THE PROBLEM OF IMMATURITY

3 For my part, brothers and sisters, I was not able to speak to you as spiritual people but as people of the flesh, as babies in Christ.z 2 I gave you milk to drink, not solid food, since you were not yet ready for it. In fact, you are still not ready, 3 because you are still worldly. For since there is envyaa and strifeF,ab among you, are you not worldly and behaving like mere humans? 4 For whenever someone says, “I belong to Paul,” and another, “I belong to Apollos,”ac are you not acting like mere humans?

THE ROLE OF GOD’S SERVANTS

5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, and each has the role the Lord has given. 6 I planted,ad Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So, then, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one,G and each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. 9 For we are God’s coworkers.H You are God’s field, God’s building.ae

10 According to God’s grace that was given to me, I have laid a foundation as a skilled master builder,I and another builds on it. But each one is to be careful how he builds on it. 11 For no one can lay any foundation otheraf than what has been laid down. That foundation is Jesus Christ. 12 If anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver,ag costly stones,ah wood, hay, or straw, 13 each one’s work will become obvious. For the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire;ai the fire will test the quality of each one’s work.aj 14 If anyone’s work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will experienceJ loss, but he himself will be savedak—but only as through fire.al

16 Don’t you yourselves know that you are God’s templeam and that the Spirit of God lives in you?an 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him;ao for God’s temple is holy,ap and that is what you are.

THE FOLLY OF HUMAN WISDOM

18 Let no one deceivea himself. If anyone among you thinks he is wise in this age,b let him become a foolc so that he can become wise.d 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishnesse with God, since it is written,f He catches the wise in their craftiness;K,g 20 and again, The Lord knows that the reasoningsh of the wise are futile.A,i 21 So let no one boast in human leaders, for everything is yoursj—22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephask or the world or lifel or deathm or things present or things to comen—everything is yours, 23 and you belong to Christ,o and Christ belongs to God.

THE FAITHFUL MANAGER

4 A person should think of us in this way: as servantsp of Christ and managersq of the mysteries of God.r 2 In this regard, it is required that managers be found faithful.s 3 It is of littlet importance to me that I should be judgedu by you or by any human court.B In fact, I don’t even judge myself. 4 For I am not conscious of anything against myself, but I am not justifiedv by this. It is the Lord who judges me. 5 So don’t judgew anything prematurely, before the Lord comes,x who will both bring to light what is hidden in darkness and reveal the intentions of the hearts. And then praise will come to each one from God.y

THE APOSTLES’ EXAMPLE OF HUMILITY

6 Now, brothers and sisters,z I have applied these things to myself and Apollosaa for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying: “Nothing beyond what is written.” The purpose is that none of you will be arrogant, favoring one person over another. 7 For who makes you so superior? What do you have that you didn’t receive? If, in fact, you did receive it, why do you boast as if you hadn’t received it? 8 You are already full! You are already rich! You have begun to reign as kings without us—and I wish you did reign, so that we could also reign with you! 9 For I think God has displayed us, the apostles, in last place, like men condemned to die: We have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to people. 10 We are fools for Christ, but you are wise in Christ!ab We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored! 11 Up to the present hour we are both hungry and thirsty; we are poorly clothed, roughly treated, homeless; 12 we labor, workingac with our own hands.ad When we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; 13 when we are slandered, we respond graciously. Even now, we are like the scum of the earth, like everyone’s garbage.ae

PAUL’S FATHERLY CARE

14 I’m not writing this to shame you, but to warn you as my dear children.af 15 For you may have countless instructors in Christ, but you don’t have many fathers. For I became your fatherag in Christ Jesus through the gospel. 16 Therefore I urge you to imitate me. 17 This is why I have sentah Timothy to you. He is my dearly loved and faithfulai child in the Lord. He will remind you about my ways in Christ Jesus, just as I teach everywhere in every church.

18 Now some are arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. 19 But I will come to you soon,aj if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk, but the power of those who are arrogant. 20 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. 21 What do you want? Should I come to you with a rod,ak or in love and a spirit of gentleness?al

IMMORAL CHURCH MEMBERS

5 It is actually reported that there is sexual immoralityam among you, and the kind of sexual immorality that is not even toleratedA among the Gentilesan—a man is sleeping with his father’s wife.ao 2 And you are arrogant! Shouldn’t you be filled with griefap and remove from your congregation the one who did this? 3 Even though I am absent in the body, I am present in spirit.aq As one who is present with you in this way, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who has been doing such a thing. 4 When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus, and I am with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 hand that one over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh,ar so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.as

6 Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little leaven* at leavens the whole batch of dough?au 7 Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new unleavened batch, as indeed you are. For Christ our Passover lambav has been sacrificed.C 8 Therefore, let us observe the feast, not with old leaven or with the leaven of malice and evil,a but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

CHURCH DISCIPLINE

9 I wrote to you in a letter not to associateb with sexually immoral people.c 10 I did not mean the immoral people of this world or the greedyd and swindlerse or idolaters; otherwise you would have to leave the world.f 11 But actually, I wroteD you not to associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sisterg and is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or verbally abusive, a drunkardh or a swindler. Do not even eat with such a person. 12 For what business is it of mine to judgei outsiders? Don’t you judge those who are inside? 13 God judges outsiders. Remove the evil person from among you.E,j

LAWSUITS AMONG BELIEVERS

6 If any of you has a dispute against another, how dare you take it to courtk before the unrighteous,* and not before the saints? 2 Or don’t you know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the trivial cases? 3 Don’t you know that we will judge angels—how much more matters of this life? 4 So if you have such matters, do you appoint as your judges those who have no standingl in the church? 5 I say this to your shame!m Can it be that there is not one wise person among you who is able to arbitrate between fellow believers?n 6 Instead, brother goes to court against brother, and that before unbelievers!o

