[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;

I give thanks to my God always concerning you for the grace of God that was given to you in Christ Jesus,

In this way, the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you,

God can be depended on, and it was he who called you to this fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

for it was signified to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe, that contentions are among you;

Is there a division in Christ? was Paul nailed to the cross for you? or were you given baptism in the name of Paul?

For Christ did not send me to immerse people, but to preach the good news. [Note: Christ specifically commissioned Paul to preach; most of the immersing was done by his attendants]. It was not to be done with words of [human] wisdom, so that the [message of the] cross of Christ would not have its power taken away.

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.

we are preaching the Christ who was crucified -- a message that is a trap-stick to the Jews and nonsense to the Greeks,

But it was what the world calls foolish that God chose to put the wise to shame with, and it was what the world calls weak that God chose to shame its strength with,

and it was what the world calls low and insignificant and unreal that God chose to nullify its realities,

This was all done so that no human being could boast in front of God.

But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who was made unto us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption:

As for me, my brethren, when I appear'd among you, it was not to represent to you the divine mystery in sublime language, and with human literature.

for I did not think I was to have any other knowledge among you, than that of Christ, a crucified saviour.

And I was with you without strength, in fear and in doubt.

And in my preaching there were no honeyed words of wisdom, but I was dependent on the power of the Spirit to make it clear to you:

This was so that your faith would not [have to] depend on men's wisdom, but on God's power.

but we speak Gods wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom, which God determined on before the world was, for our glory;

But we [apostles] did not receive the spirit of the world [i.e., human wisdom. See verse 6], but the Holy Spirit from God, so that we could understand what was freely given to us from God [i.e., the gift of inspiration. See verses 9-10].

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.

I planted, Apollos watered, but God was giving growth;

According to the grace of God that was given to me, as a wise master-builder, a foundation I have laid, and another doth build on it,

For who makes any one of you superior to others? And what have you that was not given you? But if you received it as a gift, why do you boast as if you had not?

for though you may have ten thousand christian preceptors, you cannot have many fathers; since it was I that first instructed you in the gospel of Christ Jesus:

Now some are full of pride, as if I was not coming to you.

as for me, though I am absent in person, yet being present by my authority, with regard to him that has committed this fact, I am come to the same resolution, as if I was present,

I have decided-having been present in spirit at your meetings, when the power of the Lord Jesus was with us-

cleanse out, therefore, the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, according as ye are unleavened, for also our passover for us was sacrificed -- Christ,

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.

Or, do you not know that your [physical] body is a temple [i.e., sanctuary] for the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and who was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourselves,

Moreover, you are not your own masters; you were bought, and the price was paid. Therefore, honor God in your bodies.

I wish that everyone was as I am. But each has his own gift from God, one this way, another that.

For the unbelieving husband was consecrated in the wife, and the unbelieving wife was consecrated in the husband: for then are our children unclean; and now are they holy.

Whatever condition God has allotted to any man, let him go on in the same state he was in when he became a christian: this I give as a standing rule to all churches.

After being circumcised, was any called? let him not become uncircumcised; in uncircumcision, hath any been called? let him not be circumcised:

Each one, in the calling wherein he was called, in the same, let him abide:

A bond-servant, wast thou called? let it not cause thee concern; but, if thou canst even become, free, rather use it.

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.

You were bought, and the price was paid. Do not let yourselves become slaves to men.

Each one, wherein he was called, brethren, in the same, let him abide with God.

The woman was bound by law for as much time as her husband lives; and if her husband be set to sleep, she is free to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.

For supposing there are so-called gods in heaven or on earth??nd indeed there are plenty of such gods and lords??6 yet for us there is just one God, the Father, who is the source of all things, and for whom we live, and just one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom everything was made and through whom we live.

yet for us there is but one God, the Father, who is the source of all things and the goal of our living, and but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom everything was made and through whom we live.

But it is not in all of you that such knowledge is found. Some, because of their past habits with idols, even down to the present moment, still eat such food as was really sacrificed to an idol, and so their consciences, because they are overscrupulous, are contaminated.

Or has he us in mind? Yes, it was said for us; because it is right for the ploughman to do his ploughing in hope, and for him who is crushing the grain to do his work hoping for a part in the fruits of it.

If it was we who sowed the spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap material benefits from you?

For if I preached because [I personally decided] I wanted to, I could claim a reward. But if I did not preach from a personal decision to do so, then it would be because I was entrusted with the task [by God].

