Totally Free Bible Version - Complete Book of 1 Corinthians

Totally Free Bible Version Index

Chapter 1

¹From Paul, called to be an apostle for Christ Jesus by God's will, and also from Brother Sosthenes, ²to the church of God in Corinth, who are made holy in Christ Jesus, called as saints, along with all those who call on the name of our Lord Jesus the Messiah everywhere, their Lord and ours: ³Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁴I always thank my God for you because of the grace of God that is given to you in Christ Jesus, ⁵because you have been enriched in him, and in every word and in all knowledge, ⁶just as the mystery of Christ has been confirmed among you, ⁷so that you don't lack in any spiritual gift as you wait eagerly for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁸Jesus also will keep you grounded to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹God, the onen who called you into the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful. ¹⁰But I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you speak in unity, and that there not be divisions among you. Let yourselves become of one mind and of one opinion. ¹¹For I've heard something about you, my brothers and sisters, from those of the household of Chloe. I'm told there are factions among you! ¹²This is what I'm saying: Each one of you says, "I'm of Paul!" or "I'm of Apollos!" or "I'm of Cephas!" or even "I'm of Christ!" ¹³Has Christ been divided? Surely it wasn't Paul who was crucified for you, or into Paul's name that you were baptized! ¹⁴I thank God that I didn't baptize any of you except for Crispus and Gaius, ¹⁵So that nobody could say that you were baptized into my name. ¹⁶Well, I did baptize the household of Stephanos, and as for the rest, I don't know whether I baptized anyone else. ¹⁷For Christ didn't send me forth to baptize, but to give the good news, not in wise words, so that the cross of Christ would not be made empty!

¹⁸For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing,but to us who are being saved it is God's power. ¹⁹For it is written:

I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the intelligence of the intelligent I will set aside.
²⁰Who is wise? Who is a scribe? Who is a debater of this age? Has not God make the wisdom of the world foolishness? ²¹For the message of the cross is foolishnessto those who are perishing,but to us who are being saved it is God's power. For since in the wisdom of god the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God to save those who believe through the foolisness of proclamation. ²²And since the Jews ask for a sign, and the Greeks seek wisdom, ²³but we, for our part, preach Christ crucified, a scandal to the Jews, and foolishness to the Greeks, ²⁴But to those who are called, Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power and wisdom of God. ²⁵Because foolishness of God is wiser than the wisdom of humanity, and the weakness of God is stronger than the strength of humanity.

²⁶Now you see the way you were called, my brothers and sisters, that not many who were wise according to the flesh, or powerful, or of good birth were called. ²⁷But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and he chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong, ²⁸and the world's inferior and despised things God chose--the things that are not to invalidate the things that are. ²⁹So don't let any person boast before God! ³⁰It was by God's action that you are in Christ Jesus. Jesus became wisdom for us from God, and also righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, ³¹So that it might be just as it is written, "Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord."

Chapter 2

¹Now when I came to you, brothers and sisters, I didn't come proclaiming the mystery of God like a superior person in terms of presentation or wisdom. ²For I did not choose to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. ³But I came to you weak and trembling with fear. ⁴I did not proclaim the message with persuasive words of wisdom, but by demonstrating spiritual power, ⁵so you would not trust in the wisdom of human beings, but in the power of God.

⁶Now we do speak widom among the mature, but it's a wisdom not of this age, neither of the ruling powers of this age which are being abolished, ⁷but we speak an "of God" type of wisdom, concealed in a mystery, which God foreordained before the ages for our glory, ⁸which none of the ruling powers of this age knew, for if they had known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

⁹But just as it has been written,
The things that eye has not seen, neither ears heard,
nor have entered the heart of any person,
the things which God has prepared for those who love him.
¹⁰But God revealed them to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit investigates all things, even the depths of God. ¹¹For who knows the nature of a person except the spirit of the person that is in him? Thus also nobody knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. ¹²But we didn't receive the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is from God, so that we might know the things God has graciously given us. ¹³The things which we also speak, not in learned words of human wisdom but with the instruction of the Spirit, we explain spiritual things with spiritual.

¹⁴Now the physical man/person cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot know them, because they are understood spiritually. ¹⁵But the spiritual person judges all things, but he himself is not judged by anyone. ¹⁶For who has come to know the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?

But we have the mind of Christ!

Chapter 3

¹And as for me, brethren, I was unable to speak to you as to spiritual persons, but as to fleshly person, like babes in Christ. ²I gave you milk to drink, not solid food. For you were not yet able to receive it. But you are still not able to receive it now, ³for you are fleshly. For when there is jealousy and strife, are you not fleshly and are you not living by human standards? ⁴For whenever anyone says, I, on the one hand am of Paul, but another, I am of Apollos, are you not human? ⁵Who then is Apollos? and who is Paul? Servants through whom you came to trust, and to each as the Lord gave. ⁶I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused growth. ⁷So that neither the one who plants, nor the one who waters are anything, but God, who causes the growth. ⁸The one who plants and the one who waters are one, but each will receive his own wage according to his own toil. ⁹For we are God's coworkers. The land belongs to God. The building belongs to God.

