1 Corinthians 2-9

English Standard Version

Proclaiming Christ Crucified

2 And I, when I came to you, brothers,^{[a] (A)}did not come proclaiming to you ^(B)the testimony^[b] of God with lofty speech or wisdom. ² For I decided to know nothing among you except ^(C)Jesus Christ and him crucified. ³ And ^(D)I was with you ^(E)in weakness and in fear and much trembling, ⁴ and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of ^(F)the Spirit and of power, ⁵ so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men^[c] but ^(G)in the power of God.

Wisdom from the Spirit

⁶ Yet among ^(H)the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not ^(I)a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, ^(J)who are doomed to pass away. ⁷ But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, ^(K)which God decreed before the ages for our glory. ⁸ None of ^(L)the rulers of this age understood this, for ^(M)if they had, they would not have crucified ^(N)the Lord of glory. ⁹ But, as it is written,

¹⁰ these things ^(R)God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even ^(S)the depths of God. ¹¹ For who knows a person's thoughts ^(T)except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. ¹² Now ^(U)we have received not ^(V)the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. ¹³ And we impart this ^(W)in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, ^(X)interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.^[d]

¹⁴ The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are ^(Y)folly to him, and ^(Z)he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. ¹⁵ The ^(AA)spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. ^16 (AB)“For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But ^(AC)we have the mind of Christ.

Divisions in the Church

3 But I, brothers,^[e] could not address you as ^(AD)spiritual people, but as ^(AE)people of the flesh, as ^(AF)infants in Christ. ^2 (AG)I fed you with milk, not solid food, for ^(AH)you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, ³ for you are still of the flesh. For while there is ^(AI)jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? ⁴ For ^(AJ)when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” ^(AK)are you not being merely human?

⁵ What then is Apollos? What is Paul? ^(AL)Servants through whom you believed, ^(AM)as the Lord assigned to each. ^6 (AN)I planted, ^(AO)Apollos watered, ^(AP)but God gave the growth. ⁷ So ^(AQ)neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. ⁸ He who plants and he who waters are one, and each ^(AR)will receive his wages according to his labor. ⁹ For we are ^(AS)God's fellow workers. You are God's field, ^(AT)God's building.

^10 (AU)According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled^[f] master builder I laid a ^(AV)foundation, and ^(AW)someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. ¹¹ For no one can lay a ^(AX)foundation other ^(AY)than that which is laid, ^(AZ)which is Jesus Christ. ¹² Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— ^13 (BA)each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed ^(BB)by fire, and ^(BC)the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. ¹⁴ If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, ^(BD)he will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, ^(BE)but only as through fire.

^16 (BF)Do you not know that you^[g] are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? ¹⁷ If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For ^(BG)God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.

^18 (BH)Let no one deceive himself. ^(BI)If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. ¹⁹ For ^(BJ)the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, ^(BK)“He catches the wise in their craftiness,” ²⁰ and again, ^(BL)“The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” ²¹ So ^(BM)let no one boast in men. For ^(BN)all things are yours, ²² whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, ²³ and ^(BO)you are Christ's, and ^(BP)Christ is God's.

The Ministry of Apostles

4 This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and ^(BQ)stewards of the mysteries of God. ² Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. ³ But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. ^4 (BR)For I am not aware of anything against myself, ^(BS)but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. ⁵ Therefore ^(BT)do not pronounce judgment before the time, ^(BU)before the Lord comes, ^(BV)who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. ^(BW)Then each one will receive his commendation from God.

⁶ I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers,^[h] that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may ^(BX)be puffed up in favor of one against another. ⁷ For who sees anything different in you? ^(BY)What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?

⁸ Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! Without us you have become kings! And would that you did reign, so that we might share the rule with you! ⁹ For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, ^(BZ)like men sentenced to death, because we ^(CA)have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. ^10 (CB)We are fools for Christ's sake, but ^(CC)you are wise in Christ. ^(CD)We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. ¹¹ To the present hour ^(CE)we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and ^(CF)buffeted and ^(CG)homeless, ¹² and we ^(CH)labor, working with our own hands. ^(CI)When reviled, we bless; ^(CJ)when persecuted, we endure; ¹³ when slandered, we entreat. ^(CK)We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, ^(CL)the refuse of all things.

¹⁴ I do not write these things ^(CM)to make you ashamed, but to admonish you ^(CN)as my beloved children. ¹⁵ For ^(CO)though you have countless^[i] guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For ^(CP)I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. ¹⁶ I urge you, then, ^(CQ)be imitators of me. ¹⁷ That is why ^(CR)I sent^[j] you Timothy, ^(CS)my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ,^{[k] (CT)}as I teach them everywhere in every church. ¹⁸ Some are ^(CU)arrogant, ^(CV)as though I were not coming to you. ¹⁹ But ^(CW)I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people but their power. ²⁰ For ^(CX)the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power. ²¹ What do you wish? ^(CY)Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love in a spirit of gentleness?

