1 Corinthians 1-7

New American Standard Bible 1995

Appeal to Unity

1 Paul, ^(A)called as an apostle of Jesus Christ ^[a]by ^(B)the will of God, and ^(C)Sosthenes our ^(D)brother,

² To ^(E)the church of God which is at ^(F)Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, ^[b]saints ^(G)by calling, with all who in every place ^(H)call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:

^3 (I)Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

^4 (J)I thank ^[c]my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, ⁵ that in everything you were ^(K)enriched in Him, in all ^(L)speech and ^(M)all knowledge, ⁶ even as ^(N)the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed ^[d]in you, ⁷ so that you are not lacking in any gift, ^(O)awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, ^8 (P)who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in ^(Q)the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. ^9 (R)God is faithful, through whom you were ^(S)called into ^(T)fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

¹⁰ Now ^(U)I exhort you, ^(V)brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all ^[e]agree and that there be no ^[f](W)divisions among you, but that you be ^[g]made complete in ^(X)the same mind and in the same judgment. ¹¹ For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe’s people, that there are quarrels among you. ¹² Now I mean this, that ^(Y)each one of you is saying, “I am of Paul,” and “I of ^(Z)Apollos,” and “I of ^(AA)Cephas,” and “I of Christ.” ^13 [h]Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you ^(AB)baptized ^[i]in the name of Paul? ^14 [j]I thank God that I ^(AC)baptized none of you except ^(AD)Crispus and ^(AE)Gaius, ¹⁵ so that no one would say you were baptized ^[k]in my name. ¹⁶ Now I did baptize also the ^(AF)household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any other. ^17 (AG)For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, ^(AH)not in ^[l]cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void.

The Wisdom of God

¹⁸ For the word of the cross is ^(AI)foolishness to ^(AJ)those who ^[m]are perishing, but to us who ^[n]are being saved it is ^(AK)the power of God. ¹⁹ For it is written,

^20 (AM)Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of ^(AN)this age? Has not God ^(AO)made foolish the wisdom of ^(AP)the world? ²¹ For since in the wisdom of God ^(AQ)the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, ^(AR)God was well-pleased through the ^(AS)foolishness of the ^[o]message preached to ^(AT)save those who believe. ²² For indeed ^(AU)Jews ask for ^[p]signs and Greeks search for wisdom; ²³ but we preach ^[q](AV)Christ crucified, ^(AW)to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles ^(AX)foolishness, ²⁴ but to those who are ^(AY)the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ ^(AZ)the power of God and ^(BA)the wisdom of God. ²⁵ Because the ^(BB)foolishness of God is wiser than men, and ^(BC)the weakness of God is stronger than men.

²⁶ For ^[r]consider your ^(BD)calling, brethren, that there were ^(BE)not many wise according to ^[s]the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; ²⁷ but ^(BF)God has chosen the foolish things of ^(BG)the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of ^(BH)the world to shame the things which are strong, ²⁸ and the base things of ^(BI)the world and the despised God has chosen, ^(BJ)the things that are not, so that He may ^(BK)nullify the things that are, ²⁹ so that ^(BL)no ^[t]man may boast before God. ³⁰ But ^[u]by His doing you are in ^(BM)Christ Jesus, who became to us ^(BN)wisdom from God, ^[v]and ^(BO)righteousness and ^(BP)sanctification, and ^(BQ)redemption, ³¹ so that, just as it is written, “^(BR)Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

Paul’s Reliance upon the Spirit

2 And when I came to you, brethren, I ^(BS)did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you ^(BT)the ^[w]testimony of God. ² For I determined to know nothing among you except ^(BU)Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. ³ I was with you in ^(BV)weakness and in ^(BW)fear and in much trembling, ⁴ and my ^[x]message and my preaching were ^(BX)not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of ^(BY)the Spirit and of power, ⁵ so that your faith would not ^[y]rest on the wisdom of men, but on ^(BZ)the power of God.

