Indeed, brothers, the time that remains to us has been shortened; so let those who have wives live as if they had none,

It is in your own interest that I say this; not that I may entangle you in a snare, but that I may help you to serve the Lord with fitting and undistracted service.

If, however, a father feels that he is not treating his virgin daughter in a seemly manner, in leaving her unmarried beyond the flower of her age, and so the matter is urgent, let him do what she desires; he commits no sin. Let the marriage take place.

So he that gives his daughter in marriage is doing right, and he who keeps her unmarried will be doing right, and he who keeps her unmarried will be doing better.

But she is happier, in my judgment, if she remains as she is; and I think that I, too, have the Spirit of God.

Now in regard to food which has been offered to idols, we are sure of course that "we all have knowledge." But knowledge puffs up, while love builds up.

If a man thinks that he already has knowledge, he does not yet truly know as he ought to know;

Now as to eating food that has been offered to idols, we know well that an idol has no real existence in the universe, and that there is no God but One.

But that "knowledge" is not possessed by all; but some, accustomed until now to the idol, eat food as that which has actually been offered to an idol, and so their conscience, being still weak, is defiled.

Is it the oxen that God is thinking about, or is it really said for our sakes? It was written for us; because the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher in hope of getting a share of the crop.

If others share this authority over you, do not I far more? Yet I have not availed myself of it, but am patiently enduring; so that I may not in any way hinder the progress of Christ's gospel.

You know, do you not, that those who minister in the temple, and those who serve at the altar, get their portion of the sacrifices?

Even so the Lord ordained that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.

What then is my wage? This, that I can make the gospel free where I carry it; and that I can refrain from using my rights as a preacher of the gospel.

Though free from all men, I make myself the slave of all, that I may win the more.

To the Jews I am become like a Jew, that I may win Jews; to those under the Law, like one under the Law, though I am not under the Law, myself;

I am become weak to the weak, to win the weak. I am become all these things to all men that, by any and by all means, I may save some.

And I am doing it all for the gospel's sake, that I may become a copartner in it.

Do you not know that in a foot-race, though all run, only one receives the prize? So run that you may win.

Every man who contends in the games continually trains himself by all manner of self-restraint. Now they do it to get a fading garland, but we, one that is unfading.

and all drank from the same spiritual stream, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.

Now this happened as a warning for us, that we might not long for evil things as they longed.

So then let him who imagines that he is standing so securely beware lest he fall.

No temptation has overtaken you that is beyond man's power; but God is faithful, who will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear, but will, with every temptation, provide the way of escape also, so that you may be able to withstand.

What then shall we say? that an offering to an idol is anything? or that an idol is really anything?

Eat anything that is for sale in the markets, asking no questions for conscience sake;

If one who is not a believer invites you to his house, and you wish to go, eat everything that is set before you, without asking questions for conscience sake.

If I eat after giving thanks, why am I denounced for eating that for which I have given thanks?"

For so I also try to please all men in every way, not by seeking my own good, but the good of the many, that they may be saved.

But I wish you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, and of a wife her husband is head; and that God is head of Christ.

Judge of this for your own selves. It is fitting that a woman should pray to God with her head unveiled.

Nor does nature itself teach you that it is a disgrace to a man to have long hair,

If, however, any one is inclined to be disputatious regarding such a custom, let him know that neither I nor the churches of God hold to such a custom.

For there must needs be also parties among you, in order that the good may be tested and made known.

So he that eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthy must answer for a sin against the body and blood of the Lord.

but through our condemnation by the Lord, we are trained so that we may not be condemned;

If any one is hungry, let him eat at home, so that your meetings do not bring condemnation upon you. The other matters I will adjust when I come.

You know that when you were heathen you went astray after dumb idols, wherever he be led.

Wherefore I want you to understand that no one who speaks in the Spirit of God says, "Jesus is accursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except in the Holy Spirit.

For whereas our comely parts have no need, God has tempered the body together, giving more abundant honor to that member in which lacked;

that there should be no disunion in the body, but that members mutual care for one another.

Though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

When I was a child I spoke like a child, felt like a child, thought like a child; now that I am become a man, I have done with childish things.

Hotly pursue this love, yet seek earnestly spiritual gifts, and chiefly that you may prophesy.

But he who prophesies addresses words to men that build up, encourage, and console.

Now I should like you all to speak with "tongues"; but I should rather that you prophesied, For he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may be built up.

So let him who speaks with tongues pray that he may interpret.

Accordingly, when the whole church assemblies, and everybody is speaking "with tongues," if there enter men unlearned or unbelieving, will they not say that you are mad?

If any one speaks in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that in turn, and let some one interpret.

For you can all prophesy one by one; so that all may be learning, and all may be encouraged.

What, was it from you that the word of God went forth, or to you only did it come?

If any one thinks himself a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize that what I am now writing you is a command of the Lord.

For the very first thing I taught you was that I had myself been taught, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scripture,

that he was buried, and that he was raised the third day, according to the Scriptures,

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and that grace of his, bestowed upon me, did not prove ineffectual. I labored more abundantly than all the rest, yet not I, but by the grace of God that is with me.

