Now I beg you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to speak in accord, all of you, and to have no divisions among you, but to be knit together in a common mind and temper.

Yes, I did baptize the house of Stephanas also, but I do not think I baptized any one else.

For Christ did not think I baptized any one else. For Christ did not send me forth to baptize, but to proclaim the gospel; and that not in philosophic words, lest the Cross of Christ should be made an empty thing.

Sage, rabbi, skeptic of this present age??here are they all? Has not God made foolish the philosophy of the world?

For when, in the wisdom of God, the world by its philosophy knew not God, the world by its philosophy knew not God, it pleased God, by the foolishness of preaching, to save those who believe.

For consider your own calling, brothers, that not many wise in earthly wisdom, not many powerful, not many of noble birth, have been called.

The world's base things has God chosen, and the things that are not, to bring to naught the things that are;

And when I came to you, brothers, I came not to proclaim God's great secret purpose in fine language of philosophy;

My message and my preaching were not in the persuasive language of philosophy, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power;

in order that your faith should rest, not on human philosophy, but on the power of God.

Notwithstanding, among those who are mature I do teach philosophy; though not the philosophy of the present age, nor of its rulers who are coming to nought.

None of the rulers of the present age understands it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory.

Nay, as it is written. Eye has not seen, Nor ear heard, Neither have entered into man's heart The things which God has prepared For those who love him.

But we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which comes forth from God, that we may realize the blessings freely given us by God.

Of these high themes we speak in words not taught by human philosophy, but by the Spirit; interpreting spiritual things to spiritual men.

As for me, brothers, I could not talk to you as spiritual men, but as to creatures of flesh, mere babes in Christ.

I fed you milk, not meat; for you were unable to bear it.

You are not able even now, for you are still unspiritual. While there is among you jealousy and strife, are you not still unspiritual, and behaving like worldlings?

When one says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos," are you not mere worldlings?

The foundation is already laid??esus Christ??nd no man can lay another.

Do you not know what you are God's sanctuary, and that the Spirit of God is dwelling within you?

Indeed I do not even judge myself; for though I know nothing against myself, yet that does not vindicate me; for he who judges me is the Lord.

Now these things, brothers, I have applied in a figure to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that in us you might learn not to go beyond what is written; that none of you be puffed up for the one, against the other.

For who makes you a differ, brother? Or what have you that you did not receive? But if you did receive it, why are you boasting as if you had not received it?

I am not writing this to shame you, but to admonish you, as my beloved children.

Now some are puffed up, as though I were not coming to you.

But come to you I will, and that soon, if it please the Lord, and then I shall learn not the talk of these boasters, but their power.

For the kingdom of God is not in talk, but in power.

It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and such immorality as is not even among the heathen??hat a man has taken his father's wife!

Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that even a little leaven leavens all the lump?

So let us keep the unending feast, not with any old leaven, neither with leaven of malice and vice, but with unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

I told you in my letter not to associate with the immoral.

Not that in this world you were actually to have no contact with the immoral, the avaricious, the thievish, or with idolaters; for then you would have to leave the world, altogether.

But what I wrote was that you were not to associate with any so-called brother who is immoral, or avaricious, or idolatrous, or abusive, or a drunkard, or an extortioner. No, with such persons do not even sit at table.

What have I to do with the judging of outsiders? Must not you judge those who are within the church, while God judges outsiders?

Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be tried by you, are you unfit to try such trifling cases?

Do you not know that we are to try angels? How much more, then, the affairs of life.

Why then, if you have cases relating to earthly affairs which need to be decided, is it men who are absolutely nothing in the church whom you make your judges?

I say this to shame you. Is it so that there is not among you a single wise man, capable of deciding between a man and his brother?

Indeed, to say nothing more, the fact that you have lawsuits with one another is altogether a defect in you. Why not rather suffer injustice? Why not rather endure being cheated?

Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. None who are immoral, or idolaters, or adulterers, or catamites, or sodomites,

"All things are lawful for me"? Yes, but not all things are good for me. "All things are lawful for me"? Yes, but I will not let myself be enslaved by the power of any.

"Food is meant for the stomach, and the stomach for food"? Yes, but God will soon put an end both to the one and to the other. The body, however, exists not for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body;

You know, do you not, that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them members of a harlot? God forbid!

Do you not know that he who joins himself to a harlot is one with her in body? (For God says, The two shall become one flesh.)

Do you not know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is within you, the Spirit whom you have from God?

You are not your own; for you have been bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your bodies.

Let the husband give his wife her due, and likewise the wife her husband. The wife is not mistress of her own person,

but her husband is; and in the same way the husband is not master of his own person, but his wife is.

Do not refuse one another, unless it is only temporary and by mutual consent, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again, lest through your lack of self-control Satan begin to tempt you to sin.

But what I have just said is by way of concession, not command.

