1 Corinthians

¹ From: Paul, called as a Commissioned One of Christ Jesus through God’s intention, and Sosthenes who is a member of the Family.

² To: The community called by God that’s in Corinth, those who have been dedicated for sacred purposes in connection with Christ Jesus, those who are called sacred, along with everyone everywhere who takes on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—both our Lord and theirs.

³ May gracious generosity and peace be yours from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁴ I always give thanks to my God about you because of God’s generosity that was given to you through Christ Jesus. ⁵ You see, you were enriched with him in everything, in every idea and in every bit of knowledge ⁶ as the report of Christ was instilled among you, ⁷ enriched so that you would not be left out of any gift while you patiently await the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁸ God will instill these things in you until the end for you to be free of any accusations on the Day of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ God is faithful, and by God you were called into the community of God's son Jesus Christ our Lord.

¹⁰ As a representative of our Lord Jesus Christ, I encourage you all, Family, to speak as one and let there be no ripping apart between you but be mended together with the same mind and purpose. ¹¹ You see, members of Chloe’s group have given me to understand about you, my Family, that there is rivalry among you. ¹² I’ll say this about it: While one of you says, “I’m with Paul,” someone else says, “I’m with Apollos,” or, “I’m with Cephas,” or even, “I am with Christ.” ¹³ Is Christ split apart? Was Paul crucified for you, or were you immersed to be a follower of Paul? ¹⁴ I give thanks to God that I didn’t immerse any of you except Crispus and Gaius, ¹⁵ so no one can say that you were immersed to be my followers. ¹⁶ (Well, I also immersed the household of Stephanus, but otherwise I don’t know if I immersed anyone else.) ¹⁷ You see, Christ did not commission me to immerse people but to announce the triumphant message, not in terms of worldly wisdom so that the cross of Christ wouldn’t become devoid of power.

¹⁸ You see, the message of the cross is nonsense to those whose power is being destroyed, but it is power from God for us who are being restored. ¹⁹ That’s why it is written, “I will destroy the supposed wisdom of those deemed wise, and I will nullify the supposed understanding of those who are thought to understand.” ²⁰ Where is the person known for being wise? Where is the scholar? Where is the person who engages in philosophical debates about the things of this Age? Didn’t God prove the supposed wisdom of the world system to be nonsense? ²¹ In regard to God’s wisdom, the world system did not understand God by means of what it considers wisdom. ²² You see, Jews demand signs and Greeks seek out worldly wisdom, ²³ but we announce a crucified Christ, both an obstacle for Jews and nonsense to other peoples, ²⁴ but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, we announce Christ as God’s powerful act and God’s wisdom. ²⁵ The supposed nonsense of God is wiser than what humans consider wisdom, and the supposed weakness of God is stronger than what humans consider strength.

²⁶ Look to your calling, Family, because not many are considered wise based on lineage—not many are powerful, not many are highborn— ²⁷ but God picked what’s considered nonsense in the world system so that it would humble those considered wise, and God picked those considered weak in the world system so that it would humble the strong. ²⁸ God picked the lowborn and despised of the world, those considered to be nobodies, so that it would render obsolete those considered to really be somebodies ²⁹ so that no lineage would boast in God’s sight. ³⁰ Instead, it’s because of God that we are connected with Christ Jesus, who became wisdom from God for us—also justice and sacredness and payment for liberation, ³¹ so that just as it is written, “May whoever boasts boast in the Lord.”

¹ So, when I came to you, Family, I came not based on elitist discussion or philosophy as I announced to you the statement about God. ² That’s because I decided not to hold in mind anything among you except Jesus Christ and him as crucified. ³ So, I came to be with you, feeling faint and fearful with much trembling, ⁴ and my discussion and my announcement were not with persuasive discussions of philosophy but rather with a demonstration of the Life-breath and power, ⁵ so that your trust would not be in human wisdom but rather in God’s power.

⁶ However, we do speak wisdom among the mature, but not a wisdom of this Age or of the leaders of this age who are being rendered obsolete. ⁷ Instead, we speak God’s wisdom that God decided on beforehand, prior to the Ages, which has been shrouded in mystery, for our praise, ⁸ which none of the leaders of this Age understood. You see, if they understood it, they would not have crucified the praiseworthy Lord. ⁹ Rather, as it is written, “Things that no eye has seen, and no ear has heard, and in no human heart has it arisen, are things God has prepared for those who love God.” ¹⁰ However, God unveiled it for us through the Life-breath, for the Life-breath looks into everything, including the deep things of God. ¹¹ Who among people perceives the things of a particular person if not the Life-breath of the person that is within them? In that same way, no one understands the things of God if not the Life-breath of God. ¹² We did not receive the spirit of the world system but rather the Life-breath that comes from God so that we can understand the things generously given to us by God. ¹³ So, we speak these things not with ideas taught to us with human wisdom but rather with what is taught by the Life-breath, putting together Life-breath-animated things for Life-breath-animated people. ¹⁴ The person animated by one’s own life-force does not accept the things of God’s Life-breath because they are nonsense to them, and they can’t understand them because they are thoroughly understood through being filled with the Life-breath. ¹⁵ However, the one who is animated by the Life-breath thoroughly understands everything while no one thoroughly understands them. ¹⁶ “You see, who understands the mind of the Lord; who would help the Lord to understand?” However, we do have the mind of Christ.

¹ Family, I could not speak to you as Life-breath-filled people but as people guided by self-preservation, as babies regarding Christ. ² I fed you milk, not solid food, because you were not yet able to take it in. In fact, you are still not able to take it in even now, ³ since you are still guided by self-preservation. You see, where there is rivalry and contention among you, are you not walking along the ordinary human path, guided by self-preservation? ⁴ When one person says, “I am with Paul,” but another person says, “I am with Apollos,” are you not walking along the ordinary human path? ⁵ Who is Apollos? Who is Paul? Just as the Lord assigned them each to serve, they are servants through whom you trusted the Lord. ⁶ I planted, Apollos watered, but God was making it grow. ⁷ So then, neither who planted nor who watered is what matters; God is who makes it grow. ⁸ The one who plants and the one who waters are unified, and each will receive their own due payment based on their own labor. ⁹ You see, we work together, and you are God’s field.