If then, we are preaching Christ, that he rose from the dead, how are some of you saying that there is no resurrection from the dead?

More than that, we are detected in bearing false witness against God; because we testified of God that he raised Christ from the dead, whom he did not raise, if indeed the dead rise not.

More than that, those who are sleeping in Christ have perished.

The last enemy that will be destroyed is Death.

For He hast put all things under his feet, but in that quotation All things are put under him, it is evident that God is excepted, who put all things under Him.

For when everything is subjected to him, then the Son himself shall subject himself to Him who made them subject, that God may be all in all.

Every day I am facing death, my brothers, I affirm it by that pride in you which I have through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Wake up, do justly, cease from sin; for I say to your shame that some of you have no acquaintance with God.

And when you sow the seed you are not sowing the body that it will become, but bare grain, of wheat perhaps, or some other grain.

I tell you this, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor can corruption inherit incorruption.

So, my brothers beloved, stand firm, immovable, always abounding in work for the Lord, because you know that your toil is not fruitless in the Lord.

On the first day of each week let each of you put aside something, keeping it in store as he may prosper, so that when I come there may be no collections going on.

I shall remain some time with you; possibly spending the winter, in order that you may help me forward in whatever journey I take.

If Timothy come, see to it that he is among you without trepidation; for he is doing the Lord's work, as I am, so let no one disparage him.

Let all that you do be done in love.

I beg you this, my brothers??ou know the household of Stephanus, that they were the first-fruits of Achaia, and that they devoted themselves to the service of the saints??16 so I want you also to show deference to such, and to every fellow worker, and laborer.

I am glad that Stephanus and Fortunatus and Achaicus have arrived, for they have made up for your absence.

The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Priscilla (Prisca), with the church that meets in their house, greet you heartily in the Lord.

who ever comforts me in all my troubles, so that I may be continually able to comfort those who are in any trouble by the comfort with which God is ever comforting me.

My hope for you is firm; for I know that as you are comrades in my sufferings, so also are you comrades in my comfort.

Now, brothers, I want you to know about the troubles which befell me in Asia; how I was burdened altogether beyond my strength, so that I renounced all hope even of life itself.

Indeed, I had in myself, and still have, the sentence of death, in order that I might not rely on myself, but on God who raises the dead to life.

He delivered me from such a death, and will deliver me. On him I have set my hopes that he will continue to deliver me,

while all of you also are helping me by your prayers; so that from many lips thanksgiving may rise on my behalf for the blessings vouchsafed to me through the intercessions of many.

For this is my proud boast, the testimony of my conscience, that it was in holiness and with pure motives before God, not in worldly wisdom, but in the grace of God, that I have conducted myself in the world, and above all in my relations with you.

as some indeed did recognize in part at last, that I am your cause of boasting, just as you will be mine on the Day of Jesus our Lord.

And in this confidence I intended to visit you, before going elsewhere, that you might have a pleasure twice over.

In purposing this did I display "caprice"? Or what I purpose do I purpose in a worldly way, so that it may mean either "Yes, yes," or "No, no"?

For Jesus Christ, Son of God, who was proclaimed among you by us, that is, by Silvanus and Timothy and me, was not wavering between "Yes" and "No," but in him is the everlasting "Yes."

But for my part I call God to witness, as my soul shall answer for it, that it was to spare you that I came not to Corinth

(not that I am attempting to lord it over your faith, but rather to work with you for your happiness); for your faith is stedfast.

I decided that I would not visit you again in grief;

And for this very reason I wrote you, that I might not come only to be grieved by those who ought to give me joy; and because I trusted in you all, that my joy is the joy of all of you.

so that now you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest he should be overwhelmed by the excess of his grief.

For this very purpose also I wrote you (before), that I might test you, to see if you were obedient in every respect.

for your sakes, that I may not be overreached by Satan, for I am not ignorant of his devices.

Since all can see that you are a letter of Christ transcribed by men, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts as tablets.

Not that I am sufficient in myself to reach any conclusion in my own wisdom; but my sufficiency is from God.

If, however, the administration of death, written with letters and engraved on stones, began in glory, so that the children of Israel could not gaze steadily on the face of Moses, because of the glory of his face?? glory even then fading??8 how much more shall the ministry of the Spirit abide in glory?

Indeed that which once was glorious has lost its glory, because of the glory which surpasses it.

For if that which was fading came in glory, far more will that which ever abides be glorious.

Nay, their minds were made dull; for to this very day, at the public reading of the Old Testament, the same veil rests thereon, because it is not revealed to them that in Christ the veil is taken away.

But even if my gospel, too, is "veiled," it is among those who are on the way to perish that it is "veiled."

Among them the god of this age has blinded the understanding of the unbelieving so that the sunshine of the gospel of God, should not dawn upon them.

It is not myself that I proclaim, but Christ Jesus as Master, and myself that I proclaim, and myself your slave for Jesus' sake.