Sexual Immorality Defiles the Church

5 It is actually reported that there is ^(CZ)sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, ^(DA)for a man has his father's wife. ² And ^(DB)you are arrogant! Ought you ^(DC)not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.

³ For though ^(DD)absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing. ⁴ When you are assembled ^(DE)in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, ⁵ you are ^(DF)to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so ^(DG)that his spirit may be saved ^(DH)in the day of the Lord.^[l]

^6 (DI)Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that ^(DJ)a little leaven leavens the whole lump? ⁷ Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. ⁸ Let us therefore celebrate the festival, ^(DK)not with the old leaven, ^(DL)the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

⁹ I wrote to you in my letter ^(DM)not to associate with sexually immoral people— ^10 (DN)not at all meaning ^(DO)the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, ^(DP)since then you would need to go out of the world. ¹¹ But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone ^(DQ)who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. ¹² For what have I to do with judging ^(DR)outsiders? ^(DS)Is it not those inside the church^[m] whom you are to judge? ¹³ God judges^[n] those outside. ^(DT)“Purge the evil person from among you.”

Lawsuits Against Believers

6 When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous ^(DU)instead of the saints? ² Or do you not know that ^(DV)the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? ³ Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! ⁴ So if you have such cases, ^(DW)why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church? ^5 (DX)I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers, ⁶ but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers? ⁷ To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. ^(DY)Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? ⁸ But you yourselves wrong and defraud—even ^(DZ)your own brothers!^[o]

⁹ Or do you not know that the unrighteous^[p] will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: ^(EA)neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,^{[q] 10} nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. ¹¹ And ^(EB)such were some of you. But ^(EC)you were washed, ^(ED)you were sanctified, ^(EE)you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Flee Sexual Immorality

^12 (EF)“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything. ^13 (EG)“Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”—and God will destroy both one ^(EH)and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but ^(EI)for the Lord, and ^(EJ)the Lord for the body. ¹⁴ And ^(EK)God raised the Lord and ^(EL)will also raise us up ^(EM)by his power. ¹⁵ Do you not know that ^(EN)your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! ¹⁶ Or do you not know that he who is joined^[r] to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, ^(EO)“The two will become one flesh.” ¹⁷ But he who is joined to the Lord ^(EP)becomes one spirit with him. ^18 (EQ)Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin^[s] a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person ^(ER)sins against his own body. ¹⁹ Or ^(ES)do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? ^(ET)You are not your own, ^20 (EU)for you were bought with a price. ^(EV)So glorify God in your body.

Principles for Marriage

7 Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: ^(EW)“It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” ² But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. ^3 (EX)The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. ⁴ For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. ^5 (EY)Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, ^(EZ)so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

⁶ Now as a concession, ^(FA)not a command, I say this.^{[t] 7 (FB)}I wish that all were ^(FC)as I myself am. But ^(FD)each has his own gift from God, ^(FE)one of one kind and one of another.

⁸ To the unmarried and the widows I say that ^(FF)it is good for them to remain single, ^(FG)as I am. ⁹ But if they cannot exercise self-control, ^(FH)they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

¹⁰ To the married ^(FI)I give this charge (not I, but the Lord): ^(FJ)the wife should not separate from her husband ¹¹ (but if she does, ^(FK)she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and ^(FL)the husband should not divorce his wife.

¹² To the rest I say (I, not the Lord) that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her. ¹³ If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him. ¹⁴ For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. ^(FM)Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. ¹⁵ But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you^{[u] (FN)}to peace. ¹⁶ For how do you know, wife, ^(FO)whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?

Live as You Are Called

¹⁷ Only let each person lead the life^{[v] (FP)}that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. ^(FQ)This is my rule in ^(FR)all the churches. ¹⁸ Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. Was anyone at the time of his call uncircumcised? ^(FS)Let him not seek circumcision. ^19 (FT)For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but ^(FU)keeping the commandments of God. ^20 (FV)Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called. ²¹ Were you a bondservant^[w] when called? Do not be concerned about it. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.) ²² For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is ^(FW)a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is ^(FX)a bondservant of Christ. ^23 (FY)You were bought with a price; ^(FZ)do not become bondservants of men. ²⁴ So, brothers,^{[x] (GA)}in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God.

The Unmarried and the Widowed

²⁵ Now concerning^[y] the betrothed,^{[z] (GB)}I have no command from the Lord, but I give my judgment as ^(GC)one who by the Lord's mercy is ^(GD)trustworthy. ²⁶ I think that in view of the present^[aa] distress ^(GE)it is good for a person to remain as he is. ²⁷ Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife. ²⁸ But if you do marry, you have not sinned, and if a betrothed woman^[ab] marries, she has not sinned. Yet those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that. ²⁹ This is what I mean, brothers: ^(GF)the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, ³⁰ and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy ^(GG)as though they had no goods, ³¹ and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For ^(GH)the present form of this world is passing away.