You are also God’s building. ¹⁰ Based on God’s generosity given to me, I laid the foundation like an expert lead builder, but another person builds on it. Each person should pay attention to how they build on it. ¹¹ You see, no one can lay a different foundation from what has been laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹² But if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, ¹³ each person’s work will be seen clearly. You see, the Day will show its significance because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what kind of work each one is. ¹⁴ If the work someone built remains, they will receive payment. ¹⁵ If their work burns up, they will suffer loss; they themselves will be restored, but in this way as through fire. ¹⁶ Don’t you know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Life-breath resides among you? ¹⁷ If anyone ruins God’s temple, God will bring that person to ruin. You see, God’s temple—which you are—is sacred.

¹⁸ No one should deceive themselves. If someone among you seems to be wise according to the standard of this Age, they should embrace supposed nonsense so that they can become truly wise. ¹⁹ You see, the wisdom of this world system is nonsense with God. As it is written, “God holds the seemingly wise tightly in their false wisdom” ²⁰ and again, “The Lord knows the deliberations of the supposedly wise, that they are useless.” ²¹ So then, no one should boast about human leaders. You see, everything is yours! ²² Whether it’s Paul or Apollos or Cephas or whether it’s the whole world or life or death or it’s the present or the future, everything is yours. ²³ You are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.

¹ A person should think of it this way: You are like Christ’s assistants and God’s stewards over the mysteries. ² In that context, the only thing that is sought in stewards is that they would be found to be faithful. ³ So, to me, that makes it a small thing that I’m investigated by you or by those enacting any human “Day.” In fact, I don’t even investigate myself. ⁴ You see, I’m not aware of anything against myself; however, that’s not why I have been found to be just. The one who investigates me is the Lord. ⁵ So then, don’t settle on a judgment about anything before the right time, until the Lord comes when he will illuminate the things hidden in darkness and clearly show the intentions of hearts. That’s when there will be approval for each person from God.

⁶ Now, Family, I adapted these things for myself and Apollos for you so that you could learn through us to apply the saying, “not beyond what is written,” to avoid you being self-important, each over the other. ⁷ Who is distinguishing between you? What do you have that you didn’t receive? And if you received it, why do you boast about it as if it weren’t received? ⁸ You’ve already had your needs satisfied. You’ve already been enriched. Without us, you became royalty. I wish you had literally become royalty so that we could reign alongside you. ⁹ You see, I think God distinguished us, the latest commissioned ones, as doomed to die because we have become a spectacle to the world system and to messengers and to people. ¹⁰ We are considered nonsensical because of Christ, but you are savvy regarding Christ. We are powerless, but you are powerful. You are held in high esteem, but we are not treated with value. ¹¹ Even now we are hungry and thirsty, insufficiently clothed, beaten up, and homeless. ¹² We exhaust ourselves, working with our own hands. When we are verbally abused, we respond with well-wishes. When we are harassed, we stand tall. ¹³ When people speak badly about us, we are supportive to them. We have come to be treated like garbage by the world—treated by everyone like we’re scum—even now.

¹⁴ I’m not writing these things to shame you but, rather, to counsel you as my beloved children. ¹⁵ You see, while you may have countless people who take responsibility to guide you regarding Christ, you don’t have many fathers because I became your father regarding Christ Jesus through the triumphant message. ¹⁶ Therefore, I encourage you to imitate me. ¹⁷ That’s why I sent you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child regarding the Lord. He will remind you of my paths, which are according to the standard of Christ, just like I teach everywhere throughout the whole Called Community. ¹⁸ Some of you are self-important, as if I weren’t coming, ¹⁹ but I will come to you soon if the Lord is willing, and I will get to know not only what the self-important people are saying but also what power they have. ²⁰ You see, God’s reign isn’t about words but about power. ²¹ Which power do you want? Should I come to you with a royal scepter or with love and a gentle Life-breath?

¹ Sexual exploitation is somehow heard of among you! And it’s a kind of sexual exploitation that isn’t even done among other people groups: Someone having his father’s wife. ² You’re even proud of it! Instead, shouldn’t you have been beyond grieved so that the one who practiced this act would be removed from among you? ³ Even though I’m physically absent, I’m present in the Life-breath, and I’ve already assessed the person who did this the same as if I were present. ⁴ When you gather with each other as representatives of our Lord—along with me, the power of the Life-breath of our Lord Jesus is also with you— ⁵ to hand over this person to the Adversary's authority for the dismantling of the self-preservation drive so that the Life-breath will be restored on the Day of the Lord. ⁶ Your self-congratulation about it isn’t admirable. Don’t you realize a little yeast spreads through the whole batch of dough? ⁷ Clean out the old yeast so that you can be a fresh batch of dough, since you are unleavened. You see, Christ was sacrificed as our Passover lamb. ⁸ So then, may we celebrate the festival not with old yeast, or harmful and oppressive yeast, but rather with genuine and true unleavened bread.

⁹ I wrote to you in my letter not to be involved with sexually exploitative people. ¹⁰ I wasn’t at all referring to the sexually exploitative people of this world system (or those who are greedy and never satisfied or who idolize material things) because then you would be obligated to get out of the world system. ¹¹ Rather, I’m specifically writing to you not to be involved with someone who calls themselves a member of the Family if they are sexually exploitative, greedy, idolize material things, are verbally abusive, are habitually drunk, or can never be satisfied; don’t even share a meal with such a person. ¹² You see, what right do I have to assess someone outside the community? Don’t you assess those who are within the community? ¹³ God will assess those outside; remove the harmful person from among you.