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

And to the Jews I was as a Jew, so that I might give the good news to them; to those under the law I was the same, not as being myself under the law, but so that I might give the good news to those under the law.

To those without the law I was as one without the law, not as being without law to God, but as under law to Christ, so that I might give the good news to those without the law.

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

But with most of them God was not pleased: for they came to their end in the waste land.

And all those happened types to them; and it was written for our reminding, to whom the ends of the times have arrived.

Does not the "cup of blessing," which we bless, signify a fellowship with Christ's [physical] blood? [Note: This was the cup used at the close of the Passover meal and was called this because of the prayer of thanksgiving offered for it. Paul refers to such a prayer in connection with its use in the Lord's Supper]. Does not the bread that we break signify a fellowship with Christ's [physical] body?

But if anyone says to you, "This was offered to idols," do not eat it for the sake of the one who told you, and for the sake of conscience.

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.

Every man who prays or prophesies [i.e., speaks in a public assembly, since prophecy was always for the benefit of others] with his [physical] head covered [Note: The Greek word here denotes "something hanging down" and could refer to long hair or a cloth shawl], shows disrespect for his head [i.e., Christ].

But every woman who does so with her head unveiled, puts shame on her head: for it is the same as if her hair was cut off.

for the man was not taken from the woman: but the woman from the man.

And the man was not made for the woman, but the woman for the man.

for as the woman was taken from the man, so man is born of the woman: and all are from God.

[And] does not the very nature of things teach you that it is disgraceful for a man to have long hair? [Note: The prevailing, worldwide custom, observable to Paul even in his day, was shorter hair on men and longer hair on women. The fact of exceptions to this arrangement only proves the rule. See Num. 6:5; I Sam. 1:11].

on the contrary, such is an ornament to a woman: because it was given her as a sort of veil.

For first of all, I have been informed [Note: This was probably by Chloe's family. See 1:11] that divisions exist among you people when you assemble as a congregation. And I am inclined to believe it [is true].

So, when you people assemble together [Note: This was a church meeting at which they also shared a common meal prior to the Lord's Supper], it is not possible to eat the Lord's Supper [properly].

For it was handed down to me from the Lord, as I gave it to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night when Judas was false to him, took bread,

After the same manner he took the cup when supper was done saying, "This cup is the new testament in my blood, this do as oft as ye drink it, in the remembrance of me."

You know that there was a time when you were Gentiles, going astray after idols that could not speak, just as you happened to be led.

For it was by one Spirit that we were all baptized to form one Body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free men, and were all imbued with one Spirit.

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

But now God has put every one of the parts in the body as it was pleasing to him.

Whereas, our comely parts, have, no need. But, God, hath tempered the body together, - unto that which was lacking, giving more abundant honour; -

When I was a child, I used to speak as a child, to prefer as child, to reason as a child: now I have become a man, I have laid aside the things of the child!

For we see, as yet, through a dim window, obscurely, but, then, face to face: as yet, I gain knowledge, in part, but, then, shall I fully know, even as I was also fully known.

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

But in the church it would be better for me to make use of five words of which the sense was clear, so that others might have profit, than ten thousand words in a strange tongue.

And the prophets' spirits are [to be] under the prophets' control [i.e., a prophet was to determine if or when he exercised his gift],

What, did the gospel take its rise from you? or was it communicated to you alone?

Now I am going to make clear to you, my brothers, what the good news was which I gave to you, and which you took, and on which your faith is based,

and through which you are to be saved, unless your faith at first was spurious.

For I gave to you first of all what was handed down to me, how Christ underwent death for our sins, as it says in the Writings;

And that he was buried, and that he hath been raised, on the third day, according to the Scriptures, -

And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:

After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.

After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.

And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

But, by favour of God, I am what I am, and, his favour, which was unto me, hath not been made void, - but, much more abundantly than they all, have I toiled, albeit not, I, but the favour of God with me.

But whether it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.

Now if what we preach about Christ is that he was raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no such thing as a resurrection of the dead?

If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ was not raised,

and if Christ was not raised, the message which we preach has nothing in it; there is nothing in our faith either,

for if the dead are not raised, then was not Christ raised:

and if Christ was not raised, your faith is meer illusion, your sins are not yet forgiven.

But the truth is, Christ was raised from the dead, the first to be raised of those who have fallen asleep.

For since it was through a man that death resulted, it was also through a man that the resurrection of the dead resulted.

besides, my engaging with those monsters, as I may say, at Ephesus, what advantage was it to me? if the dead don't rise, "let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die."

And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.