to the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who being sanctified by Christ Jesus, are saints by that vocation, to all that any where invoke the name of Jesus Christ, who is both their Lord and ours.

in your being enriched by him in every gift, with all that light and knowledge,

so that you will be deficient in no gift; during your expectation of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:

and God will confirm you to the end, that ye may be unaccused in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

for I have been inform'd, my brethren, by some of Chloe's family, that there are contentions among you.

I mean that one or other of you cries out "I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas,

true, I baptized the family of Stephanas: but I don't know that I baptized any other besides.

For tho' the doctrine of the cross seems folly to those that perish: yet we that are to be saved, do feel its energy is divine.

for consider, brethren, that not many worldly wise, not many men of power, not many men of birth are among you that are called.

that no man might glory before God;

for from him it is that ye believe in Christ Jesus, whom God has made to us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: that,

according as it is written, "he that glorieth, should glory in the Lord."

for I did not think I was to have any other knowledge among you, than that of Christ, a crucified saviour.

that your faith might not be owing to human wisdom, but to the divine influence.

but we explain that mysterious plan of divine wisdom, which God had contriv'd before the ages, for our glory:

but, as it is written, "eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entred into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him."

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.

for how can he, that does not know the mind of the Lord, instruct another? but as for us, we are acquainted with the mind of the Lord.

so then, neither is he that planted any thing, nor he that watered: it is God only that gives the increase.

he that planteth, and he that watereth, have the same design: and each shall receive his proper reward, in proportion to his own labour.

for no one can lay any other foundation, than what is laid, which is, that Jesus is the Messias.

now if upon this foundation somebody builds gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble: he that builds such work,

if that man's work should be burnt, he will suffer loss: but should he himself escape, it will be as out of the fire.

Don't you know, that you are the temple of God, and that the spirit of God dwells in you?

and again, "the Lord knows, that the thoughts of the wise are vain."

now it is required in a steward, that he be found faithful.

as for me, it is a matter of no great concern that I should be called to account by you, or any human authority; not that I am my own judge;

(for though I am not conscious to my self of any unfaithfulness, yet am I not hereby absolved:) but he that is my supreme judge, is the Lord.

These things, my brethren, I have represented to you in my own person, and that of Apollos, out of respect to you: to show you how to moderate your esteem by the rule prescrib'd, that you may not be transported in favour of one rather than another.

for who has distinguish'd thee above another? or what have you, that you did not receive? now if you did receive it, why do you glory as if you had not received it?

You have already a sufficiency, you already abound, you live like princes in our absence: and would to God you did reign, that we too might have the advantage of your administration.

for though you may have ten thousand christian preceptors, you cannot have many fathers; since it was I that first instructed you in the gospel of Christ Jesus:

Which would you chuse, that I should come to you arm'd with resentment? or, in a mild and benevolent temper?

we have it from all quarters, that incest is practis'd among you, and such as is not among the Gentiles, that of a man's having his father's wife.

this you have made a matter of levity, instead of being concern'd in discarding him that has done such an action.

as for me, though I am absent in person, yet being present by my authority, with regard to him that has committed this fact, I am come to the same resolution, as if I was present,

that is, when you are assembled, and I virtually there, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

to deliver him up to satan, to suffer corporal punishment, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Your levity is very indecent: don't you know that a little leaven infects the whole mass?

purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new mass, since you should be without leaven. for Christ our paschal lamb has been sacrificed for us.

for what have I to do to judge those who are without the church; but are not you to judge those that are within?

those that are without, God will judge. therefore expel the libertine from your community.

don't you know that these are to judge the world? if the world is to be judg'd by you, are not you qualify'd to decide your petty causes?

don't you know that we shall be judges of angels? much more then of the affairs of life?

Know you not that the unjust shall not inherit the kingdom of God? be not deceived: neither the licentious, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor the effeminate, nor the brutal,

Don't you know, that your bodies are parts of Christ's mystical body? now, how can that which is Christ's, be made the property of a very creature?

it cannot be. why, don't you perceive, that where there is such an attachment, they are but as one person? for the scripture says, "they two shall be as one."

but he that is attach'd to the Lord, is united to him by one and the same spirit.

flee licentiousness. no other sin that a man commits does affect the church as a body: but the licentious commits a fraud against the whole body to which he belongs.

what! know ye not that your bodies are the temple of the holy spirit, which is in you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own?

for I wish that all men were as I myself am: but every man hath his proper gift from God, some one way, and some another.