¹ Does anyone among you who has something against someone else not dread to seek justice from the unjust rather than by those who are dedicated for sacred purposes? ² Don’t you realize that those dedicated for sacred purposes will administer justice for the whole world? And if the whole world is given justice by you, aren’t you appropriate for administering justice for tiny cases? ³ Don’t you realize that we will assess messengers, not to mention things of daily life? ⁴ Therefore, if in fact, you have cases about daily life, do you appoint those people who have nothing to do with the Called Community? ⁵ I say this to guard you from shame. Is it really the way of things that no one among you is wise enough to be able to discern between their Family members? ⁶ Even worse, is a Family member assessed in a dispute with a Family member, and does this happen before unfaithful people? ⁷ In fact, you’ve already lost everything because you seek legal proceedings against each other. Wouldn’t it be better to be treated unjustly? Wouldn’t it be better to be deprived of something? ⁸ In contrast, you are treating people unjustly and depriving them! And you’re doing this to Family members! ⁹ Don’t you understand that the unjust will not inherit God’s Reign? Don’t be fooled! Neither those who sexually exploit people, who idolize material things, are maritally unfaithful, are self-indulgent, are men who rape other males, ¹⁰ are thieves, are greedy, are habitually drunk, are verbally abusive, nor who are predatory, will inherit God’s Reign. ¹¹ Some of you used to be these things; however, you washed off, you were dedicated for sacred purposes, and you were made just—as representatives of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Life-breath of our God.

¹²⁠“Everything is allowed for me.”

But not everything is beneficial.

“Everything is allowed for me.”

But I will not be mastered by anything.

¹³⁠“Food is for the stomach, and the stomach is for food.”

But God will render both obsolete.

The body is not for sexual exploitation but for the Lord,

And the Lord is for the body.

¹⁴ God raised the Lord and will also raise us by God’s power. ¹⁵ Haven’t you understood that your bodies are parts of Christ? Therefore, should I take parts of Christ and turn them into parts of a sex worker? Absolutely not! ¹⁶ Or don’t you understand that whoever has been joined together with a sex worker is one body with her? You see, it’ll be just like it says: “The two become one flesh.” ¹⁷ But whoever has been joined together with the Lord is one Life-breath with him. ¹⁸ Escape sexual exploitation!

“Every way a person deviates is outside the body.”

But the one who engages in sexual exploitation deviates against their own body.

¹⁹ Or don’t you understand that your body is a temple of the Sacred Life-breath among you, which you have from God, and you don’t own yourselves? ²⁰ You see, you were bought at a price. Therefore, show God to be praiseworthy with your bodies.

¹ Now, regarding what you wrote, it is admirable for a man not to take hold of a woman. ² Because of sexual exploitation, each man should have his own woman and each woman should have her own man. ³ The man should fulfill his obligation to the woman, and likewise the woman to the man. ⁴ The woman does not have autonomy over her own body but rather the man does, but likewise, the man does not have autonomy over his own body but rather the woman does. ⁵ Don’t deprive each other, except based on a mutual agreement for a period of time so that you can have space for prayer and be back to it, so the Adversary won’t take you to trial on the basis of your lack of self-control. ⁶ However, I offer this as something we can agree on, not as a directive. ⁷ I wish everyone were like I am, but each person has their own gifting from God, one like this and another like that.

⁸ I tell unmarried people and widows that it is admirable for them if they stay as I am. ⁹ However, if they are not self-disciplined, they should get married because it’s more helpful to get married than to be burned. ¹⁰ I instruct people who are married—not I, but the Lord—that a woman should not divorce herself from her man ¹¹ (but if she is, in fact, divorced, she should remain unmarried or be reconciled with her man), and the man is not to send away the woman.

¹² I tell everyone else—not the Lord, but I—if any Brother has a woman who doesn’t trust Christ, and she thinks it is good to reside with him, he should not send her away. ¹³ And if any Sister has a man who doesn’t trust Christ, and he thinks it is good to reside with her, she should not send the man away. ¹⁴ You see, the man who doesn’t trust has become dedicated for sacred purposes because of the Sister, and the woman who doesn’t trust has become dedicated for sacred purposes because of the Brother. That way, though your children were unclean, now they are dedicated for sacred purposes. ¹⁵ However, if the one who doesn’t trust divorces themselves, let them be divorced. The Brother or Sister has not been enslaved to them; God has called you for peace. ¹⁶ You see, how do you, woman, know that you will liberate the man? Or how do you, man, know that you will liberate the woman?

¹⁷ If the one who doesn’t trust does not divorce, each person should walk as the Lord has apportioned for them, as they were when God called each person. I give the same direction for all the Called Communities. ¹⁸ When someone who has been circumcised is called, they should not stretch out their foreskin. When someone with a foreskin is called, they should not be circumcised. ¹⁹ Circumcision isn’t what matters, and having a foreskin isn’t what matters; rather, paying attention to God’s directives is what matters. ²⁰ Each person should stay with whatever situation in which they are called. ²¹ If you are called while enslaved, don’t let that be what matters for you; however, if you are in fact able to become free, seize that opportunity even more. ²² You see, someone who is called in connection with the Lord while enslaved is a person freed by the Lord. Likewise, someone who is free when they are called is enslaved to Christ. ²³ You were bought at a price; do not become enslaved to humans. ²⁴ Family, each person should stay in whatever situation they were in when they were called and do so with God.

²⁵ Regarding unmarried women, I don’t have a direction from the Lord. Nevertheless, I’ll give my opinion as someone who has been shown compassion by the Lord and trusts Christ. ²⁶ I suggest, then, that being as you are because of the established requirement is admirable since being that way is admirable for any person. ²⁷ Someone bound to a woman should not seek to be released; someone who has been released from a woman should not seek another woman. ²⁸ But if you marry, you aren’t deviating, and if the unmarried woman marries, she isn’t deviating. These people will have hardships that come with caring for others in a family; I am trying to spare you.

²⁹ I’ll say this, Family: The remaining time is brief, in fact, resulting in those who have women being like those who don’t have women, ³⁰ and those who mourn will be like those who don’t mourn, and those who rejoice will be like those who don’t rejoice, and those who do business in the marketplace will be like those who have nothing, ³¹ and those who take the whole world for their own use will be like those who don’t use it up. You see, this world’s way of being is passing away.