7 As it is, to have legal disputes against one another is already a defeat for you.p Why not rather be wronged?q Why not rather be cheated?r 8 Instead, you yourselves do wrong and cheat—and you do this to brothers and sisters! 9 Don’t you know that the unrighteouss will not inherit God’s kingdom?t Do not be deceived: No sexually immoral people, idolaters,u adulterers,v or males who have sex with males,A,w 10 no thieves,x greedyy people, drunkards, verbally abusive people,z or swindlersaa will inherit God’s kingdom. 11 And some of you used to be like this.ab But you were washed, you were sanctified,ac you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

GLORIFYING GOD IN BODY AND SPIRIT

12 “Everything is permissiblead for me,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me,” but I will not be mastered by anything. 13 “Foodae is for the stomach and the stomach for food,” and God will do away with both of them. However, the body is not for sexual immoralityaf but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 God raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by his power.ag 15 Don’t you know that your bodies are a part of Christ’s body?ah So should I take a part of Christ’s body and make it part of a prostitute? Absolutely not! 16 Don’t you know that anyone joined to a prostitute is one body with her? For Scripture says, The two will become one flesh.B,ai 17 But anyone joinedaj to the Lord is one spiritak with him.

18 Fleeal sexual immorality! Every other sinC a person commits is outside the body, but the person who is sexually immoralam sins against his own body. 19 Don’t you know that your body is a templean of the Holy Spiritao who is in you,ap whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were boughtaq at a price. So glorify God with your body.D

PRINCIPLES OF MARRIAGE

7 Now in response to the matters you wroteE about: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.”F 2 But because sexual immorality is so common,G,ar each man should have sexual relations with his own wife,as and each woman should have sexual relations with her own husband. 3 A husband should fulfill his marital dutyat to his wife, and likewise a wife to her husband. 4 A wife does not have the right over her own body, but her husband does. In the same way, a husband does not have the right over his own body, but his wife does. 5 Do not depriveau one another—except when you agree for a time, to devote yourselves toH prayer. Then come together again; otherwise, Satan may tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6 I say this as a concession, not as a command. 7 I wish that all people were as I am. But each has his own giftav from God, one person has this gift, another has that.

A WORD TO THE UNMARRIED

8 I say to the unmarriedI and to widows:aw It is good for them if they remain as I am. 9 But if they do not have self-control,a they should marry, since it is better to marryb than to burn with desire.

ABOUT MARRIED PEOPLE

10 To the married I give this commandc—not I, but the Lord—a wife is not to leaveA her husband. 11 But if she does leave, she must remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband—and a husband is not to divorce his wife.d 12 But I (not the Lord) say to the rest: If any brothere has an unbelieving wife and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. 13 Also, if any woman has an unbelieving husband and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce her husband. 14 For the unbelieving husband is made holyf by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy by the husband.B Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is they are holy. 15 But if the unbeliever leaves, let him leave. A brother or a sister is not bound in such cases. God has called youC to live in peace. 16 Wife, for all you know, you might save your husband. Husband, for all you know, you might save your wife.D

VARIOUS SITUATIONS OF LIFE

17 Let each one live his life in the situation the Lord assigned when God calledg him.E This is what I command in all the churches. 18 Was anyone already circumcised when he was called? He should not undo his circumcision. Was anyone called while uncircumcised? He should not get circumcised. 19 Circumcision does not matter and uncircumcision does not matter. Keeping God’s commands is what matters. 20 Let each of you remain in the situationF in which he was called. 21 Were you called while a slave? Don’t let it concern you. But if you can become free, by all means take the opportunity.G 22 For he who is called by the Lord as a slaveh is the Lord’s freedman. Likewise he who is called as a free man is Christ’s slave. 23 You were boughti at a price; do not become slaves of people. 24 Brothers and sisters, each person is to remain with God in the situation in which he was called.

ABOUT THE UNMARRIED AND WIDOWS

25 Now about virgins:H I have no command from the Lord, but I do give an opinion as one who by the Lord’s mercyj is faithful.k 26 Because of the present distress, I think that it is good for a man to remain as he is. 27 Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be released. Are you released from a wife? Do not seek a wife. 28 However, if you do get married,l you have not sinned, and if a virginI marries, she has not sinned. But such people will have trouble in this life,J and I am trying to spare you.

29 This is what I mean, brothers and sisters: The time is limited,m so from now on those who have wives should be as though they had none, 30 those who weep as though they did not weep, those who rejoicen as though they did not rejoice, those who buy as though they didn’t own anything, 31 and those who use the world as though they did not make full use of it. For this world in its current form is passing away.o

32 I want you to be without concerns. The unmarried man is concerned about the things of the Lord—how he may pleasep the Lord. 33 But the married man is concerned about the things of the world—how he may please his wife—34 and his interests are divided. The unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the things of the Lord,q so that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But the married woman is concerned about the things of the world—how she may please her husband. 35 I am saying this for your own benefit, not to put a restraint on you, but to promote what is proper and so that you may be devoted to the Lord without distraction.

36 If any man thinks he is acting improperly toward the virgin he is engaged to, if she is getting beyond the usual age for marriage, and he feels he should marry—he can do what he wants. He is not sinning; they can get married. 37 But he who stands firm in his heart (who is under no compulsion, but has control over his own willr) and has decided in his heart to keep her as his fiancée, will do well. 38 So, then, he who marries his fiancée does well, but he who does not marry will do better. A

39 A wife is boundB as long as her husband is living. But if her husband dies, she is free to be married to anyone she wants—only in the Lord. 40 But she is happier if she remains as she is, in my opinion. And I think that I also have the Spirit of God.