The First Epistle of PAUL to the CORINTHIANS. PAUL, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through 1 the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, to the 2 church of God that is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, chosen to be saints, with all that call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place, both theirs and ours; grace be unto you, 3 and peace, from God our father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you in Christ Jesus; that in every- 5 thing ye are enriched in him, in all words and in all knowledge, (as the witnessing of the Christ was confirmed among you;) so that ye are wanting in no gift, waiting 1 for the revelation of Jesus Christ our Lord; who also will confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom ye were called into the fellowship of his son Jesus Christ our Lord.

Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord 10 Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that ye be joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, 11 by them that are of the house of Chloë, that there are contentions among you. And this I say, because each 12 of you saith; I am of Paul;' and, 'I of Apollos;' and, 'I of Cephas;' and, 'I of Christ.' Is the Christ divided? 13 was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized into the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you 14 but Crispus and Gaius; so that no one can say that I 15 baptized into my own name. And I baptized also the 16 household of Stephanas; for the rest, I know not whether I baptized any other. For Christ sent me forth, not to 17 baptize, but to preach the Good Tidings; not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of the Christ be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that are 18 perishing, foolishness, but to us that are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written; I will destroy the 19 wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the prudence of the prudent. Where is the wise? where the scribe? 20

where the disputer of this age? hath not God made foolish 21 the wisdom of this world? For since in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of the preaching to save them that be22 lieve. And while the Jews ask for signs, and the Greeks 23 seek after wisdom, we indeed preach a crucified Christ,

to the Jews indeed a stumbling-block, and to the Gen24 tiles foolishness; but to them who are chosen both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom 25 of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

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For ye see your calling, brethren, that not many are wise after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; 27 but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world that he might shame the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world that he might shame the 28 mighty; and the base things of the world, and the de

spised, hath God chosen, and the things that are not, 29 that he might bring to nought the things that are; so 30 that no flesh may boast in the sight of God. But of him

ye are in Christ Jesus, who was made unto us wisdom from God, and righteousness, and sanctification, and re31 demption; that, as it is written, He that boasteth let him boast in the Lord.

1 And when I came to you, brethren, I came declaring unto you the testimony of God, not with excellency of 2 speech or of wisdom. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him cruci3 fied. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and 4 in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with persuading words of wisdom, but with 5 demonstration of spirit and power; that your faith might not be in men's wisdom, but in God's power.

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Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect; yet the wisdom not of this age, nor of the princes of this 7age, who are coming to nought; but we speak the wisdom of God, which was hidden in a mystery, and which God 8 ordained before the ages unto our glory; which none of the princes of this age knew; for if they had known, they 9 would not have crucified the Lord of glory; but as it is written; Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared

for them that love him. But to us God hath revealed 10 them by his spirit; for the spirit searcheth all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knoweth the u things of man, save the spirit of the man which is within him? Even so no one knoweth the things of God, save the spirit of God. Now we have received not the 12 spirit of the world, but the spirit which is from God; that we may know the things that are given to us by God. Which also we speak, in words not taught by 13 man's wisdom, but taught by the spirit; interpreting spiritual things by spiritual. And the animal man re- 14 ceiveth not the things of the spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot know them; for they are judged of spiritually. But he that is spiritual judgeth 15 all things, yet is himself judged by no one. For who hath 16 known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? And we have the mind of Christ.

And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual persons, but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed 2 you with milk, not with meat; for then ye were not able to bear it. Neither yet now are ye able; for ye are yet s carnal. For whereas there is among you envy, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal and walking as men? For while one saith, 'I am of Paul;' and another, 'I am 4 ' of Apollos;' are ye not carnal ?

Who then is Paul, and who Apollos? Ministers by 5 whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to each. I 6 planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he that planteth is any thing, nor he that watereth, but God that giveth the increase. Now he that 8 planteth and he that watereth are one; and each will receive his own reward according to his own labour. For we are fellow labourers with God; ye are God's husbandry, God's building. According to the grace of God 10 that is given to me, as a wise master-builder, I laid a foundation, and another buildeth up; but let each take heed how he buildeth up. For other foundation can no 11 one lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now, if on this foundation any one build up gold, silver, 12 precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; each man's work 13 will be made manifest; for that day will declare it, because in fire it will be revealed; and the fire will try

14 each man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work that he hath built up, abide, he will receive a reward. 15 If any man's work shall be burnt, it will suffer loss;

but he himself will be saved, and so as through fire. 16 Know ye not that ye are God's temple, and that the spirit 17 of God dwelleth in you? If any man hurt the temple of God, him will God hurt; for the temple of God is holy; 18 such be ye. Let no one deceive himself; if any one among you thinketh that he is wise in this age, let him 19 become a fool, that he may be wise. For the wisdom of

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this world is folly with God. For it is written; He taketh 20 the wise in their own craft; and again; The Lord knoweth 21 the reasonings of the wise, that they are vain. Therefore let no one boast in men; for all things are your's. Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, 23 orthings present, or things to come, all are your's; and ye 1 are Christ's; and Christ is God's. Let a man so consider us, as ministers of Christ, and stewards of God's mysteries. Moreover it is required in stewards that a man be found 3 faithful. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you, or by man's judgment; yea I 4 judge not myself; for I know nothing against myself, yet am I not hereby justified; but he that judgeth me is the 5 Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and make manifest the counsels of the hearts; and then will be to each his praise from God.

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And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes; so that in us ye may learn not to be wise above what is written; so that ye may not be puffed up one for one against 7 another. For who setteth thee apart? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? and if thou receivedst, why dost thou boast, as if thou hadst not re8 ceived? Are ye already filled? Are ye already enriched? Have ye reigned without us? And indeed I could wish that ye should reign, so that we also might reign with you. For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as appointed to death, that we might be a spectacle to the world, both to angels, 10 and to men. We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are

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strong; ye are honoured, but we are despised. to this present hour we hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no home, and labour, 12 working with our own hands; being reviled we bless; being persecuted we suffer it; being defamed we intreat; 13 we have been made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now. I write not these things to shame 14 you, but as my beloved children I warn you. For though 15 ye have ten thousand teachers in Christ, yet ye have not many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Good Tidings. Wherefore I beseech you, be 16 ye imitators of me. For this cause have I sent unto you 17 Timothy, who is my beloved child, and faithful in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church. Now some are 18 puffed up, as though I were not coming to you. But I 19 shall come to you shortly, if the Lord will; and I will know, not the speech of them that are puffed up, but the power. For the kingdom of God is not in speech but in 20 power. What will ye? shall I come to you with a rod, or 21 with love and the spirit of meekness?

It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not even among the Gentiles, that a certain one hath his father's wife. And 2 are ye puffed up? and have ye not rather mourned, so that he that hath done this deed might be taken from among you? For I verily, as absent in body, but present 3 in spirit, have already as though present judged him that hath so done this deed; in the name of our Lord Jesus 4 Christ, when ye and my spirit are gathered together, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, to deliver up such an one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Your 6 boasting is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For Christ, our passover, is slain for us; therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

I have written unto you in the epistle not to keep company with fornicators. Yet not altogether with the 40 fornicators of this world, or with the lascivious, or extor

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