¹⁰According to the grace of God which was given to me I laid the foundation as a wise architect, but another built. But let each one be careful how he builds. ¹¹Nobody can lay any other foundation than the one which is laid, Jesus Christ. ¹²But if anyone bulds upon a foundation of gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble, ¹³the work of each one will become clear for the day will appear when it is revealed in fire, and the fire will test the work of each one, seeing what type it is. ¹⁴If anyone's work that he built remains, he will receive a reward. ¹⁵If anyone's work burns up, he will suffer loss, but he will be saved, as though through fire. ¹⁶Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the spirit of God dwells in you? ¹⁷If anyone destroys the temple of God, God will destroy that one. For the temple of God is holy, and you are that temple.

¹⁸Let no one decieve himself. If anyone thinks himself wise among you in this age, let him become a fool, so that he might become wise. ¹⁹For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written:

He entraps the wise in their craftiness.
²⁰and again

The Lord knows the reasoning of the wise, that they are vain. ²¹So that nobody might boast in men. For all things are yours. ²²Whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world, or death or things present or things to come, everything is yours, ²³but you are of Christ and Christ of God.

Chapter 4

¹So let us be considered as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. ²Further it is sought in stewards that a person be found faithful. ³But with me it is a very little thing that I should be judged by you or by any human judge. ⁴For I know nothing against myself, but it is not in this that I am justified. It is the Lord who judges me. ⁵So that not before the time you should judge anyone until the Lord comes, who will also make light the hidden things of the darkness and will reveal the desires of our hearts. And then the praise will come to each from God.

⁶But these things, brethren, I applied to myself and Apollos because of you, so than in us you might learn the meaning of "Nothing beyond what is written," so that no one should be puffed up above the other. ⁷For who will judge you? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you also received, what do you have to boast about as recipients? ⁸You are already satisfied! You are already rich! You have already become kings without our help! It would be nice if you had become kings, so that we could reign with you. ⁹For I think that God has put us apostles on display as the last, as men about to die, because we have become like a drama to the whole world, to angels and to human beings. ¹⁰We are fools because of Christ, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. We are honored, we are disreputable. ¹¹Until now we are hungry and thirsty. We go naked, we are beaten and are homeless. ¹²And we tire ourselves out working with our own hands. When we are reviled, we bless, when we are persecuted, we take it, ¹³slandered we encourage. We are still like the refuse of the world, the scum of all.

¹⁴I don't write these things to you to shame you, but to guide you as beloved children. ¹⁵For you may have many teachers in Christ, but not many fathers. For I gave birth to you in Christ Jesus through the good news. ¹⁶I urge you then, imitate me. ¹⁷For this reason I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, who will remind you o my ways in Christ Jesus just as I teach in all the churches everywhere. ¹⁸Some have become arrogant because they think I'm not coming to you. ¹⁹But I will come to you quickly if the Lord wills, and I will know not the word of those who are arrogant, but their power. ²⁰For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. ²¹What do you want? Shall I come to you wiht a rod, or in love with a gentle spirit?

Chapter 5

¹It is heard generally that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as [is accepted] even among the gentiles, such that a certain one of you is engaging in a sexual relationship with his father's wife. ²And you, on your part, are puffed up with pride! You should rather have mourned so that the one who did committed such an act might be removed from your midst. ³Now I, for my part, though away from you in body but with you in spirit, have already judged the one who has done this. ⁴in the name of our Lord Jesus having gathered yourselves together along with my spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus, ⁵to give such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that the spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord. ⁶Your boasting is not good. Don't you know that a little leaven leavens the entire loaf? ⁷Clean out the old leaven, so taht you might be a new loaf, just as you are unleavened {already}. For also our passover, Christ has been slain. ⁸So that we might celebrate the festival not in old leaven, nor in the leaven of evil and wickedness, but in unleavened simplicity and truth.

⁹I wrote to you in my letter not to mix together with fornicators, ¹⁰doubtless not with all the fornicators of this world or with the greedy or robbers or idolaters, since you would then need to exit from the world. ¹¹But now I wrote {or have written}, to you not to mix together if anyone calls himself a brother and is a fornicator or greedy person or idolater or slanderer or drunkard or a thief, with such a one don't even eat! ¹²Why should I judge those outside? Is it not those inside we are to judge? ¹³And God judges those who are outside. "Take away from among yourselves the evil person."

