J. Vernon McGee Thru the Bible Radio - (46) Book of 1Corinthians

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The Book of 1 Corinthians - Summary

Paul wrote this long letter to the Christians who lived in the city of Corinth. He had set up the church in Corinth when he himself lived there for 18 months (Acts 18). After he left the city, evil things happened in the church. So Paul wrote this letter to the Christians in Corinth, to help them.

Corinth was a city in the country of Greece. The people in Greece were proud of their clever minds. But Paul explained that God considers human wisdom to be foolish. So, Christians must recognise that Jesus Christ is their Lord. He has God's wisdom; and Christians must obey him always (1 Corinthians chapters 1-2).

Then they will be able to live holy lives. They will not quarrel with each other. They will be loyal to their husbands or wives. They will not try to understand the Bible by their own clever ideas. Instead, they will be true servants of Christ (1 Corinthians chapters 5-6).

Paul wanted to teach the Christians in Corinth how to praise God together. He taught them that they should share bread and wine to remember Jesus' death (1 Corinthians 11). God's Holy Spirit would help them to work together (1 Corinthians chapters 12 and 14). And God's greatest gift is love (1 Corinthians 13).

Paul also taught about life after death. After Jesus died, God caused Jesus to live again. Many people saw that Jesus was alive again (1 Corinthians 15:1-8). In the same way, God will cause us to live again after our deaths. God is even greater than death (1 Corinthians 15).
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Listen	Download	Introduction to 1Corinthians
Listen	Download	Chapter 1 Greeting; Thanksgiving; Division at Corinth; Christ the Poser and Wisdom of God; Boasting Only in the Lord.
Listen	Download	Chapter 2 Paul's Proclamation; Spiritual Wisdom.
Listen	Download	Chapter 3 The Problem of Immaturity; The Role of God's Servants; The Folly of Human Wisdom.
Listen	Download	Chapter 4 The Faithful Manager; The Apostles' Example of Humility; Paul's Fatherly Care.
Listen	Download	Chapter 5 Immoral Church Members; Church Discipline.
Listen	Download	Chapter 6 Lawsuits among Believers; Glorifying God in Body and Spirit.
Listen	Download	Chapter 7 Principles of Marriage; A Word to the Unmarried; Advice to Married People; Various Situations of Life; About the Unmarried and Widows.
Listen	Download	Chapter 8 Food Offered to Idols.
Listen	Download	Chapter 9 Paul's Example as an Apostle.
Listen	Download	Chapter 10 Warnings from Israel's Past; Warning against Idolatry; Christian Liberty.
Listen	Download	Chapter 11 Instructions about Head Coverings; The Lord's Supper; Self-Examination.
Listen	Download	Chapter 12 Diversity of Spiritual Gifts; Unity Yet Diversity in the Body.
Listen	Download	Chapter 13 Love:The Superior Way.
Listen	Download	Chapter 14 Prophecy: A Superior Gift; Order in Church Meetings.
Listen	Download	Chapter 15 Resurrection Essential to the Gospel; Resurrection Essential to the Faith; Christ's Resurrection Guarantes Ours; Resurrection Suported by Chirstian Experience; The Nature of the Resurrection Body; Victorious Resurrection.
Listen	Download	Chapter 16 Collection for Jerusalem Church; Paul's Travel Plans; Final Exhortation; Conclusion.

Book of 1Corinthians Outlines by J.Vernon McGee PDF format <Link>

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About 1 Corinthians

Chapter 1

v1 This letter is from me, Paul, and from our Christian friend Sosthenes. God chose me to be a special worker and teacher on behalf of Christ Jesus. He sent me to tell the good news about Christ to people. God himself chose me for this purpose.

v2 I am sending this letter to you Christians (the church) in the city called Corinth. God chose you for himself. He wanted you to be his special people, who belong to him. He has made you good and clean inside because he has made you join to Christ Jesus. Also, he has made you join to everyone everywhere who *worships our *Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is their *Lord, as he is our *Lord.

v3 We pray that God, our Father, and the *Lord Jesus Christ, will continue to be very kind to you. We pray also that they will cause you to be without trouble inside yourselves.

Paul thanks God because of the Christians at Corinth

v4 I thank God always because of you. I thank him because he has been so very kind to you. He has given such great things to you because he has made you join to Christ Jesus. v5 And, as a result, Christ has made you really like rich people in every way. You are like rich people because you can do many things. Christ has made you able to speak as he wants you to speak. And he has made you able to know everything that he wants you to know. v6 God has made our message about Christ clear in you who believe it. v7 You are not without any of God’s gifts while you continue to wait for our *Lord Jesus Christ’s return. You want him to return very much. v8 God will cause you to continue believing him until the end. Then, on the day when our *Lord Jesus Christ returns, nobody will be able to say bad things about you. Nobody will be able to say that you have done anything wrong. v9 God always does what he has promised to do. And God has chosen you to know Christ. He has made you join to his Son, Jesus Christ, who is our *Lord.

Paul tells the Christians that they must not quarrel about who is their leader

v10 My Christian friends, I speak to you with the authority of our *Lord Jesus Christ. I ask you to agree with each other in what you say. Then there will not be differences between you. All of you will have the same mind always. That is, you will think about things in the same way. v11 Some people from Chloe’s house have told me what is happening among you, my friends. They say that you are quarrelling among yourselves. v12 I will explain: One of you says, ‘Paul is my leader.’ Another person says, ‘Apollos is my leader.’ Another person says, ‘Peter is my leader.’ And another person says, ‘Christ is my leader.’

v13 When you speak like that, it is bad. It is as if you are breaking Christ into several parts. Certainly, I, Paul, did not die on a *cross on your behalf. Someone baptised you. But certainly, they did not use my name, as if you belonged to me. v14 I thank God that I did not baptise any of you except Crispus and Gaius. v15 So, none of you can say, ‘Paul is my leader because he baptised me.’ v16 (Oh yes, I baptised Stephanas and his family also. I cannot remember that I baptised anyone else.) v17 Christ did not send me to baptise people. But he did send me to tell the good news to people. He does not want me to tell it with the same kind of clever words that clever people might say. That would destroy the *power of the message about Jesus. The message is about how he died on a *cross to save us.

The message about Christ’s *cross is powerful

v18 People who are far from God cannot understand that message about Christ’s death on the *cross. They think that it is silly. But that same message shows something to us whom God is saving. It shows us how powerful God is. v19 It says in the *Old Testament:

            ‘I will destroy all the words and thoughts of clever people.

                        I will put on one side the ideas of people who seem to understand a lot.’   [Isaiah 29:14]

v20 So then, the clever people in this world are not great really. The clever students in this world are not great really. Some people know how to argue. But those people are not great really. No, because God has different ideas. He has shown that even the cleverest people in this world are fools. v21 God has his own great thoughts and ideas. And he has made it impossible for people to know him by their own thoughts and ideas. Instead, God uses that message about Jesus. He uses it to save everyone who believes it. And we tell that same message to everyone, even if it seems crazy.

v22 *Jews want to see God do something powerful so that they will believe. And people who are not *Jews want to believe other people’s clever ideas. v23 But as for us, we talk about how Christ died on a *cross of wood. This is a message that the *Jews refuse to believe. And the Gentiles (people who are not *Jews) think that it is a silly message. v24 But all of us whom God has chosen, both *Jews and the other people, we think different thoughts. To us, Christ is the *power that comes from God. What Christ did is the result of God’s great thoughts and ideas. v25 It seems to be a crazy thing for God to do. But it is better than the cleverest human thoughts and ideas. What seems to be God’s weakness is stronger than any human *power.

v26 Christian friends, remember when God spoke to you. Remember what you were like then. Most of you were not clever or powerful. Most of you did not come from rich or important families. v27 People think that you are not great or important. But God chose you. He did this so that clever people would be ashamed. Yes, God chose the weak people in the world so that the powerful people would be ashamed. v28 God chose people who do not seem important in this world. He chose people who seem silly in this world. He chose people who seem to be worth nothing in this world. The people who do not know God think differently from him. They think that different kinds of people are great and important. But God destroys their ideas when he chooses his people.

v29 So, because of all this, nobody can say in front of God: ‘I am better than other people.’ v30 It is God who has made you join to Christ Jesus. And, because of Christ, God causes us to know everything that he wants us to know. As a result of what Christ did, God makes us right with himself. Also he makes us his own special people. He makes us his free people, that he has bought. v31 So now, as it says in the *Old Testament:

            ‘Anyone who wants to speak about great or important things

                        should speak about the *Lord.

            That person should not speak about himself,

                        nor about the things that he himself has done.

            Instead, he should speak only about the great things that the *Lord has done

                        on his behalf.’

                                                                                                [Jeremiah 9:24]

Chapter 2

We can understand God’s secrets only by his Spirit

v1 Christian friends, I came to tell you God’s message, which is certainly true. I did not use clever words when I told it to you. I did not use great thoughts and ideas that were my own. v2 I decided to teach you only about Jesus Christ. I wanted to forget everything else while I was with you. So, I taught only about Jesus. I taught you about how he died on a *cross of wood. v3 I was feeling very weak when I arrived. I was so afraid that I was trembling. v4 Neither clever words nor my own thoughts and ideas made you believe that my message was true. No, instead God’s Spirit showed by my words how powerful God is. v5 So, you believe because of God’s *power. You do not believe because of human thoughts and ideas.

v6 But we do speak about great ideas to those of you who really know Christ. We do not speak about clever human thoughts and ideas that belong to this world. The rulers of this world think thoughts and ideas like that, but they will stop being powerful soon. v7 No, the great ideas that we speak about are secret. They belong to God. He hid them from the people who belong to this world. But he decided to show these secrets to us so that we could live with him always. He decided this before he made the world. v8 None of the rulers of this world understood these great ideas. If they had understood, they would not have killed the *Lord on a *cross. They would not have killed the *Lord, who is so very great and good. v9 It says in the *Old Testament:

            ‘Nobody ever saw or heard anything about this.

            Nobody ever thought that it could happen.

            But this is the thing that God has prepared for his people.

                        He has prepared it for those people who love him.’

