What I am saying is this: Each of you says, “I’m with Paul,” or “I’m with Apollos,” or “I’m with Cephas,” or “I’m with Christ.”

Where is the philosopher? Where is the scholar? Where is the debater of this age? Hasn’t God made the world’s wisdom foolish?

However, we do speak a wisdom among the mature, but not a wisdom of this age, or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.

None of the rulers of this age knew this wisdom, for if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

No one should deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks he is wise in this age, he must become foolish so that he can become wise.

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God, since it is written: He catches the wise in their craftiness;

A person should consider us in this way: as servants of Christ and managers of God’s mysteries.

In this regard, it is expected of managers that each one of them be found faithful.

For I am not conscious of anything against myself, but I am not justified by this. The One who evaluates me is the Lord.

I’m not writing this to shame you, but to warn you as my dear children.

This is why I have sent Timothy to you. He is my dearly loved and faithful son in the Lord. He will remind you about my ways in Christ Jesus, just as I teach everywhere in every church.

And you are inflated with pride, instead of filled with grief so that he who has committed this act might be removed from your congregation.

For though I am absent in body but present in spirit, I have already decided about the one who has done this thing as though I were present.

I did not mean the immoral people of this world or the greedy and swindlers or idolaters; otherwise you would have to leave the world.

Don’t you know that we will judge angels—not to mention ordinary matters?

So if you have cases pertaining to this life, do you select those who have no standing in the church to judge?

I say this to your shame! Can it be that there is not one wise person among you who is able to arbitrate between his brothers?

Instead, you act unjustly and cheat—and you do this to believers!

And some of you used to be like this. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

I say the following as a concession, not as a command.

I wish that all people were just like me. But each has his own gift from God, one person in this way and another in that way.

However, each one must live his life in the situation the Lord assigned when God called him. This is what I command in all the churches.

Therefore I consider this to be good because of the present distress: It is fine for a man to remain as he is.

However, if you do get married, you have not sinned, and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But such people will have trouble in this life, and I am trying to spare you.

And I say this, brothers: The time is limited, so from now on those who have wives should be as though they had none,

and those who use the world as though they did not make full use of it. For this world in its current form is passing away.

Now I am saying this for your own benefit, not to put a restraint on you, but because of what is proper and so that you may be devoted to the Lord without distraction.

However, not everyone has this knowledge. In fact, some have been so used to idolatry up until now that when they eat food offered to an idol, their conscience, being weak, is defiled.

But be careful that this right of yours in no way becomes a stumbling block to the weak.

For if someone sees you, the one who has this knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, won’t his weak conscience be encouraged to eat food offered to idols?

Now when you sin like this against the brothers and wound their weak conscience, you are sinning against Christ.

My defense to those who examine me is this:

Am I saying this from a human perspective? Doesn’t the law also say the same thing?

Or isn’t He really saying it for us? Yes, this is written for us, because he who plows ought to plow in hope, and he who threshes should do so in hope of sharing the crop.

If others have this right to receive benefits from you, don’t we even more?

However, we have not made use of this right; instead we endure everything so that we will not hinder the gospel of Christ.

But I have used none of these rights, and I have not written this to make it happen that way for me. For it would be better for me to die than for anyone to deprive me of my boast!

For if I do this willingly, I have a reward, but if unwillingly, I am entrusted with a stewardship.

Now I do all this because of the gospel, so I may become a partner in its benefits.

But if someone says to you, “This is food offered to an idol,” do not eat it, out of consideration for the one who told you, and for conscience’ sake.

This is why a woman should have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.

But if anyone wants to argue about this, we have no other custom, nor do the churches of God.

Don’t you have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you look down on the church of God and embarrass those who have nothing? What should I say to you? Should I praise you? I do not praise you for this!

gave thanks, broke it, and said, “This is My body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.”

In the same way, after supper He also took the cup and said, “This cup is the new covenant established by My blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.

So a man should examine himself; in this way he should eat the bread and drink from the cup.

This is why many are sick and ill among you, and many have fallen asleep.

If the foot should say, “Because I’m not a hand, I don’t belong to the body,” in spite of this it still belongs to the body.

And if the ear should say, “Because I’m not an eye, I don’t belong to the body,” in spite of this it still belongs to the body.

It is written in the law:

I will speak to these people
by people of other languages
and by the lips of foreigners,
and even then, they will not listen to Me,

says the Lord.

But if anyone ignores this, he will be ignored.

If we have put our hope in Christ for this life only, we should be pitied more than anyone.

Come to your senses and stop sinning, for some people are ignorant about God. I say this to your shame.

Brothers, I tell you this: Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, and corruption cannot inherit incorruption.

For this corruptible must be clothed
with incorruptibility,
and this mortal must be clothed
with immortality.

When this corruptible is clothed
with incorruptibility,
and this mortal is clothed
with immortality,
then the saying that is written will take place:
Death has been swallowed up in victory.

This greeting is in my own hand—Paul.