Chapter 6

¹Do some of you dare, when you have a dispute with another, to have it judged by the unrighteous and not by the saints? ²Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy of (even) the least judgment? ³Don't you know that we will judge angels, not to mention the things of ordinary life. ⁴Then on the other hand if you have a lawsuit in reference to the ordinary things of life, will you then seat those who are disdained in the church as judges? ⁵I speak this to you for shame! So is there not one among you who is wise, who would be able to judge between brothers? ⁶But a brother is judged against a brother, and this before unbelievers? ⁷Now then already you have a total loss because you have judgments among yourselves. Why would you not rather be injured? Why would you not rather be defrauded? ⁸But you injure and defraud, and this you do to brothers! ⁹Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Not fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals (active partner), nor homosexuals (passive partner) [terms subject to some debate], ¹⁰nor thieves nor greedy persons, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor thieves will inherit the kingdom of God. ¹¹And some of you were [all] these things. But you were fully washed, but you were sanctified, but you were made just in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. ¹²Everything is lawful to me, but not everything is permitted. Everything is lawful to me, but I will not be brought under authority by anything. ¹³"Food for the belly and the belly for food but God will also destroy these things." But the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord and the Lord for the body. ¹⁴But God indeed raised the Lord and he will raise us through his power. ¹⁵Don't you know that your bodies are part of Christ? Shall I then take the parts of Christ and make thm parts of a prostitute? Let it not be! ¹⁶Or don't you know that the one who unites himself with a prostitute is one body? "For they will be," it says, "the two into one flesh." ¹⁷But the one who unites himsef to the Lord is one spirit. ¹⁸Flee fornication. Every sin whatsoever a man might commit is outside the bdy, but the one who commits fornication sins against his own body. ¹⁹Or don't you know that your(pl) body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from Go and you are not your own? ²⁰For you were bought with a price, so glorify God in your[pl] body.

Chapter 7

¹Now concerning the things that you wrote, "It is good for a man not to have sexual contact with a woman" ²because of fornication let each man have his own wife and let each woman have her own husband. ³Let the man give his wife what is due, and likewise also the wife to her husband. ⁴The wife does not have authority over her own body, but rather the husband, likewise the husband doesn't have authority over his own body, but his wife does. ⁵Don't defraud one another [of your sexual due], except by agreement for an appropriate time, so that you might commit yourselves to prayer and again be the same as before, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self control. ⁶But this I say as a permission, not as a command. ⁷Now I wish that everyone might be as I am also. But each one has a gift from God, one in one way, another in another.

⁸Next I say to the unmarried men and to the widows, it is good if they should remain as I am also. ⁹But if they cannot control themselves, let them marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with desire. ¹⁰Further, to those who are married I command--notI, but the Lord--that a woman must not be separated from her husband, ¹¹but if she is separated, let her remain unmarried or become reconciled to her husband. Also a husband should not be divorced from his wife. ¹²And to the rest I say--I, not the Lord, if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever and she agrees to live with him, he should not divorce her. ¹³And if any woman has an unbelieving husband and he agrees to live with her, she should not divorce her husband. ¹⁴For the unbelieving husband is made holy by his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy in the brother (who is her husband), otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. ¹⁵But if the unbelieving partner wishes to divorce, let him divorce. The brother or the sister is not enslaved to such. All of this isbecause God has called you to live in peace. ¹⁶For how can you know, woman, if you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, if you will save your wife? ¹⁷But as the Lord has measured out to each one, as God has called each one, so let him live. And so I command in all the churches. ¹⁸If someone was called circumcised, let him not try to cover the marks. If anyone was called uncircumcised, let him not be circumcised. ¹⁹Circumcision is nothing uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commands of God. ²⁰Let each one remain in the calling to which he was called. ²¹Were you a slave when you were called? Don't let it concern you. But if you can also become free, that's even better. ²²For one who is called in the Lord as a slave becomes the Lord's freedman, likewise the one who is called as a free person is a slave of the Lord. ²³You were bought with a price. Don't become slaves to human beings. ²⁴Brethren, let each one remain in the circumstances in which he was called now that he is in the Lord.

²⁵I don't have a command from the Lord about virgins, but I give you my opinion as one who is trustworthy by God's mercy. ²⁶I think that because of the current difficulty it is good for a person to remain as he or she is. ²⁷If you are bound to a woman, don't divorce her. If you are free from a woman, don't seek a wife. ²⁸But if you marry, you do not sin, and if a virgin marries, she does not sin. But those who do marry will have trouble in the flesh, and I would spare you this. ²⁹I I say this, brothers and sisters, the chosen time is quite short. From now on let those who have wives live as though they had none. ³⁰And let hose who mourn be as those who don't and those who rejoice be as those who do not, and those who buy as though they had nothing. ³¹Let those who deal with the world be like those who do not. Because the form of the world at present is passing away. ³²But a want you to be without worries. The one who is not married is concerned with the things of the Lord, how he might please the Lord. ³³But the one who marries is concerend with the things of the world, how he can please his wife, ³⁴and he is divided. And the woman who is not married and the virgin are conerned with the things of the Lord, so that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But the one who marries is concernced with the things of the world, how she can please her husband. ³⁵I say htis for your benefit, not so as to place a burden on you, but so that you can have proper,constant, undistracted service to the Lord.

