For, if by their putting away, the rest of men have been made friends with God, what will their coming back again be, but life from the dead?

Truly, because they had no faith they were broken off, and you have your place by reason of your faith. Do not be lifted up in pride, but have fear;

For, if God did not have mercy on the natural branches, he will not have mercy on you.

For it is my desire, brothers, that this secret may be clear to you, so that you may not have pride in your knowledge, that Israel has been made hard in part, till all the Gentiles have come in;

For as you, in time past, were not under the rule of God, but now have got mercy through their turning away,

So in the same way these have gone against the orders of God, so that by the mercy given to you they may now get mercy.

For God has let them all go against his orders, so that he might have mercy on them all.

And let not your behaviour be like that of this world, but be changed and made new in mind, so that by experience you may have knowledge of the good and pleasing and complete purpose of God.

But I say to every one of you, through the grace given to me, not to have an over-high opinion of himself, but to have wise thoughts, as God has given to every one a measure of faith.

For, as we have a number of parts in one body, but all the parts have not the same use,

Be in harmony with one another. Do not have a high opinion of yourselves, but be in agreement with common people. Do not give yourselves an air of wisdom.

For rulers are not a cause of fear to the good work but to the evil. If you would have no fear of the authority, do good and you will have praise;

For he is the servant of God to you for good. But if you do evil, have fear; for the sword is not in his hand for nothing: he is God's servant, making God's punishment come on the evil-doer.

So put yourselves under the authority, not for fear of wrath, but because you have the knowledge of what is right.

Be in debt for nothing, but to have love for one another: for he who has love for his neighbour has kept all the law.

And this, Do not be untrue in married life, Do not put to death, Do not take what is another's, Do not have desire for what is another's, and if there is any other order, it is covered by this word, Have love for your neighbour as for yourself.

Let not him who takes food have a low opinion of him who does not: and let not him who does not take food be a judge of him who does; for he has God's approval.

As long as we have life we are living to the Lord; or if we give up our life it is to the Lord; so if we are living, or if our life comes to an end, we are the Lord's.

But you, why do you make yourself your brother's judge? or again, why have you no respect for your brother? because we will all have to take our place before God as our judge.

So every one of us will have to give an account of himself to God.

The faith which you have, have it to yourself before God. Happy is the man who is not judged by that to which he gives approval.

We who are strong have to be a support to the feeble, and not give pleasure to ourselves.

Now those things which were put down in writing before our time were for our learning, so that through quiet waiting and through the comfort of the holy Writings we might have hope.

But I have, in some measure, less fear in writing to you to put these things before you again, because of the grace which was given to me by God,

So I have pride in Christ Jesus in the things which are God's.

By signs and wonders, in the power of the Holy Spirit; so that from Jerusalem and round about as far as Illyricum I have given all the good news of Christ;

But as it is said in the holy Writings, They will see, to whom the news of him had not been given, and those to whose ears it had not come will have knowledge.

Whenever I go to Spain (for it is my hope to see you on my way, and to be sent on there by you, if first I may in some measure have been comforted by your company)--

Yes, it has been their good pleasure; and they are in their debt. For if the Gentiles have had a part in the things of the Spirit which were theirs, it is right for them, in the same way, to give them help in the things of the flesh.

So when I have done this, and have given them this fruit of love, I will go on by you into Spain.

So that I may be kept safe from those in Judaea who have not put themselves under the rule of God, and that the help which I am taking for Jerusalem may be pleasing to the saints;

So that I may come to you in joy by the good pleasure of God, and have rest with you.

That you will take her in kindly, after the way of the saints, as one who is the Lord's, and give her help in anything in which she may have need of you: because she has been a help to a great number and to myself.

For such people are not servants of the Lord Christ, but of their stomachs; and by their smooth and well-said words the hearts of those who have no knowledge of evil are tricked.

For all have knowledge of how you do what you are ordered. For this reason I have joy in you, but it is my desire that you may be wise in what is good, and without knowledge of evil.

I, Tertius, who have done the writing of this letter, send love in the Lord.

To the church of God which is in Corinth, to those who have been made holy in Christ Jesus, saints by the selection of God, with all those who in every place give honour to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:

So that in him you have wealth in all things, in word and in knowledge of every sort;

God is true, through whom you have been given a part with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

As it says in the holy Writings, I will put an end to the wisdom of the wise, and will put on one side the designs of those who have knowledge.

So that no flesh might have glory before God.

For I had made the decision to have knowledge of nothing among you but only of Jesus Christ on the cross.

But still we have wisdom for those who are complete in knowledge, though not the wisdom of this world, and not of the rulers of this world, who are coming to nothing:

Of which not one of the rulers of this world had knowledge: for if they had, they would not have put the Lord of glory on the cross:

But as it says in the holy Writings, Things which the eye saw not, and which had not come to the ears or into the heart of man, such things as God has made ready for those who have love for him.

