I wish that all people were just like me. But each has his own gift from God, one person in this way and another in that way.

But if they do not have self-control, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with desire.

I command the married—not I, but the Lord—a wife is not to leave her husband.

But if she does leave, she must remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband—and a husband is not to leave his wife.

But I (not the Lord) say to the rest: If any brother has an unbelieving wife and she is willing to live with him, he must not leave her.

For the unbelieving husband is set apart for God by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is set apart for God by the husband. Otherwise your children would be corrupt, but now they are set apart for God.

But if the unbeliever leaves, let him leave. A brother or a sister is not bound in such cases. God has called you to live in peace.

Circumcision does not matter and uncircumcision does not matter, but keeping God’s commands does.

Were you called while a slave? It should not be a concern to you. But if you can become free, by all means take the opportunity.

About virgins: I have no command from the Lord, but I do give an opinion as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy.

However, if you do get married, you have not sinned, and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But such people will have trouble in this life, and I am trying to spare you.

But a married man is concerned about the things of the world—how he may please his wife—

and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or a virgin is concerned about the things of the Lord, so that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the things of the world—how she may please her husband.

Now I am saying this for your own benefit, not to put a restraint on you, but because of what is proper and so that you may be devoted to the Lord without distraction.

But if any man thinks he is acting improperly toward his virgin, if she is past marriageable age, and so it must be, he can do what he wants. He is not sinning; they can get married.

But he who stands firm in his heart (who is under no compulsion, but has control over his own will) and has decided in his heart to keep his own virgin, will do well.

So then he who marries his virgin does well, but he who does not marry will do better.

A wife is bound as long as her husband is living. But if her husband dies, she is free to be married to anyone she wants—only in the Lord.

But she is happier if she remains as she is, in my opinion. And I think that I also have the Spirit of God.

About food offered to idols: We know that “we all have knowledge.” Knowledge inflates with pride, but love builds up.

But if anyone loves God, he is known by Him.

About eating food offered to idols, then, we know that “an idol is nothing in the world,” and that “there is no God but one.”

But be careful that this right of yours in no way becomes a stumbling block to the weak.

But I have used none of these rights, and I have not written this to make it happen that way for me. For it would be better for me to die than for anyone to deprive me of my boast!

For if I do this willingly, I have a reward, but if unwillingly, I am entrusted with a stewardship.

To those who are without that law, like one without the law—not being without God’s law but within Christ’s law—to win those without the law.

Don’t you know that the runners in a stadium all race, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way to win the prize.

Now everyone who competes exercises self-control in everything. However, they do it to receive a crown that will fade away, but we a crown that will never fade away.

But God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the wilderness.

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to humanity. God is faithful, and He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation He will also provide a way of escape so that you are able to bear it.

No, but I do say that what they sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God. I do not want you to participate with demons!

“Everything is permissible,” but not everything is helpful. “Everything is permissible,” but not everything builds up.

No one should seek his own good, but the good of the other person.

But if someone says to you, “This is food offered to an idol,” do not eat it, out of consideration for the one who told you, and for conscience’ sake.

I do not mean your own conscience, but the other person’s. For why is my freedom judged by another person’s conscience?

just as I also try to please all people in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, so that they may be saved.

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

But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since that is one and the same as having her head shaved.

So if a woman’s head is not covered, her hair should be cut off. But if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, she should be covered.

A man, in fact, should not cover his head, because he is God’s image and glory, but woman is man’s glory.

For man did not come from woman, but woman came from man.

And man was not created for woman, but woman for man.

but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her as a covering.

But if anyone wants to argue about this, we have no other custom, nor do the churches of God.

Now in giving the following instruction I do not praise you, since you come together not for the better but for the worse.

but when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord, so that we may not be condemned with the world.

Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit.

There are different ministries, but the same Lord.

And there are different activities, but the same God activates each gift in each person.

But one and the same Spirit is active in all these, distributing to each person as He wills.