³⁶If anyone thinks he is not behaving properly toward his virgin (fiance), if he has strong passions and it needs to be this way, let him do what he wants. He is not sinning. Let them marry. ³⁷But whoever stands firm in his heart and has no need, and has his own will under control, and has made this judgment in his own heart, to have his own fiance, he does well. ³⁸So the one who marries his own virgin (fiance) does well, and the one who does not marry does better.

³⁹A wife is tied to her husband as long as she lives. But if her husband dies she is free to be married to whomever she wishes, but only in the Lord. ⁴⁰But she'll be happier if she remains as she is, in my opinion. And I think that I also have the Spirit of God.

Chapter 8

¹Now concerning food sacrificed to idols, we know that we l have knowledge. Knowledge makes us proud, but love builds up. ²If any regards himself as knowing something,he doesn't know as he ought to know. ³But if anyone loves God, that one is known by him. ⁴Concerning then the food offered to idols, we know taht an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no God except one. ⁵For since there are indeed (things) called gods, whether in heaven or whether on earth, so that there are many gods and many lords, ⁶but for us, one God the Father from whom [comes] everything and we are in(to) him, and one Lord Jesus Christ through whom [comes] everything and we through him.

⁷But this knowledge is not in everyone. Certain people, even now, eat food offered to idols, and their conscience sees it as such, and so they are defiled. ⁸But food does not present us before God. If we don't eat, we will not lack, and if we do eat, we won't have an advantage. ⁹But watch that your authority [this authority of yours] doesn't become a stumbling block to the weak. ¹⁰For if anyone sees the one who has knowledge reclining at an idol feast. Will not his conscience, being weak, be built up with the result that he eats an idol feast? ¹¹For the weak one will be destroyed by means of your knowldge--this brother for whom Christ died. ¹²But thus sinning agaisnt the brethren and smiting them with reference to their weak conscience, you are sinning against Christ. ¹³For this reason if food scandalizes my brother, I will certainly never eat, so that I might not scandalize my brother.

Chapter 9

¹Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen the Lord Jesus? Are you not my work in the Lord? ²Even if to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

³My answer (apology) to those who question me is this. ⁴Do we not certainly have authority to eat and drink. ⁵Do we not [certainly] have authority to take a sister as a wife around with us, as also the remaining apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? ⁶Or do Barnabas and I alone have no authority not to work? ⁷Who has ever fought earning his own wages? Who plants a vineyard and doesn't eat its fruit? Or who tends a flock of sheep and doesn't partake of the milk? ⁸I do not speak these things to you according to human standards, does not the Torah say these things? ⁹For in the law of Moses it has been written, "Do not muzzle the ox when it is threshing grain." Surely God is not concerned about oxen! ¹⁰or does he speak this all about us? For because of us it was written that the one who plows ought to plow in hope, and the one who threshes in hope of partaking. ¹¹If we sowed spiritual things to you, is it a big deal if we reap from you physical (fleshly) benefits? ¹²If others partake in your authority, why should we not partake even more?

But we don't make use of this authority, but we endure all things so that we might not place any hindrance in the way of the gospel of Christ. ¹³Don't you know that those who performed the activities of the temple, ate of the provision of the temple, and those who concern themselves with the altar partake in the altar? ¹⁴Thus also the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should live frthe gospel. ¹⁵But I don't make use of any of this. But I did not write these things so that it might become thus with me. For it would be a better for me to die--Let nobody empty my boast! ¹⁶For if I proclaim the good news, that doesn't give me a reason to boast. It's something I have to do. Woe to me if I do not proclaim the good news. ¹⁷For if I acted in this way willingly, I have a reward. But if it is not willingly, I have been entrusted with the task. ¹⁸What then is my reward? It is that in proclaiming the good news I offer it without cost, so that I might not make use of my authority in the gospel.

¹⁹For though I am free of all, I enslave myself to all so that I might gain the greater number. ²⁰And I became to the Jews as a Jew, so that I might gain Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law, not myself being under the law, so that I might gain those under the law. ²¹To those without the law, I became as one without the law, (not being without God's law, but in the law of Christ), that I might gain those without the law. ²²I became to the weak as one weak, so that I might gain the weak. I became all things to all people so that I might by all means save some. ²³But I do all things because of the gospel, so that I might become a fellow-partaker of it.

²⁴Don't you know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? So run in such a way that you might receive the prize. ²⁵But everyone who enters a race exercises self control in all things. Those folks do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we do it to obtain an incorruptible one. ²⁶So I run in this way, not uncertainly, thus I fight, not as one beating the air. ²⁷But I put my body under strict discipline and bring it into subjection, lest having preached to others, I myself should be found unworthy.

Chapter 10

¹I don't want you to be ignorant, brothers and sisters, that our fathers all were under the cloud, and all went through the sea. ²And all were Baptised into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. ³And all ate the same spiritual food, ⁴and all drank the same spiritual drink, for the drak from the spiritual, following rock, and the Rock was Christ. ⁵But God was not pleased with the majority of them, for they were scattered (dead) in the wilderness. ⁶But these things became our "types" so that we would not be desirers of evil, just as those also desired. ⁷Neither become idolaters, just as certain of them, as it has been written, "The people sat down to eat and to drink and stood up to dance." ⁸Neither let us commit fornication, just as certain of them fornicated and 23,000 of them fell in one day. ⁹Neither let us tempt Christ, just as certain of them tempted (God) and were destroyed by the serpents. ¹⁰Don't grumble either, just as certain of them grumbled and were destroyed by the destroying angel. ¹¹But these things happened to them as types (typically), and they were written for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has arrived. ¹²So let the one who things he is standing watch lest he fall. ¹³Temptation has not grabbed you, except the common human kind. But God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but will make with the temptation a way out, so that you will be able to endure it.

¹⁴For this very reason, my beloved ones, Flee from idolatry. ¹⁵I tell you as sensible people, You judge that which I say. ¹⁶The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the fellowship of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the fellowship of the body of Christ? ¹⁷Because there is one loaf, we many are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf. ¹⁸Look at Israel according to the flesh. Are not te who eat the sacrifices "fellowshippers" of the altar? ¹⁹What then shall I say? That an idol feast is anything or that an idol is anything? ²⁰But that the things which they sacrifice, to demons and not to God they sacrifice. But I don't want you to become fellow-partakers of demons. ²¹You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons, you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. ²²or shall we make the Lord jealous? We aren't stronger than he is, are we?

²³Everything is lawful, but not everything is beneficial. Everything is lawful, but not everything builds up. ²⁴Nobody should seek his own (benefit) but the benefit of another. ²⁵Everything that is sld in the marketplace, eat, not questioning for the sake of conscience. ²⁶For the earth is the Lords and its fulness. ²⁷If anyone of the unbelieving ones invites you and you wish to go, eat everything that is placed beforeyou, not questioning because of conscience. ²⁸But if anyone tells you, "This is sacrificed to idols," Don't eat because of the one who reported to you and his conscience. ²⁹But I say conscience, not yours, but that of the other person. ³⁰If I partake in thankfulness, why am I denounced concening what I give thanks to? ³¹So then whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all things to the glory of God. ³²Be blameless both to Jews and to Greeks and to the church of God, ³³Just as I also accommodate everyone in everything, not seeking my own benefit, but the benefit of the many so that the might be saved.

Chapter 11

¹Be my imitators as I also imitate Christ.

Covered Heads

²I commend you because you always remember me, and you keep up the traditions in just the way that I passed them on to you. ³I want you to know that Christ is the head of every man, but man is the head of a woman, and Christ's head is God. ⁴Any man who prays or prophesies with his head covered shames his own head. ⁵And any woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered shames her own head. It's just as though she had been shaved. ⁶For if the woman is not covered, let her also be shaved. And if she finds it disgraceful to have her hair cut or to be shaved, let her also be covered. ⁷A man should not cover his head, because he is the image and glory of God, but the woman is the glory of man. ⁸For man did not come from woman, but woman came from man. ⁹For man was not created for the woman, but the woman for the man. ¹⁰For this reason a woman should wear a symbol of the authority over her on her head, because of the angels. ¹¹Only there is neither woman without man or man without woman in the Lord. ¹²For in the same way that woman came from man, so man comes through woman, but all things come from God. ¹³Discern this among yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God without a covering? ¹⁴Doesn't nature itself teach us that if a man has long hair it's a disgrace to him? ¹⁵But it's a glory to her for a woman not to have long hair. It was given to her as a covering. ¹⁶But is some consider themselvs to be argumentative, we do not practice such a custom, nor do the churches of God.

Communion Abuses

¹⁷Now in the following commands I don't commend you, because when you meet for worship, it is for the worse and not better. ¹⁸First, when you gather in the church I hear that there are divisions among you, and I believe at least part of it. ¹⁹For their must be factions among you, so that those who are worthy might be clearly evident. ²⁰So when you gather in the same place it is not the Lord's supper that you eat. ²¹For each of you goes ahead with your own meal so some of you are hungry while others are drunk. ²²Don't you have houses where you an eat? Do you hate God's church? Do you want to bring shame on those who don't have anything? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you? In this matter, I do not commend you!

Communion

²³I passed on to you what I received from the Lord. The Lord Jesus, on the neight he was betrayed, took bread ²⁴and he blessed it and broke it and said, "This is my body which is here on your behalf. Do this to remember me. ²⁵In the same way the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup is the new covenant made with my blood. Do this when you drink it, to remember me. ²⁶For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

Unworthy Eating of Communion

²⁷Because of this if you eat the bread or drink the wine in a way that is not worthy, you become answerable for the body and the blook of the Lord. ²⁸People should examine themselves, and in this way they should eat of the bread and drink of the cup. ²⁹For those who eat and drink eats and drinks condemnation, if they do not discern the body. ³⁰For this reason there are many people who are weak and sick among you and not a few have died. ³¹But if we judge ourselves, then we won't be judged. ³²But God judges and disciplines us so that we won't have to be condemned with the world. ³³For this reason my brothers, let's wait for one another when we come together to eat. ³⁴If anyone is hungry, let them eat at home, so that you don't gather together for condemnation. I'll give you instructions about the rest when I come.

