For they did not know about God's way of making people right with Himself, so they attempted to establish their own way. In doing this they did not submit to God's way for being made right with Him.

For Moses writes about the righteousness [that is] from the law: "The person who does [this] will live by it."

But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)

"And [do not ask yourself], 'Who will go down into the deep hole?'" (in order to bring Christ up from the dead). [Note: This "deep hole" probably refers to the unseen place of departed spirits, or possibly the grave. Being made right with God does not require something as difficult as bringing Christ down from heaven or up from the dead (which God had already done), but is within easy reach of everyone].

On the contrary, what does it say? The message is near you, in your mouth and in your heart. This is the message of faith that we proclaim:

And this proves that faith comes from a Message heard, and that the Message comes through its having been spoken by Christ.

but still I ask, did not Israel know this? first, Moses saith, "I will provoke you to jealousy, by those that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you."

But about Israel he says, "All day long I held out my hands to this disobedient and stubborn people!"

Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

But if this is by grace, then it is no longer on the basis of actions. Otherwise, grace would no longer be grace.

What then? What Israel doth seek after, this it did not obtain, and the chosen did obtain, and the rest were hardened,

Even as it is written - God hath given unto them a spirit of stupor, - eyes not to see, and ears not to hear, - until this very day;

Say I then, Have they stumbled, that they should fall irrecoverably? God forbid! but this I say, that by their fall salvation is come to the Gentiles to excite them to emulation.

this concerns you Gentiles. for as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I should do honour to my character,

well, be it so, for their incredulity they were broken off, and you by faith stand firm: be not then elated, but let this be your fear,

For I wish not, ye should be ignorant, brethren, of this sacred secret, lest within yourselves ye be presumptuous, that, a hardening in part, hath befallen Israel, until, the full measure of the nations, shall come in;

And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written:

The Liberator will come from Zion;
He will turn away godlessness from Jacob.

And, this, for them, is the covenant from me, as soon as I take away their sins.

Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship.

And be not configuring yourselves unto this age, but be transforming yourselves by the renewing of your mind, to the end ye may be proving what is the thing willed by God - the good and acceptable and perfect.

And we [all] have different gifts, in harmony with the unearned favor [God has] shown us. If our gift is the ability to prophesy [i.e., to speak for God], we should make use of this gift in harmony with the amount of faith we have.

But - if thine enemy hunger, be feeding him, if he thirst, be giving him drink; for, this doing, coals of fire, shalt thou heap upon his head.

For, because of this, are ye paying tribute also, - for, God's ministers of state, they are, unto this very thing, giving constant attendance.

Pay them all their respective dues, tribute to one, taxes to another, respect to this man, honour to that.

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.

And, this besides, - knowing the season - that it is an hour already for you out of sleep to be wakened; for, now, is our salvation nearer than when we believed:

This man puts one day before another: to that man they are the same. Let every man be certain in his mind.

And for this purpose Christ went into death and came back again, that he might be the Lord of the dead and of the living.

Then let us not be judges of one another any longer: but keep this in mind, that no man is to make it hard for his brother, or give him cause for doubting.

I am conscious of this, and am certain in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself; but for the man in whose opinion it is unclean, for him it is unclean.

For, he that in this doeth service unto the Christ, is acceptable unto God, and approved unto men.

Therefore, whatever you believe about this matter should be held between you and God. That person is happy who does not condemn himself for practicing something he believes is right.

And may God, the giver of this patience and this encouragement, grant you to be united in sympathy in Christ,

For I tell you that Christ was [appointed] to be a servant of the circumcised ones [i.e., the Jews], in order to uphold the truth of God. This was so He could confirm [as valid] the promises made to our forefathers,

And so that the Gentiles might give glory to God for his mercy; as it is said, For this reason I will give praise to you among the Gentiles, and I will make a song to your name.

May God, who inspires our hope, grant you perfect happiness and peace in your faith, till you are filled with this hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

But in parts of this letter I have expressed myself somewhat boldly--by way of refreshing your memories--

for this purpose: that I should be the minister of Jesus Christ among the gentiles, and should minister the glad tidings of God, that the gentiles might be an acceptable offering, sanctified by the holy ghost.

For I will not dare to speak about anything, except what Christ has done through me in bringing about the obedience of the Gentiles. He accomplished this by my message and my deeds,

in the power demonstrated by [miraculous] signs and wonders, [produced] by the power of the Holy Spirit. So, I have completed preaching the good news about Christ from Jerusalem, all the way around [the area] to Illyricum [Note: This country was located northwest of Greece and in present-day Croatia].

In this matter it has ever been my ambition to tell the good news where Christ's name had never been mentioned, so as not to build upon foundations laid by other men,

This has chiefly hindred me from coming to you.

But now, as there are no more places for me to occupy in this part of the world, and as I have for many years been longing to come to see you,

Yes, they were eager to do this, and in fact they are obligated to help them, for if the gentiles have shared in their spiritual blessings, they are obligated to be of service to them in material things.

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

that I may be delivered from them which believe not in Jewry; and that this my service, which I have to Jerusalem, may be accepted of the saints,

I recommend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church at Cenchrea. [Note: This was a seaport town about seven miles east of Corinth].

They risked their own lives for me, so not only I, but also all the Gentile churches [i.e., people converted from among the Gentiles] are grateful to them [for this].

I also send greetings to the church that meets in their house. Greetings to my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia [Note: This was a province in the western part of present-day Turkey].