³² I want you to be without concern. An unmarried man is concerned with the things of the Lord, with how he may arrange his life for the Lord. ³³ Someone who has gotten married is concerned with the things of the world system, with how to arrange his life for the woman; ³⁴ he’s been split in two. The unmarried woman is concerned with the things of the Lord, so that she may be dedicated to sacred purposes in both body and Life-breath. But the married woman is concerned with the things of the world system, with how to arrange her life for the man. ³⁵ Nevertheless, I’m saying these things for your own benefit, not so that I can put a restriction on you, but rather to support your beneficial way of being and you being undisturbed attendants to the Lord.

³⁶ If someone thinks this is acting contrary to a beneficial way of being for his unmarried daughter, if she is old enough and he is obligated for it to happen this way, he should do what he intends—he is not deviating—they should get married. ³⁷ However, someone who stands firm in his heart, not having a requirement but has authority over his own intention and has considered this in his own heart, he acts admirably to take care of his own unmarried daughter. ³⁸ So then, both the one who gives his unmarried daughter in marriage acts admirably and the one who does not give her in marriage does even better.

³⁹ A woman is bound for as long as her man is alive, but if the man dies, she is freed to marry whomever she wants (only connected with the Lord). ⁴⁰ But she has even more reason for gratitude if she stays this way in my opinion, and I think I also have God’s Life-breath.

¹ Now, regarding things sacrificed for idols, we know “we all have knowledge.” Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. ² If someone thinks they have come to know something, they don’t yet know as much as it is necessary to know. ³ However, if someone loves God, they have come to be known by God. ⁴ Regarding eating things sacrificed for idols, therefore, we know “an idol in this world doesn’t matter” and “there is no God but one.” ⁵ You see, even if there are things called gods, whether in the heavens or in the land (since there are many gods and many lords), ⁶ still for us there is one God, the Father from whom everything comes, and we exist for God, and one Lord, Jesus Christ through whom everything comes, and we exist through him.

⁷ However, that knowledge is not shared among everyone. Some people, having been intimately familiar with the idol until now, eat it as something sacrificed for an idol, and being vulnerable, their conscience is contaminated. ⁸ But food won’t bring us close to God; neither are we left behind if we don’t eat it, nor do we get ahead if we do eat it. ⁹ Watch out that this freedom of yours doesn’t become an obstacle to the vulnerable. ¹⁰ You see, if someone sees you who have this understanding dining in an idol’s temple, being vulnerable, won’t their conscience be built up for eating things sacrificed for idols? ¹¹ The Family member who is vulnerable, for whom Christ died, will be destroyed by your knowledge. ¹² In this way deviating against your Family members and wounding their vulnerable conscience, you deviate against Christ. ¹³ For that reason, if food trips up my Family member, I will never eat meat at all, so I won’t trip up my Family member.

¹ Am I not free? Am I not commissioned? Have I not seen our Lord Jesus? Are you not my work connected with the Lord? ² If to others I’m not commissioned, at least I am to you, for you are the validation of my commission connected with the Lord.

³ This is my response to those who scrutinize me. ⁴ Don’t we have a right to eat and drink? ⁵ Don’t we have a right to partner with a woman who is a Sister like the rest of those who are commissioned and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas also do? ⁶ Or do only Barnabas and I not have the right not to work? ⁷ Does anyone ever serve in the army at their expense? Does anyone plant a vineyard and not eat its fruit? Or, does anyone tend a herd and not drink its milk? ⁸ Am I saying these things only based on human practices, or doesn’t Torah also say these things? ⁹ It is written in the Torah of Moses, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is threshing the grain.” ¹⁰ Are oxen what God cares about, or is it actually for our sake? You see, it was written for our sake because it is necessary for the one working the plow and the one threshing both to do so in the hope of partaking in it. ¹¹ If we planted seeds of things connected with the Life-breath among you, is it a big deal if we harvest bodily things from you? ¹² If others partake in this right from you, why don’t we even more so?

Nevertheless, we have not claimed this right, but instead, we bear everything so that we won’t put up any barriers to the triumphant message of Christ. ¹³ Haven’t you learned that those who work at the temple eat food from the temple and those who serve at the altar take a portion of what’s offered on the altar? ¹⁴ In the same way, the Lord also arranged for those announcing the triumphant message to be kept alive because of the triumphant message. ¹⁵ I have not laid claim to any of these things, and I’m not writing these things so that it will happen this way for me. In fact, it would be more appealing for me to die; no one will nullify my reason for feeling proud. ¹⁶ You see, if I spread the triumphant message, I don’t have anything to feel proud of because necessity has compelled me; I’d better watch out if I don’t spread the triumphant message! ¹⁷ If I do so of my own initiative, I receive payment, but if I do it not of my own initiative, I am entrusted with a stewardship. ¹⁸ Therefore, what is my payment? It’s that when I spread the triumphant message, I present the triumphant message for free, resulting in me not fully insisting on my rights connected with the triumphant message.

¹⁹ Since I am not bound to anyone, I enslave myself to everyone so that I may gain even more people. ²⁰ I became Jewish with Jews, so I could gain Jews. With those under Torah, I became as if I were under Torah (though I am not myself under Torah), so I could gain those under Torah. ²¹ With those without Torah, I became as if I were without Torah (though I’m not without God’s Torah but bound by Christ’s Torah), so I could gain those without Torah. ²² With those who are vulnerable, I became vulnerable, so I could gain those who are vulnerable. I have become everything to everyone, so by becoming everything I can liberate some. ²³ I do everything because of the triumphant message, so I can become a co-participant in it.

²⁴ Don’t you know that all the runners, in fact, run the race, but only one receives the prize? In the same way, run so that you can claim it. ²⁵ Every contestant is self-disciplined in everything. While they do so to receive a perishable laurel wreath, we do so for an imperishable one. ²⁶ Therefore, how I run is without hesitation, not boxing as if I were hitting air. ²⁷ Instead, I train my body relentlessly and enslave it, so that after announcing to others, I don’t myself become disqualified.

