but, as it is written, "eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entred into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him."

for who knows the thoughts of a man, but the spirit of man which is in him? even so the thoughts of God no one can know, but the spirit of God.

now the spirit which we have received, is not the spirit of this world, but that which comes from God; that we might know what he has graciously bestowed upon us.

this is what we declare, not in the words which human wisdom, but which the holy spirit dictates; explaining spiritual things in a spiritual language.

but the animal man does not receive the effusions of the spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him; neither can he understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

but they are all expos'd to the judgment of the spiritual, whilst he himself is not subject to the judgment of any man.

for how can he, that does not know the mind of the Lord, instruct another? but as for us, we are acquainted with the mind of the Lord.

However, I could not speak to you, my brethren, as to the spiritual, or as to the dispassionate, but as to novices in christianity.

who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye have received faith according to the divine gifts imparted to each of them?

I have planted, Apollos watered: but God gave the increase.

according to the free gift of God bestowed upon me, I, as a skilful architect, have laid the foundation, and another builds thereon. but let every man take heed how he builds thereupon.

if that man's work should be burnt, he will suffer loss: but should he himself escape, it will be as out of the fire.

(for though I am not conscious to my self of any unfaithfulness, yet am I not hereby absolved:) but he that is my supreme judge, is the Lord.

we are made fools for our attachment to Christ, while you, who are christians too, still pass for the wise: we are in poverty, but you are in power: you meet with esteem, but we find contempt.

This I don't write to give you any confusion, but by way of remonstrance, to you who are my dear children.

but if the Lord pleases, I will visit you very soon; and then I shall try, not what these boasters can say, but what they can do:

for the gospel dispensation does not consist in talk, but in power.

therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with unaffected sincerity and truth.

but my meaning was, not to keep company with any christian known to be vicious, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or rapacious, no not even to eat with such a one.

for what have I to do to judge those who are without the church; but are not you to judge those that are within?

but when a contest arises, you must refer the decision to infidels?

and such were some of you: but you have been washed, you have been sanctified, you have been justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by the spirit of our God.

"meat is design'd for the belly, and the belly for meat:" true, yet God has design'd both for destruction. now the body is not design'd for licentiousness, but for the glory of the Lord; since the Lord died for the glorification of the body:

it cannot be. why, don't you perceive, that where there is such an attachment, they are but as one person? for the scripture says, "they two shall be as one."

but he that is attach'd to the Lord, is united to him by one and the same spirit.

flee licentiousness. no other sin that a man commits does affect the church as a body: but the licentious commits a fraud against the whole body to which he belongs.

the wife has not the right of her own person, but the husband: and so likewise the husband has not the right of his own person, but the wife.

but as for the rest, I speak it by way of counsel, and not of command.

for I wish that all men were as I myself am: but every man hath his proper gift from God, some one way, and some another.

but if they have not the gift, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to be in pain.

as to the married, I enjoin this rule, not as from my self, but from the Lord, that a woman should not leave her husband:

but if she has separated herself, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.

But as to the other cases, which were not decided by the Lord; I say, if any brother has a pagan wife, who likes to live with him, let him not put her away.

but if the infidel will separate, let him go: a brother or a sister is not inslaved in such cases. but God has called us to peace; for how do you know,

O wife, but you may save your husband? or how do you know, O man, but you may save your wife?

were you called being a slave? be not perplex'd about it; but if you can obtain your freedom, don't refuse it.

not that it is a sin for you to marry; nor is it so if a virgin marry; but they that do, will be troubled for their relations, and that I would prevent.

there is the same difference between a married woman and a virgin: the last is religiously concern'd to be holy, both in body and mind: but she that is married is taken up with worldly cares to please her husband.

And this I say for your particular advantage, not to lay any constraint upon you, but as that which is most suitable to a state of uninterrupted attendance upon religion.

but he that has been steady in his purpose, and finds no necessity to alter it; if he is a master of his passion, and is heartily determin'd to keep his virginity, it is well.

so that he who marries, does well; but he who lives single, may have less trouble.

The wife is bound as long as her husband lives: but if her husbnd be dead, she is at liberty to be married, if she pleases; provided it be to a christian.

but she will be happier, if she remain a widow, in my opinion: and I think the divine spirit suggests the same.

Now as to things offered to idols, 'tis certain that the knowledge you all pretend to have, swells you with pride, but 'tis charity that edifieth.

but if a man love God, the same is taught by him.

As to the eating therefore of what is offered in sacrifice to idols, we know that the heathen deities have no real existence, and that there is but one God.

yet to us there is but one God, the father, from whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

But every one has not this knowledge: for some still imagine the idol represents a deity: and eat the meat under the notion of an offering to such a being: by which erroneous opinion they are infected with idolatry.

but take care that this liberty of yours does not prove a scandal to the weak.

but when you thus offend against the brethren, by wounding their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.

if others partake of your substance, have not I a better title? nevertheless, I have not made use of this privilege; but bear with any thing rather than obstruct the gospel of Christ.

but I have not made use of these advantages. neither have I writ this to obtain such maintenance: for I had rather die for want, than be deprived of such matter of glorying.

now if I do this willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, it is a dispensation of trust which must be discharged.

to those who are without the law, as without that law, (not as being under no law to God, but as under the law to Christ) that I might gain those who are without the law.

You know, that in a race, tho' all run, but one receives the prize: so run, that you may obtain.

every one that strives for the mastery, is extremely temperate: now, they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible one.

I therefore so run, not as one that is distanc'd: I fight, but not with the air.

but I mortify my body, and bring it into subjection: lest after having been a herald to others, I my self should be thrown out.

but with the greater part God was not well pleased: for their carcasses were strown in the wilderness.

you have met with no trials yet, but such as are common to men: and God who is faithful, will not suffer you to be tempted above your strength; but will with the temptation make a way to escape, by enabling you to bear it.

no, but that what the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God: and I would not have you partake of the sacrifices of demons.

Let no man consult barely his own interest: but every man that of others.

but if any man say to you, this is offered in sacrifice to an idol, don't eat, for his sake that mentioned it, and for conscience sake.

when I say conscience, I don't mean your own, but that of the other: for why should I expose my liberty to the censure of another man's conscience?

thus I endeavour to be acceptable to all men in all things, not seeking my own advantage, but that of others, so as they may be saved.

but I would have you take notice, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the wife, is the man; and the head of Christ, is God.

every man who prays or prophesies having his head covered, dishonoureth him who is his head: but every woman who prays

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

nor was the man copied from the woman: but the woman from the man.

but if any man has a mind to be contentious, I answer, we have no such custom, nor any of the churches of God.

Now in what I am going to say, I do not commend you, because your assemblies are not to your advantage, but to your prejudice.

but when we are punished, we are chastised by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.

wherefore I give you to understand, that no man who has the spirit of God, can pronounce Jesus anathema: and that no man can acknowledge Jesus to be the Lord, but by the holy spirit.

Now there are different gifts, but the same spirit.

and there are different offices, but the same Lord.

and there are different operations, but it is the same God who performs them all in every one.

but all are wrought by one and the same spirit, distributing to every one in particular, as he thinks fit.

the body is not one member, but many.

but if they were all one member, where would be the body?

thus, tho' there are many members, yet there is but one body.

of which the graceful have no need: but God has contrived the symmetry of the body, by bestowing an additional advantage where it seem'd to want it.

that there might be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same mutual concern for one another.

you are contesting about the superiority of your gifts: but I point out to you a more excellent way.

it does not countenance injustice, but smiles upon virtue;

Social affection will never fail: but as for prophecies, they shall be out of use; as for languages, they shall cease; as for knowledge, it shall vanish away.

but when that which is perfect is come, then that which is defective shall be laid aside.

when I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I reasoned as a child: but when I became a man, I laid aside my childish ways.

now we do but indirectly see the faint images of things; but then the objects themselves will be before our eyes; now I have a partial knowledge, but then shall I know, even as I myself am known.

and now faith, hope, social virtue, these three will all remain; but the most permanent of the three is social virtue.

Cultivate social virtue; then desire spiritual gifts, but chiefly that of explaining the prophetical writings.

for he that speaks in an unknown tongue, speaks not to men, but to God: for no man can understand the mysteries he delivers by the spirit.

but he that expounds, speaks to the edification, exhortation, and comfort of men.

he that speaks in an unknown tongue, edifies himself alone: but he that expounds, edifies the church.

I wish you all had the gift of languages, but rather that you expounded: for greater is he that expounds, than he that speaks unknown languages, except he interpret what he says, that the church may be edified by it.

But since there is emulation among you concerning spiritual gifts, seek to abound in the exercise of such gifts as tend most to the edification of the church.

for if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit indeed prays, but my meaning is of no benefit to others.

what then is to be done? why, I will pray by the spirit, but my prayer shall be intelligible: I will sing by the spirit, but my hymn shall be intelligible.

otherwise if you should give thanks by the spirit in an unknown tongue, the hearer cannot but appear unlearned upon this occasion; how then can he say Amen to thy thanksgiving? since he does not conceive what you say.

thy thanksgiving indeed is right, but the other is not all edified by it.

Brethren, be not childish in understanding: be as innocent as babes, but use your understanding like men.