If, however, they are not exercising self-control, by all means let them marry; for marriage is better than the fever of passion.

But to those already married my commandment is??nd not mine, but the Lord's??hat a wife is not to leave her husband;

(or if she has already left him let her either remain as she is, or be reconciled to him), and also that a husband is not to put away his wife.

To the rest it is I who am speaking, not the Lord. If any brother has a wife who is not a believer, if he is willing to live with her, let him not send her away.

And a woman whose husband is not a believer, if he is willing to live with her, let her not separate from him.

But if the unbelieving partner be determined to leave, separation let it be. In such cases the believing husband or wife is not under bondage. But it is into peace that God has called us.

Only whatever be the lot in life to which God has assigned each one??nd whatever the condition in which he was living when God called him??n that let him continue. Such is the rule I give in all the churches.

So, was any man called, being circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Was any man called when he was uncircumcised? Let him not be circumcised.

Were you called in slavery? Let not that trouble you; but if you can become free make use of the opportunity.

You have been brought with a price; do not become slaves to men.

Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from the marriage bond? Do not seek for a wife.

Yet if you do not marry, you have not done wrong; and if a girl marries, she has not done wrong. Such people, however, will have trouble in worldly affairs, and I wish to spare you.

let those who weep be as though they did not weep, those who rejoice as though they did not rejoice, those who buy as though they did not possess,

It is in your own interest that I say this; not that I may entangle you in a snare, but that I may help you to serve the Lord with fitting and undistracted service.

If, however, a father feels that he is not treating his virgin daughter in a seemly manner, in leaving her unmarried beyond the flower of her age, and so the matter is urgent, let him do what she desires; he commits no sin. Let the marriage take place.

If a man thinks that he already has knowledge, he does not yet truly know as he ought to know;

But that "knowledge" is not possessed by all; but some, accustomed until now to the idol, eat food as that which has actually been offered to an idol, and so their conscience, being still weak, is defiled.

Now food does not bring us nearness to God. Neither if we eat do we gain any advantage, nor if we eat not, do we lose any.

For if any one should see you, the possessor of "knowledge," reclining at table in an idol's temple, would not his conscience, if he were weak, be emboldened to eat things sacrificed to idols?

Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord?

Even if I am not an apostle to others, to you at least I am; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

What soldier ever serves at his own expense? What farmer ever plants a vineyard and his flock and does not taste the milk?

Am I saying this on human authority only, or does not the Law also say the same?

Yea, in the Law of Moses it is written, Thou shalt not muzzle an ox while he is treading out the grain.

If others share this authority over you, do not I far more? Yet I have not availed myself of it, but am patiently enduring; so that I may not in any way hinder the progress of Christ's gospel.

You know, do you not, that those who minister in the temple, and those who serve at the altar, get their portion of the sacrifices?

But for my part, I have never availed myself of any of these rights. I do not say this to bring it about in my own case. I would rather die than let any one make void this boast of mine.

Proclaiming the gospel gives me no ground of boasting; for necessity is laid upon me; woe is me if I preach not the gospel.

To the Jews I am become like a Jew, that I may win Jews; to those under the Law, like one under the Law, though I am not under the Law, myself;

to those outside the Law, as one outside the Law, to win those outside the Law (though I am not outside the law of God, but inside the law of Christ).

Do you not know that in a foot-race, though all run, only one receives the prize? So run that you may win.

For my part, then, I run with no wavering to the goal. I box not as one beating the air,

For I would not have you ignorant, brothers, how our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea,

But in most of them God was not well pleased, for they were laid low in the desert.

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

And you must not be idolaters like some of them. as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, And they rose up for idol dances.

No temptation has overtaken you that is beyond man's power; but God is faithful, who will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear, but will, with every temptation, provide the way of escape also, so that you may be able to withstand.

The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a common participation in the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a common participation in the body of Christ?

Look at Israel according to the flesh; are not those who eat the sacrifices in communion with the altar?

On the contrary, what the heathen sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have communion with demons.

"All things are lawful," you say? But not all things are expedient; "all things are lawful"; but not all build up.

Let not each one be always seeking his own, but rather his neighbor's good.

If one who is not a believer invites you to his house, and you wish to go, eat everything that is set before you, without asking questions for conscience sake.

But if any one tells you, "This food has been offered in sacrifice," do not eat it, for the sake of him who told you,

and for your conscience sake??is conscience, not your own. "But," you may object, "why should my freedom be decided upon another's scruples of conscience?

Do not be a cause of stumbling either to Jews of to Gentiles, or to the church of God.

For so I also try to please all men in every way, not by seeking my own good, but the good of the many, that they may be saved.

If a woman does not wear a veil, let her also cut off her hair; now if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, let her be veiled.

A man, indeed, ought not to have his head veiled, for he is an image and glory of God; but woman is a glory of man.