So that, as it is said in the holy Writings, Whoever has a desire for glory, let his glory be in the Lord.

And when I came to you, brothers, it was not with eloquent words or [superior] wisdom that I proclaimed to you the testimony [or, mystery] about God.

for I did not think I was to have any other knowledge among you, than that of Christ, a crucified saviour.

Yes, as for myself, it was in weakness and fear and great trembling that I came to you,

And my language and the Message that I proclaimed were not adorned with persuasive words of earthly wisdom, but depended upon truths which the Spirit taught and mightily carried home;

So that your faith might be based not on man's wisdom but on the power of God.

Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:

But we speak, God's, wisdom, in a sacred secret, that hidden wisdom , which God marked out beforehand, before the ages, for our glory, -

Which, none of the rulers of this age had come to know, for, had they known, not, in that case, the Lord of the glory, would they have crucified!

But, even as it is written - The things which eye hath not seen, and ear hath not heard, and upon the heart of man have not come up, - whatsoever things God hath prepared for them that love him,

For who of men knoweth the things of a man, - save the spirit of the man that is in him? thus, even the things of God, hath no one come to know, save the Spirit of God.

But we have not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which comes from God, so that we may have knowledge of the things which are freely given to us by God.

These truths we are setting forth, not in words that man's wisdom teaches but in words that the Spirit teaches, in this way fitting spiritual words to spiritual truths.

An unspiritual man does not accept the things that the Spirit of God teaches, for they are nonsense to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are appreciated by spiritual insight.

But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.

For who hath come to know the mind of the Lord, that shall instruct him? But, we, have, the mind of Christ.

for you are still worldly [minded]. And since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, is that not evidence that you are [still] worldly and living like [unspiritual] people?

What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Just ministers through whom you have believed, and each doing the work that the Lord gave him.

So that, neither is he that planteth anything, nor, he that watereth, - but, God, who causeth to, grow.

Moreover, he that planteth and he that watereth, are one: - howbeit, each one, his own reward, shall receive, - according to his own labour.

According to the grace of God that was given to me, as a wise master-builder, a foundation I have laid, and another doth build on it,

For there is no other base for the building but that which has been put down, which is Jesus Christ.

now if upon this foundation somebody builds gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble: he that builds such work,

Every man's work will be made clear in that day, because it will be tested by fire; and the fire itself will make clear the quality of every man's work.

if of any one the work doth remain that he built on it, a wage he shall receive;

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.

Do you not see that you are God's holy house, and that the Spirit of God has his place in you?

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

Let no man have a false idea. If any man seems to himself to be wise among you, let him become foolish, so that he may be wise.

For, the wisdom of this world, is, foolishness with God; for it is written - He that taketh the wise in their knavery, -

And again, The Lord has knowledge of the reasonings of the wise, that they are nothing.

So that let no one boast in men; for all things are yours.

including Paul, and Apollos, and Cephas [i.e., Peter], and the world, and life and death, and present and future things. All of these things are yours. [Note: Paul is showing that, as Christians, they really possessed and should value all preachers and circumstances of life alike].

Here, furthermore, it is sought in stewards, that, faithful, one be found.

But it is a small thing to me that I am judged by you or by man's judging; I am not even a judge of myself.

For, of nothing, to myself, am I conscious: nevertheless, not hereby, am I declared righteous, but, he that doth examine me, is the Lord.

So that do not judge anything before the time, until the Lord shall come, who shall also both bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and shall make manifest the counsels of hearts; and then shall each have his praise from God.

My brothers, it is because of you that I have taken Apollos and myself as examples of these things, so that in us you might see that it is not wise to go farther than what is in the holy Writings, so that no one of you may be lifted up against his brother.

For who made you better than your brother? or what have you that has not been given to you? but if it has been given to you, what cause have you for pride, as if it had not been given to you?

For even now you are full, even now you have wealth, you have been made kings without us: truly, I would be glad if you were kings, so that we might be kings with you.

For it seems to me that God has put us the Apostles last of all, as men whose fate is death: for we are put on view to the world, and to angels, and to men.

When evil things are said about us we give gentle answers: we are made as the unclean things of the world, as that for which no one has any use, even till now.

I am not saying these things to put you to shame, but so that, as my dear children, you may see what is right.

For even if you had ten thousand teachers in Christ, you have not more than one father: for in Christ Jesus I have given birth to you through the good news.

So my desire is that you take me as your example.

This is the reason that I am sending Timothy to you. He is my dearly loved and faithful [spiritual] son in [the service of] the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways [i.e., my teaching and conduct] which are in [the service of] Christ. I teach these things in every congregation wherever [I go].

But some of you have become conceited over the thought that I am not coming to see you.

But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will; and I will know, not the word of them that are puffed up, but the power.

What will ye? that, with a rod, I should come unto you? or, with love, and a spirit of meekness?

It is said, in fact, that there is among you a sin of the flesh, such as is not seen even among the Gentiles, that one of you has his father's wife.

And in place of feeling sorrow, you are pleased with yourselves, so that he who has done this thing has not been sent away from among you.