So the body is not one part but many.

But now God has placed each one of the parts in one body just as He wanted.

But our presentable parts have no need of clothing. Instead, God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the less honorable,

so that there would be no division in the body, but that the members would have the same concern for each other.

But desire the greater gifts. And I will show you an even better way.

If I speak human or angelic languages
but do not have love,
I am a sounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

If I have the gift of prophecy
and understand all mysteries
and all knowledge,
and if I have all faith
so that I can move mountains
but do not have love, I am nothing.

And if I donate all my goods to feed the poor,
and if I give my body in order to boast
but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love finds no joy in unrighteousness
but rejoices in the truth.

Love never ends.
But as for prophecies,
they will come to an end;
as for languages, they will cease;
as for knowledge, it will come to an end.

But when the perfect comes,
the partial will come to an end.

For now we see indistinctly, as in a mirror,
but then face to face.
Now I know in part,
but then I will know fully,
as I am fully known.

Now these three remain:
faith, hope, and love.
But the greatest of these is love.

For the person who speaks in another language is not speaking to men but to God, since no one understands him; however, he speaks mysteries in the Spirit.

But the person who prophesies speaks to people for edification, encouragement, and consolation.

The person who speaks in another language builds himself up, but he who prophesies builds up the church.

I wish all of you spoke in other languages, but even more that you prophesied. The person who prophesies is greater than the person who speaks in languages, unless he interprets so that the church may be built up.

But now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in other languages, how will I benefit you unless I speak to you with a revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching?

For if I pray in another language, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.

For you may very well be giving thanks, but the other person is not being built up.

Brothers, don’t be childish in your thinking, but be infants in regard to evil and adult in your thinking.

It follows that speaking in other languages is intended as a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers. But prophecy is not for unbelievers but for believers.

But if all are prophesying and some unbeliever or uninformed person comes in, he is convicted by all and is judged by all.

But if there is no interpreter, that person should keep silent in the church and speak to himself and to God.

But if something has been revealed to another person sitting there, the first prophet should be silent.

since God is not a God of disorder but of peace.

As in all the churches of the saints,

the women should be silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak, but should be submissive, as the law also says.

But if anyone ignores this, he will be ignored.

But everything must be done decently and in order.

Then He appeared to over 500 brothers at one time;
most of them are still alive,
but some have fallen asleep.

But by God’s grace I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not ineffective. However, I worked more than any of them, yet not I, but God’s grace that was with me.

But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised;

But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

But each in his own order: Christ, the firstfruits; afterward, at His coming, those who belong to Christ.

For God has put everything under His feet. But when it says “everything” is put under Him, it is obvious that He who puts everything under Him is the exception.

But someone will say, “How are the dead raised? What kind of body will they have when they come?”

And as for what you sow—you are not sowing the future body, but only a seed, perhaps of wheat or another grain.

But God gives it a body as He wants, and to each of the seeds its own body.

There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is different from that of the earthly ones.

However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, then the spiritual.

Listen! I am telling you a mystery:

We will not all fall asleep,
but we will all be changed,

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ!

But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost,

Therefore, no one should look down on him. Send him on his way in peace so he can come to me, for I am expecting him with the brothers.

About our brother Apollos: I strongly urged him to come to you with the brothers, but he was not at all willing to come now. However, he will come when he has an opportunity.

Indeed, we personally had a death sentence within ourselves, so that we would not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead.

For this is our confidence: The testimony of our conscience is that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you, with God-given sincerity and purity, not by fleshly wisdom but by God’s grace.

I do not mean that we have control of your faith, but we are workers with you for your joy, because you stand by faith.

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For I wrote to you with many tears out of an extremely troubled and anguished heart—not that you should be hurt, but that you should know the abundant love I have for you.

If anyone has caused pain, he has caused pain not so much to me but to some degree—not to exaggerate—to all of you.