¹ I don’t want you to be unaware, Family, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and they all went through the sea. ² They were all immersed in the cloud and in the sea in connection with Moses. ³ They all ate the same food of the Life-breath, ⁴ and they all drank the same drink of the Life-breath. You see, they were drinking from a rock of the Life-breath that followed them, and the rock was Christ. ⁵ Nevertheless, God was not pleased with the majority of them, as shown by them being strewn across the wilderness. ⁶ These things became examples for us, so that we would not be people who long for harmful things the way they did. ⁷ So, don’t become idolaters as some of them were, just as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to have fun.” ⁸ And, we shouldn’t sexually exploit people as some of them did, and 23,000 fell in one day. ⁹ And, we shouldn’t test Christ as some of them did, and they were killed by snakes. ¹⁰ And, don’t complain, like some of them did and were killed by the destroyer. ¹¹ These things happened in pairs for them in a way that provided examples, and it was written down as a caution for us for whom the ends of the ages have arrived. ¹² Therefore, have whoever thinks they have stood watch out that they don’t fall. ¹³ Every testing that takes hold of you is part of being human. But God is faithful and will not leave you to be tested beyond what you are able to endure but instead, along with the testing, will also provide the way for you to be able to endure.

¹⁴ Based on all this, my beloveds, run away from idolatry. ¹⁵ Since I’m speaking to thoughtful people, carefully consider what I say. ¹⁶ Isn’t the cup of praise which we praise a participation in the blood of Christ? Isn’t the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ. ¹⁷ You see, there is one bread, we many are one Body since we all partake of the one bread. ¹⁸ Look at those who are biologically Israel. Aren’t those who eat the sacrifices people who participate in the altar? ¹⁹ So, what am I saying? That what is sacrificed to idols matters or that idols matter? ²⁰ Just the opposite, because those things are sacrificed to demons and not to God. I don’t want you to become people who participate with demons. ²¹ You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and of the table of demons. ²² Or do we position ourselves as rivals with the Lord? Are we stronger than God is?

²³⁠“Everything is allowed for me.”

But not everything is beneficial.

“Everything is allowed for me.”

But not everything builds people up.

²⁴ Don’t anyone seek this idea for yourself but rather seek it for the other person. ²⁵ Eat anything sold at the market without scrutinizing it with your conscience. ²⁶ You see, the land and its abundance are the Lord’s. ²⁷ If someone who hasn’t committed themself invites you and you want to go, eat anything placed in front of you without scrutinizing it with your conscience. ²⁸ But if someone tells you, “This is sacrificed to an idol,” then don’t eat it because of that person who informed you and conscience. ²⁹ But I’m not talking about your own conscience but about the other person’s since why would my freedom be judged by another person’s conscience? ³⁰ If I partake with gratitude, why am I criticized for the sake of what I give thanks for? ³¹ So, whatever you eat or drink or do, do everything for God’s praise. ³² Become people who smooth the path both for Jews and for Greeks and for the Called Community of God, ³³ just like I also accommodate everyone in everything, not seeking what’s beneficial for myself but rather what’s beneficial for the many, so that they may be liberated.

¹  Become people who imitate me as I also imitate Christ.

²  I commend you because you remember everything I passed on to you and hold onto it just as I passed it to you. ³ I want you to be aware that Christ is the “head” of every man, the “head” of a woman is the man, and the “head” of Christ is God. ⁴ Every man who has something on his head while he prays or speaks inspired messages shames his “head.” ⁵ Every woman who prays or speaks the Life-breaths’ messages with an uncovered head shames her “head.” You see, it is one and the same as having been shaved ⁶ since if a woman is not covered, then she should just cut her hair short. But if cutting her hair short or shaving it is scandalous for a woman, then she should cover it. ⁷ You see, while a man is not supposed to have his head covered—existing as the image and shaper of God’s reputation—the woman shapes the man’s reputation ⁸ because the man is not from the woman but the woman is from the man, ⁹ and the man was not created for the sake of the woman but the woman for the sake of the man.

¹⁰  Because of this, the woman is supposed to have authority over her own head for the sake of messengers.

¹¹ Moreover, in connection with the Lord, neither is a woman without connection to a man nor is a man without connection to a woman ¹² because in the same way that the woman is from the man, the man also exists by means of the woman—but everything is from God. ¹³ Carefully consider among yourselves: is it appropriate for a woman to pray to God uncovered? ¹⁴ Doesn't cultural convention itself teaches you that if a man has long hair, it causes low regard for him, ¹⁵ while if a woman has long hair, it is for her honored reputation? That’s because the hair has been given to her in place of a covering. ¹⁶ If anyone is considering being contentious about this, we don’t hold to any custom around this nor do the Called Communities of God.

¹⁷ Now, I don’t commend you as I give you this next instruction because when you get together it doesn’t make things better but makes things worse. ¹⁸ You see, first of all, when you get together as the Called Community, I am hearing of divisions existing among you, and in part I believe it. ¹⁹ It is inevitable, in fact, for there to be factions among you, which results in those among you who are genuine becoming clearly evident. ²⁰ With that being the case, when you get together in the same place, it’s not actually to eat the meal of the Lord ²¹ because each one goes ahead with their own meal, and while one goes hungry, another gets drunk. ²² Don’t you have homes in which to eat and drink? Or do you think so little of the Called Community of God that you humiliate those who have nothing? What should I say to you? Should I commend you? I will not commend you for this!

²³ What I have passed on to you about it, I received from the Lord: On the night when the Lord Jesus was handed over, he took bread ²⁴ and after giving thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is broken for your sake. Do this in memory of me.” ²⁵ He also did the same with the cup after supper, saying, “This is the cup of the new covenant in my blood. Do this in memory of me every time you drink it.” ²⁶ Every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you announce the death of the Lord until he arrives.