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.

Gaius, who is hosting me [i.e., Paul] and the whole church [here], sends you his greetings. [Note: This was probably the Gaius who lived in Corinth (I Cor. 1:14) and was apparently both wealthy and generous]. Erastus, the city treasurer [of Corinth] sends his greetings to you, along with our brother Quartus. {{Some manuscripts contain verse 24), which repeats the benediction of verse 20}}

Now may there be glory for ever, through Jesus Christ, to the only wise God, who is able to make you stand firm [in the faith], according to the good news and proclamation of Jesus Christ. This message is the secret which was [eventually] revealed, after having been kept quiet about for long ages.

but now is opened at this time and declared opened by the scriptures of prophecy, at the commandment of the everlasting God, to stir up obedience to the faith published among all nations:

[This letter is from] Paul, who was called by the will of God to be an apostle of Jesus Christ, and [from] our brother Sosthenes;

For in [fellowship with] Him you people have been made [spiritually] rich in every way, through all [kinds of] speech and knowledge. [Note: This probably refers to the communication and comprehension of truth represented by the spiritual gifts of languages and revelation].

In this way my testimony to Christ has been confirmed in your experience,

God is entirely trustworthy, and it is He through whom you have been called into this fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Now I mean this, - that, each one of you, is saying - I, indeed, am of Paul, but, I, of Apollos, but, I, of Cephas, but, I, of Christ:

Where is the wise? where is he who has knowledge of the law? where is the man of this world who has a love of discussion? has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

but we [apostles] preach that Christ was crucified [for our sins]. This message is offensive to Jews and foolishness to [unconverted] Gentiles.

for this divine doctrine, as foolish and weak as men may think it, far surpasses all their wisdom, and baffles all their power.

But God made selection of the foolish things of this world so that he might put the wise to shame; and the feeble things that he might put to shame the strong;

God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things, and the things that are not, to nullify the things that are,

This was all done so that no human being could boast in front of God.

This is the God to whom you owe your being in Christ Jesus, whom God has made our 'Wisdom,' that is, our righteousness and consecration and redemption;

For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ, even this crucified man.

And I was weak, apprehensive and fearful when I was [there] with you. [Note: This probably refers to Paul's sense of inadequacy in view of the task before him].

And I did not use persuasive words of [human] wisdom in my message and preaching, but they were [accompanied by] a demonstration of the Holy Spirit and power [from God]. [Note: This "demonstration" could have included the evidence of miraculous spiritual gifts which Paul utilized while there in Corinth. See 14:18].

This was so that your faith would not [have to] depend on men's wisdom, but on God's power.

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:

this is what God has revealed to us by his spirit: for the spirit penetrates into all things, even the profound counsels of God.

now the spirit which we have received, is not the spirit of this world, but that which comes from God; that we might know what he has graciously bestowed upon us.

this is what we declare, not in the words which human wisdom, but which the holy spirit dictates; explaining spiritual things in a spiritual language.

Now the natural person [Note: Since this person is contrasted with the spiritual person of verse 15, it is taken here to mean the person without the Holy Spirit] does not receive the things [i.e., truths] revealed by the Holy Spirit of God, because they are [considered] foolishness to him. And he cannot understand them because they must be discerned by using spiritual judgment [i.e., judgment aided by the Holy Spirit].

I fed you with milk and not with solid food, since for this you were not yet strong enough. And even now you are not strong enough:

For when some one says, "I belong to Paul," and another says, "I belong to Apollos," is not this the way men of the world speak?

In this the man who plants and the man who waters are one; yet each will receive his own reward in proportion to his own labor.

According to the grace of God that is given to me, as a wise master-builder, I have laid the foundation, and another builds on this. But let every one take heed how he builds on this.

For other foundation can no man lay, than what is laid, which is Jesus Christ: And if any one build on this foundation, gold, silver, costly stones;

Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;

the character of each one's work will come to light, for the judgment day will show it up. This is so, because that day will show itself in fire, and the fire will test the character of each one's work.

If any man's work abide, which he builds on this, he shall receive a reward;

If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy this one. For God's temple is holy, which you are.

Let no one be deceiving himself: - if anyone imagineth himself to be wise among you, in this age, let him become foolish, that he may become wise;

For the wisdom of this world is foolish before God. As it is said in the holy Writings, He who takes the wise in their secret designs:

So let no one boast in men [about their wisdom, or of having this or that one as a leader]. For all things are yours,

A person should consider us in this way: as servants of Christ and managers of God’s mysteries.

In this regard, it is expected of managers that each one of them be found faithful.

It matters very little to me that you or any human court should cross-question me on this point. I do not even cross-question myself;

For I am not conscious of any wrong in myself; but this does not make me clear, for it is the Lord who is my judge.

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.

But, these things, brethren, have I transferred unto myself and Apollos, for your sakes, that, in us, ye might learn the lesson - Not beyond the things that are written -- ! that ye do not puff yourselves up, individually, for this one against that.

Why, who gives you your superiority, my brother? Or what have you that you did not receive? And if you really did receive it, why boast as if this were not so?

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

Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.

I’m not writing this to shame you, but to warn you as my dear children.

For although you have ten thousand guardians [Note: This word means someone who transported a child to his teacher] in [the fellowship of] Christ, you do not have many [spiritual] fathers. For I [spiritually] conceived you people through [preaching to you] the good news [about Christ]. [Note: Paul here refers to his work in establishing the church at Corinth].

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.