                                                                                                [Isaiah 64:4]

v10 But God has shown these secrets to us by his Spirit. God’s Spirit looks at everything. He looks even at the things that are deep in God. v11 Only a person’s own *spirit, inside that person, can know everything about that person. And it is like that with God. Nobody can understand everything about God except God’s Spirit. v12 We have not received the *spirit that belongs to this world. No! We have received the Spirit who is from God. So, as a result, we can understand all the things that God has done on our behalf. We can know what God has given to us. v13 These are the things that we speak about. We do not use human ideas that other people have taught us. Instead, we use ideas that God’s Spirit teaches us. That is why we can explain God’s ideas to people. But we can explain only to people in whom God’s Spirit is living.

v14 If God’s Spirit is not living inside people, they cannot receive anything from God. They cannot understand what God wants to teach them. They think that it is crazy. They think that it is worth nothing. v15 Only people with God’s Spirit inside them can really understand and decide about all things. But people without God’s Spirit cannot understand anything about God’s people. v16 As it says in the *Old Testament:

            ‘Nobody can know what the *Lord is thinking.

            Nobody can teach him anything.’

                                                                                                [Isaiah 40:13]

But we can think as Christ thinks.

Chapter 3

You are God’s house

v1 Christian friends, in past times, I could not talk to you as I wanted to talk. I should have been able to talk to you as people who understand things by God’s Spirit. But instead, I could only talk to you as people who understand things about this world. You were like babies because you did not understand very much about Christ. v2 I had to give milk to you, instead of proper food, because you were not ready to receive proper food. You are not ready for it even now! v3 You are still living like people who do not know God. You want things that other people have. And you quarrel with each other. This shows that you are not like God’s people. You are still like people who do not know God. v4 One of you says, ‘Paul is my leader.’ And another person says, ‘Apollos is my leader.’ With words like these, you are talking like people who do not know God.

v5 You should know that we, Apollos and Paul, are not important really. God used us as his servants, who could help you to believe Christ. The *Lord has given a special job to each of us. v6 I was like a servant who planted seeds. Apollos was like the servant who gave water to the young plants. But it was God who caused the seeds and the plants to grow. v7 The servant who plants the seeds is not important really. The servant who gives water to the plants is not important really. The important person is God, because he causes the plants to grow. v8 The person who plants is doing God’s work. The person who gives water is doing God’s work also. We are equal servants. And God will give to each of us what is right because of our own work. v9 We work together with God. You are like God’s field and you are like God’s building.

v10 God has made me able to work for him like a very good builder. So, I built the foundation for God’s building. Now someone else is building on this foundation. But each person must be careful how he builds. v11 God has already put Jesus Christ as the only foundation of this building. So, nobody can put any other foundation there.

v12 People may build on this foundation with gold, silver (another valuable metal) or valuable stones. Or instead, they may build on it with wood, grass or leaves. v13 But God will show how good each person’s work is. He will show it on the day when Christ returns. There will be a fire on that day and God will put each person’s work into the fire. The fire will show whether the work is good or not. v14 If the fire does not destroy the work, then the work is good. So, the person who did it will receive something good from God. v15 But if the fire destroys the work, then the work is not good. The person who did that work will lose it. God will still save that person. But that person will be like someone who must run through the fire to a safe place.

v16 You ought to know that you yourselves are God’s house. You ought to know that God’s Spirit lives in you. v17 God’s house belongs only to God. So, God will destroy anyone who destroys God’s house. And you yourselves are God’s house.

v18 Nobody should think things about himself that are not really true. The people in this world who do not know God think differently from God. Maybe one of you thinks like them, that you are a very clever person. But instead, you should be ready for other people to think that you are a fool. Then you will really be clever. v19 The people in this world think that their ideas are very clever. But God thinks that they are crazy. It says in the *Old Testament:

            ‘People may try to show that they themselves are very clever.

                        But God causes those people to become confused.’

                                                                                                            [Job 5:13]

v20 In another place the *Old Testament says:

            ‘The *Lord knows that clever people’s thoughts are worth nothing.’

                                                                                                            [Psalm 94:11]

v21 So, nobody should think that clever or great people are important really. Do not think like that, because all things are yours. v22 Paul, Apollos and Peter, all of us are yours. All of this world is yours. While you live, all things are yours. And when you die, all things are yours. Both today and tomorrow are yours, because all things are yours. v23 And you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.

Chapter 4

Christ’s servants

v1 You should think about us, who are special workers and teachers on Christ’s behalf, as Christ’s servants. God has given a special job to us. He has shown his secrets to us and now we must explain them to other people. v2 A servant must remember all the things that his master wants him to do every day. He must do all those things, because his master wants him to do them.

v3 But it is not important to me how you think about me. You may decide about how good I am. It does not matter to me what people decide about me. I do not even try to decide about myself. v4 I may think that I have not done any wrong things. But that does not make me right. Only the *Lord can decide about me. v5 So, you should not decide about things before the right time comes. You must wait until the *Lord comes again. He knows every secret. He knows everything that people are hiding in the dark. He will bring all those things out into the light. He will show to everyone the secret purposes that people have deep inside themselves. Then God will say good things about every person who has done good work.

v6 Now, my Christian friends, I want to help you to understand better everything that I have said. I have used Apollos and myself as examples. So then you can learn by us what this means: ‘Obey what it says in the *Old Testament.’ None of you should say that one person is more valuable than any other person. v7 You yourselves are no better than other people. God gave everything that you have to you. You know that. What you have was a gift. So, you should not think that you are more important than anyone else. You have no reason to think that.

v8 You have plenty of everything already! You think that you are very rich already! So, you are ready to rule like kings, even while we are not rulers at all! I would really like you to be rulers, so that we could rule together with you! v9 God sent us, his special workers, to teach his message to people. But I think that he has given the least important place to us. We are like prisoners on our way to die in a place where everyone can see. Both people and *angels are watching us. v10 People think that we are fools because of Christ. But you think that you yourselves understand so much! You think that, because you are united with Christ. You think that we are weak. And you think that you are strong! You think that we are not valuable. And you think that you yourselves are very valuable!

v11 Until this day, we are often hungry, and we do not have any water to drink. Our clothes are very old. Sometimes people hit us, and we do not have a home. v12 We work very much, so that we are very tired. When people say bad things about us, we ask God to be good to them. When people are cruel to us, we are patient and brave. v13 When people say cruel words about us, we answer with kind words. Until this day, we are like the dirt of the whole world. We are like the dirty things that people throw away.

v14 I do not write these things to make you ashamed. You are like my own children that I love. And I want to explain to you why you are wrong. I want you to understand correctly. v15 I told the good news to you, so I became like a father to you. You belong to Christ now. And even if you have ten thousand guides to help you, you do not have many fathers. v16 That is why I ask you to copy my example. v17 For this reason, I am sending Timothy to visit you. He is like a son to me, and I love him very much. He continues always to believe the *Lord and to obey him. He will cause you to remember how I live as a Christian, united with Christ. I teach the same things to all groups of Christians everywhere.

v18 Some of you think that I will never come to visit you. You think that you yourselves are very important and powerful. You think that you know everything. v19 But I will come to visit you soon, if the *Lord sends me. Then I will discover more than only what you are saying about yourselves. I will discover what *power you important people really have. v20 When people are really obeying God as their king, it shows. We can see it because God’s people live by his *power. We will not know it only by what they say. v21 Certainly, I will come to visit you. So, you must choose what I come to do. I might come to be angry with you and to *punish you. Or, instead, I might come to speak kind words to you. I might show you that I love you. You must choose.

Chapter 5

Send the bad person away from you

v1 We have heard very bad news about what is happening in your group. One of you is having sex with someone who is not his own wife. We have heard that he is having sex with his own father’s wife! Even people who do not know God do not do things as bad as this! v2 But, you still think that you are important and good! Instead, you ought to be very ashamed and sad. You must put this man, who has done this bad thing, outside your meetings. You should not let him continue to belong to your group.

v3 Even if I am far away from you, my *spirit is present with you. It is quite the same as when I am with you. So, I have decided already about the man who has done this very bad thing. I have decided what you should do to this bad man. v4 When you meet together with the authority of the *Lord Jesus, my *spirit is with you. The *power of our *Lord Jesus is with you too. v5 When you meet like this, you must give this man to *Satan. And *Satan will destroy the man’s body. So then God can save the man’s *spirit on the day when the *Lord Jesus returns.

v6 You should not think that you yourselves are so good and so important. You have no reason to think that. You should know about what yeast does in bread. A small amount of yeast makes the whole lot of dough become bigger. v7 This yeast in the dough is like one person among you who does wrong things. You must remove this old yeast from among you. Then you will be like new dough, with no yeast in it. You are like that really, because Christ died on our behalf. He is our lamb for the Passover. And that Passover is ready now, because he died. v8 So, we can have our Passover, but not with the old yeast. We must remove everything that is bad or wrong. Instead, we must be good and honest and true, so that we are like new bread, without any yeast.

v9 I wrote a letter to you. In that letter, I told you that you must not be friends with bad people. You must stay away from people who have sex with anyone other than their own wife or husband. I told you that. v10 But I did not mean people who do not know God. I did not mean that you must stay away from all those people. Some of those people often have sex with people who are not their own wife or husband. Some of them want more things than they need. Some of them take things that belong to other people. And some of them *worship false gods. To stay away from all those people, you would have to leave this world.

v11 What I meant was this: You should not be friends with any bad person among your group. That person may say that they are Christ’s. But if they have sex with people other than their own wife or husband, do not be friends with them. Some people want a lot more things than they need. Do not be friends with those people. If they *worship false gods, do not be friends with them. If they say wrong things about other people, do not be friends with them. If they get drunk, do not be friends with them. If they take other people’s things, do not be friends with them. Do not even eat a meal with anyone who does things like that. v12 It is not right for me to decide about the people outside – the people who do not believe Christ. But you should decide about the people inside – the people who meet together with you as Christians. It is right for you to decide whether they are right or wrong. v13 But God will decide about the people outside, who are not Christians. As the *Old Testament says:

            ‘You must send a bad person away from among yourselves.’