²⁷ So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord inappropriately will be indicted by the body and blood of the Lord. ²⁸ A person should examine themself and eat the bread and drink from the cup accordingly ²⁹ because whoever eats and drinks without carefully considering the Body eats and drinks an indictment against themself. ³⁰ That’s why many among you are sickly and weak, and plenty have died. ³¹ However, if we carefully considered each other, we would not be indicted. ³² When we are indicted by the Lord, we are trained up like children so that we won’t be convicted along with the world system. ³³ Therefore, my Family, when getting together to eat, wait for each other. ³⁴ If anyone is hungry, they should eat at home so that getting together doesn’t result in an indictment. I will put the rest in order when I come.

¹ Family, I don’t want you to be unaware of things connected with the Life-breath. ² You’ve come to understand that when you used to belong to other people groups, you were being led away to voiceless idols, whatever way you were led. ³ Because of that, I’m making sure you understand that no one who speaks with the Life-breath of God says, “Jesus is designated for destruction!” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” without the Sacred Life-breath.

⁴ There are various gifts, but the same Life-breath; ⁵ there are various ways to serve, but the same Lord; ⁶ there are various outworkings, but all the same God at work through everyone. ⁷ The demonstration of the Life-breath through each person is given for what’s beneficial. ⁸ You see, while to one person a discussion of wisdom by means of the Life-breath is given, someone else is given a message of knowledge in alignment with the same Life-breath, ⁹ and faithful trust through the one Life-breath to a different person, gifts of healing through the one Life-breath to someone else, ¹⁰ outworkings of power to someone else, speaking inspired messages to someone else, distinguishing between spirit-breaths to someone else, varieties of languages to a different person, and interpretation of languages to someone else. ¹¹ It is all one and the same Life-breath working at distributing to each person their own as she decides.

¹² You see, just as the body is one and it has many parts and though there are many parts they are all one body, Christ is the same way. ¹³ We were all immersed into one Body and in one Life-breath—whether Jew or Greek, enslaved or free—indeed we were all given one Life-breath to drink. ¹⁴ The body is also not one part but many. ¹⁵ If the foot were to say, “Because I’m not a hand, I’m not part of the body,” ¹⁶ and if the ear were to say, “Because I’m not an eye, I’m not part of the body,” that wouldn’t be reason for it to be removed from the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would hearing be? If the whole thing were for hearing, where would smell be? ¹⁸ Now listen: God placed the parts—each one of them—in the body just as God wanted. ¹⁹ If they were all the same part, where would the body be? ²⁰ Now, while there are many parts, there is one body. ²¹ The eye can’t say to the hand, “I don’t need you,” or again, the head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.” ²² Just the opposite, the parts of the body that are thought of as being vulnerable are far more important. ²³ The parts of the body that we think of as less dignified are exactly the ones we clothe with greater dignity; our unattractive parts carry something more attractive, ²⁴ but our attractive parts don’t need it. However, God contributed to the Body with what had been left out, giving it even more value ²⁵ so that there would be no division within the Body but that each part itself would be concerned for the sake of the other parts. ²⁶ If just one part suffers, then all the parts suffer together. If a part is highly esteemed, then all the parts celebrate together.

²⁷ Furthermore, you are the Body of Christ, and the body parts each play a part. ²⁸ God placed them all among the Called Community: first commissioned ones, second speakers of inspired messages, third teachers, then acts of power, and so on with gifts of healing, offering aid, guiding, and a variety of languages. ²⁹ Not all are commissioned, are they? Not all are speakers of inspired messages, are they? Not all are teachers, are they? Not all do powerful acts, do they? ³⁰ Not all have gifts of healing, do they? Not all speak in other languages, do they? Not all interpret, do they?

³¹ Passionately pursue the most important gifts, and now I’ll show you a path aligned with what goes beyond.

¹ If I were to speak in the languages of people and messengers but not have love, I’ve become a crashing gong or a clanging cymbal. ² And if I were to hold the role of speaking inspired messages and know all mysteries and all knowledge and if I were to have complete faithful trust so as to move mountains but not have love, I am no one significant. ³ And if I feed people with everything that belongs to me, and if I hand over my body—which would be boast-worthy—but don’t have love, I gain nothing.

⁴ Love is patient, love is actively kind, it does not posture as a rival. Love does not brag, it is not self-important, ⁵ it is not rude, it is not self-serving, it is not irritable, it does not calculate harm, ⁶ it does not celebrate at injustice, but it truly celebrates together. ⁷ It holds out against everything, faithfully trusts everything, hopes everything, and endures everything.

⁸ Love never falls. But inspired messages? They will be rendered obsolete. Languages? They will stop. Knowledge? It will be rendered obsolete. ⁹ You see, we know in part, and we speak inspired messages in part, ¹⁰ but when the complete arrives, what is partial will be rendered obsolete. ¹¹ When I was a child, I spoke like a child, thought like a child, and reasoned like a child. Once I’ve become an adult, I have rendered the things of a child obsolete. ¹² Right now, we see something vaguely in a mirror but at that time, we’ll see face to face. Right now, I know in part, but at that time, I will know well just as I have been known well. ¹³ But for now, these three remain: faithful trust, hope, and love, but the most important of these is love.

¹ Run toward love, and passionately pursue things of the Life-breath, especially that you would speak inspired messages. ² When someone speaks in other languages they’re not speaking to people but to God since no one understands what they say, but they speak things mysterious to all but the Life-breath. ³ When someone speaks inspired messages, they speak to people, building them up, encouraging them, and comforting them. ⁴ When someone speaks in other languages, they build themselves up, but when someone speaks inspired messages, they build up the Called Community. ⁵ I want you all to speak other languages, but even more, I wish you would speak inspired messages. Speaking inspired messages is more important than speaking in other languages unless it’s interpreted so that the Called Community may take hold of being built up.