Chapter 12

¹Now brothers and sisters, I don't want you to be ignorant about spirituality. ²You know taht when you were gentiles, you were led here and there by idols that could not speak. ³So I'm letting you know that nobody speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed" and nobody can say "Jesus is Lord" except by the Holy Spirit.

⁴There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. ⁵And there are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. ⁶And there are different kinds of activities, but the same God who accomplishes everything in everyone. ⁷The visible action of the Spirit is given to each one for the common good. ⁸To one is given the a message of wisdom, but to another a message of knowledge by the same Spirit. ⁹To another faith by the same Spirit, but to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit. ¹⁰To another is given the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another recognition of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another interpretation of tongues. ¹¹But one and the same Spirit accomplishes all of these things, dividing them up as He wills.

¹²Because just as the body is one but has many parts, and all the body's parts are one body, so it is with Christ. ¹³For you were all baptized by one Spirit into one body, whether you were Jews or gentiles, slaves or free before, and all of you have drunk of one Spirit. ¹⁴For the body is also not one part, but many. ¹⁵If the foot should say, "Because I am not the hand, I am not part of the body, that wouldn't make it not a part of the body, would it? ¹⁶And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I am not part of the body, that wouldn't mean it was not part of the body, would it?" ¹⁷If all the body was an I, what would happen to hearing? If the whole body was hearing, what about smell? ¹⁸But now God has placed each of the parts one by one in the body in just the way he wanted to. ¹⁹But if all were one part, where would the body be? ²⁰But now there are many parts, but one body. ²¹The eye can't say to the hand, "I have no need of you!" or again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you!" ²²But the parts of the body that are weaker are so much more necessary, ²³And the ones that are thought of no honor are treated with even greater honor, and those that are least attractive are given greater attractiveness, ²⁴but our more respectable parts don't need this honor. But God has so arranged the body so that those parts that lack it get greater honor. ²⁵He does this so that there might not be any factions in the body but that the various parts might care for one another as themselves. ²⁶And if one part suffers, all the parts suffer along with it. If one part is given special glory, all the parts rejoice with it.

²⁷Now you are the body of Christ, and members of it. ²⁸And God has placed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, help and guidance, varieties of tongues. ²⁹Not all are apostles, are they? Not all are prophets, are they? Not all are teachers, are they? Not all work miracles, do they? ³⁰Not all have gifts of healing, do they? Not all speak in tongues, do they? Not all interpret, do they? ³¹But you are seeking the better gifts.

Chapter 13

¹If I speak in languages both human and angelic, but do not have love, I have become like a clanging gong or a clashing cymbal. ²And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know every mystery and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so that I can remove mountains, but have no love, I am nothing. ³And if I give up all my possessions and hand over my body so I can boast, but have no love, it doesn't profit me anything.

⁴Love is patient, love is kind. It's not jealous or boastful. It's not self-important. ⁵It doesn't behave indecently, nor does it seek its own way. It doesn't get provoked. It doesn't plan evil. ⁶It doesn't rejoice in injustice, but it rejoices with the genuine. ⁷It endures all things, believes all things, hopes all things, is patient through everything.

⁸Love never fails. But prophecies will fail, tongues will cease, knowledge will vanish. ⁹Because we know partially and we prophesy partially. ¹⁰But when what is complete comes, what is partial will vanish. ¹¹When I was a child I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child. When I became a man, I put aside childish things. ¹²For now we see dimly in a mirror, but then face to face. Now I know partially, but then I will know in the same way that God knows me. ¹³And now these three remain: Faith, Hope and Love. But the greatest of these is love.

Chapter 14

¹Pursue love. Be zealous about spiritual things, but even more that you might prophesy. ²For the person who speaks in a tongue doesn't speak to people, but to God, because nobody can understand. Rather, he speaks mysteries in the Spirit. ³But the person who prophesies speaks words that build, encourage, and console. ⁴The person who speaks in a tongue builds himself up, but the one who prophesies builds the church. ⁵I wish that you all spoke in tongues, but even more that you could prophesy, because the one who prophesies is greater than the one speaking in tongues, unless there is someone to interpret, so that the church can receive a constructive (building) message.

⁶But now, brothers and sisters, if I come to you speaking in tongues, what good is it to you unless I speak some revelation, or knowledge, or prophecy, or teaching? ⁷Similarly, when musical instruments are played, whether a flute or a harp, how can one distinguish what is being played unless the notes are played distinctly? ⁸For if the trumpet gives an uncertain sound, who will prepare for war? ⁹Thus also in your case, when you speak in a tongue that is not intelligible, how can anyone understand what is said? You're speaking to the air! ¹⁰There are many different sounds in the world, and none of them are without some intent. ¹¹So if I don't understand the intent of the sound, I will be a barbarian to the one speaking and the one speaking will be like a barbarian to me. ¹²It's the same way in your case, since you are zealous for spiritual things, aim to grow in a way that builds up the church. ¹³So let the one who speaks in tongues pray that he might interpret. ¹⁴For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is not fruitful. ¹⁵So what shall I do? I will pray in the (my) spirit, but I will also pray in my mind. I will sing in the (my) spirit, but I will also sing with my mind. ¹⁶Because if you praising in the spirit, how will the one who doesn't know what's going on be able to say, "Amen!" to the praise, since he doesn't know what you've said? ¹⁷You may have been praising quite well, but the other person is not built up. ¹⁸I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. ¹⁹But in the church I would rather say five words with my mind, so that others could lean, than 10,000 words in a tongue.

