yes, making it my aim to proclaim the Good News, not where Christ was already named, that I might not build on another's foundation.

I know that, when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.

Now I beg you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in your prayers to God for me,

that I may be delivered from those who are disobedient in Judea, and that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints;

that I may come to you in joy through the will of God, and together with you, find rest.

I commend to you Phoebe, our sister, who is a servant of the church that is at Cenchreae,

that you receive her in the Lord, in a way worthy of the saints, and that you assist her in whatever matter she may need from you, for she herself also has been a helper of many, and of my own self.

Greet the church that is in their house. Greet Epaenetus, my beloved, who is the first fruits of Asia to Christ.

For your obedience has become known to all. I rejoice therefore over you. But I desire to have you wise in that which is good, but innocent in that which is evil.

that in everything you were enriched in him, in all speech and all knowledge;

so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ;

Now I beg you, brothers, through the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfected together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

For it has been reported to me concerning you, my brothers, by those who are from Chloe's household, that there are contentions among you.

Now I mean this, that each one of you says, "I follow Paul," "I follow Apollos," "I follow Cephas," and, "I follow Christ."

I thank God that I baptized none of you, except Crispus and Gaius,

so that no one should say that you had been baptized into my own name.

For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to proclaim the Good News?not in wisdom of words, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void.

For seeing that in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom did not know God, it was God's good pleasure through the foolishness of the preaching to save those who believe.

Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

For consider your calling, brothers, that not many are wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, and not many noble;

that no flesh might boast before God.

so that, as it is written, "Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord."

that your faith would not rest in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

But we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, the wisdom that has been hidden, which God foreordained before the ages for our glory,

But we received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is from God, that we might know the things that were freely given to us by God.

For "who has known the mind of the Lord, that he should instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ.

For no one can lay any other foundation than that which has been laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Do you not know that you are a temple of God, and that God's Spirit lives in you?

Let no one deceive himself. If anyone thinks that he is wise among you in this world, let him become a fool, that he may become wise.

And again, "The Lord knows the reasoning of the wise, that it is worthless."

Here, moreover, it is required of stewards, that they be found faithful.

But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you, or by man's judgment. Yes, I do not judge my own self.

Now these things, brothers, I have in a figure transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that in us you might learn not to go beyond the things which are written, that none of you be puffed up against one another.

For who makes you different? And what do you have that you did not receive? But if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?

You are already filled. You have already become rich. You have come to reign without us. Yes, and I wish that you did reign, that we also might reign with you.

For, I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last of all, like men sentenced to death. For we are made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and men.

It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even among the Gentiles, that one has his father's wife.

You are puffed up, and did not rather mourn, that he who had done this deed might be removed from among you.

are to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.

Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little yeast leavens the whole lump?

Purge out the old yeast, that you may be a new lump, even as you are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, has been sacrificed.

Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters?

Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life?

But brother goes to law with brother, and that before unbelievers.

Therefore it is already altogether a defect in you, that you have lawsuits one with another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded?

No, but you yourselves do wrong, and defraud, and that against your brothers.

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor men who have sexual relations with men,

Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be.

Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute is one body? For, "The two," says he, "will become one flesh."

Flee sexual immorality. "Every sin that a man does is outside the body," but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which you have from God? You are not your own,

Do not deprive one another, unless it is by consent for a season, that you may give yourselves to prayer, and may be together again, that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

Yet I wish that all men were like me. However each man has his own gift from God, one of this kind, and another of that kind.

But if they do not have self-control, let them marry. For it's better to marry than to burn.

But to the married I command?not I, but the Lord?that the wife not leave her husband

(but if she departs, let her remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband not leave his wife.

Let each man stay in that calling in which he was called.

Were you called being a bondservant? Do not let that bother you, but if you get an opportunity to become free, use it.

Brothers, let each man, in whatever condition he was called, stay in that condition with God.

I think that it is good therefore, because of the distress that is on us, that it is good for a man to be as he is.

But I say this, brothers: the time is short, that from now on, both those who have wives may be as though they had none;

There is also a difference between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she who is married cares about the things of the world?how she may please her husband.

This I say for your own profit; not that I may ensnare you, but for that which is appropriate, and that you may attend to the Lord without distraction.

But if any man thinks that he is behaving inappropriately toward his virgin, if she is past the flower of her age, and if need so requires, let him do what he desires. He does not sin. Let them marry.

But she is happier if she stays as she is, in my judgment, and I think that I also have God's Spirit.

Now concerning things sacrificed to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.

But if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he does not yet know as he ought to know.

Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that no idol is anything in the world, and that there is no God but one.

For though there are things that are called "gods," whether in the heavens or on earth; as there are many "gods" and many "lords;"

However, that knowledge is not in all men. But some, being so accustomed to idols until now, eat as of a thing sacrificed to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.

But be careful that by no means does this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to the weak.

Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will eat no meat forevermore, that I do not cause my brother to stumble.

For it is written in the Law of Moses, "You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain." Is it for the oxen that God cares,

If others partake of this right over you, do not we yet more? Nevertheless we did not use this right, but we bear all things, that we may cause no hindrance to the Good News of Christ.

Do you not 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?

Even so the Lord ordained that those who proclaim the Good News should live from the Good News.

But I have used none of these things, and I do not 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.

What then is my reward? That, when I proclaim the Good News, I may present the Good News without charge, so as not to abuse my authority in the Good News.

For though I was free from all, I brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more.

To the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, not being myself under the law, that I might gain those who are under the law;

to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law.

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.

Now I do all things for the sake of the Good News, that I may be a joint partaker of it.

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run like that, that you may win.

I therefore run like that, as not uncertainly. I fight like that, as not beating the air,

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

and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of a spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ.

Therefore let him who thinks he stands be careful that he does not fall.

No temptation has taken you except what is common to man. God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but will with the temptation also make the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

What am I saying then? That a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?

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

Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?

If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced for that for which I give thanks?

even as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of the many, that they may be saved.

Now I praise you, that you remember me in all things, and hold firm the traditions, even as I delivered them to you.

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.

Judge for yourselves. Is it appropriate that a woman pray to God unveiled?

Doesn't even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him?

But in giving you this command, I do not praise you, that you come together not for the better but for the worse.

For first of all, when you come together in the church, I hear that divisions exist among you, and I partly believe it.