⁶ Now, Family, if I were to come to you speaking in other languages, how would I help you if I don’t speak to you by revealing something or with knowledge or with inspired messages or teaching? ⁷ Similarly, when inanimate objects, such as a flute or a harp, make a sound, if they don’t produce distinct notes, how will what is played on the flute or harp be understood? ⁸ For example, if the trumpet were to make some unclear sound, who would prepare for battle? ⁹ You’re the same way with language. If you don’t form a clear word, how will what you are saying be understood? You will be speaking into the air. ¹⁰ It may be that there are that many kinds of sounds in the world, and none is without meaning. ¹¹ Therefore, if I don’t know the significance of the sound, I will be strange to the speaker and the speaker will be strange to me. ¹² You’re the same way. Since you are passionate about things of the Life-breath, pursue what builds up the Called Community so that you can flourish even more.

¹³ In light of that, whoever speaks in another language should pray that they would interpret it. ¹⁴ If I pray in another language, my spirit-breath prays, but my mind doesn’t accomplish anything. ¹⁵ So, what should I do? I will pray with my spirit-breath, and I will also pray with my mind. I will sing a song of praise with my spirit-breath, and I will also sing a song of praise with my mind. ¹⁶ Otherwise, if you speak praise with the spirit-breath, how would someone present who is untrained speak the amen to your thanksgiving since they don’t understand what you’re saying? ¹⁷ You’re giving thanks beautifully, but at the same time, the other person is not built up. ¹⁸ I give thanks to God that I speak in other languages more than all of you; ¹⁹ nevertheless, among the Called Community I want to speak five words with my mind so that I instruct others rather than ten thousand words in another language.

²⁰ Family, don’t become children regarding your thoughts, but become babies in harmfulness and mature in your thoughts. ²¹ It is written in the Hebrew Scriptures that the Lord says, “In other languages, and with other lips, I will speak to this people, but even so they will still not listen to me.” ²² So then, the languages are meant as a sign not for those who trust but for those who don’t trust. However, inspired messages are not for those who don’t trust but for those who do trust. ²³ Therefore, if the whole Called Community comes together in the same place, and they all speak in different languages, and people come in who are untrained or don’t trust, won’t they say that you’re out of your minds? ²⁴ But if everyone speaks inspired messages, and someone who doesn’t trust or is untrained comes in, they will be convinced by everyone and thoroughly considered by everyone. ²⁵ What is hidden in their heart will be made clear, and that way, falling facedown, they will bow down to God, exclaiming, “God really is among you!”

²⁶ So, what then, Family? When you come together, each person has a song of praise, has a teaching, has something to reveal, has a language, has interpretation. It should all happen to build people up. ²⁷ If someone speaks in another language, it should be two or three at the most and one at a time, and one person should interpret it. ²⁸ If there is no interpreter, the person should hold back from speaking among the Called Community, but they should speak to themselves and to God. ²⁹ Two or three speakers of inspired messages should speak and the others carefully consider it. ³⁰ If something is revealed to someone else who is sitting, the first person should hold back from speaking. ³¹ You see, you can all speak inspired messages one at a time so that everyone may learn, and everyone may be encouraged. ³² The spirit-breaths of speakers of inspired messages, in fact, cooperate with other speakers of inspired messages, ³³ since God is not characterized by disruptiveness but by peaceability.

As during all the Called Community gatherings of those who are dedicated for sacred purposes, ³⁴  “women should hold back from speaking during the Called Community gatherings because it is not allowed for them to speak, but have them cooperate, just as the standard dictates. ³⁵ However, if they want to learn about something, have them thoroughly question their own men at home because it causes shame for a woman to speak during the Called Community gathering.” ³⁶ What! Did God’s message come from you? Or did it arrive for you alone?

³⁷ If someone seems to be a speaker of inspired messages or to have a connection with the Life-breath, they should clearly understand what I am writing to you since it is the Lord’s directive. ³⁸ But if someone doesn’t recognize it, they are not recognized. ³⁹ So then, Family, passionately pursue speaking inspired messages, and don’t forbid people from speaking other languages. ⁴⁰ Just have everything happen according to the beneficial way of being and an intentional structure.

¹ Family, I’m going to help you understand the triumphant message that I announced to you that you accepted, on which you have been established, ² and through which you are liberated, if you hold onto the triumphant message that I announced to you—unless, that is, if you came to trust pointlessly. ³ You see, among the first things I passed along to you that I also had accepted was that Christ died for the sake of our deviations based on the scriptures, ⁴ that he was buried and was raised up on the third day based on the scriptures, ⁵ and that he was seen by Cephas, then the rest of the Twelve. ⁶ After that, he was seen by over 500 members of the Family at once, the majority of whom are still surviving now, though some have fallen asleep. ⁷ After that, he was seen by Jacob, then by all those who were commissioned. ⁸ Last of all, like by someone whose development was aborted, he was also seen by me. ⁹ That’s because I am the least of those who have been commissioned; I’m not fit to be called a commissioned one because I persecuted God’s Called Community. ¹⁰ By God’s generosity, I am what I am, and God’s generosity for me has not turned out to be futile, but rather, I have heavily labored, surpassing all of them—not I, but rather, God’s generosity that’s with me. ¹¹ Therefore, whether I do it or they do it, this is what we announce, and this is what you came to trust.

¹² If it is announced that Christ has been raised from among the dead, how is it that some among you say that there is no reawakening of the dead? ¹³ If there is no reawakening of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. ¹⁴ If Christ has not been raised, that means your announcement is futile, and your trust is futile, ¹⁵ and we are also found to be false witnesses about God because we testified against God that God raised Christ who was not raised—if, indeed, the dead are not raised. ¹⁶ You see, if the dead are not raised, then Christ is not raised. ¹⁷ If Christ is not raised, your trust is useless, and you are still in your deviations. ¹⁸ That also means those connected with Christ who have fallen asleep are lost. ¹⁹ If we who have placed our hope in Christ do so only regarding this life, we are the most in need of compassion of all people.