²⁰Brothers and sisters, Don't be children in your thinking, but be babes in terms of evil; with your minds be mature. ²¹It is written in the law:

In other tongues
and with other sounds
I will speak to this people
And thus they will not listen to me,
says the Lord. ²²Thus tongues are a sign not to those who believe, but to those who do not believe, but prophecy is a sign not to the unbelievers, but to the believers. ²³If then the whole congregation comes together, and all of you speak in tongues, and someone unacquainted with you, or an unbeliever comes in, won't he say that you are crazy? ²⁴But if you are all prophesying, and an unbeliever or a person unacquainted with you comes in, he'll be rebuked by all and examined by all, ²⁵the hidden things of his heart will become open, and thus he will fall on his face and worship God, proclaiming, "Surely God is among you!"

Order

²⁶So what then, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a psalm, a teaching, a revelation, something in a tongue, an interpretation. Let everything be done for building! ²⁷If someone speaks in a tongue, let them do it by turn, two or at the most three, and let one interpret. ²⁸But if there is no interpreter, let that person keep silent in the congregation, and let him speak to God by himself. ²⁹As for prophets, let two or three speak, and let the others discern. ³⁰But if something is revealed to another who is sitting down, the first one needs to stop speaking. ³¹For you can all prophesy one by one, so that everyone can learn and be encouraged. ³²And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. ³³For there is no rebellion with God, but rather peace.

As in all the churches of the saints, ³⁴Let the women be silent in the congregation. For it is not appropriate for them to speak, but rather to be in submission, just as the law says. ³⁵And if women want to learn, let each ask her own husband at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in the congregation. ³⁶ (Or did the word of God originate with you, or are you the only ones it's gotten to?)

³⁷If anyone claims to be a protphet or a spiritual person, he should acknowledge the things I am writing, because they are a command of the Lord. ³⁸And if anyone ignores it, let him be ignored! ³⁹So, my brothers and sisters, be zealous to prophesy, and don't forbid speaking in tongues. ⁴⁰Let everything be done properly and in good order.

Chapter 15

¹Now, brothers and sisters, I reveal to you the good news that was already preached to you, which you also received, and in which you have taken your stand. ²It is through this word that you are also saved, if you hold onto it firmly. Otherwise you have believed in vain. ³For I gave you the most important things, which I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, ⁴and that he was buried, and was raised on the third day according to the scriptures, ⁵and that he appeared to Cephas and then the twelve. ⁶Later, he appeared to 500 brothers and sisters at once. Most of them are still alive, but some have died. ⁷Then he appeared to James and then to all the apostles. ⁸And finally, as to one born at the wrong time, he appeared to me. ⁹For I am the least of the apostles. I'm not worthy to be called an apostle, since I persecuted God's church. ¹⁰By God's grace I am what I am, and his grace toward me has not been in vain, but I worked harder than all the others. But that is not me, but the grace of God with me is working. ¹¹Whether I preached or they did, we preached in that way, and you believed in that way.

¹²If the proclamation made about Christ is that he was raised from the dead, how can it be said among you that there is no resurrection of the dead. ¹³But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. ¹⁴And if Christ has not been raised, then your preaching is vaid, and your faith is vain. ¹⁵We have all been caught in a lie about God, because we testified that God raised Christ when that isn't true if there is no resurrection of the dead. ¹⁶For if the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised. ¹⁷And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile. You are still in your sins. ¹⁸So also those who have died in Christ are lost. ¹⁹It it is in this life only that we have placed our hope in Christ, we are more to be pitied than all humanity.

²⁰But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruit of those who have died. ²¹For since through a human being death came, resurrection of the dead also came through a human being. ²²For in the same way that in Adam all die in Christ all will be made alive. ²³But each in his own sequence, first Christ, then those who are of Christ in his appearance, ²⁴then the end, whenever hands over the kingdom to God and the father, whenever tears down every power and every authority and source of strength. ²⁵For it is necessary for him to reign until he puts every enemy under his feet. ²⁶The last enemy to be rendered powerless is death. ²⁷For he has put everything under his feet. Now when he says "everything" is made subject, it's clear that this excludes the one who is doing the making subject. ²⁸And when he subjects everything, then also the Son will be made subject to the one who is making everything subject to him (the Son), so that God can be everything in everyone.

