters, he will be convicted by all, he will be called to account by all.

The secrets of his heart are disclosed, and in this way he will fall down with his face to the ground and worship God, declaring, "God is really among you."

What should you do then, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each one has a song, has a lesson, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all these things be done for the strengthening of the church.

For you can all prophesy one after another, so all can learn and be encouraged.

for God is not characterized by disorder but by peace. As in all the churches of the saints,

Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.

Last of all, as though to one born at the wrong time, he appeared to me also.

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me has not been in vain. In fact, I worked harder than all of them -- yet not I, but the grace of God with me.

For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, when he has brought to an end all rule and all authority and power.

For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.

And when all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will be subjected to the one who subjected everything to him, so that God may be all in all.

Otherwise, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, then why are they baptized for them?