²⁰ However, Christ has already been raised from among the dead as the first harvest of those who have fallen asleep. ²¹ You see, since death came through a human, reawakening of the dead also came through a human. ²² Just as everyone dies with Adam, in the same way everyone will be made alive with Christ. ²³ Each person will experience it in their own order: Christ as the first harvest, then those who belong to Christ at his arrival, ²⁴ then the end will come when he hands over the Reign to God, the Father, when he renders obsolete all rule and authority and power. ²⁵ You see, it’s necessary for him to reign until God places all those who are hostile under his feet. ²⁶ The last hostile one to be made obsolete is Death. ²⁷ You see, “he has arranged everything under his feet.” When it says “everything has been arranged under,” it’s clear that it’s everything except the one who arranged everything under him. ²⁸ When everything is arranged under him, then even the son himself will be arranged under the one who arranged everything under him so that God would be everything in everything.

²⁹ Because of that, what will those who are immersed for the sake of the dead do? If the dead are not raised at all, what’s the point of them being immersed for their sake? ³⁰ And why are we in danger all the time? ³¹ Every single day, I’m about to die! It’s as certain as me bragging about you whom I have through Christ Jesus our Lord. ³² If things are based on human perspective, when I fought with wild animals in Ephesus, what benefit was it to me? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink since tomorrow we die.” ³³ Don’t be misled; “Cruel companionship corrupts compassionate character.” ³⁴ Sober up according to what’s right, and don’t deviate, because some have no understanding of God. I say this for the sake of your respectability.

³⁵ Nevertheless, someone will say, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?” ³⁶ How mindless! What you plant is not made to live unless it dies. ³⁷ And what you plant is not the body that it will become but a bare seed, whether wheat, for example, or something else. ³⁸ God gives it a body just how God intended, its own body to each one of the seeds. ³⁹ Not all bodies are composed of the same thing, but while humans have one kind, land animals have another kind of body, and birds have another, and fish have another. ⁴⁰ There are bodies for the heavens and bodies for the land, but while the ones for the heavens have their own praiseworthiness, the ones for the land have a different praiseworthiness. ⁴¹ The praiseworthiness of the sun is one kind, and the praiseworthiness of the moon is another kind, and the praiseworthiness of the stars is different still because one star is distinct in its praiseworthiness from another star.

⁴² The reawakening of the dead also works the same way. It’s planted in perishability and raised in imperishability. ⁴³ It’s planted in disfavor and raised in praiseworthiness. ⁴⁴ A body animated by a person’s own life-force is planted, and a body animated by the Life-breath is raised. If a body is animated by a person’s own life-force, it is also animated by the Life-breath. ⁴⁵ In the same way, both as it was written, “The first human, Adam, became a life-force,” and the last Adam became a life-giving breath. ⁴⁶ Nevertheless, the Life-breath-animated one was not first, but the life-force-animated one was, and after that the Life-breath-animated one. ⁴⁷ The first human is earthen, from the land; the second human is from the heavens. ⁴⁸ As the earthen one is, so are the earthen ones, and as the heavenly one is, so are the heavenly ones. ⁴⁹ So, just as we have borne the image of the earthen one, we will also bear the image of the heavenly one.

⁵⁰ Family, this is what I’m saying: Flesh and blood cannot inherit God’s Reign, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. ⁵¹ Look, I’ll tell you a secret: We won’t all fall asleep, but we will all be transformed ⁵² in a moment, in the blink of an eye, at the last trumpet. You see, the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be transformed. ⁵³ It’s necessary for this perishable body to clothe itself in what is imperishable, and this body that is subject to Death to clothe itself with what is undying. ⁵⁴ When this perishable body clothes itself in what is imperishable and this body that is subject to Death clothes itself in what is undying, then the saying that has been written will come to pass: “Death has been swallowed up in triumph.”

⁵⁵ Death, where is your triumph? Death, “where is your goad?” ⁵⁶ Death’s goad is deviation, and deviation’s power is human norms. ⁵⁷ Thanks be to God who gives us triumph through our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁵⁸ So then, my beloved Family, become planted in place, immovable, always surpassing in God’s work, and knowing that with the Lord, your heavy labor is not futile.

¹ Now, about the collection for those dedicated for sacred purposes, do just like how I also arranged it with the Called Communities in Galatia. ² On the first day of each week, have each of you set something aside, reserving it when someone has been made prosperous, so that when I come, there won’t be a collection to be done at that time. ³ When I’m with you, I will send whomever you approve by your letters to carry your gift to Jerusalem. ⁴ If it is appropriate for me also to go, they’ll go together with me.

⁵ I will come to you when I’ve gone through Macedonia—since I’m coming through Macedonia. ⁶ If it works out, I will stay with you or even spend the winter with you, so you may send me on my way, wherever I go. ⁷ I don’t want to see you yet, in passing, because I hope to stay with you for some time if the Lord allows for it. ⁸ I’ll stay in Ephesus until Pentecost ⁹ because a significant and active door has opened for me, and there are many opponents.

¹⁰ If Timothy comes, see that there is nothing for him to fear among you because, just like me, he is doing the Lord’s work, ¹¹ so don’t let anyone treat him with contempt. Send him peacefully on his way to come to me. I’m expecting him with the Family.

¹² Now, about brother Apollos, I encouraged him a lot to come to you with the Family, but it was entirely not his intention to come now. However, he will come when the time is right.

¹³ Be vigilant, stand firm in your faithful trust, have courage, be strengthened. ¹⁴ May everything happening among you be loving.

¹⁵ Family, you know about the house of Stephanus, the first in Achaia to join the Family, and that they assigned themselves as servants to those who are dedicated for sacred purposes. I encourage you ¹⁶ that you would also cooperate with people like these and everyone who works together and labors heavily. ¹⁷ I celebrated the arrival of Stephanus, Fortunatus, and Achaicus because they filled me up with the connection to you that I was missing. ¹⁸ They refreshed my spirit and yours. Thoroughly understand people like them.

¹⁹ The Called Communities in Asia wish you well. Aquila and Prisca along with the Called Community that’s based in their house send you many well wishes. ²⁰ All the members of the Family send you well wishes. Share these well wishes with each other with a sacred kiss.

²¹ I, Paul, wish you well in my own handwriting. ²² If anyone does not care about the Lord, consider them designated for destruction! Marana tha! ²³ May the generosity of the Lord Jesus be with you. ²⁴ My love is with all of you in connection with Christ Jesus.