³² I want you to be ^(GI)free from anxieties. ^(GJ)The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. ³³ But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, ³⁴ and his interests are divided. And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband. ³⁵ I say this for your own benefit, ^(GK)not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord.

³⁶ If anyone thinks that he is not behaving properly toward his betrothed,^[ac] if his^[ad] passions are strong, and it has to be, let him do as he wishes: let them marry—it is no sin. ³⁷ But whoever is firmly established in his heart, being under no necessity but having his desire under control, and has determined this in his heart, to keep her as his betrothed, he will do well. ³⁸ So then he who marries his betrothed ^(GL)does well, and he who refrains from marriage will do even better.

^39 (GM)A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only ^(GN)in the Lord. ⁴⁰ Yet ^(GO)in my judgment she is happier if she remains as she is. And I think ^(GP)that I too have the Spirit of God.

Food Offered to Idols

8 Now concerning^{[ae] (GQ)}food offered to idols: we know that ^(GR)“all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” ^(GS)puffs up, ^(GT)but love builds up. ^2 (GU)If anyone imagines that he knows something, ^(GV)he does not yet know as he ought to know. ³ But if anyone loves God, ^(GW)he is known by God.^[af]

⁴ Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that ^(GX)“an idol has no real existence,” and that ^(GY)“there is no God but one.” ⁵ For although there may be ^(GZ)so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”— ⁶ yet ^(HA)for us there is one God, the Father, ^(HB)from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and ^(HC)one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and ^(HD)through whom we exist.

⁷ However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, ^(HE)through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and ^(HF)their conscience, being weak, is defiled. ^8 (HG)Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. ⁹ But take care ^(HH)that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block ^(HI)to the weak. ¹⁰ For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating^[ag] in an idol's temple, will he not be encouraged,^[ah] if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? ¹¹ And so by your knowledge this weak person is ^(HJ)destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. ¹² Thus, sinning against your brothers^[ai] and ^(HK)wounding their conscience when it is weak, ^(HL)you sin against Christ. ¹³ Therefore, ^(HM)if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.

Paul Surrenders His Rights

9 ^(HN)Am I not free? ^(HO)Am I not an apostle? ^(HP)Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? ^(HQ)Are not you my workmanship in the Lord? ² If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you, for you are ^(HR)the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

³ This is my defense to those who would examine me. ^4 (HS)Do we not have the right to eat and drink? ^5 (HT)Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife,^[aj] as do the other apostles and ^(HU)the brothers of the Lord and ^(HV)Cephas? ⁶ Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living? ^7 (HW)Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? ^(HX)Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Or who tends a flock without getting some of the milk?

⁸ Do I say these things on human authority? Does not the Law say the same? ⁹ For it is written in the Law of Moses, ^(HY)“You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.” Is it for oxen that God is concerned? ¹⁰ Does he not certainly speak for our sake? It was written ^(HZ)for our sake, because ^(IA)the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop. ^11 (IB)If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? ¹² If others share this rightful claim on you, do not we even more?

Nevertheless, ^(IC)we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything ^(ID)rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ. ¹³ Do you not know that ^(IE)those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings? ¹⁴ In the same way, the Lord commanded that ^(IF)those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.

¹⁵ But ^(IG)I have made no use of any of these rights, nor am I writing these things to secure any such provision. For I would rather die than have anyone ^(IH)deprive me of my ground for boasting. ¹⁶ For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For ^(II)necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! ¹⁷ For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but if not of my own will, I am still entrusted with ^(IJ)a stewardship. ¹⁸ What then is my reward? That in my preaching ^(IK)I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.

¹⁹ For ^(IL)though I am free from all, ^(IM)I have made myself a servant to all, that I might ^(IN)win more of them. ^20 (IO)To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. ²¹ To ^(IP)those outside the law I became ^(IQ)as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but ^(IR)under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. ^22 (IS)To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. ^(IT)I have become all things to all people, that ^(IU)by all means I might save some. ²³ I do it all for the sake of the gospel, ^(IV)that I may share with them in its blessings.

²⁴ Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives ^(IW)the prize? So ^(IX)run that you may obtain it. ²⁵ Every ^(IY)athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we ^(IZ)an imperishable. ²⁶ So I do not run aimlessly; I ^(JA)do not box as one ^(JB)beating the air. ²⁷ But I discipline my body and ^(JC)keep it under control,^[ak] lest after preaching to others ^(JD)I myself should be ^(JE)disqualified.