Paul, called as an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will, and Sosthenes our brother:

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

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 it is written:

I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and I will set aside the understanding of the experts.

Now the one planting and the one watering are one in purpose, and each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.

each one’s work will become obvious, for the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire; the fire will test the quality of each one’s work.

If anyone’s work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward.

If anyone’s work is burned up, it will be lost, but he will be saved; yet it will be like an escape through fire.

If anyone destroys God’s sanctuary, God will destroy him; for God’s sanctuary is holy, and that is what you are.

Therefore don’t judge anything prematurely, before the Lord comes, who will both bring to light what is hidden in darkness and reveal the intentions of the hearts. And then praise will come to each one from God.

Now, brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the saying: “Nothing beyond what is written.” The purpose is that none of you will be inflated with pride in favor of one person over another.

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.

But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will know not the talk but the power of those who are inflated with pride.

Or don’t you know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest cases?

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

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?

Don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit God’s kingdom? Do not be deceived: No sexually immoral people, idolaters, adulterers, or anyone practicing homosexuality,

no thieves, greedy people, drunkards, verbally abusive people, or swindlers will inherit God’s kingdom.

“Everything is permissible for me,” but not everything is helpful. “Everything is permissible for me,” but I will not be brought under the control of anything.

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

God raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power.

Don’t you know that anyone joined to a prostitute is one body with her? For Scripture says, The two will become one flesh.

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

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.

But he who stands firm in his heart (who is under no compulsion, but has control over his own will) and has decided in his heart to keep his own virgin, will do well.

So then he who marries his virgin does well, but he who does not marry will do better.

Food will not make us acceptable to God. We are not inferior if we don’t eat, and we are not better if we do eat.

Therefore, if food causes my brother to fall, I will never again eat meat, so that I won’t cause my brother to fall.

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.

Instead, I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

Now these things became examples for us, so that we will not desire evil things as they did.

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to humanity. God is faithful, and He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation He will also provide a way of escape so that you are able to bear it.

Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy way will be guilty of sin against the body and blood of the Lord.

If anyone is hungry, he should eat at home, so that when you gather together you will not come under judgment. And I will give instructions about the other matters whenever I come.

But desire the greater gifts. And I will show you an even better way.

Love never ends.
But as for prophecies,
they will come to an end;
as for languages, they will cease;
as for knowledge, it will come to an end.

But when the perfect comes,
the partial will come to an end.

For now we see indistinctly, as in a mirror,
but then face to face.
Now I know in part,
but then I will know fully,
as I am fully known.

But now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in other languages, how will I benefit you unless I speak to you with a revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching?

Even inanimate things that produce sounds—whether flute or harp—if they don’t make a distinction in the notes, how will what is played on the flute or harp be recognized?

In fact, if the trumpet makes an unclear sound, who will prepare for battle?

In the same way, unless you use your tongue for intelligible speech, how will what is spoken be known? For you will be speaking into the air.

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.

What then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with my understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with my understanding.

Otherwise, if you praise with the spirit, how will the uninformed person say “Amen” at your giving of thanks, since he does not know what you are saying?

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.

Therefore, if the whole church assembles together and all are speaking in other languages and people who are uninformed or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your minds?

The secrets of his heart will be revealed, and as a result he will fall facedown and worship God, proclaiming, “God is really among you.”

But if anyone ignores this, he will be ignored.

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

And when everything is subject to Christ, then the Son Himself will also be subject to the One who subjected everything to Him, so that God may be all in all.

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

If I fought wild animals in Ephesus with only human hope, what good did that do me? If the dead are not raised, Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.

But someone will say, “How are the dead raised? What kind of body will they have when they come?”

And just as we have borne
the image of the man made of dust,
we will also bear
the image of the heavenly man.

Listen! I am telling you a mystery:

We will not all fall asleep,
but we will all be changed,

in a moment, in the blink of an eye,
at the last trumpet.
For the trumpet will sound,
and the dead will be raised incorruptible,
and we will be changed.

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.

On the first day of the week, each of you is to set something aside and save in keeping with how he prospers, so that no collections will need to be made when I come.

When I arrive, I will send with letters those you recommend to carry your gracious gift to Jerusalem.

If it is suitable for me to go as well, they can travel with me.

I will come to you after I pass through Macedonia—for I will be traveling through Macedonia—

and perhaps I will remain with you or even spend the winter, so that you may send me on my way wherever I go.

But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost,

About our brother Apollos: I strongly urged him to come to you with the brothers, but he was not at all willing to come now. However, he will come when he has an opportunity.