for I have been inform'd, my brethren, by some of Chloe's family, that there are contentions among you.

For tho' the doctrine of the cross seems folly to those that perish: yet we that are to be saved, do feel its energy is divine.

where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputant of this age? has not God prov'd the wisdom of this world to be downright folly.

for whereas the world, with all their learning, did not distinguish the characters of his divine wisdom, in his works, it pleased God to save those who believe, by preaching, which they counted folly.

those who were looked upon by the world as vile, as despicable, as nothing, these has God chosen to reduce their sufficiency to nothing.

that your faith might not be owing to human wisdom, but to the divine influence.

this is what God has revealed to us by his spirit: for the spirit penetrates into all things, even the profound counsels of God.

for you are still subject to your passions. since envy, and strife, and divisions are among you, are you not actuated by the vices of the animal part?

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?

For we are fellow labourers employed by God: you are his field, and his mansion.

will be expos'd. for the time of tryal will show it: it shall be discovered by the fire, which will put each sort of work to the test.

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.

let no man deceive himself: if any among you pretends to worldly wisdom, let him commence fool, in order to be truly wise.

now it is required in a steward, that he be found faithful.

as for me, it is a matter of no great concern that I should be called to account by you, or any human authority; not that I am my own judge;

These things, my brethren, I have represented to you in my own person, and that of Apollos, out of respect to you: to show you how to moderate your esteem by the rule prescrib'd, that you may not be transported in favour of one rather than another.

we are fatigu'd by our manual toil: when reviled, we pray: when persecuted, we don't repine:

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

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,

to deliver him up to satan, to suffer corporal punishment, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus Christ.

purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new mass, since you should be without leaven. for Christ our paschal lamb has been sacrificed for us.

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.

don't you know that these are to judge the world? if the world is to be judg'd by you, are not you qualify'd to decide your petty causes?

don't you know that we shall be judges of angels? much more then of the affairs of life?

if then you have the cognizance of such matters, why do ye set those to judge who are despised by the church? I speak it to your shame.

Know you not that the unjust shall not inherit the kingdom of God? be not deceived: neither the licentious, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor the effeminate, nor the brutal,

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.

Are all things lawful for me? however, all things are not expedient: are all things lawful for me? however, I will not be a slave to any.

Don't you know, that your bodies are parts of Christ's mystical body? now, how can that which is Christ's, be made the property of a very creature?

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.

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

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

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.

for the unbelieving husband is christianiz'd by the believing wife, and the unbelieving wife is christianiz'd by the believing husband: else were your children heathens: whereas they are christians.

does a Jew turn Christian? let him not pretend to be uncircumcised: does a Gentile turn Christian? let him not become circumcised.

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

As to the case of celibacy, I have no positive instructions: yet my advice deserves to be regarded, as coming from one the divine favour has distinguished.

are you contracted to a wife? seek not to be disengag'd. are you disengag'd from your wife? don't look out for another;

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.

This I say, brethren, because the time is coming, when they who have wives will be as those that have none;

and they that weep, as those that are unconcern'd; and they that rejoice, as those that do not; and they that buy, as those that have no possessions;

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.

if any man thinks it would be a reflexion upon his manhood to be a stale batchelor, and so ought to marry; let him follow his bent, he is at liberty, let such marry.

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.

and if any man be conceited of his own knowledge, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know it.

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

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.

for if any man see you who have a just notion of idols, sitting at table in their temple, will not the person who is wrong in his notions be incouraged to eat what is offered to idols, tho' contrary to his own opinion?

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

Am I not free? am I not an apostle? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not you become christians by my labour?

even so has the Lord ordained, that they who preach the gospel, should live by the gospel.

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.

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.

and were all baptized into the Mosaical institution by the cloud, and by the sea;

be not 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 provoke Christ as some of them provoked him, and were destroyed by serpents.

neither murmur ye, as some of them murmured, and were slain by the destroying angel.

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.

I speak as to knowing men: be you your selves the judges of what I say.

consider the custom of the Jews by descent, are not they which eat of the sacrifices, partakers of the altar? what say I then?

you should not drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of demons: you should not be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of demons.

if I am thankful for what I have, why should I chuse to be evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks?

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.

A man ought not to be veil'd: he has the honour of being invested with authority from God, and may glory in his priority to the woman.

therefore the woman ought to be veil'd, out of regard to the angels.

Be you yourselves judges: is it decent for a woman to pray to God without a veil?

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

for there must be factions among you, whereby it will appear who among you are the approved.

for if we made such a discrimination, we should not be punished.

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

Now concerning those who are spiritual, my brethren, I would not have you be mistaken.

when you were Gentiles, you know how you were seduced by your leaders, to the worship of dumb idols.

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 to particular men the spirit gives particular gifts, that they may be displayed to greater advantage.

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

for by one spirit we have all been baptized, to be form'd into one body, whether Jews or Gentiles, slaves or free; and have been all made to drink of one spirit.

if the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? if the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling?

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

nay, those parts of the body, which seem to be of the least account, are much more necessary.

what we think to be less honourable, is loaded with additional ornaments, and the less graceful have adventitious finery,

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.

so that if one member suffer, they all suffer with it: or if one be honoured, they partake of it.

For tho' I should speak with the eloquence of men, and of angels, and not have social affection, I should be like sounding brass, or a noisy cymbal.

and tho' I distribute my whole substance to the poor, and give my body to be burned, and have not social affection, it profits me nothing.

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.

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.

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.

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.

there are, it may be, as many different languages in the world as there are people, and none of them without signification.

therefore if I don't know the meaning of the language, with respect to him that speaks, I shall be a barbarian; and he that speaks shall be a barbarian to me.

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.