And I, brothers, was not able to speak to you as spiritual, but as carnal, as babes in Christ.

for you are yet carnal. For when there is envy and strife among you are you not carnal and walk as men?

Who then is Apollos? and who is Paul? but ministers by whom you believed, and to each as the Lord gave.

so neither is he that plants any thing, nor he that waters, but God that causes it to grow.

According to the grace of God given me as a wise architect I have laid a foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one see how he builds on it.

For no one can lay another foundation besides that laid, which is Christ Jesus.

each one's work shall be manifest; for the day shall show it, because it shall be revealed by fire, and the same fire shall try every man's work what it is.

if any one's work is consumed, he shall suffer loss, and he shall be saved, but so as by fire.

If any one destroys the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God which you are is holy.

Let no one deceive himself; if any one seems to be wise among you in this life, let him be a fool, that he may be wise.

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written; He takes the wise in their craftiness.

And again; The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise that they are vain.

Let a man so regard us as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.

But, moreover, it is required of stewards that one should be found faithful.

But it is of little account to me that I should be judged by you or by man's day [judgment]; but I judge not myself;

for I am not conscious to myself [of wrong], but I am not on this account justified; but he that judges me is the Lord.

I have applied these things figuratively, brothers, to myself and Apollos on your account, that you may learn by us not to [go beyond] what is written, that you may not be puffed up for one against another.

For who made you to differ? And what have you that you did not receive? And if you received, why do you boast as one that receives not?

You are already full, you are already enriched; you have reigned without us; and I would that you did reign, that we also might reign with you.

For I think that God has shown us the apostles last, as devoted to death, for we have been made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and men.

For we are foolish for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; and you are glorious, but we are infamous.

I write these things not to shame you, but as my beloved children, I admonish you.

For this reason I sent you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere, in every church.

Some are puffed up as though I would not come to you;

for the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.

IT is commonly reported that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not among the gentiles, that a man should have his father's wife.

For I indeed as absent in body, but present in spirit, have already judged as present him that has so done this,

Your rejoicing is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole mass?

Remove the old leaven, that you may be a new mass, as you are unleavened; for Christ our passover was also sacrificed for us.

Let us therefore keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with a leaven of vice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

But now I have written to you not to associate, if any one called a brother is a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or rapacious, even to eat with such a one.

Do you not know that the saints shall judge the world? And if the world is judged by you, are you unworthy of the lowest courts?

I speak to your shame. Is there not now a wise man among you? not one who can judge between his brothers?

Now therefore there is a great fault among you, that you go to law one with another. Why not rather suffer injustice? why not rather be defrauded?

Food for the stomach, and the stomach for food; but God will destroy both it and them. And the body is not for fornication but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body;

and God both raised the Lord, and will raise us up by his power.

Know you not that he who is joined to a harlot is one body [with her]? For the two, says he, shall be one flesh.

But he that is joined to the Lord is one spirit [with him].

Avoid fornication. Every crime that a man commits is out of his body; but he that commits fornication sins in his body.

CONCERNING what you wrote to me, it is good for a man not to touch a woman;

For I wish that all men were even as I am; but each one has his gift from God, and one is of one kind and another of another.

And I say to the unmarried and to the widows, that it is good for them to continue as I am;

but if they have not self-control, let them marry; it is better to marry than to be incontinent.

and also if she is separated let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to the husband, and let not a husband leave his wife.

But to the rest I speak, not the Lord, If any brother has an unbelieving wife, and she is pleased to live with him, let him not leave her;

and if any wife has an unbelieving husband and he is pleased to live with her, let her not leave the husband.

For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the believing wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the brother; else were your children impure, but now are they holy.

But if the unbelieving companion departs, let him depart; the brother or the sister is not bound in such cases; but God has called us to peace.

Unless as the Lord has imparted to each one, as God has called each one, so let him walk; and so I appoint in all the churches.

Is any one called being circumcised, let him not be uncircumcised; is any one called in uncircumcision, let him not be circumcised.

Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping God's commandments.

were you called being a servant, care not for it; but if you can be free, use it rather.

For the servant called in the Lord is the Lord's freeman; in like manner the called freeman is Christ's servant.

And concerning the virgins I have no ordinance of the Lord, but I give an opinion as one that has obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful.

I think then that this is good on account of the present necessity, because it is good for man to be so.

But this I say, brothers, the time is short, so that in future those who have wives should be as those not having them,

and those who weep as those not weeping, and those who rejoice as those not rejoicing, and those who buy as not possessing,

and those who use the world as those not abusing it; for the fashion of this world passes away.

but he that is married cares for the things of the world, how he shall please the wife.

And the wife and the virgin are different; the unmarried woman cares for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy in body and spirit; but she that is married cares for the things of the world, how she shall please the husband.

But if any one thinks that he behaves improperly to his virgin, if she is past her prime, and it must be so, let him do what he wishes; he does not sin; let them marry.

A woman is bound as long as her husband lives; but if her husband is dead then she is free to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.

But she is happier if she continues thus, in my opinion, and I think also I have the Spirit of God.

And if any one thinks he knows any thing, he yet knows nothing as he ought to know;

but if any one loves God, this [man] is known by him.

Concerning eating things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one.

For even if there are those called Gods, whether in heaven or on earth, as there are many gods and many lords,

yet to us there is one God the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him, and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and we through him.

But all have not this knowledge; and some with the conscience [unenlightened] even till now eat an idol's [sacrifice] as an idol's sacrifice, and their conscience being weak is defiled.

But food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat not are we worse, nor if we eat are we better.

For if any one sees you who have knowledge reclining in an idol's temple, will not the conscience of him that is weak be emboldened to eat things offered to idols?

My defense to those who condemn me is this;

Have we not a right to lead about a sister, a wife, as also the other apostles; and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?

For it is written in the law of Moses, You shall not muzzle the ox that threshes. Does God care for oxen?

If we have sown for you spiritual things, is it too much if we reap your earthly things?

For if I preach the gospel I have nothing to boast of; for a necessity is laid upon me; for woe is me, if I preach not the gospel.

What then is my reward? That preaching I may make the gospel without expense, that I may not abuse my right in the gospel.

to the Jews I have been as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to those under the law, as under the law, not being myself under the law, that I might gain those under the law;

to those without law, as without law, being not without law to God, but with law to Christ, that I might gain those without law;

to the weak I have been as weak, that I might gain the weak; I have been all things to all men, that I may save some in all conditions;

And every one that contends in the games is temperate in all things, they indeed to obtain a perishable crown, we an imperishable.

I therefore so run, not as uncertainly, and so strike, not as one who beats the air;

But these things are examples for us, that we should not desire evil things, as they did.

Neither be idolaters, as some of them were, as it is written; The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them did and fell in one day twenty-three thousand.

Neither let us try Christ, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents.

Neither do you complain as some of them complained and were destroyed by the destroyer.

All these things happened to them as examples, and are recorded for our admonition on whom the ends of the ages have come;

For no trial has befallen you but what is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not permit you to be tried beyond what you are able, but with the trial will order the event, that you may be able to endure.

I speak as to wise men; judge what I say.

The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a participation of the body of Christ?

What then do I say? that an idol sacrifice is any thing, or that an idol is any thing?

Whatever is sold in the market eat, asking no questions for conscience' sake;

for the earth is the Lord's and all it contains.

But if an unbeliever invites you and you wish to go, eat whatever is set before you, asking no questions for conscience' sake.

I mean not your conscience, but that of the other. For why is my freedom limited by the conscience of another?

as I also please all in all things, not seeking my own profit but that of many, that they may be saved.

Be followers of me as I also am of Christ.

I COMMEND you, brothers, that you have remembered all my [instructions], and that you retain the traditions as I delivered them to you.

But I wish you to know that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman, the man, and the head of Christ, God.