For if a man sees you who have knowledge sitting in an idol's temple, won't his conscience, if he is weak, be emboldened to eat things sacrificed to idols?

Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Haven't I seen Jesus Christ, our Lord? Aren't you my work in the Lord?

Have we no right to eat and to drink?

Have we no right to take along a wife who is a believer, even as the rest of the apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?

Or have only Barnabas and I no right to not work?

Don't you know that those who serve around sacred things eat from the things of the temple, and those who wait on the altar have their portion with the altar?

But I have used none of these things, and I don't write these things that it may be done so in my case; for I would rather die, than that anyone should make my boasting void.

For if I preach the Good News, I have nothing to boast about; for necessity is laid on me; but woe is to me, if I don't preach the Good News.

For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward. But if not of my own will, I have a stewardship entrusted to me.

To the weak I became as weak, that I might gain the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some.

but I beat my body and bring it into submission, lest by any means, after I have preached to others, I myself should be rejected.

Now I would not have you ignorant, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;

Now all these things happened to them by way of example, and they were written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the ages have come.

But I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God, and I don't desire that you would have fellowship with demons.

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

For a man indeed ought not to have his head covered, because he is the image and glory of God, but the woman is the glory of the man.

For this cause the woman ought to have authority on her head, because of the angels.

But if any man seems to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither do God's assemblies.

What, don't you have houses to eat and to drink in? Or do you despise God's assembly, and put them to shame who don't have? What shall I tell you? Shall I praise you? In this I don't praise you.

The eye can't tell the hand, "I have no need for you," or again the head to the feet, "I have no need for you."

Those parts of the body which we think to be less honorable, on those we bestow more abundant honor; and our unpresentable parts have more abundant propriety;

whereas our presentable parts have no such need. But God composed the body together, giving more abundant honor to the inferior part,

that there should be no division in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another.

Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with various languages? Do all interpret?

If I speak with the languages of men and of angels, but don't have love, I have become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal.

If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but don't have love, I am nothing.

If I dole out all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but don't have love, it profits me nothing.

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child. Now that I have become a man, I have put away childish things.

Now I desire to have you all speak with other languages, but rather that you would prophesy. For he is greater who prophesies than he who speaks with other languages, unless he interprets, that the assembly may be built up.

Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers at once, most of whom remain until now, but some have also fallen asleep.

Then they also who are fallen asleep in Christ have perished.

If we have only hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all men most pitiable.

Then the end comes, when he will deliver up the Kingdom to God, even the Father; when he will have abolished all rule and all authority and power.

When all things have been subjected to him, then the Son will also himself be subjected to him who subjected all things to him, that God may be all in all.

I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

Wake up righteously, and don't sin, for some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.

As we have borne the image of those made of dust, let's also bear the image of the heavenly.

But when this corruptible will have put on incorruption, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then what is written will happen: "Death is swallowed up in victory."

But I will come to you when I have passed through Macedonia, for I am passing through Macedonia.

Now I beg you, brothers (you know the house of Stephanas, that it is the first fruits of Achaia, and that they have set themselves to serve the saints),

For we don't desire to have you uninformed, brothers, concerning our affliction which happened to us in Asia, that we were weighed down exceedingly, beyond our power, so much that we despaired even of life.

Yes, we ourselves have had the sentence of death within ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead,

who delivered us out of so great a death, and does deliver; on whom we have set our hope that he will also still deliver us;

In this confidence, I was determined to come first to you, that you might have a second benefit;

Not that we have lordship over your faith, but are fellow workers with you for your joy. For you stand firm in faith.

And I wrote this very thing to you, so that, when I came, I wouldn't have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy would be shared by all of you.

For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears, not that you should be made sorry, but that you might know the love that I have so abundantly for you.

Now I also forgive whomever you forgive anything. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ,

Such confidence we have through Christ toward God;

Therefore seeing we have this ministry, even as we obtained mercy, we don't faint.

But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by the manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

But we have this treasure in clay vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves.

For we know that if the earthly house of our tent is dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens.

For we are not commending ourselves to you again, but speak as giving you occasion of boasting on our behalf, that you may have something to answer those who boast in appearance, and not in heart.

Therefore we know no one after the flesh from now on. Even though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now we know him so no more.

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new.

Don't be unequally yoked with unbelievers, for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?

I say this not to condemn you, for I have said before, that you are in our hearts to die together and live together.

Therefore we have been comforted. In our comfort we rejoiced the more exceedingly for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all.

For if in anything I have boasted to him on your behalf, I was not disappointed. But as we spoke all things to you in truth, so our glorying also which I made before Titus was found to be truth.

For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what you have, not according to what you don't have.

We have sent together with him the brother whose praise in the Good News is known through all the assemblies.

We have sent with them our brother, whom we have many times proved earnest in many things, but now much more earnest, by reason of the great confidence which he has in you.

But I have sent the brothers that our boasting on your behalf may not be in vain in this respect, that, just as I said, you may be prepared,

But though I am unskilled in speech, yet I am not unskilled in knowledge. No, in every way we have been revealed to you in all things.

Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I suffered shipwreck. I have been a night and a day in the deep.

I have been in travels often, perils of rivers, perils of robbers, perils from my countrymen, perils from the Gentiles, perils in the city, perils in the wilderness, perils in the sea, perils among false brothers;

I have become foolish in boasting. You compelled me, for I ought to have been commended by you, for in nothing was I inferior to the very best apostles, though I am nothing.

Did I take advantage of you by anyone of them whom I have sent to you?

that again when I come my God would humble me before you, and I would mourn for many of those who have sinned before now, and not repented of the uncleanness and sexual immorality and lustfulness which they committed.

I have said beforehand, and I do say beforehand, as when I was present the second time, so now, being absent, I write to those who have sinned before now, and to all the rest, that, if I come again, I will not spare;

As we have said before, so I now say again: if any man preaches to you any "good news" other than that which you received, let him be cursed.

For you have heard of my way of living in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the assembly of God, and ravaged it.

This was because of the false brothers secretly brought in, who stole in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage;

I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I that live, but Christ living in me. That life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me.

Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could make alive, most certainly righteousness would have been of the law.

For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, why do you turn back again to the weak and miserable elemental principles, to which you desire to be in bondage all over again?

I am afraid for you, that I might have wasted my labor for you.

I beg you, brothers, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You did me no wrong,

What was the blessing you enjoyed? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me.

So then, have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?

You are alienated from Christ, you who desire to be justified by the law. You have fallen away from grace.

I have confidence toward you in the Lord that you will think no other way. But he who troubles you will bear his judgment, whoever he is.

Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts.

So then, as we have opportunity, let's do what is good toward all men, and especially toward those who are of the household of the faith.

For even they who receive circumcision don't keep the law themselves, but they desire to have you circumcised, that they may boast in your flesh.

in whom we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,

For this cause I also, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which is among you, and the love which you have toward all the saints,

even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

For through him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.

if it is so that you have heard of the administration of that grace of God which was given me toward you;

in whom we have boldness and access in confidence through our faith in him.

Let him who stole steal no more; but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing that is good, that he may have something to give to him who has need.

Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather even reprove them.

whom I have sent to you for this very purpose, that you may know our state, and that he may comfort your hearts.

It is even right for me to think this way on behalf of all of you, because I have you in my heart, because, both in my bonds and in the defense and confirmation of the Good News, you all are partakers with me of grace.

Now I desire to have you know, brothers, that the things which happened to me have turned out rather to the progress of the Good News;

Have this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus,