On all hands, there is reported to be among you - fornication, and such fornication as this - which, not among the nations, is found , - as that one should have, his father's wife: -

And in place of feeling sorrow, you are pleased with yourselves, so that he who has done this thing has not been sent away from among you.

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

to deliver, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (ye and my spirit being gathered together, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ), him that has so wrought this:

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.

This pride of yours is not good. Do you not see that a little leaven makes a change in all the mass?

I have written to you in this epistle, not to associate with persons guilty of lewdness:

Not at all, meaning the fornicators of this world, or the covetous and extortioners, or idolaters, - else had ye been obliged, in that case, to go out of the world!

But, now, I have written unto you not to be mixing yourselves up, - if anyone named a brother, be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner, with such a one as this, not so much, as to be eating together,

Or, do you not know that God's people will judge the world? [Note: Possibly this refers to Christians somehow assisting Christ on the judgment day]. And if the world is [to be] judged by you [at that time], are you not capable of judging small matters [now]?

Is it not certain that we are to be the judges of angels? how much more then of the things of this life?

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?

I say this to put you to shame. Is there not among you one wise man who may be able to give a decision between his brothers?

but brother with brother doth go to be judged, and this before unbelievers!

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?

So far from doing this, you yourselves do wrong and take your brothers' property.

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,

And some of you used to be like this. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

"Everything is permissible for me [to do];" but not everything is profitable. [Note: The words in quote marks in this and the following verse are thought to have been commonly held views of that day, to which Paul gives an inspired reply]. "Everything is permissible for me [to do];" but I will not be ruled by anything.

the meats are for the belly, and the belly for the meats. And God both this and these shall make useless; and the body is not for whoredom, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body;

Stay away from [any involvement in] sexual immorality. Every sin a person commits is outside [the realm] of his body; but the one who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. [Note: Possibly this means that sex, because it requires the deepest and most complete commitment of human involvement, becomes a unique sin when its true purpose and expression are violated].

I now want to reply to the matters you people wrote me about. It is [a] good [idea] for a man not to get married. [Note: The words "to get married" here are "to touch" in the Greek and probably refer to sexual relations within marriage. This advice, not a prohibition, is further explained in verses 26-35].

But this I say as my opinion, and not as an order of the Lord.

It is my desire that all men might be even as I am. But every man has the power of his special way of life given him by God, one in this way and one in that.

To unmarried people and to widows I would say this: It would be a fine thing for them to remain single, as I am.

as to the married, I enjoin this rule, not as from my self, but from the Lord, that a woman should not leave her husband:

But to the rest I say, not the Lord. If any brother has an unbelieving wife, and this woman consents to dwell with him, he should not leave her.

For the unbelieving husband is consecrated by union with his wife and the unbelieving wife by union with her Christian husband, for otherwise your children would be unblessed, but in this way they are consecrated.

However, each one must live his life in the situation the Lord assigned when God called him. This is what I command in all the churches.

This is what I command in all the Churches. Was any one already circumcised when called? Let him not have recourse to the surgeons. Was any one uncircumcised when called? Let him remain uncircumcised.

Each in the calling in which he was called -- in this let him remain;

each, in that in which he was called, brethren, in this let him remain with God.

I consider this, then, to be, good, in the circumstances, by reason of the existing distress, - that it is, good for a man, so, to be:

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 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;

And for those who make use of the world, not to be using it fully; for this world's way of life will quickly come to an end.

But the married man gives his attention to the things of this world, how he may give pleasure to his wife.

so his interests are divided. However, the unmarried woman [Note: Possibly this refers to a widow, divorcee or non-virgin] and the virgin are concerned about the affairs of the Lord [and] how to be dedicated [to God] in both body and spirit. But the married woman is concerned about the affairs of the world [and] how to please her husband.

Now I say this for your profit; not to make things hard for you, but because of what is right, and so that you may be able to give all your attention to the things of the Lord.

But, he that standeth in his heart, steadfast, having no necessity, but hath authority concerning his own will, and, this, hath determined in his own heart, - to preserve his own virginity, well shall he do.

But she is more blessed if she remains this way according to my opinion. And I also seem to have Spirit of God.

I now want to reply to the matter of idolatrous sacrifices [which you wrote to me about]. We know that we all possess knowledge. [Note: This may be a statement posed to Paul by the Corinthians, who seemed quite preoccupied with "knowledge"]. Knowledge [only] makes people arrogant, while love builds them up [spiritually].

and if any one doth love God, this one hath been known by Him.

Now concerning eating food offered to idols: We know that no idol is real in this world and that there is only one God.

For though there are gods so called, whether celestial or terrestrial, (as [of this sort] there are gods many, and lords many;)

Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.

What we eat, however, will not bring us nearer to God. We lose nothing by not eating this food, and we gain nothing by eating it.

But take care that this power of yours does not give cause for trouble to the feeble.

For if someone sees you, the one who has this knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, won’t his weak conscience be encouraged to eat food offered to idols?

So he is lost, this weak man, lost by your "knowledge." this brother for whom Christ died.

And in this way, doing evil to the brothers, and causing trouble to those whose faith is feeble, you are sinning against Christ.

For this reason, if food is a cause of trouble to my brother, I will give up taking meat for ever, so that I may not be a cause of trouble to my brother.

My answer to those who are judging me is this.

Either only I and Barnabas have not power this to do?

[Consider this:] Who at any time serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not use the milk of the flock?

Am I saying this from a human perspective? Doesn’t the law also say the same thing?

Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.

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.

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.

For, if, by choice, this thing I am doing, I have, a reward; but, if not by choice, with a stewardship, have I been entrusted!

What then is my reward? This, that when I am giving the good news, I may give it without payment, not making use of my rights as a preacher of the good news.

I behaved like a Jew in front of the Jews in order to win Jews [to Christ]. I behaved like a person who was under [obligation to observe] the law [i.e., Jews] in front of those who observe that law, although I was not [really] under [obligation to] it. I did this to win those who are under [obligation to observe] the law.

I [also] behaved like a person without [obligation to observe] the law [i.e., a Gentile] in front of those who are not obligated to it, although I was not [really] without obligation to God's law; but was under [obligation to] Christ's law. I did this to win those who are without [obligation to observe] the law [i.e., Gentiles].

And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.

And every man who takes part in the sports has self-control in all things. Now they do it to get a crown which is of this world, but we for an eternal crown.

Therefore I run in this way, not as [running] aimlessly; I box in this way, not as beating the air.

Brethren I would not that ye should be ignorant of this, how that our fathers were all under a cloud, and all passed through the sea,

[In doing this] they were all [actually] immersed into [fellowship with] Moses in the cloud and in the sea.

Now this happened as a warning for us, that we might not long for evil things as they longed.

[So], do not worship idols as some of them did, as it is written [Ex. 32:6], "The people sat down to feast and drink, then got up and played." [Note: This refers to the Israelites engaging in an orgy of dancing and sex. See Ex. 32:17-19].

Now these events happened to those people as examples [to us], and they were written as warnings to us, to whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. [Note: This refers to past ages concluding with the coming of Christ in that day].

For this cause, my dear brothers, give no worship to false gods.

Does not the "cup of blessing," which we bless, signify a fellowship with Christ's [physical] blood? [Note: This was the cup used at the close of the Passover meal and was called this because of the prayer of thanksgiving offered for it. Paul refers to such a prayer in connection with its use in the Lord's Supper]. Does not the bread that we break signify a fellowship with Christ's [physical] body?

No: but this I say, that what the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God.

Or, are we [trying to] make the Lord jealous [by doing this]? [Do we think] we are stronger that He is?

But if anyone says to you, This food has been used as an offering, do not take it, on account of him who said it, and on account of his sense of right and wrong:

that is, for the sake of the other person's conscience, not your own. For why should my freedom [to eat what I want] be judged [as wrong] by another person's conscience? [Note: The questions in this and the following verse may mean, "it is not worth eating questionable things, if doing so would bring criticism from a weak brother"].

You must follow my example in this, as I am following Christ's.

But it is important for you to keep this fact in mind, 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 this reason it is right for the woman to have a sign of authority on her head, because of the angels.

You must judge for yourselves in this matter. Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with nothing on her head?

[And] does not the very nature of things teach you that it is disgraceful for a man to have long hair? [Note: The prevailing, worldwide custom, observable to Paul even in his day, was shorter hair on men and longer hair on women. The fact of exceptions to this arrangement only proves the rule. See Num. 6:5; I Sam. 1:11].

But if any man will not be ruled in this question, this is not our way of doing things, and it is not done in the churches of God.

But in giving you this order, there is one thing about which I am not pleased: it is that when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse.

For first of all, I have been informed [Note: This was probably by Chloe's family. See 1:11] that divisions exist among you people when you assemble as a congregation. And I am inclined to believe it [is true].

When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper.

What! have ye not houses for your eating and drinking? or, the assembly of God, do ye despise, and, put to shame them who have nothing? What am I to say to you? Shall I praise you? In this, I praise you not.

For I received this from the Lord, which I have also delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus, the night in which he was betrayed, took bread,

And when it had been broken with an act of praise, he said, This is my body which is for you: do this in memory of me.

In the same way, with the cup, after the meal, he said, This cup is the new testament in my blood: do this, whenever you take it, in memory of me.

For, as often as ye may be eating this loaf, and, the cup, may be drinking, The death of the Lord, do ye announce, until he come.

Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.

So a man should examine himself; in this way he should eat the bread and drink from the cup.

For a person who eats and drinks without determining the significance of the body [of Jesus], [i.e., without showing proper reverence for Christ, as represented by the bread and cup (see verse 27), or without distinguishing this sacred memorial Supper from a common meal], eats and drinks judgment upon himself. [Note: Some apply "the body" in this verse to the church and explain it as a warning against failing to appreciate the unity that the Supper is intended to signify].

For this cause a number of you are feeble and ill, and a number are dead.

But if we properly saw ourselves, we would not bring down upon us this judgment.

But since we do bring down upon us this judgment, we are being disciplined by the Lord, so that finally we may not be condemned along with the world.

So, my brothers, whenever you come together for this meal, wait for one another.