²⁹For what reason are people baptized for the dead? If the dead are not going to be raised, why are they being baptized for them? ³⁰And why are we running risks every hour? ³¹I face death every day, because of my pride in you, brothers and sisters, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord. ³²If I fought wild animals in Ephesus for human reasons, what good is it to me? If the dead are not raised,
Let's eat and drink,
For tomorrow we die. ³³Don't be deceived.
Bad companions corrupt good character.
³⁴Be sober and upright and don't sin. To your shame, some people are still ignorant of God.

Bodies

³⁵But someone may say, "How will the dead be raised? In what type of body will they come?" ³⁶Idiot! When you plant a seed, it doesn't come to life unless it dies. ³⁷And what you plant is not the body that it will become, but the naked grain of wheat or some other seed. ³⁸But God gives it a body as he wills, and each of the seeds has its own body. ³⁹Not every type of flesh is the same, but there is people flesh, cattle flesh, bird flesh and fish flesh. ⁴⁰And there are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but there is a different type of glory among heavenly bodies, and a different type for earthly bodies. ⁴¹There is a different glory of the sun than of the moon, and yet another glory of the stars, for one star differs from another in glory

⁴²The resurrection of the dead is the same way. A body was sown corruptible, but it is raised incorruptible; ⁴³It was sown in dishonor, but it is raised in glory. It was sown in weakness, but it is raised in strength. ⁴⁴It was sown a physical body, but it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a physical body, then there is also a spiritual one. ⁴⁵Thus it has also been written, "The first human being, Adam, became a living being." The last Adam became a lifegiving spirit. ⁴⁶But the spiritual is not first and then the physical, and then the spiritual. ⁴⁷The first man was made from dust, the second came from heaven. ⁴⁸As the one made from dust, so is everyone made from dust. As the one who came from heaven, so are all those who are heavenly. ⁴⁹And thus as we have carried the image of the man made from dust, so we will carry the image of the heavenly.

⁵⁰And I tell you this, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood or that which is corrupt cannot inherit the kingdom of God. ⁵¹Look! I'm going to show you a mystery! We will not all die, but we will all be changed. ⁵²It will be just a moment, an eye-blink, at the sound of the last trumpet. For the trumpet will soundl, and the dead will be raised as incorruptible (bodies) and we will all be changed. ⁵³For this corruptible (person) must be dressed in something incorruptible, and these mortal bodies must be changed into immortal ones. ⁵⁴And when this corruptible body puts on incorruption and this mortal body takes on immortality, then this written word will be fuliflled:

Death is swallowed up in victory!
⁵⁵Where, Oh Death, is your victory?
Where, Oh Death, is your sting?
⁵⁶Now the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. ⁵⁷By God's grace you are given the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁵⁸So, beloved brothers and sisters, be firm and unmovable, abounding in the Lord's activity at all times, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.

Chapter 16

¹Regarding the collection for the saints, you should do the same thing as I commanded the churches in Galatia. ²Each week each of you should lay aside something of what you have earned, so that there doesn't have to be a collection when I come. ³When I come I will write letters for the messengers you choose to take the gift to Jerusalem. ⁴If it seems appropriate for me to go as well, they will go with me.

⁵But I am coming to you when I go through Macedonia. I am going through Macedonia, ⁶but I hope to stay with you for a little while and perhaps all winter, so that you can send me on my way wherever I go. ⁷For I don't want to see you briefly in passing; I hope to spend some time with you if the Lord permits. ⁸But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost. ⁹For a great and powerful door has been opened for me, and many are standing against me.

¹⁰But if Timothy comes, see that he has nothing to fear while he's with you. For he does God's works like I do. ¹¹Let no one disdain him, but send him on in peach, so that he can come to me, because I will wait for him with the brethren.

¹²Now concerning my brother Apollos, I have encouraged him many times to come to you with the brethren, but he is not willing now. He will come when he has the opportunity.

¹³Watch! Stand in the faith! Be courageous and strong! ¹⁴Let everything happen in a loving way.

¹⁵I encourage you, brothers and sisters--you know that the household of Stephanos was the pioneer in Achaia and devoted to service to the saints-- ¹⁶make yourselves subject to shuch leaders and to all who work hard together with you. ¹⁷I rejoice that Stephanos, Fortunatus and Achaicus have come, because they have filled in for your absence. ¹⁸They gave my spirit rest as well as yours. Take notice of such people!

¹⁹The congregations of Asia great you. Aquila and Pricilla and the whole congregation that meets at their house greet you. ²⁰All the brothers and sisters greet you. Greet one another with a holy kiss! ²¹This greeting is in my own handwriting--Paul. ²²If anyone does not love the Lord, let him be anathema! Maranatha (May the Lord come)! ²³May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. ²⁴My love is with everyone who belongs to Christ Jesus.

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Listen to my radio series on 1 Corinthians on CD. These are available directly from Energion Publications or on Amazon.com.

My favorite commentary on 1 Corinthians is Gordon Fee's volume in the New International Commentary on the New Testament.