For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”

Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom,

God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are,

My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,

No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.

these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.

If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.

Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become “fools” so that you may become wise.

whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours,

Paul’s Appeal and Warning

I am writing this not to shame you but to warn you as my dear children.

Dealing With a Case of Incest

It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that even pagans do not tolerate: A man is sleeping with his father’s wife.

hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord.

The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?

Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men

You say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.” The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.

By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also.

Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband.

I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.

But not everyone possesses this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled.

So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge.

This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me.

But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this in the hope that you will do such things for me, for I would rather die than allow anyone to deprive me of this boast.

Warnings From Israel’s History

For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea.

And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.