⁶ Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are ^(CA)mature; a wisdom, however, not of ^(CB)this age nor of the rulers of ^(CC)this age, who are ^(CD)passing away; ⁷ but we speak God’s wisdom in a ^(CE)mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ^(CF)predestined before the ^(CG)ages to our glory; ⁸ the wisdom ^(CH)which none of the rulers of ^(CI)this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified ^(CJ)the Lord of glory; ⁹ but just as it is written,

^10 [z](CL)For to us God revealed them ^(CM)through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the ^(CN)depths of God. ¹¹ For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the ^(CO)spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. ¹² Now we ^(CP)have received, not the spirit of ^(CQ)the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, ¹³ which things we also speak, ^(CR)not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, ^[aa]combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.

¹⁴ But ^[ab]a ^(CS)natural man ^(CT)does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are ^(CU)foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually ^[ac]appraised. ¹⁵ But he who is ^(CV)spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. ¹⁶ For ^(CW)who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But ^(CX)we have the mind of Christ.

Foundations for Living

3 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to ^(CY)spiritual men, but as to ^(CZ)men of flesh, as to ^(DA)infants in Christ. ² I gave you ^(DB)milk to drink, not solid food; for you ^(DC)were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, ³ for you are still fleshly. For since there is ^(DD)jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking ^[ad](DE)like mere men? ⁴ For when ^(DF)one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not mere ^(DG)men?

⁵ What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? ^(DH)Servants through whom you believed, even ^(DI)as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. ^6 (DJ)I planted, ^(DK)Apollos watered, but ^(DL)God was causing the growth. ⁷ So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. ⁸ Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will ^(DM)receive his own ^[ae]reward according to his own labor. ⁹ For we are God’s ^(DN)fellow workers; you are God’s ^[af](DO)field, God’s ^(DP)building.

¹⁰ According to ^(DQ)the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder ^(DR)I laid a foundation, and ^(DS)another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. ¹¹ For no man can lay a ^(DT)foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹² Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, ^[ag]precious stones, wood, hay, straw, ^13 (DU)each man’s work will become evident; for ^(DV)the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test ^[ah]the quality of each man’s work. ¹⁴ If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will ^(DW)receive a reward. ¹⁵ If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet ^(DX)so as through fire.

^16 (DY)Do you not know that ^(DZ)you are a ^[ai]temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? ¹⁷ If any man destroys the ^[aj]temple of God, God will destroy him, for the ^[ak]temple of God is holy, and ^[al]that is what you are.

^18 (EA)Let no man deceive himself. ^(EB)If any man among you thinks that he is wise in ^(EC)this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise. ¹⁹ For ^(ED)the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, “He is ^(EE)the one who catches the wise in their craftiness”; ²⁰ and again, “^(EF)The Lord knows the reasonings of the wise, that they are useless.” ²¹ So then ^(EG)let no one boast in men. For ^(EH)all things belong to you, ^22 (EI)whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or ^(EJ)life or death or things present or things to come; all things belong to you, ²³ and ^(EK)you belong to Christ; and ^(EL)Christ belongs to God.

Servants of Christ

4 Let a man regard us in this manner, as ^(EM)servants of Christ and ^(EN)stewards of ^(EO)the mysteries of God. ² In this case, moreover, it is required ^[am]of stewards that one be found trustworthy. ³ But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human ^[an]court; in fact, I do not even examine myself. ⁴ For I ^(EP)am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this ^(EQ)acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord. ⁵ Therefore ^(ER)do not go on ^[ao]passing judgment before ^[ap]the time, but wait ^(ES)until the Lord comes who will both ^(ET)bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s ^(EU)praise will come to him from God.

⁶ Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us you may learn not to exceed ^(EV)what is written, so that no one of you will ^(EW)become ^[aq]arrogant ^(EX)in behalf of one against the other. ⁷ For who regards you as superior? ^(EY)What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?

⁸ You are ^(EZ)already filled, you have already become rich, you have become kings without us; and indeed, I wish that you had become kings so that we also might reign with you. ⁹ For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men ^(FA)condemned to death; because we ^(FB)have become a spectacle to the world, ^[ar]both to angels and to men. ¹⁰ We are ^(FC)fools for Christ’s sake, but ^(FD)you are prudent in Christ; ^(FE)we are weak, but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we are without honor. ¹¹ To this present hour we are both ^(FF)hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless; ¹² and we toil, ^(FG)working with our own hands; when we are ^(FH)reviled, we bless; when we are ^(FI)persecuted, we endure; ¹³ when we are slandered, we try to ^[as]conciliate; we have ^(FJ)become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now.