                                                                                    [Deuteronomy 17:7; 19:19; 22:21, 24; 24:7]

Chapter 6

People who do not believe Christ should not decide about your quarrels

v1 Perhaps one of you does not agree with another Christian about something that matters. But you should not go for help to people who do not know God. No! Instead, you should go to God’s people. And you should ask them to decide about this thing. v2 You should know that God’s people will decide about all the people in the world one day. So, if you will decide about the world, certainly you should be able to decide about small things among yourselves. v3 You should know that we will even decide about the *angels one day. So certainly, we should be able to decide about things that belong only to our lives here on earth.

v4 Sometimes you may not agree among yourselves about things that belong to our lives here on earth. But when that happens, do not go to people outside the church (group of Christians). Do not choose to go to people who are nothing to the church. Do not choose those people to decide about these things. v5 I say this so that you will feel ashamed. Certainly, there should be one person in your group who understands enough to decide about things like this between believers. v6 But instead, you have let believers go to people in the government to argue against other believers! You stand in front of people who do not believe Christ! Then you let them decide what is right!

v7 When you do this, you are completely wrong. You should not go to people in the government to argue with each other. It would be better to let other people do wrong things to you. Even if people rob you, that would be better. v8 Instead, you yourselves do wrong things, and you do those things to other believers! You even rob them.

v9 God has prepared good things for his own people that he rules over. But he will never let any bad person receive those good things. You ought to know this. You can be very sure that no kind of bad person will receive those good things. People who have sex with anyone other than their own wife or husband will not receive them. People who *worship false gods will not receive them. Men who have sex with men will not receive them. And women who have sex with women will not receive those good things either. v10 People who rob will not receive them. Some people want more than they need. Those people will not receive them. Drunks will not receive them. People who say wrong things about other people will not receive them. People who are not honest about other people’s things will not receive those good things either. God has prepared things for his own people that he rules over. But no bad people will ever receive those things. v11 Some of you did bad things like this. But the Spirit of our God has washed you clean with the *Lord Jesus Christ’s authority. He has made you God’s own people, who are separate from bad things. He has made you right with God, so that God can accept you now.

Use your bodies as God’s servants should use them

v12 One of you may say: ‘I am free to do anything. I can do anything that I want to do.’ But not everything will help you. I myself could say: ‘I am free. I can do whatever things I want to do.’ Yes, but I will not let anything rule over me. v13 Someone else may say: ‘Food is there for the stomach. So the stomach is there for me to fill it with food.’ Yes, but God will destroy both the stomach and the food. The *Lord gave our bodies to us. So, you should not have sex with anyone who is not your own wife or husband. You should not use your bodies like that. Instead, you should use your bodies as the *Lord wants you to use them. v14 God raised the *Lord Jesus. God made him alive again after he had died. And God will use his own *power to make us alive again also. v15 You ought to know that your bodies are parts of Christ’s body. So, you must never take part of his body and make it part of a prostitute’s body. Never let that happen! v16 Anyone who makes his own body join to a prostitute becomes one body with that prostitute. You should know that. It says in the *Old Testament:

            ‘The two people (the man and the woman) shall become one body.’

                                                                                                            [Genesis 2:24]

v17 But everyone who is united to the *Lord is one *spirit with him. v18 So, do not have sex with anyone who is not your own wife or husband. Be careful never to do that. Any other bad thing that you do is outside your own body. But if you have sex with the wrong person, you do something wrong to your own body. v19 Your body is the home of God’s Spirit, who is completely good and separate from everything bad. You should know that. God gave his Spirit to you and he lives in you. You do not belong to yourselves any longer. But you belong to God, v20 because God bought you. He paid the price for you. So, show how great and how good God is. Use your body to show that.

Chapter 7

Questions about marriage

v1 You wrote to ask me about certain things. And now I will answer your questions. Yes, it is a good thing when a man does not marry. v2 Many people have sex with other people who are not their own wife or husband. But you must be careful never to do that. So, every man should have his own wife and every woman should have her own husband.

v3 The husband should have sex with his wife to make her happy. He should do that because it is his duty. And the wife should do the same thing for her husband. v4 The wife does not rule over her own body, but her husband rules over it. In the same way, the husband does not rule over his own body, but his wife rules over it. v5 Do not refuse to have sex with each other, unless both of you agree to stop for a short time. So then you can use your time to pray. But you should come together again soon. You need each other so that *Satan cannot cause you to have sex with other people. v6 I am not saying that you must do this. No, but I am saying that you can do it. You can stop like this for a short time if you want. v7 It would be good if all of you could be like me. But each person has his own gift from God. One person has a gift to do a certain thing. And another person has a different gift.

v8 Now I want to say something to those of you who have not married yet. Also, I am speaking to those of you whose husbands or wives have died. It is better for all of you to continue alone. That is what I do myself. v9 But if you cannot rule yourselves well, then you should marry. It is better for you to marry. That is better than to always want sex very much.

v10 I speak now to people who have married. I tell you a rule that comes from the *Lord himself, not from me. A wife must not leave her husband. v11 But if she does leave, she must continue to be alone. Or she must go back to stay with her husband. And a husband must not send his wife away.

v12 To you other people, I myself say this. The *Lord has not spoken about it. If a Christian man’s wife does not believe Christ, that man must not send his wife away. She may agree to continue living with him. Then he must not send her away. v13 If a Christian woman’s husband does not believe Christ, she must not send him away. He may agree to continue living with her. Then she must not send him away. v14 God accepts a husband who does not believe Christ. God accepts him because of his Christian wife. Also, God accepts a wife who does not believe Christ. God accepts her because of her Christian husband. If this was not true, God would not accept your children. But God does accept them, because to him they are clean.

v15 But the husband or wife who does not believe Christ may want to leave. If they want to do that, let them leave. Then the Christian man or woman does not have a duty to make them stay. God does not want us to fight with each other. v16 Perhaps, Christian wife, you will save your husband. Or perhaps, Christian husband, you will save your wife.

v17 Each one of you has what the *Lord has given to you. So, each of you should continue to live as God has chosen for you to live. I teach this rule to the churches (groups of Christians) in every place. v18 Some of you are *Jews, so people circumcised you. That happened before you came to Christ. So, do not try to change it. Some of you are not *Jews and nobody has ever circumcised you. So, continue like that and do not ask anyone to circumcise you. v19 It is not important whether someone has circumcised you or not. The important thing is this. Obey what God says.

v20 At a certain time, God chose to speak to you so that you came to Christ. So, each of you should continue as you were then. v21 You may have been a slave when God spoke to you. That does not matter. But you may have the chance to become a free person. If you do, then use it. v22 Sometimes the *Lord chooses a slave to belong to him. Then, that slave becomes the *Lord’s free person. In the same way, when a free person comes to Christ, he becomes Christ’s slave. v23 God has bought you and he has paid the price for you. So, do not let anyone else make you their slave. v24 My friends, who are like brothers to me, each one of you should live for God. He put you where you were. Then he spoke to you. So, each of you should continue as you were then.

v25 Now I want to answer your question about people who have not married. The *Lord has not given any special rule about this. But I will tell you what I myself think about it. You can believe me. I speak as someone to whom the *Lord has been very kind. He has made me able to be honest and true. v26 It is very difficult to live in the world today. So, it is better that each man continues as he is. That is what I think. v27 If you have a wife, you should continue like that. If you do not have a wife, do not look for one. v28 But if you do marry, that is not wrong. And if a young woman marries, that is not wrong. But those people who marry will have many troubles during their life together in this world. And I want to save you from that kind of trouble.

v29 My friends, what I mean is this: The end of time will come soon. So, those men with wives should live as if they had none. v30 Some of you weep. But you should live as if you were not sad. Some of you laugh because you are happy. But you should live as if you were not happy. Some of you buy things. But you should live as if you did not have those things. v31 Some of you are busy with things in this world. But you should live as if these things were not important. This world, as it is now, will finish.

v32 I want all of you to be free so that you are not thinking about problems and troubles. A Christian man who has not married thinks a lot about the *Lord and his work. He wants to do what makes the *Lord happy. v33 But a Christian man who has married is different. He thinks also about the things that belong to this world. He thinks like that because he wants to make his wife happy too. v34 So, these things make him think in two opposite ways. Also, a Christian woman or young girl who has not married thinks a lot about the *Lord and his work. She wants to belong to the *Lord completely, both in her body and in her *spirit. But a Christian woman who has married is different. She thinks also about the things that belong to this world. She thinks like that because she wants to make her husband happy too.

v35 I am saying this because I want to help you. I am not trying to make rules that you have to obey. Instead, I want you to live in a right and proper way. I want you to be the *Lord’s servants, who listen to him. I do not want anything else to stop you thinking about the *Lord.

v36 Perhaps a man and a woman among you love each other but they have decided not to marry. They have agreed to wait. But, as they grow older, the man may begin to think differently. He may think that he cannot wait any longer. He may think that he needs to marry her. Then, if they want to marry, it is not wrong. v37 But another man among you may decide that he will never marry his young woman. He may be sure that he does not need to marry. He may be able to rule himself strongly, with authority. So, he need not marry her. He is doing the right thing also. v38 So, the man who marries does a good thing. But the man who does not marry does a better thing.

v39 If a woman has married a man, he is her husband. She is not free to marry anyone else all the time that her husband is alive. But if he dies, then she is free. Then she can marry again. But she must marry someone who is the *Lord’s. v40 Even so, she would be happier if she continued without a husband. That is what I myself think. And I think that God’s Spirit is my guide in all this.

Chapter 8

About food that people have offered to false gods

v1 Now I want to answer your question about food that people have offered to false gods. We know that all of us know about many things. And when we know something, that can make us think wrongly about ourselves and about other people. It can make us think that we are more important than other people. But when we love other people, it helps to make them strong. v2 Nobody should think that they really know about something. Some people might think that. But those people do not know anything yet as well as they should know it. v3 But God knows every person who loves him.

v4 So, I will speak about the food that people have offered to false gods. I will speak about whether you should eat it. We know that a false god is not really a god at all. We know that there is only the one God. v5 Yes, people may have many false gods and many false *lords. People do call other things gods, whether in *heaven or on earth. v6 But for us there is only one God, who is the Father. All things come from him and we live for him. There is only one *Lord, who is Jesus Christ. He made everything by his *power. And he causes us to continue living by his *power.

v7 But some people do not understand these facts. Some people have *worshipped false gods for many years. So now they cannot eat food that people have offered to a false god. They think that the food really belongs to that false god. So, they are doing something wrong if they eat that food. That is what they think. It makes them feel as if they are not clean. They cannot easily decide what is right or wrong. v8 But food does not bring us near to God. If we do not eat the food, that will not make us worse. If we do eat the food, it will not make us better.

v9 But you must be very careful. You are free to do anything that is right. But some Christians are not so sure about what is right. So, you must not do anything that might cause them to do something wrong. v10 You may be eating food in a place where people *worship false gods. Perhaps another Christian, who is not so sure about this, will see you. That Christian may think that you know more than they know. So then, they may think that they can eat that food too. They may think that it is right for them too. v11 Then you would destroy other Christians who are not so sure. What you know would be their guide. You must remember that Christ died on behalf of them too. v12 When other Christians do something wrong because of you, you do something wrong too. They are not sure what is right or wrong. So, when you hurt them like this, really you are hurting Christ. v13 I must not cause any other Christian, who is like a brother or a sister to me, to do anything wrong. So, I have decided this. I will never eat meat again, if my food causes another Christian to do anything wrong.

Chapter 9

Paul talks about himself as an example

v1 You know that I am a free man. You know also that God has sent me to be a special worker and teacher on his behalf. You know that I have seen Jesus, our *Lord. He chose me to work on his behalf. And you are the result of that work. You know that. v2 Other people may not accept me as a special worker whom the *Lord has sent to them. But I am sure that you accept me like that. As a result of my work, you have become united with the *Lord. And that fact shows that the *Lord really sent me.

v3 When people say bad things about me, this is my answer to them: v4 It is right that people give food and drink to me for my work. v5 It is right for each of us special workers to have a Christian wife. And it is right if we take our wives with us. We can take them with us to all the places where we go. The other men whom the *Lord has sent take their wives with them. So do the *Lord’s brothers and Peter. v6 Barnabas and I seem to be the only ones who must work with our hands. v7 Think about these examples, which are certainly true. A soldier never has to pay for his own food and clothes. A farmer will eat some of the fruit from the bushes that he has planted. A person who works with cows or sheep or goats will drink some of the milk from those animals.

v8 I am not only saying what a man would say. The rules that God gave say the same thing. v9 God told Moses that he should write down these rules. And they say this:

            ‘Your ox (strong male cow) works for you. It walks on your plants so that the seeds come out. Do not tie its mouth shut while it works. It is right for the ox to eat some of the seeds itself.’

                                                                                    [Deuteronomy 25:4]

God is not telling us only about oxen (cows) that work. v10 No, certainly he is speaking about us. God told Moses that he should write these words down. That was because God wanted to help us. A man ploughs the fields so that he can plant seeds. He is like us. The man who threshes the plants from the fields is like us too. Both of them hope to enjoy some of the food that has grown in the fields. v11 We have planted *spiritual things in you. So, you can give to us the food and clothes that we need. That is not wrong. And that should not be too much for you to do.

v12 Other people think that they should receive things like this from you. So, it is even more right for us to think like that. But we have not asked you to give anything to us. We do not want anyone to stop listening to the good news about Christ because of us. Instead, we would rather have any kind of trouble. So, we chose not to demand anything from you. v13 You know about the people who work in God’s special house (the temple). They get their food there from that place. Also, you know about the people who work at the special table in God’s house. On that table, they burn the gifts that other people bring to God. The people who work there at the table also get part of those gifts. v14 In the same way, the *Lord has spoken about people who tell his good news. Those people need certain things so that they can live. Those people should receive those things as a result of their work. As a result of the good news, they should receive what they themselves need.

v15 So, as a result of my work, I should receive everything that I need. That would be right. But I have not asked for anything. And I do not demand anything from you now, while I write to you. I would die, rather than demand anything for myself. This is the true reason that I can boast. And I do not want anyone to take it away. v16 I tell the good news to people. But I have no reason to boast because of that. No, because God has told me that I must tell it. If I did not tell the good news, I would be very sad. I would not be obeying God.

v17 I was not the person who decided to tell the good news to people. If I myself had decided to do it, then I could demand money for this work. But it was God who decided. He has given a duty to me to tell the good news. v18 I do get something as a result of my work, but it is not money. Instead, it is this. It makes me very happy that I can tell the good news to people without any cost to them. It would be right if they did pay me for my work. But I do not ask them to pay, and that makes me very happy.

v19 I am a free man. I am not anybody’s slave. But I have made myself everybody’s slave because I want to help as many people as possible. I want to bring them to Christ. v20 With *Jews, I became like a *Jew, because I wanted to bring *Jews to Christ. The rules that God gave to Moses do not really have authority over me. But the *Jews obey those rules. So, I chose to obey Moses’ rules too. I became like the *Jews, because I really wanted them to know Christ. v21 With people who are without Moses’ rules, I became like someone without those rules too. (But this does not mean that I do not obey God’s rules. No, I let Christ rule me.) I became like the people without Moses’ rules because I really wanted them to know Christ. v22 With weak people, I became like someone who is weak too. I became weak like them because I really wanted them to know Christ. I have become all things to all people so that I could, by all possible ways, save some of them. v23 I do all these things because of the good news about Christ. I want other people, together with me, to enjoy the good things that the good news promises.

v24 You should know that, in a race, all the runners run. But only one of them wins the race, and he receives the reward. You must run like that, to win the reward. v25 All people who do athletics make their own bodies practise. They want to make their bodies do what they want them to do. So they rule themselves in all things. They do this so that they will win a reward. But that reward continues for a short time only. But we rule ourselves in all things so that we will win God’s reward. And that reward continues always. v26 So, I run in a straight line to the end of the race. Also, I fight like someone who hits well. I do not hit the air. v27 I rule my own body strongly and I make it my slave. I have taught other people about how to run this race. And I myself also want to win the reward from God. I do not want God to say to me: ‘You yourself do not do the things that you teach. So, I am removing you from the race.’

Chapter 10

Stay away from false gods

v1 My friends, I want you to remember something. Remember what happened to our grandfathers. They followed Moses many years ago. While they followed Moses, the cloud covered all of them. It covered them to keep them safe. And all of them walked through the Red Sea with dry feet. v2 God baptised all of them in the cloud and in the sea. He baptised them as those people who followed Moses. v3 All our grandfathers ate the same *spiritual food. v4 All of them drank the same *spiritual drink. They drank from the *spiritual rock that went with them. And Christ was that rock. v5 But God was not happy with most of them. So, their dead bodies lay everywhere in that land, where there was no water.

v6 These things that happened to our grandfathers are examples to us. Our grandfathers wanted bad things very much. But we must not be like them. We must not want bad things. v7 Nor must we *worship false gods, as some of them did. The *Old Testament says:

‘The people sat down to eat and to drink. And they stood up to enjoy themselves. And they danced in front of their false god.’

                                                                                    [Exodus 32:6]

v8 Nor must we ever have sex with anyone who is not our own wife or husband. Some of our grandfathers did that, and so 23,000 of them died in one day. v9 Nor must we get angry with the *Lord. We must not ask questions about what he is doing. Some of our grandfathers did that. And so God sent snakes to bite them. And then they died. v10 Nor must you say that God is doing bad things. Some of our grandfathers spoke like that. And so God sent an *angel to kill them.

v11 All these things that happened to our grandfathers are examples to us. God caused people to write about these things so that we could learn from them. We ourselves must learn to be careful. We are alive today, but the end of all things will come soon. v12 Perhaps you think that you are standing strongly. But be very careful that you do not fall down! v13 Sometimes it will be difficult for you not to do something wrong. Or it will be difficult not to think something wrong. You will have difficulties like this. But they are the same kind of difficulties that every person has. God always does what he has promised to do. Remember this. He will not let any difficulty be too big for you. He does not want you to do anything wrong because of any difficulty. He will make you strong. He will show you a way out of the difficulty. So then you will be able to do what is right.

v14 So then, my friends, whom I love, stay away from false gods. Do not *worship them. v15 I am saying this to you because you are clever people. You can think clearly about things. You yourselves can decide about what I am saying. You can decide whether it is true. v16 At the *Lord’s Supper, we remember that Christ died on our behalf. We thank God when we drink the *wine from the cup. We want to show that we belong to Christ by his blood. That is why we drink it. We break the bread and then we eat it. We want to show that we belong to Christ by his body. That is why we eat it. v17 We are many people, but all of us eat from one loaf of bread. All of us are one body because we eat from the same loaf.

v18 Think about Israel’s people. When they offer food to God in his special house, they are *worshipping God. And all those people who eat any of that food are showing something about themselves. They are part of what is happening there in God’s house. They are *worshipping God too. v19 But I was speaking about false gods. I do not want you to think that false gods are important. I do not mean that you should think like that. The food that people offer to false gods is not important either. v20 But the people who offer food to false gods are *worshipping demons (bad *spirits). They are not *worshipping God when they offer food to demons. I do not want you to be part of anything with demons. v21 You cannot drink from the *Lord’s cup and from the cup of demons. You cannot eat food from the *Lord’s table and from the table of demons. v22 We will make the *Lord angry if we do things like that. He will be angry because we should *worship only him. And we are not stronger than the *Lord is!

v23 Some of you may say: ‘We are free. We can do anything that we want to do!’ But not everything is good for us to do. You may say: ‘We are free to do anything!’ But not everything helps to make us stronger. v24 None of you should think only about the things that matter to you yourselves. Instead, each of you should think about what matters to other people.

v25 You can eat anything that people sell in the meat market. You do not need to ask questions about whether that is right or wrong. v26 As it says in the *Old Testament:

            ‘The earth, and everything in it, is the *Lord’s.’

                                                                                    [Psalm 24:1]

v27 Perhaps people who do not believe Christ will ask you to eat a meal with them. And perhaps you will decide to go there. Then you should eat whatever food they give to you. You should not ask questions about the food. It does not matter where that food comes from. v28 But someone there may say to you: ‘They offered this food to false gods.’ If someone says that, do not eat the food. Do not eat it, because of the person who told you about it. He may not be sure that it is right to eat that food. And you would not want to cause a problem for that person. v29 It will not matter to you yourself. You are sure about what is right or wrong. But it will matter to a person who is not sure. Perhaps you will say: ‘Why should another person decide what I ought to do? v30 I thank God for my food. So, when I eat that food, nobody else should say bad things about me. Nobody should say that it is wrong for me to eat it.’ v31 But do everything to show how great and how good God is. Even when you eat and drink, do it like that. v32 Do not do anything that might cause difficulties for other people. Do not cause difficulties either for *Jews or for people who are not *Jews. Do not cause difficulties for God’s church (the people who belong to God). v33 Do what I do. All the time I try to do what everyone thinks is good. I am not doing that to help myself. No, but I am trying to help other people. I hope that God will save many people among them. That is why I live like this.

Chapter 11

v1 Copy my example, because I copy Christ’s example. I copy the example of how Christ lived.

Paul talks about men and women in Christian meetings

v2 You make me very happy, because you always remember me. You remember everything that I taught you. And you are careful about what I taught you to do. v3 Now I want you to understand that Christ is the head (the leader) of every man. Also, the man is the head of the woman and God is the head of Christ.

v4 So, when all of you meet together, you meet to *worship God. When a man prays in your meeting, he should not cover his head. Or, when a man speaks a message from God in your meeting, he should not cover his head. If he covers his head, he is not showing the right thing about his leader. He is not showing that he respects Christ as his leader. v5 But when a woman prays in your meeting, she should cover her head. Or, when a woman speaks a message from God in your meeting, she should cover her head. If she does not cover her head, she is not showing the right thing about her leader. She is not showing that she respects the man as her leader. It looks very bad when someone cuts off all the hair from a woman’s head. And it is bad in the same way when a woman does not cover her head in your meetings. v6 So, if a woman does not cover her head, she should cut off all her hair. But, if it is bad for a woman to cut off her hair, then she should cover her head.

v7 A man should not cover his head, because God made the man like himself. God wanted to show how great and how good God himself is. That is why God made the man. But a woman shows how good and how beautiful people can be. v8 God made a man first. After that, God made a woman from that first man. God did not make the man from the woman. v9 Neither did God make the man to help the woman. No, God made the woman to help the man. v10 That is why a woman should cover her head. It shows that she has authority on her head. It shows that to the *angels.

v11 But we must live as the *Lord’s people. The women need the men. But the men need the women too. v12 It is true that God made the first woman from the first man. But it is also true that the mother of every man is a woman. But all things come from God.

v13 Answer this question for yourselves: Perhaps a woman prays to God but she has not covered her head. Is that proper? v14 If a man has long hair, he should be ashamed. Everyone understands that. v15 But if a woman has long hair, it is beautiful. God gave long hair to her to cover her. v16 Some people may want to argue about this. But I have told you what we do. And all the churches (groups of Christians) do the same when they *worship God.

The *Lord’s Supper

v17 Now I must speak about something else. I am not happy about what happens at your meetings. Your meetings are more bad than good. v18 First, some people have told me that there are different groups among you. And these groups do not agree with each other when you meet together as God’s people. I believe that some of this is true. v19 But perhaps these groups have some purpose. Perhaps you need to be in separate groups when you do not agree. Then, as a result, you can see clearly which people among you are right. You can see which people God is happy with.

v20 You meet together so that you can *worship the *Lord. But you do not eat the *Lord’s Supper as you should eat it. v21 Each of you eats your own meal, and you do not wait for anyone else. So, as a result, one of you may be hungry, while another one drinks too much. v22 But certainly, you have your own homes where you can eat! You can drink there in your own homes too! You seem to think that God’s church (the meeting of God’s people) is not important. When you eat like this, you make the poor people feel ashamed. You cannot think that I will say good things about this. Certainly, I am not happy about these things that you do.

v23 The *Lord himself gave me this message, which I taught to you:

On the night when Judas sold the *Lord Jesus to Jesus’ enemies, Jesus had supper with his friends. Jesus took some bread at the supper. v24 He thanked God for the bread and then he broke it. He said: ‘This is my body, which is for you. Eat this bread, so that you remember me.’

v25 Then after supper, Jesus took a cup of *wine. He said: ‘Drink from this cup, because it is the new agreement. God has made this new agreement with my blood. Every time that you drink from the cup, do it to remember me.’

v26 Every time that you eat bread together like this, you are telling about the *Lord’s death. You eat bread and you drink *wine together. You are showing that he died on your behalf. You should continue to do this until he returns.

v27 We want to show how great and how good the *Lord is. So, we eat this bread and we drink from this cup together. But perhaps someone among us does not do it for that reason. Perhaps they do it in a way that they ought to be ashamed about. Then that person is doing something wrong. He should not be eating the *Lord’s Supper like that. He is doing something wrong against the *Lord’s body and the *Lord’s blood.

v28 So, each of us needs to think very carefully about our own life. Then we will know whether everything is right. We need to be sure that everything in our life is right with God. We should do this first. Then we can eat this bread and we can drink from this cup. v29 Nobody should ever eat and drink at the *Lord’s Supper in a wrong way. Anyone who does that is not recognising the *Lord’s body. That person will cause God to be angry with them because they are doing something wrong. So, God will *punish them. v30 That is why many of you are weak and sick. Some of you have died because of this. v31 But if we really think carefully about our own lives, we ourselves can recognise the wrong things. Then God will not need to decide about us because we are doing wrong things. He will not need to *punish us. v32 The *Lord decides to *punish us now so that we will learn not to do wrong things any longer. At the end, he will *punish all those people who do not believe Christ. But he does not want to *punish us for always, together with them.

v33 So, my Christian friends, you meet together to eat the *Lord’s Supper. Wait for each other when you meet like that. v34 If any of you are hungry, you should eat at home. Eat before you come. Then there will be nothing wrong. So then, when you meet together, the *Lord will not need to *punish you.

I will come to visit you. Then I will talk to you about all the other things.

Chapter 12

Gifts from God’s Spirit

v1 My friends, I want you to understand about those gifts that God’s Spirit gives to us. v2 You know how you lived in past times. You lived as people who do not know Christ. Things made you, in whatever way, *worship false gods that cannot speak. v3 I want you to understand me now. If God’s Spirit is helping someone, they cannot say: ‘Jesus is bad.’ And, unless God’s Spirit is helping them, nobody can really say: ‘Jesus is *Lord.’

v4 There are different kinds of gifts. But it is the same Spirit who gives them. v5 We serve the *Lord in many different ways, but all of us serve the same *Lord. v6 Different people can do different things. But the same God gives everything that we need to each of us. He makes us able to work for him as he wants us to do. v7 In each one of us, God shows in certain ways that his Spirit is present in us. He gives certain gifts to each of us so that we can help each other.

v8 The Spirit gives to one person a message that causes people to understand something. And he gives to another person a message that causes people to know something. v9 The same Spirit causes another person to believe God strongly. And he gives to someone else gifts to make sick people well. v10 The same Spirit causes another person to do miracles. And he causes another person to speak messages from God. He causes someone else to recognise the differences between different *spirits. He causes another person to speak in different kinds of languages. And the same Spirit causes someone else to explain what those languages mean. v11 It is the same Spirit who does all these things. He decides which gifts he will give to each person.

One body with many parts

v12 Each person has only one body, but that body has many parts. All those different parts make only one body. And it is like that with Christ too. v13 God baptised all of us by his one Spirit into one body. It made no difference whether we were *Jews or not. It made no difference whether we were slaves or free people. God gave his one Spirit to all of us to drink.

v14 A person’s body does not have only one part. No, it has many parts. v15 If the foot could speak, it might say: ‘I am not a hand, so I do not belong to this body.’ But what it says makes no difference. It is still a part of the body. v16 If the ear could speak, it might say: ‘I am not an eye, so I do not belong to this body.’ But what it says makes no difference. It does still belong to the body. v17 If the whole body was an eye, it could not hear. Or if the whole body was an ear, it could not know about different smells. v18 But God decided where he wanted to put each different part in our bodies.

v19 A body is not a body if it has only one part. v20 But there are many parts, and there is one whole body. v21 That is why the eye cannot say to the hand: ‘I do not need you.’ And the head cannot say to the feet: ‘I do not need you.’ v22 No. Even the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are really very necessary. v23 And we are most careful about the parts of our bodies that seem not to be worth very much. And we cover carefully those parts that we do not want people to see. v24 But we do not need to cover the beautiful parts of our bodies. God has put all the parts together in one body and some parts seem not to be worth very much. But God has made those parts more important. v25 So, the parts of the body do not quarrel. All the parts work together so that they help each other. v26 Then if one part of the body hurts, every other part hurts with it. Or perhaps people say that one part is doing well. Then every part is happy.

v27 All of you are Christ’s body. And each of you is a part of that body. v28 God has put different people in different places in his church (among his people). First, there are those people whom God sent to be special workers and leaders on his behalf. Second, there are those people whom God chose to speak his messages. Third, there are those people who are teachers. After that, there are people who do miracles. Then other people have gifts to make sick people well. There are those people who are able to help other people. There are those people who are guides to other people. And there are those people who can speak different kinds of languages.

v29 God did not send all of you to be his special workers and leaders. Not all of you can speak his messages. Not all of you are teachers. Not all of you do miracles. v30 Not all of you have gifts to make sick people well. Not all of you can speak in different kinds of languages. Nor can all of you explain what they say in those languages. v31 But it is good if you really want the more important gifts.

Now I will show you a way that is better than any other way.

Chapter 13

The most important thing is to love

v1 If I do not love, I am nothing. I may be able to speak different languages that people use. I may be able to speak languages that *angels use. But that is worth nothing unless I love. It is only like someone who is making a loud noise. It is only like someone who is hitting a loud bell. v2 I may be able to speak messages from God. I may know all the facts and I may understand all the secret things. I may believe God enough so that I could move mountains. But I am nothing if I do not love. v3 I may give all the things that I have to poor people. I may even let other people burn my body so that I die. But that is worth nothing if I do not love.

v4 If I love, I will be very patient. I will be kind. I will not want to be like other people so much that I get angry with them. I will not tell people how good I am. I will not think that I am better than other people. v5 If I love, I will always be polite. I will think about what other people want. I will not think only about what I myself want. I will not get angry quickly. And I will not always be remembering the wrong things that other people have done to me. v6 If I love, I will not be happy about bad things. But instead, I will be happy about things that are right and true. v7 If I really love people, I will never stop loving them. It will not matter what happens. Whatever things may happen, I will still continue to love. If I love, then, during all things, I will still continue to believe. If I love, then, during all things, I will still continue to hope for good things. If I love then, during all things, I will still continue to be patient and strong.

v8 If I love, that will never come to an end. But it is different for all those gifts that God has given to us. The time will come when we do not need them any longer. People will stop telling messages from God. They will stop speaking in special languages. The many things that people know will finish. v9 Now, at this time, we know only a small part of everything that is true. And we can tell other people only a small part of the messages that come from God. v10 Now, we have only a part of what God wants to give to us. But the time will come when he will give everything to us completely. Then we will not have only a part any longer.

v11 When I was a child, I talked like a child. I thought like a child thinks. I understood only what a child understands. But now that I am a man, I have stopped being like a child. v12 Now we see things as if we were looking at them in a dark mirror. What we see is not clear. But the time will come when we will see everything clearly. Now we know some things, but then we will understand all things. God knows us and he understands us completely. And we will understand like that too, then.

v13 So, there are three things that continue. We continue to believe God. We continue to hope for good things. We continue to love. But the greatest of these things is love.

Chapter 14

A language that people know is better than special languages

v1 So, want to love more than you want anything else. Also, want very much to have gifts from God’s Spirit. And want most to tell messages from God. Want that gift more than the other gifts. v2 Anyone who speaks in a special language speaks only to God. That person is not speaking to other people, because the other people do not understand him. The Spirit is causing him to speak about secret things, but other people do not understand. v3 But anyone who tells messages from God is speaking to other people. That person is helping other people to understand more, so that they become stronger. Also, he is helping people to be more sure and happier. He is helping them to be without trouble in their minds. v4 Anyone who speaks in a special language helps only himself. But a person who tells messages from God helps all the church (group of Christians) to be stronger.

v5 I want all of you to speak in special languages. But even more, I want you to tell God’s messages to people. Anyone who can tell messages from God is a very valuable person. That person is greater than someone who can speak in special languages. Anyone who speaks in special languages is less valuable to you. That person is less valuable unless they themselves can explain their special words. Then everyone can understand those words, and so they will help the church (group of Christians).

v6 My friends, if I come to visit you, perhaps I may speak in special languages to you. But that by itself will not help you. But I may tell you something that God has shown to me. Then, that will help you. I may tell you something that I know about God. Then, that will help you too. If I tell you a message from God, that will help you. Or if I teach you something, that will help you. v7 Think about music. The different kinds of instrument that we use to make music are not alive. We can use them to make clear, different sounds. If we do not use them like that, then nobody can recognise the music. v8 Soldiers will not prepare to fight the enemy unless they hear a clear sound from the trumpet.

v9 It is the same for you. You must speak words that people can understand. Only then will your message be clear. If people do not understand your words, then you will only be speaking those words into the air. v10 Certainly, there are many different languages in this world, and all of them mean something. v11 Perhaps a person will speak to me in a language that I do not know. But I will not understand what his words mean. So, I will be like a foreign person to him. And he will be like a foreign person to me also. v12 You yourselves really want the gifts that come from God’s Spirit. That is good. But the best gifts are those that will help the church (group of Christians) to become stronger. So, want those gifts more than any other gifts.

v13 So, anyone among you who speaks aloud in a special language should pray to God about it. Ask God to help you explain those words. v14 If I pray in a special language, only my *spirit prays. But I do not use my mind while I pray like that. v15 So, the best way is this: I should pray both with my *spirit and with my mind. Also, I should sing both with my *spirit and with my mind. v16 If you thank God only with your *spirit, other people cannot understand. They listen. But they do not understand what you are saying. So, they cannot agree with you and they cannot say ‘Amen’. v17 You may be really thanking God, but your words do not help anyone else there.

v18 I thank God that I speak in special languages more than all of you. v19 But when the church (group of Christians) meets together, I want you to understand my words. When we *worship God together, I want you to learn more about him. So, I would rather say five words that you understand then. I would rather say five words like that than thousands of words in a special language.

v20 My friends, do not think like children think. Babies do not know very much about bad things. So, with bad things, be like babies. But do not think and understand things like children. No, instead, think and understand like proper men and women. v21 It says in the *Old Testament:

‘I will cause foreign people to speak my messages to my people. These foreign people will speak to them in strange languages.

But my people will not listen to me, even if I speak to them by foreign people.’ That is what the *Lord said.

                                                                                    [Isaiah 28:11-12]

v22 So then, the gift from God that causes people to speak in special languages is a sign. It shows something to people who do not believe God. But it is not a sign for those people who do believe God. Also, the other gift from God that causes people to speak his messages is a sign. It shows something to those people who believe God. But it is not a sign for those people who do not believe.

v23 Think about when the whole church (group of Christians) meets together. Think about what might happen. All of you might be speaking in special languages, and then some strangers might come in. Those strangers might not know very much, or they might not believe God. Then certainly, they would say that you are crazy! v24 But if all of you are telling messages from God, it will be different. If a stranger comes in, then he will listen. He might not know very much, or he might not believe God. But still, he will understand that he is not right with God. The messages that all of you are telling will make him sure about that. v25 The messages from God will show every secret thought that the stranger thinks. And so, he will bend himself down and he will *worship God. He will say with a loud voice: ‘Certainly, God is here among you.’

How the church should *worship properly

v26 So, this is what you should do in your meetings, my friends. You meet together to *worship God. And then, each person among you has something to bring. One of you can suggest a song that all of you can sing to God. Another person has something to teach you. Someone else has something that God has shown to him. Another person has words that he speaks aloud in a special language. So then someone else will explain what those words mean. Do all these things for one reason. Do them so that you help to make the church (group of Christians) stronger.

v27 No more than two or three people should speak aloud in special languages. They should speak one person at a time. Then someone must explain what each person said. v28 But perhaps there is nobody there who can explain the special languages. Then, those people who can speak aloud in special languages must be quiet. They must speak only to themselves and to God.

v29 Two or three people can tell messages from God. Then those of you who are listening must think carefully about each message. You should decide carefully whether each message is good. v30 Perhaps someone among you will receive a message from God during the meeting. Then, if another person is already telling a message at that time, that other person should stop. v31 Each person among you can tell a message from God, but you must speak one person at a time. Then everyone will learn something and it will help all of you to believe God more. v32 All of you who can tell messages from God have authority over your own *spirits. v33 God does not want anyone to confuse his people. No, he wants us to do things properly. He wants us to be friends and to be without trouble among ourselves.

As in all the churches (groups) of God’s people everywhere, v34 the women should be quiet in the meetings. They should not speak, because they should be under authority. That is what the *Old Testament rules say also. v35 If a woman wants to ask about something, she should ask her husband at home. Women should be ashamed if they speak in the church. v36 Remember that the word of God certainly did not start from you! You are not the only people who have heard it, either.

v37 Someone may think that he really tells messages from God well. He may think that he has received gifts from God’s Spirit. So, that person should understand about what I am writing to you. He should recognise that it comes from the *Lord himself. The *Lord is telling his people that they must do it. v38 If that person refuses to recognise this, you should not believe his messages. Do not believe what he says.

v39 So, my friends, you should really want to tell messages from God. And do not stop someone when they speak in a special language. v40 But you must do everything in a right and proper way.

Chapter 15

Christ certainly did become alive again after he died

v1 Now, my friends, I want you to remember the good news that I taught you. You were happy to believe that message. And you still believe strongly that it is true. v2 You must continue to believe strongly that same good news. If you do, then it has saved you. If you do not, you have believed it for nothing.

v3 I received the good news from Christ and then I told that same most important message to you. I told you that Christ died on our behalf. So then, as a result, God chooses not to remember all the wrong things that we have done. And the *Old Testament told us that Christ would do this. v4 I told you that people buried Christ. Then God caused him to live again after three days. The *Old Testament tells us about this too. v5 After that, Christ appeared to Peter. Then later he appeared to his 12 special workers that he sent to tell the good news. v6 And after that, he appeared to more than 500 believers at the same time. Most of those 500 people are still alive, but some of them have died. v7 Then Christ appeared to James. Later he appeared to all the special workers that he had sent to tell the good news.

v8 After all these people had seen him, Christ appeared to me also. I was like someone who was born at the wrong time. v9 Christ sent other people to tell his message. And all of those other people are greater than I am. People should not really call me one of them, because I caused so much trouble for God’s church (people). I hurt Christians and I killed them. v10 But God was very kind to me. He changed me. He has made me what I am today. And I have not wasted what he has done in me. No, because I have worked more than all the other people that Christ sent to tell his message. But it was not really I myself who did that work. No, it was God himself who made me able to do the work. v11 So then, all of us teach this same good news about Christ. I teach it. And all the other special workers that Christ sent teach it too. And this is the message that you have believed.

Dead people can live again in Christ

v12 Our message is this: Christ died, but God raised him. God raised him, to make him alive again. So, some of you are wrong. You say that dead people do not live again. v13 But what you say cannot be true. It cannot be true, because then Christ would still be dead. You are saying, ‘God did not raise him, to make him alive again.’ v14 But if Christ is still dead, then our message to you is not true. There would be nothing for you to believe. v15 And even more important, we would have told you something false about God. We told you that God caused Christ to live again. But if dead people cannot live again, then that cannot be true. But it is true! v16 If God does not make dead people alive again, then Christ cannot be alive. But he is! v17 And if God did not make Christ alive again, then you have believed something false. There would be no reason for you to believe about Christ. God could not choose to forget all the wrong things that you have done. But he can! v18 Also, if God does not cause dead people to live again, then dead Christians would continue to be dead. They could not be alive with God. v19 And if Christ gives us a reason to hope during this life only, then we are the saddest people in the world! Then everybody should be more sorry for us than for any other people.

v20 But it is true that God raised Christ. And he did make him alive again. Yes, Christ died. But he has become the first of all dead people to live again. v21 It was because of one man, Adam, that people died. And it is because of another man, Christ, that people can rise. And people can live again. v22 All of us are in Adam’s family, so all of us must die. But all people who are in Christ will live again. v23 It is like this: Christ died and then he became alive again. So, he shows us the way. When he returns, his people will live again too. v24 Then the end will come and Christ will destroy every other ruler and power and authority. Then he will give everything to God, the Father, and God will rule. v25 Christ must rule as king until God has put all enemies under Christ’s feet (authority). v26 God will destroy the last enemy. And that enemy is death. v27 It says in the *Old Testament:

            ‘God has put all things under his feet (authority).’

                                                                                    [Psalm 8:6]

But it is clear that the words ‘all things’ do not include God himself. No, because it is God who put all things under Christ’s authority. v28 When God has put all things under Christ’s authority, then Christ, the Son, will put himself under God’s authority. So then God will be everything to everyone.

v29 Some Christians have died before anyone could baptise them. Some of you have let people baptise you on their behalf. But if dead people do not live again, there is no reason to baptise anyone on their behalf.

v30 Also, think about us! All the time we are in danger. v31 Christian friends, I say strongly to you that I die every day! That is as true as the fact that I am very happy because of you. It is a great thing that all of us are united with Christ Jesus our *Lord. v32 At Ephesus city, I fought as a man fights wild animals. But that would be worth nothing if dead people do not live again. If dead people do not live again, then we could say:

            ‘Tomorrow we will die.

            So let us eat and drink.’

                                                                                    [Isaiah 22:13]

v33 Do not believe false words. But these words are true:

            ‘Do not have friends who are bad. They will make you do the bad things that they do.’

v34 Start thinking properly! Do what is right! Stop doing wrong things! Some of you do not really know God. So, I am saying all this to make you feel ashamed about that.

New bodies

v35 One of you may ask: ‘How does God raise dead people, to make them alive again? What kind of body will they have?’ v36 You are a fool to ask those questions! When you plant a seed in the ground, it has to die first. It does not become alive again, unless it dies first. Then it can become alive again and grow into a new plant. v37 You put just a seed into the ground. It might be wheat or it might be another kind of seed. But you do not put into the ground the body of the plant that the seed will become. v38 But God makes that seed become a plant. He gives to it the special body that he has chosen for it. To each kind of seed, God gives its own body.

v39 All things that are alive are not the same. They have different kinds of bodies. People have one kind of body. Animals have another, different kind of body. Birds have another kind of body and fish have another kind. v40 Also, there are bodies in the sky and there are bodies here on the earth. The bodies in the sky are beautiful. But they are beautiful in a different way from the bodies on the earth. v41 The sun is beautiful. The moon is beautiful also, but it is different from the sun. The stars are beautiful too, but again they are different from the sun and the moon. Also, among the stars, one star is brighter than another star.

v42 So, when God makes a dead person alive again, it will be like this. The dead person’s human body, which we bury in the ground, had to die. But when God makes it alive again, it will never die. v43 At the time that we bury a body, it is not beautiful any longer. It is weak. When God makes it alive again, that body will be beautiful and strong. v44 What we bury in the ground is only a human body. What God makes alive again is a *spiritual body. There is a human body, so there has to be a *spiritual body also.

v45 It says in the *Old Testament:

            ‘The first man, Adam, became a human person who was alive.’

                                                                                    [Genesis 2:7]

But the last Adam (Christ) is the spirit who makes people live.

v46 The *spiritual body does not come first. No, what is human comes first. Then, after that, what is *spiritual comes. v47 God made the first man (Adam) out of the ground. But the second Adam came from *heaven. v48 People who belong to the earth are like the first man. They are like the man who came from the ground. But people who belong to *heaven are different. They are like the man who came from *heaven. v49 Our human bodies are like the first man, that God made out of the ground. But our *spiritual bodies will be like the man who came from *heaven. v50 I tell you this, Christian friends: Our human bodies cannot live always with God, in the place where he rules. The human body has to die. It cannot receive something that will continue always.

v51 Listen to me while I tell you a secret. Not all of us will die, but God will change all of us. v52 It will happen when the last trumpet makes a sound. He will change us in a moment of time. There will not even be enough time to close our eyes, while he is changing us. When that trumpet makes its sound, God will make the dead people alive again. He will give them bodies that will never die. And he will change all of us.

v53 All things that become old and weak must change. They must change into things that cannot become old and weak. Our bodies, that have to die, must change. They must become bodies that cannot die. v54 Our human bodies have to die. But they will become bodies that cannot die. And before this happens, God has told us about it in the *Old Testament. It says:

            ‘I have destroyed death. I have won completely!’

                                                                                    [Isaiah 25:8]

When he changes us, we will know this. We will know that it is true.

v55 God says to believers:

            ‘When you believers die, that is not the end.

            There is nothing to hurt you at that time.’

                                                                                    [Hosea 13:14]

v56 All of us have been wrong because we have not obeyed God’s rules. So, without Jesus, we would be afraid to die, because then God would have to *punish us. v57 But God causes us to win by our *Lord Jesus Christ. So, we thank God! And we are not afraid to die.

v58 So, my friends, that I love, continue to be strong. Continue holding on to God. Do not let anything move you from your place. Continue always to work on the *Lord’s behalf. Work very much for him. Everything that you do for him will have good results. It will not be a waste of time. You know that this is true.

Chapter 16

The gift of money for God’s people

v1 Now, I want to speak about the money that you will give to God’s people at Jerusalem. I told the churches (groups of Christians) in Galatia what they must do about that. You should do the same. v2 On the first day of every week, each of you should put some of your money in a special place. You should keep this money separate and safe. Then, when I come to you, your gift of money will be ready. Some of you have more money than other people, so you can give more. v3 Then you should choose people from your group who will take your gift to Jerusalem. I will visit you. And then, I will send those people to Jerusalem with letters from me. Those letters will tell the Christians at Jerusalem who is bringing your gift. v4 I may go myself also, if that seems the right thing for me to do. Then they can travel with me.

v5 But I must go to Macedonia first. After I have travelled through Macedonia, then I will come to you. v6 Perhaps I could remain with you for some time then. I may even stay for the whole winter. Then you can help me to continue my journey to the next place. I am not sure yet where that may be. v7 I want to stay with you for more than a short time, so I will not come immediately. If the *Lord says ‘Yes’ to this idea, then I hope to remain with you for many days. v8 But now, I will remain here at Ephesus city until Pentecost. v9 God has given me the chance to do a great and powerful work for him here. But there are many enemies here too.

Paul finishes his letter

v10 If Timothy comes to you, then make him feel completely happy there with you. He is doing the *Lord’s work, the same as I am doing the *Lord’s work. v11 So, nobody should think that Timothy is not important. You must help him to be free from trouble. Then, send him on his way, so that he can return to me. I am waiting for him, with the other Christian friends, to return here.

v12 Now I want to talk about our friend Apollos. I asked him very seriously to go, with the other Christians, so that he could visit you. But he does not think that this is the right time. He will go when he gets the chance.

v13 Be awake. Watch what is happening. Never stop believing God. Be brave and strong. v14 Do everything because you love God and other people.

v15 You know about Stephanas and his family. They were the first people in Achaia to become Christians. And they have given themselves to be servants of God’s people always. So, my friends, I ask you this strongly. v16 I ask you to let people like these be your leaders. Also, be ready to obey everyone else who helps with the same work. v17 I was very happy when Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus arrived here. You could not help me because you were far away. But they have given to me what you could not give. v18 They have made my *spirit strong and happy, the same as they made you strong and happy. People who are like that are very valuable. You ought to show them that you know that.

v19 The churches (groups of Christians) here in Asia say ‘Hello’ to you. Aquila and Priscilla, and the group that meets in their house, want very much to say ‘Hello’ to you. They love you because you are also the *Lord’s people. v20 All the Christians here say ‘Hello’ to you. When you meet each other, kiss each other like brothers and sisters.

v21 I myself am writing this now with my own hand: Hello from Paul. v22 If any of you do not really love the *Lord, he will *punish you. Come, *Lord, we are waiting for you! v23 I ask the *Lord Jesus Christ to be kind to all of you. v24 I love all of you, because Christ Jesus makes us join together.

Word List

AD ~ AD 50 means the year that was 50 years after Jesus came, and so on.

angel ~ *spirit *being. Good angels come from God’s home beyond the earth. They are God’s servants and they bring messages from God to people.

being ~ a person or animal that is alive.

cross ~ a piece of wood that someone has fastened across another piece. People put Jesus on a cross to kill him.

heaven ~ the place beyond the earth where God and Jesus Christ live.

Jew ~ a person who is born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children (Israel’s people).

Lord ~ master; another name for God or for Jesus. It means that he is greater than everyone else. A lord is someone who has authority to rule people.

Lord’s Supper ~ when Christians eat bread and drink *wine to remember Jesus.

Old Testament ~ the first part of the Bible, that describes events before Jesus’ life on earth.

power ~ what someone is able to do. Human power includes everything that we can think or do by ourselves, without God’s help.

punish ~ to hurt someone, or to cause trouble for them, because they have done wrong things.

Satan ~ the bad *spirit who wants to be God. He is the ruler of bad *angels and of everything that is bad. He is the enemy of Christians. Another name for Satan is the Devil.

spirit ~ a *being that is always alive, even without a body. A person’s spirit is the part of them that will always be alive. It will be alive even after their body is dead. There are good spirits, like God’s Spirit and his *angels. And there are bad spirits, like Satan (God’s enemy) and his *angels.

spiritual ~ about the *spirit.

wine ~ a drink that people make from small, sweet fruits called grapes. It has alcohol in it.

worship ~ to love and thank someone (God) more than anyone else.

Book List

A. Marshall ~ The Interlinear Greek-English New Testament

G. D. Fee ~ The New International Commentary on the New Testament: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Various Bible versions

 

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Book 46	1 Corinthians

King James Version

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001:001	Paul called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,
001:002	Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both their's and our's:
001:003	Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
001:004	I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;
001:005	That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;
001:006	Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:
001:007	So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:
001:008	Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
001:009	God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
001:010	Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
001:011	For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.
001:012	Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.
001:013	Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?
001:014	I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius;
001:015	Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name.
001:016	And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other.
001:017	For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.
001:018	For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
001:019	For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
001:020	Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
001:021	For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
001:022	For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
001:023	But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
001:024	But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
001:025	Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
001:026	For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
001:027	But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
001:028	And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
001:029	That no flesh should glory in his presence.
001:030	But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
001:031	That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

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002:001	And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.
002:002	For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
002:003	And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.
002:004	And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
002:005	That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
002:006	Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:
002:007	But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
002:008	Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
002:009	But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
002:010	But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
002:011	For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
002:012	Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
002:013	Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
002:014	But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
002:015	But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
002:016	For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

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003:001	And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
003:002	I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
003:003	For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
003:004	For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?
003:005	Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?
003:006	I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
003:007	So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
003:008	Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.
003:009	For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.
003:010	According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
003:011	For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
003:012	Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
003:013	Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
003:014	If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
003:015	If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
003:016	Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
003:017	If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
003:018	Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.
003:019	For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.
003:020	And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.
003:021	Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are your's;
003:022	Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are your's;
003:023	And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's.

---

004:001	Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.
004:002	Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
004:003	But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self.
004:004	For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.
004:005	Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.
004:006	And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.
004:007	For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?
004:008	Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us: and I would to God ye did reign, that we also might reign with you.
004:009	For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.
004:010	We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised.
004:011	Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace;
004:012	And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it:
004:013	Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.
004:014	I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you.
004:015	For though ye have ten thousand instructers in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.
004:016	Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.
004:017	For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church.
004:018	Now some are puffed up, as though I would not come to you.
004:019	But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power.
004:020	For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.
004:021	What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness?

---

005:001	It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife.
005:002	And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.
005:003	For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,
005:004	In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
005:005	To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
005:006	Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
005:007	Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
005:008	Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
005:009	I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:
005:010	Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.
005:011	But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.
005:012	For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?
005:013	But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.

---

006:001	Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?
006:002	Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
006:003	Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?
006:004	If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church.
006:005	I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren?
006:006	But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers.
006:007	Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?
006:008	Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.
006:009	Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
006:010	Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
006:011	And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
006:012	All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.
006:013	Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.
006:014	And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.
006:015	Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.
006:016	What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh.
006:017	But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.
006:018	Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
006:019	What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
006:020	For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

---

007:001	Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.
007:002	Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
007:003	Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.
007:004	The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.
007:005	Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.
007:006	But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment.
007:007	For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.
007:008	I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.
007:009	But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.
007:010	And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:
007:011	But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.
007:012	But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.
007:013	And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.
007:014	For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.
007:015	But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.
007:016	For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?
007:017	But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches.
007:018	Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised.
007:019	Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.
007:020	Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called.
007:021	Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather.
007:022	For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ's servant.
007:023	Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.
007:024	Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God.
007:025	Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: yet I give my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful.
007:026	I suppose therefore that this is good for the present distress, I say, that it is good for a man so to be.
007:027	Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife.
007:028	But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you.
007:029	But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none;
007:030	And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not;
007:031	And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.
007:032	But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord:
007:033	But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife.
007:034	There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.
007:035	And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction.
007:036	But if any man think that he behaveth himself uncomely toward his virgin, if she pass the flower of her age, and need so require, let him do what he will, he sinneth not: let them marry.
007:037	Nevertheless he that standeth stedfast in his heart, having no necessity, but hath power over his own will, and hath so decreed in his heart that he will keep his virgin, doeth well.
007:038	So then he that giveth her in marriage doeth well; but he that giveth her not in marriage doeth better.
007:039	The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.
007:040	But she is happier if she so abide, after my judgment: and I think also that I have the Spirit of God.

---

008:001	Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.
008:002	And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.
008:003	But if any man love God, the same is known of him.
008:004	As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one.
008:005	For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,)
008:006	But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.
008:007	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.
008:008	But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse.
008:009	But take heed lest by any means this liberty of your's become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.
008:010	For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols;
008:011	And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?
008:012	But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.
008:013	Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.

---

009:001	Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord?
009:002	If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord.
009:003	Mine answer to them that do examine me is this,
009:004	Have we not power to eat and to drink?
009:005	Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?
009:006	Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working?
009:007	Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?
009:008	Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also?
009:009	For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?
009:010	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.
009:011	If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?
009:012	If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ.
009:013	Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?
009:014	Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.
009:015	But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void.
009:016	For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!
009:017	For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.
009:018	What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.
009:019	For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.
009:020	And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;
009:021	To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.
009:022	To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
009:023	And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.
009:024	Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
009:025	And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
009:026	I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
009:027	But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

---

010:001	Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
010:002	And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
010:003	And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
010:004	And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
010:005	But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
010:006	Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
010:007	Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
010:008	Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.
010:009	Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.
010:010	Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.
010:011	Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
010:012	Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
010:013	There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
010:014	Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.
010:015	I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say.
010:016	The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?
010:017	For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.
010:018	Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?
010:019	What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing?
010:020	But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.
010:021	Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils.
010:022	Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?
010:023	All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.
010:024	Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth.
010:025	Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake:
010:026	For the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof.
010:027	If any of them that believe not bid you to a feast, and ye be disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake.
010:028	But if any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that shewed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof:
010:029	Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other: for why is my liberty judged of another man's conscience?
010:030	For if I by grace be a partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks?
010:031	Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
010:032	Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:
010:033	Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.

---

011:001	Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.
011:002	Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.
011:003	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.
011:004	Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head.
011:005	But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.
011:006	For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.
011:007	For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.
011:008	For the man is not of the woman: but the woman of the man.
011:009	Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.
011:010	For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.
011:011	Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.
011:012	For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God.
011:013	Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered?
011:014	Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?
011:015	But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.
011:016	But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.
011:017	Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse.
011:018	For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.
011:019	For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.
011:020	When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper.
011:021	For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.
011:022	What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.
011:023	For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:
011:024	And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
011:025	After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
011:026	For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.
011:027	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.
011:028	But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
011:029	For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
011:030	For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
011:031	For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
011:032	But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.
011:033	Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another.
011:034	And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.

---

012:001	Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
012:002	Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.
012:003	Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
012:004	Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
012:005	And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
012:006	And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
012:007	But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
012:008	For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
012:009	To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
012:010	To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
012:011	But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
012:012	For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
012:013	For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
012:014	For the body is not one member, but many.
012:015	If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
012:016	And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
012:017	If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
012:018	But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
012:019	And if they were all one member, where were the body?
012:020	But now are they many members, yet but one body.
012:021	And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
012:022	Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:
012:023	And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.
012:024	For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked.
012:025	That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.
012:026	And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
012:027	Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
012:028	And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
012:029	Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?
012:030	Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?
012:031	But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

---

013:001	Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
013:002	And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
013:003	And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
013:004	Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
013:005	Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
013:006	Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
013:007	Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
013:008	Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
013:009	For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
013:010	But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
013:011	When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
013:012	For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
013:013	And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

---

014:001	Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.
014:002	For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.
014:003	But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.
014:004	He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.
014:005	I would that ye all spake with tongues but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.
014:006	Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine?
014:007	And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped?
014:008	For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?
014:009	So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air.
014:010	There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification.
014:011	Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me.
014:012	Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.
014:013	Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret.
014:014	For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.
014:015	What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.
014:016	Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest?
014:017	For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified.
014:018	I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all:
014:019	Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.
014:020	Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.
014:021	In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord.
014:022	Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.
014:023	If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?
014:024	But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all:
014:025	And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.
014:026	How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.
014:027	If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret.
014:028	But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.
014:029	Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.
014:030	If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace.
014:031	For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.
014:032	And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.
014:033	For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
014:034	Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law.
014:035	And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.
014:036	What? came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only?
014:037	If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.
014:038	But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.
014:039	Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.
014:040	Let all things be done decently and in order.

---

015:001	Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
015:002	By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
015:003	For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
015:004	And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
015:005	And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:
015:006	After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
015:007	After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.
015:008	And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.
015:009	For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
015:010	But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
015:011	Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.
015:012	Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?
015:013	But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:
015:014	And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.
015:015	Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.
015:016	For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:
015:017	And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
015:018	Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.
015:019	If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
015:020	But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
015:021	For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
015:022	For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
015:023	But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
015:024	Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
015:025	For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
015:026	The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
015:027	For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.
015:028	And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.
015:029	Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?
015:030	And why stand we in jeopardy every hour?
015:031	I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
015:032	If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die.
015:033	Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.
015:034	Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.
015:035	But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?
015:036	Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:
015:037	And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain:
015:038	But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.
015:039	All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.
015:040	There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.
015:041	There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.
015:042	So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
015:043	It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:
015:044	It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
015:045	And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
015:046	Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
015:047	The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven.
015:048	As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
015:049	And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
015:050	Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
015:051	Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
015:052	In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
015:053	For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
015:054	So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
015:055	O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
015:056	The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
015:057	But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
015:058	Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

---

016:001	Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye.
016:002	Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.
016:003	And when I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem.
016:004	And if it be meet that I go also, they shall go with me.
016:005	Now I will come unto you, when I shall pass through Macedonia: for I do pass through Macedonia.
016:006	And it may be that I will abide, yea, and winter with you, that ye may bring me on my journey whithersoever I go.
016:007	For I will not see you now by the way; but I trust to tarry a while with you, if the Lord permit.
016:008	But I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost.
016:009	For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.
016:010	Now if Timotheus come, see that he may be with you without fear: for he worketh the work of the Lord, as I also do.
016:011	Let no man therefore despise him: but conduct him forth in peace, that he may come unto me: for I look for him with the brethren.
016:012	As touching our brother Apollos, I greatly desired him to come unto you with the brethren: but his will was not at all to come at this time; but he will come when he shall have convenient time.
016:013	Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.
016:014	Let all your things be done with charity.
016:015	I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,)
016:016	That ye submit yourselves unto such, and to every one that helpeth with us, and laboureth.
016:017	I am glad of the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus: for that which was lacking on your part they have supplied.
016:018	For they have refreshed my spirit and your's: therefore acknowledge ye them that are such.
016:019	The churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.
016:020	All the brethren greet you. Greet ye one another with an holy kiss.
016:021	The salutation of me Paul with mine own hand.
016:022	If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.
016:023	The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
016:024	My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.

 

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