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.

For the natural man is not able to take in the things of the Spirit of God: for they seem foolish to him, and he is not able to have knowledge of them, because such knowledge comes only through the Spirit.

For who has knowledge of the mind of the Lord, so as to be his teacher? But we have the mind of Christ.

And the teaching I gave you, my brothers, was such as I was able to give, not to those who have the Spirit, but to those who are still in the flesh, even to children in Christ.

Now the planter and the waterer are working for the same end: but they will have their separate rewards in the measure of their work.

In the measure of the grace given to me, I, as a wise master-builder, have put the base in position, and another goes on building on it. But let every man take care what he puts on it.

If any man's work comes through the test, he will have a reward.

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 this reason let there be no judging before the time, till the Lord comes, who will make clear the secret things of the dark, and the designs of the heart; and then will every man 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.

We are made to seem foolish for Christ, but you are wise in Christ; we are feeble, but you are strong; you have glory, but we have shame.

Even to this hour we are without food, drink, and clothing, we are given blows and have no certain resting-place;

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.

For this cause I have sent Timothy to you, who is my dear and true child in the Lord; he will make clear to you my ways in Christ, even as I am teaching everywhere in every church.

For I myself, being present in spirit though not in body, have come to a decision about him who has done this thing;

In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you have come together with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus,

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.

But I had not in mind the sinners who are outside the church, or those who have a desire for and take the property of others, or those who give worship to images; for it is not possible to keep away from such people without going out of the world completely:

If then there are questions to be judged in connection with the things of this life, why do you put them in the hands of those who have no position in the church?

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?

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,

Or is a thief, or the worse for drink, or makes use of strong language, or takes by force what is not his, will have any part in the kingdom of God.

And such were some of you; but you have been washed, you have been made holy, you have been given righteousness in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

Now, as to the things in your letter to me: It is good for a man to have nothing to do with a woman.

But because of the desires of the flesh, let every man have his wife, and every woman her husband.

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

If you were a servant when you became a Christian, let it not be a grief to you; but if you have a chance to become free, make use of it.

Now about virgins I have no orders from the Lord: but I give my opinion as one to whom the Lord has given mercy to be true to him.

If you get married it is not a sin; and if an unmarried woman gets married it is not a sin. But those who do so will have trouble in the flesh. But I will not be hard on you.

But I say this, my brothers, the time is short; and from now it will be wise for those who have wives to be as if they had them not;

But it will be better for her to keep as she is, in my opinion: and it seems to me that I have the Spirit of God.

Now about things offered to images: we all seem to ourselves to have knowledge. Knowledge gives pride, but love gives true strength.

If anyone seems to himself to have knowledge, so far he has not the right sort of knowledge about anything;

For though there are those who have the name of gods, in heaven or on earth, as there are a number of gods and a number of lords,

There is for us only one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we are for him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we have our being through him.

Still, all men have not that knowledge: but some, being used till now to the image, are conscious that they are taking food which has been offered to the image; and because they are not strong in the faith, their minds are troubled.

For if a man sees you, who have knowledge, taking food as a guest in the house of an image, will it not give him, if he is feeble, the idea that he may take food offered to images?

Am I not free? am I not an Apostle? have I not seen Jesus our Lord? are you not my work in the Lord?

Have we no right to take food and drink?

Have we no right to take about with us a Christian wife, like the rest of the Apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?

Or I only and Barnabas, have we no right to take a rest from work?

If we have been planting the things of the Spirit for you, does it seem a great thing for you to give us a part in your things of this world?

If others have a part in this right over you, have we not even more? But we did not make use of our right, so that we might put nothing in the way of the good news of Christ.

Do you not see that the servants of the holy things get their living from the Temple, and the servants of the altar have their part in the food which is offered on the altar?

But I have not made use of any of these things: and I am not writing this in the hope that it may be so for me: for it would be better for me to undergo death, than for any man to make this pride of mine of no effect.

For if I am a preacher of the good news, I have no cause for pride in this; because I am forced to do so, for a curse is on me if I do not.

But if I do it gladly, I have a reward; and if not, I am under orders to do it.

For though I was free from all men, I made myself a servant to all, so that more might have salvation.

To the feeble, I was as one who is feeble, so that they might have salvation: I have been all things to all men, so that some at least might have salvation.

And I do all things for the cause of the good news, so that I may have a part in it.

But I give blows to my body, and keep it under control, for fear that, after having given the good news to others, I myself might not have God's approval.

Now these things were done as an example; and were put down in writing for our teaching, on whom the last days have come.

You have been put to no test but such as is common to man: and God is true, who will not let any test come on you which you are not able to undergo; but he will make with the test a way out of it, so that you may be able to go through it.