¹⁴ I do not write these things to ^(FK)shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved ^(FL)children. ¹⁵ For if you were to have countless ^(FM)tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in ^(FN)Christ Jesus I ^(FO)became your father through the ^(FP)gospel. ¹⁶ Therefore I exhort you, be ^(FQ)imitators of me. ¹⁷ For this reason I ^(FR)have sent to you ^(FS)Timothy, who is my ^(FT)beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, ^(FU)just as I teach everywhere in every church. ¹⁸ Now some have become ^[at](FV)arrogant, as though I were not ^(FW)coming to you. ¹⁹ But I ^(FX)will come to you soon, ^(FY)if the Lord wills, and I shall find out, not the ^[au]words of those who are ^(FZ)arrogant but their power. ²⁰ For the kingdom of God does ^(GA)not consist in ^[av]words but in power. ²¹ What do you desire? ^(GB)Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love and a spirit of gentleness?

Immorality Rebuked

5 It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has ^(GC)his father’s wife. ^2 [aw]You ^(GD)have become ^[ax]arrogant and ^[ay]have not ^(GE)mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be ^(GF)removed from your midst.

³ For I, on my part, though ^(GG)absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present. ^4 (GH)In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and ^[az]I with you in spirit, ^(GI)with the power of our Lord Jesus, ⁵ I have decided to ^(GJ)deliver such a one to ^(GK)Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in ^(GL)the day of the Lord ^[ba]Jesus.

^6 (GM)Your boasting is not good. ^(GN)Do you not know that ^(GO)a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? ⁷ Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our ^(GP)Passover also has been sacrificed. ⁸ Therefore let us celebrate the feast, ^(GQ)not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

⁹ I wrote you in my letter ^(GR)not to associate with immoral people; ¹⁰ I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with ^(GS)idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world. ¹¹ But ^[bb]actually, I wrote to you not to associate ^[bc]with any so-called ^(GT)brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or ^(GU)an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one. ¹² For what have I to do with judging ^(GV)outsiders? ^(GW)Do you not judge those who are within the church? ¹³ But those who are outside, God ^[bd]judges. ^(GX)Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.

Lawsuits Discouraged

6 Does any one of you, when he has a ^[be]case against his neighbor, dare to go to law before the unrighteous and ^(GY)not before the ^[bf]saints? ² Or ^(GZ)do you not know that ^(HA)the ^[bg]saints will judge ^(HB)the world? If the world is judged by you, are you not competent to ^[bh]constitute the smallest law courts? ^3 (HC)Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life? ⁴ So if you have law courts dealing with matters of this life, ^[bi]do you appoint them as judges who are of no account in the church? ^5 (HD)I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not among you one wise man who will be able to decide between his ^(HE)brethren, ⁶ but brother goes to law with brother, and that before ^(HF)unbelievers?

⁷ Actually, then, it is already a defeat for you, that you have lawsuits with one another. ^(HG)Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded? ⁸ On the contrary, you yourselves wrong and defraud. You do this even to your ^(HH)brethren.

⁹ Or ^(HI)do you not know that the unrighteous will not ^(HJ)inherit the kingdom of God? ^(HK)Do not be deceived; ^(HL)neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor ^[bj]effeminate, nor homosexuals, ¹⁰ nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will ^(HM)inherit the kingdom of God. ^11 (HN)Such were some of you; but you were ^(HO)washed, but you were ^(HP)sanctified, but you were ^(HQ)justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

The Body Is the Lord’s

^12 (HR)All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything. ^13 (HS)Food is for the ^[bk]stomach and the ^[bl]stomach is for food, but God will ^(HT)do away with both ^[bm]of them. Yet the body is not for immorality, but ^(HU)for the Lord, and ^(HV)the Lord is for the body. ¹⁴ Now God has not only ^(HW)raised the Lord, but ^(HX)will also raise us up through His power. ^15 (HY)Do you not know that ^(HZ)your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? ^(IA)May it never be! ¹⁶ Or ^(IB)do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, “^(IC)The two shall become one flesh.” ¹⁷ But the one who joins himself to the Lord is ^(ID)one spirit with Him. ^18 (IE)Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the ^[bn]immoral man sins against his own body. ¹⁹ Or ^(IF)do you not know that ^(IG)your body is a ^[bo]temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from ^[bp]God, and that ^(IH)you are not your own? ²⁰ For ^(II)you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in ^(IJ)your body.

Teaching on Marriage

7 Now concerning the things about which you wrote, it is ^(IK)good for a man not to touch a woman. ² But because of immoralities, each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband. ³ The husband must ^[bq]fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband. ⁴ The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; and likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. ^5 (IL)Stop depriving one another, except by agreement for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and ^[br]come together again so that ^(IM)Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. ⁶ But this I say by way of concession, ^(IN)not of command. ^7 [bs]Yet I wish that all men were ^(IO)even as I myself am. However, ^(IP)each man has his own gift from God, one in this manner, and another in that.

⁸ But I say to the unmarried and to widows that it is ^(IQ)good for them if they remain ^(IR)even as I. ⁹ But if they do not have self-control, ^(IS)let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

¹⁰ But to the married I give instructions, ^(IT)not I, but the Lord, that the wife should not ^[bt]leave her husband ¹¹ (but if she does leave, she must remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband should not ^[bu]divorce his wife.

¹² But to the rest ^(IU)I say, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he must not ^[bv]divorce her. ¹³ And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not ^[bw]send her husband away. ¹⁴ For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through ^[bx]her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are ^(IV)holy. ¹⁵ Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called ^[by]us ^[bz](IW)to peace. ¹⁶ For how do you know, O wife, whether you will ^(IX)save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?

¹⁷ Only, ^(IY)as the Lord has assigned to each one, as God has called each, in this manner let him walk. And ^(IZ)so I direct in ^(JA)all the churches. ¹⁸ Was any man called when he was already circumcised? He is not to become uncircumcised. Has anyone been called in uncircumcision? ^(JB)He is not to be circumcised. ^19 (JC)Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but what matters is ^(JD)the keeping of the commandments of God. ^20 (JE)Each man must remain in that ^[ca]condition in which he was called.

²¹ Were you called while a slave? ^[cb]Do not worry about it; but if you are able also to become free, rather ^[cc]do that. ²² For he who was called in the Lord while a slave, is ^(JF)the Lord’s freedman; likewise he who was called while free, is ^(JG)Christ’s slave. ^23 (JH)You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men. ²⁴ Brethren, ^(JI)each one is to remain with God in that condition in which he was called.

²⁵ Now concerning virgins I have ^(JJ)no command of the Lord, but I give an opinion as one who ^[cd](JK)by the mercy of the Lord is trustworthy. ²⁶ I think then that this is good in view of the ^[ce]present ^(JL)distress, that ^(JM)it is good for a man ^[cf]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 But if you marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Yet such will have ^[cg]trouble in this life, and I am trying to spare you. ²⁹ But this I say, brethren, ^(JN)the time has been shortened, so that from now on those who have wives should be as though they had none; ³⁰ and those who weep, as though they did not weep; and those who rejoice, as though they did not rejoice; and those who buy, as though they did not possess; ³¹ and those who use the world, as though they did not ^(JO)make full use of it; for ^(JP)the form of this world is passing away.

³² But I want you to be free from concern. One who is ^(JQ)unmarried is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord; ³³ but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife, ³⁴ and his interests are divided. The woman who is unmarried, and the virgin, is concerned about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how she may please her husband. ³⁵ This I say for your own benefit; not to put a restraint upon you, but ^[ch]to promote what is appropriate and to secure undistracted devotion to the Lord.

³⁶ But if any man thinks that he is acting unbecomingly toward his virgin daughter, if she is past her youth, and if it must be so, let him do what he wishes, he does not sin; let ^[ci]her marry. ³⁷ But he who stands firm in his heart, ^[cj]being under no constraint, but has authority ^[ck]over his own will, and has decided this in his own heart, to keep his own virgin daughter, he will do well. ³⁸ So then both he who gives his own virgin daughter in marriage does well, and he who does not give her in marriage will do better.

^39 (JR)A wife is bound as long as her husband lives; but if her husband ^[cl]is dead, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only ^(JS)in the Lord. ⁴⁰ But ^(JT)in my opinion she is happier if she remains as she is; and I think that I also have the Spirit of God.