For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,

that is, when you are assembled, and I virtually there, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

That this man is to be handed over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may have forgiveness in the day of the Lord Jesus.

This pride of yours is not good. Do you not see that a little leaven makes a change in all the mass?

Take away, then, the old leaven, so that you may be a new mass, even as you are without leaven. For Christ has been put to death as our Passover.

so that we may keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of evil and wickedness, but with unleavened food of sincerity and truth.

In my letter I said to you that you were not to keep company with those who go after the desires of the flesh;

Not at all, meaning the fornicators of this world, or the covetous and extortioners, or idolaters, - else had ye been obliged, in that case, to go out of the world!

But the sense of my letter was that if a brother had the name of being one who went after the desires of the flesh, or had the desire for other people's property, or was in the way of using violent language, or being the worse for drink, or took by force what was not his, you might not keep company with such a one, or take food with him.

For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?

But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.

How is it, that if any one of you has a cause at law against another, he takes it before a Gentile judge and not before the saints?

Is it not certain that the saints will be the judges of the world? if then the world will be judged by you, are you unable to give a decision about the smallest things?

Is it not certain that we are to be the judges of angels? how much more then of the things of this life?

With a view to shame you, am I speaking. So, is it possible that there is among you - not so much as one wise man, who shall be able to judge between his brethren, -

But, brother with brother, sueth for judgment, and that before unbelievers?

More than this, it is not to your credit to have causes at law with one another at all. Why not put up with wrong? why not undergo loss?

Nay! but, ye, are doing wrong, and defrauding, - and that your brethren.

Have you not knowledge that evil-doers will have no part in the kingdom of God? Have no false ideas about this: no one who goes after the desires of the flesh, or gives worship to images, or is untrue when married, or is less than a man, or makes a wrong use of men,

Some of you used to be like that; but you have washed it all away, you have been consecrated, you have become upright, by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ and through the Spirit of our God.

"Everything is permissible for me [to do];" but not everything is profitable. [Note: The words in quote marks in this and the following verse are thought to have been commonly held views of that day, to which Paul gives an inspired reply]. "Everything is permissible for me [to do];" but I will not be ruled by anything.

Do you not see that your bodies are part of the body of Christ? how then may I take what is a part of the body of Christ and make it a part of the body of a loose woman? such a thing may not be.

Or do you not see that he who is joined to a loose woman is one body with her? for God has said, The two of them will become one flesh.

But, he that joineth himself unto the Lord, is, one Spirit.

Flee fornication! Every sin, whatsoever a man shall commit, is, outside his body, but, he that committeth fornication, bringeth sin into his own body.

Or are you not conscious that your body is a house for the Holy Spirit which is in you, and which has been given to you by God? and you are not the owners of yourselves;

But concerning those things about which you wrote to me: That it is good for a man not to receive a wife:

But there is so much immorality that every man had better have a wife of his own, and every woman a husband of her own.

Let the husband give to the wife that which is due, and likewise the wife also to the husband.

Do not keep back from one another what is right, but only for a short time, and by agreement, so that you may give yourselves to prayer, and come together again; so that Satan may not get the better of you through your loss of self-control.

But I say this by way of advice, not by way of precept. For I would that all men were even as myself:

It is my desire that all men might be even as I am. But every man has the power of his special way of life given him by God, one in this way and one in that.

But I say, to the unmarried, and to the widows, good, were it for them, that they should abide, even as I;

But if they have not self-control let them get married; for married life is better than the burning of desire.

But to the married I give orders, though not I but the Lord, that the wife may not go away from her husband

(Or if she goes away from him, let her keep unmarried, or be united to her husband again); and that the husband may not go away from his wife.

But, unto the rest, say, I - not the Lord, - if, any brother, hath, a wife that believeth not, and, she, is well pleased to dwell with him, let him not leave her;

And, a woman who hath a husband that believeth not, and, he, is well pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave her husband; -

For the husband that believeth not is hallowed in the wife, and the wife that believeth not is hallowed in the brother: else were, your children, impure, but, now, are they, pure.

But if the one who is not a Christian has a desire to go away, let it be so: the brother or the sister in such a position is not forced to do one thing or the other: but it is God's pleasure that we may be at peace with one another.

For how may you be certain, O wife, that you will not be the cause of salvation to your husband? or you, O husband, that you may not do the same for your wife?

Only, everybody must continue to live in the station which the Lord assigned to him, in that in which God called him. These are my orders in all the churches.

Is any one called that is circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised: is any one called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised: for circumcision is nothing,

Being circumcised or being uncircumcised does not make any difference; all that matters is keeping God's commands.

Let each man abide in that calling wherein he was called.

Were you called while a slave? Stop letting that annoy you. Yet, if you can win your freedom, take advantage of such an opportunity.

For, he who in the Lord was called, being a bond-servant, is, a freed-man of the Lord: in like manner, he that was called being, a freeman, is Christ's bond-servant: -

My brothers, let every man keep in that condition which is the purpose of God for him.

Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: yet I give my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful.