St. Paul, having planted the faithful in Corinth, where he had preached a year and a half and converted a great many, went to Ephesus. After being there three years, he wrote this first Epistle to the Corinthians and sent it by the same persons, Stephanus, Fortunatus and Achaicus, who had brought their letter to him. It was written about twenty-four years after our Lord's Ascension and contains several matters appertaining to faith and morals and also to ecclesiastical discipline.
Chapters:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16
1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes a brother,
2 To the church of God that is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that invoke the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, in every place of theirs and ours.
3 Grace to you, and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I give thanks to my God always for you, for the grace of God that is given you in Christ Jesus,
5 That in all things you are made rich in him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;
6 As the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you,
7 So that nothing is wanting to you in any grace, waiting for the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
8 Who also will confirm you unto the end without crime, in the day of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 God is faithful: by whom you are called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no schisms among you; but that you be perfect in the same mind, and in the same judgment.
11 For it hath been signified unto me, my brethren, of you, by them that are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.
12 Now this I say, that every one of you saith: I indeed am of Paul; and I am of Apollo; and I am of Cephas; and I of Christ.
13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul then crucified for you? or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
14 I give God thanks, that I baptized none of you but Crispus and Caius;
15 Lest any should say that you were baptized in my name.
16 And I baptized also the household of Stephanus; besides, I know not whether I baptized any other.
17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not in wisdom of speech, lest the cross of Christ should be made void.
18 For the word of the cross, to them indeed that perish, is foolishness; but to them that are saved, that is, to us, it is the power of God.
19 For it is written: I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the prudence of the prudent I will reject.
20 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?
21 For seeing that in the wisdom of God the world, by wisdom, knew not God, it pleased God, by the foolishness of our preaching, to save them that believe.
22 For both the Jews require signs, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews indeed a stumblingblock, and unto the Gentiles foolishness:
24 But unto them that are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
26 For see your vocation, brethren, that there are not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble:
27 But the foolish things of the world hath God chosen, that he may confound the wise; and the weak things of the world hath God chosen, that he may confound the strong.
28 And the base things of the world, and the things that are contemptible, hath God chosen, and things that are not, that he might bring to nought things that are:
29 That no flesh should glory in his sight.
30 But of him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and justice, and sanctification, and redemption:
31 That, as it is written: He that glorieth, may glory in the Lord.
1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not in loftiness of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of Christ.
2 For I judged not myself to know anything among you, but Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.
4 And my speech and my preaching was not in the persuasive words of human wisdom, but in shewing of the Spirit and power;
5 That your faith might not stand on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.
6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among the perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, neither of the princes of this world that come to nought;
7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, a wisdom which is hidden, which God ordained before the world, unto our glory :
8 Which none of the princes of this world knew; for if they had known it, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory.
9 But, as it is written: That eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man, what things God hath prepared for them that love him.
10 But to us God hath revealed them, by this Spirit. For the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, but the spirit of a man that is in him? So the things also that are of God no man knoweth, but the Spirit of God.
12 Now we have received not the spirit of this world, but the Spirit that is of God; that we may know the things that are given us from God.
13 Which things also we speak, not in the learned words of human wisdom; but in the doctrine of the Spirit, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
14 But the sensual man perceiveth not these things that are of the Spirit of God; for it is foolishness to him, and he cannot understand, because it is spiritually examined.
15 But the spiritual man judgeth all things; and he himself is judged of no man.
16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that we may instruct him? But we have
the mind of Christ.
1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal. As unto little ones in Christ.
2 I gave you milk to drink, not meat; for you were not able as yet. But neither indeed are you now able; for you are yet carnal.
3 For, whereas there is among you envying and contention, are you not carnal, and walk according to man ?
4 For while one saith, I indeed am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollo; are you not men ? What then is Apollo, and what is Paul?
5 The ministers of him whom you have believed; and to every one as the Lord hath given.
6 I have planted, Apollo watered, but God gave the increase.
7 Therefore, neither he that planteth is any thing, nor he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
8 Now he that planteth, and he that watereth, ate one. And every man shall receive his own reward, according to his own labour.
9 For we are God's coadjutors: you are God's husbandry; you are God's building.
10 According to the grace of God that is given to me, as a wise architect, I have laid the foundation; and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
11 For other foundation no man can lay, but that which is laid; which is Christ Jesus.
12 Now if any man build upon this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble:
13 Every man's work shall be manifest; for the day of the Lord shall declare it, because it shall be revealed in fire; and the fire shall try every man's work, of what sort it is.
14 If any man's work abide, which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
15 If any man's work burn, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire.
16 Know you not, that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you ?
17 But if any man violate the temple of God, him shall God destroy. For the temple of God is holy, which you are.
18 Let no man deceive himself: if any man among you seem to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.
19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written: I will catch the wise in their own craftiness.
20 And again: The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.
21 Let no man therefore glory in men.
22 For all things are yours, whether it be Paul, or Apollo, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to some; for all are yours;
23 And you are Christ's; and Christ is God's.
1 Let a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ, and the dispensers of the mysteries of God.
2 Here now it is required among the dispensers, that a man be found faithful.
3 But to me it is a very small thing to be judged by you, or by man's day; but neither do I judge my own self.
4 For I am not conscious to myself of any thing, yet am I not hereby justified; but he that judgeth me, is the Lord.
5 Therefore judge not 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 from God.
6 But these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollo, for your sakes; that in us you may learn, that one be not puffed up against the other for another, above that which is written.
7 For who distinguisheth thee ? Or what hast thou that thou hast not received ? And if thou hast received, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it ?
8 You are now full; you are now become rich; you reign without us; and I would to God you did reign, that we also might reign with you.
9 For I think that God hath set forth us apostles, the last, as it were men appointed to death: we are made a spectacle to the world, and to angels, and to men.
10 We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are honourable, but we without honour.
11 Even unto this hour we both hunger and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no fixed abode;
12 And we labour, working with our own hands: we are reviled, and we bless; we are persecuted, and we suffer it.
13 We are blasphemed, and we entreat; we are made as the refuse of this world, the offscouring of all even until now.
14 I write not these things to confound you; but I admonish you as my dearest children.
15 For if you have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet not many fathers. For in Christ Jesus, by the gospel, I have begotten you.
16 Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me, as I also am of Christ.
17 For this cause have I sent to you Timothy, who is my dearest son and faithful in the Lord; who will put you in mind of my ways, which are in Christ Jesus; as I teach every where in every church.
18 As if I would not come to you, so some are puffed up.
19 But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will: and will know, not the speech of them that are puffed up, but the power.
20 For the kingdom of God is not in speech, but in power.
21 What will you ? shall I come to you with a rod; or in charity, and in the
spirit of meekness ?
1 It is absolutely heard, that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as the like is not among the heathens; that one should have his father's wife.
2 And you are puffed up; and have not rather mourned, that he might be taken away from among you, that hath done this deed.
3 I indeed, absent in body, but present in spirit, have already judged, as though I were present, him that hath so done,
4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, you being gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus;
5 To deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
6 Your glorying is not good. Know you not that a little leaven corrupteth the whole lump ?
7 Purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new paste, as you are unleavened. For Christ our pasch is sacrificed.
8 Therefore let us feast, not with the old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
9 I wrote to you in an epistle, not to keep company with fornicators.
10 I mean not with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or the extortioners, or the servers of idols; otherwise you must needs go out of this world.
11 But now I have written to you, not to keep company, if any man that is named a brother, be a fornicator, or covetous, or a server of idols, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner: with such a one, not so much as to eat.
12 For what have I to do to judge them that are without ? Do not you judge them that are within ?
13 For them that are without, God will judge. Put away the evil one from among
yourselves.
1 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to be judged before the unjust, and not before the saints ?
2 Know you not that the saints shall judge this world ? And if the world shall be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters ?
3 Know you not that we shall judge angels ? how much more things of this world ?
4 If therefore you have judgments of things pertaining to this world, set them to judge, who are the most despised in the church.
5 I speak to your shame. Is it so that there is not among you any one wise man, that is able to judge between his brethren ?
6 But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before unbelievers.
7 Already indeed there is plainly a fault among you, that you have lawsuits one with another. Why do you not rather take wrong? Why do you not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?
8 But you do wrong and defraud, and that to your brethren.
9 Know you not that the unjust shall not possess the kingdom of God? Do not err: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers,
10 Nor the effeminate, nor liers with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor railers, nor extortioners, shall possess the kingdom of God.
11 And such some of you were; but you are washed, but you are sanctified, but you are justified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Spirit of our God.
12 All things are lawful to me, but all things are not expedient. All things are lawful to me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.
13 Meat for the belly, and the belly for the meats; but God shall destroy both it and them: but the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.
14 Now God hath both raised up the Lord, and will raise us up also by his power.
15 Know you 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.
16 Or know you not, that he who is joined to a harlot, is made one body ? For they shall be, saith he, two in one flesh.
17 But he who is joined to the Lord, is one spirit.
18 Fly fornication. Every sin that a man doth, is without the body; but he that committeth fornication, sinneth against his own body.
19 Or know you not, that your members are the temple of the Holy Ghost, who is in you, whom you have from God; and you are not your own ?
20 For you are bought with a great price. Glorify and bear God in your body.
1 Now concerning the thing whereof you wrote to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.
2 But for fear of fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
3 Let the husband render the debt to his wife, and the wife also in like manner to the husband.
4 The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband. And in like manner the husband also hath not power of his own body, but the wife.
5 Defraud not one another, except, perhaps, by consent, for a time, that you may give yourselves to prayer; and return together again, lest Satan tempt you for your incontinency.
6 But I speak this by indulgence, not by commandment.
7 For I would that all men were even as myself: but every one hath his proper gift from God; one after this manner, and another after that.
8 But I say to the unmarried, and to the widows: It is good for them if they so continue, even as I.
9 But if they do not contain themselves, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to be burnt.
10 But to them that are married, not I but the Lord commandeth, that the wife depart not from her husband.
11 And if she depart, that she remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband. And let not the husband put away his wife.
12 For to the rest I speak, not the Lord. If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she consent to dwell with him, let him not put her away.
13 And if any woman hath a husband that believeth not, and he consent to dwell with her, let her not put away her husband.
14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the believing wife; and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the believing husband: otherwise your children should be unclean; but now they are holy.
15 But if the unbeliever depart, let him depart. For a brother or sister is not under servitude in such cases. But God hath called us in peace.
16 For how knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband ? Or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife ?
17 But as the Lord hath distributed to every one, as God hath called every one, so let him walk: and so in all churches I teach.
18 Is any man called, being circumcised ? let him not procure uncircumcision. Is any man called in uncircumcision ? let him not be circumcised.
19 Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing: but the observance of the commandments of God.
20 Let every man abide in the same calling in which he was called.
21 Wast thou called, being a bondman ? care not for it; but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather.
22 For he that is called in the Lord, being a bondman, is the freeman of the Lord. Likewise he that is called, being free, is the bondman of Christ.
23 You are bought with a price; be not made the bondslaves of men.
24 Brethren, let every man, wherein he was called, therein abide with God.
25 Now concerning virgins, I have no commandment of the Lord; but I give counsel, as having obtained mercy of the Lord, to be faithful.
26 I think therefore that this is good for the present necessity, that it is good for a man so to be.
27 Art thou bound to a wife ? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife ? seek not a wife.
28 But if thou take a wife, thou hast not sinned. And if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned: nevertheless, such shall have tribulation of the flesh. But I spare you.
29 This therefore I say, brethren; the time is short; it remaineth, that they also who have wives, be as if they had none;
30 And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as if they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not;
31 And they that use this world, as if they used it not: for the fashion of this world passeth away.
32 But I would have you to be without solicitude. He that is without a wife, is solicitous for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please God.
33 But he that is with a wife, is solicitous for the things of the world, how he may please his wife: and he is divided.
34 And the unmarried woman and the virgin thinketh on the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she that is married thinketh on the things of the world, how she may please her husband.
35 And this I speak for your profit: not to cast a snare upon you; but for that which is decent, and which may give you power to attend upon the Lord, without impediment.
36 But if any man think that he seemeth dishonoured, with regard to his virgin, for that she is above the age, and it must so be: let him do what he will; he sinneth not, if she marry.
37 For he that hath determined being steadfast in his heart, having no necessity, but having power of his own will; and hath judged this in his heart, to keep his virgin, doth well.
38 Therefore, both he that giveth his virgin in marriage, doth well; and he that giveth her not, doth better.
39 A woman is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband die, she is at liberty: let her marry to whom she will; only in the Lord.
40 But more blessed shall she be, if she so remain, according to my counsel; and
I think that I also have the spirit of God.
1 Now concerning those things that are sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up; but charity edifieth.
2 And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he hath not yet known as he ought to know.
3 But if any any love God, the same is known by him.
4 But as for the meats that are sacrificed to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no God but one.
5 For although there be that are called gods, either in heaven or on earth (for there be gods many, and lords many);
6 Yet to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we unto him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.
7 But there is not knowledge in every one. For some until this present, with conscience of the idol: eat as a thing sacrificed to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.
8 But meat doth not commend us to God. For neither, if we eat, shall we have the more; nor, if we eat not, shall we have the less.
9 But take heed lest perhaps this your liberty become a stumblingblock to the weak.
10 For if a man see him that hath knowledge sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not his conscience, being weak, be emboldened to eat those things which are sacrificed to idols ?
11 And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ hath died ?
12 Now when you sin thus against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.
13 Wherefore, if meat scandalize my brother, I will never eat flesh, lest I
should scandalize my brother.
1 Am not I free? Am not I an apostle? Have not I seen Christ Jesus our Lord? Are not you my work in the Lord?
2 And if unto others I be not an apostle, but yet to you I am. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
3 My defence with them that do examine me is this.
4 Have not we power to eat and to drink?
5 Have we not power to carry about a woman, a sister, as well as the rest of the apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?
6 Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to do this?
7 Who serveth as a soldier at any time, at his own charges? Who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? Who feedeth the flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?
8 Speak I these things according to man? Or doth not the law also say these things?
9 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?
10 Or doth he say this indeed for our sakes? For these things are written for our sakes: that he that plougheth, should plough in hope; and he that thrasheth, in hope to receive fruit.
11 If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great matter if we reap your carnal things?
12 If others be partakers of this power over you, why not we rather? Nevertheless, we have not used this power: but we bear all things, lest we should give any hindrance to the gospel of Christ.
13 Know you not, that they who work in the holy place, eat the things that are of the holy place; and they that serve the altar, partake with the altar?
14 So also the Lord ordained that they who preach the gospel, should live by the gospel.
15 But I have used none of these things. Neither have I written these things, that they should be so done unto me: for it is good for me to die, rather than that any man should make my glory void.
16 For if I preach the gospel, it is no glory to me, for a necessity lieth upon me: for woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel.
17 For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation is committed to me:
18 What is my reward then? That preaching the gospel, I may deliver the gospel without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.
19 For whereas I was free as to all, I made myself the servant of all, that I might gain the more.
20 And I became to the Jews, a Jew, that I might gain the Jews:
21 To them that are under the law, as if I were under the law, (whereas myself was not under the law,) that I might gain them that were under the law. To them that were without the law, as if I were without the law, (whereas I was not without the law of God, but was in the law of Christ,) that I might gain them that were without the law.
22 To the weak I became weak, that I might gain the weak. I became all things to all men, that I might save all.
23 And I do all things for the gospel's sake: that I may be made partaker thereof.
24 Know you not that they that run in the race, all run indeed, but one receiveth the prize ? So run that you may obtain.
25 And every one that striveth for the mastery, refraineth himself from all things: and they indeed that they may receive a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible one.
26 I therefore so run, not as at an uncertainty: I so fight, not as one beating the air:
27 But I chastise my body, and bring it into subjection: lest perhaps, when I
have preached to others, I myself should become a castaway.
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