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:

for the slave that turns christian, is the Lord's freedman: likewise, the freeman that becomes a convert is Christ's servant.

not that it is a sin for you to marry; nor is it so if a virgin marry; but they that do, will be troubled for their relations, and that I would prevent.

This I say, brethren, because the time is coming, when they who have wives will be as those that have none;

and they that weep, as those that are unconcern'd; and they that rejoice, as those that do not; and they that buy, as those that have no possessions;

and they that possess this world, as those that can't make an ill use of it. for the scene of this world is continually shifting. I would have you free from anxiety.

he that is married is worldly concern'd, how he may please his wife.

there is the same difference between a married woman and a virgin: the last is religiously concern'd to be holy, both in body and mind: but she that is married is taken up with worldly cares to please her husband.

And this I say for your particular advantage, not to lay any constraint upon you, but as that which is most suitable to a state of uninterrupted attendance upon religion.

but he that has been steady in his purpose, and finds no necessity to alter it; if he is a master of his passion, and is heartily determin'd to keep his virginity, it is well.

so that he who marries, does well; but he who lives single, may have less trouble.

Now as to things offered to idols, 'tis certain that the knowledge you all pretend to have, swells you with pride, but 'tis charity that edifieth.

As to the eating therefore of what is offered in sacrifice to idols, we know that the heathen deities have no real existence, and that there is but one God.

but take care that this liberty of yours does not prove a scandal to the weak.

so that your notions may endanger the life of thy weak brother, for whom Christ died.

for it is written in the law of Moses, "thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn." are oxen the objects of divine care?

or is it said, no doubt, for our sakes? for our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he who plows should plow in hope; and that he who thresheth should expect the advantage.

don't you know, that they who prepare the sacrifices, do eat of the sacrifice in the temple? and they who wait at the altar, have their portion from the altar?

even so has the Lord ordained, that they who preach the gospel, should live by the gospel.

for tho' I am independent of all men, yet have I subjected myself to all, that I might gain the more.

to the Jews, I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain those who are under the law;

to those who are without the law, as without that law, (not as being under no law to God, but as under the law to Christ) that I might gain those who are without the law.

to the weak I became as weak, that I might gain the weak: I became all things to all men, that I might save all sorts of men.

and I do all for the gospel's sake, that I may share in the benefits thereof.

You know, that in a race, tho' all run, but one receives the prize: so run, that you may obtain.

every one that strives for the mastery, is extremely temperate: now, they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible one.

I therefore so run, not as one that is distanc'd: I fight, but not with the air.

I would not have you ignorant, my brethren, that all our fathers were under the Cloud, all passed thro' the sea:

and all drank the same spiritual drink: (for they drank of what flowed from the spiritual rock: and that rock was Christ.)

now these things were examples to deter us from longing after things that are pernicious, as they did.

wherefore let him that thinks he stands firm, take heed lest he fall.

for the bread being one, as many as we are, we are one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.

that the idol, or that what is offered in sacrifice to the idol, is a matter of consequence?

no, but that what the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God: and I would not have you partake of the sacrifices of demons.

Let no man consult barely his own interest: but every man that of others.

whatever is sold in the shambles, that eat, without making any scrupulous enquiry.

but if any man say to you, this is offered in sacrifice to an idol, don't eat, for his sake that mentioned it, and for conscience sake.

when I say conscience, I don't mean your own, but that of the other: for why should I expose my liberty to the censure of another man's conscience?

if I am thankful for what I have, why should I chuse to be evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks?

thus I endeavour to be acceptable to all men in all things, not seeking my own advantage, but that of others, so as they may be saved.

Imitate herein my example as I do that of Christ.

but I would have you take notice, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the wife, is the man; and the head of Christ, is God.

for first, I hear, that when you come together in the church, you fall into parties; and I believe it is true of some of you.

For I received it from the Lord, and I inform'd you of it: that the Lord Jesus, the night in which he was betrayed, took bread:

so that whosoever eats this bread, and drinks this cup without respect to the Lord, does make a criminal use of the body and blood of the Lord.

Let a man then sift and approve himself, and accordingly let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.

for he that eats and drinks in a disrespectful manner, not discriminating the Lord's body, eateth and drinketh to his own punishment.

hence it is, that many are weak and sickly among you, and no small number now sleep in their graves.

but when we are punished, we are chastised by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.