The New Testament of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Part 39

(24)The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. (25)Now to him who is able to establish you, according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept in silence during eternal ages (26)but now made manifest, and through the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal G.o.d, made known to all nations for obedience to the faith, (27)to G.o.d only wise, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen.

THE FIRST LETTER OF PAUL TO THE CORINTHIANS.

I.

PAUL, a called apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of G.o.d, and Sosthenes the brother, (2)to the church of G.o.d which is at Corinth, those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours: (3)Grace to you, and peace, from G.o.d our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

(4)I thank my G.o.d always on your behalf, for the grace of G.o.d which was given you in Christ Jesus; (5)that in everything ye were made rich in him, in all utterance and all knowledge; (6)according as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you; (7)so that ye are behind in no gift, waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ; (8)who will also confirm you unto the end, unaccused in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. (9)G.o.d is faithful, by whom ye were called into the fellows.h.i.+p of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

(10)But I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be made complete in the same mind, and in the same judgment. (11)For it was made known to me concerning you, my brethren; by those of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.

(12)And I mean this, that each of you says, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. (13)Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were ye immersed in the name of Paul? (14)I thank G.o.d that I immersed none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; (15)that no one may say that I immersed in my own name. (16)And I immersed also the household of Stephanas; besides, I know not whether I immersed any other.

(17)For Christ did not send me to immerse, but to preach the glad tidings; not with wisdom of speech, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect. (18)For the preaching of the cross is to those who perish, foolishness; but to us who are saved, it is the power of G.o.d.

(19)For it is written:

I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And will bring to nothing the prudence of the prudent.

(20)Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Did not G.o.d make foolish the wisdom of the world? (21)For since, in the wisdom of G.o.d, the world through its wisdom knew not G.o.d, G.o.d was pleased through the foolishness of preaching to save those who believe; (22)since Jews require signs, and Greeks seek after wisdom, (23)but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling-block, and to Gentiles foolishness, (24)but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of G.o.d, and the wisdom of G.o.d.

(25)Because the foolishness of G.o.d is wiser than men; and the weakness of G.o.d is stronger than men.

(26)For see your calling, brethren, that not many are wise after the flesh, not many mighty, not many n.o.ble; (27)but G.o.d chose the foolish things of the world, that he might put to shame the wise; and G.o.d chose the weak things of the world, that he might put to shame the things which are strong; (28)and the base things of the world, and the things which are despised, did G.o.d choose, and the things which are not, that he might bring to naught things that are; (29)that no flesh should glory before G.o.d. (30)But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who from G.o.d was made wisdom to us, both righteousness and sanctification, and redemption; (31)that, according as it is written: He that glories, let him glory in the Lord.

II.

I ALSO, when I came to you, brethren, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring to you the testimony of G.o.d. (2)For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. (3)And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. (4)And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of man's wisdom, but with demonstration of the Spirit and of power; (5)that your faith might not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of G.o.d.

(6)But we speak wisdom among those who are perfect; but a wisdom not of this world, nor of the rulers of this world, who come to naught.

(7)But we speak G.o.d's wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which G.o.d predestined before the worlds unto our glory; (8)which no one of the rulers of this world has known; for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; (9)but (as it is written) things which eye saw not, nor ear heard, and which entered not into the heart of man, which G.o.d prepared for those who love him; (10)but to us G.o.d revealed them by his Spirit, for the Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of G.o.d. (11)For who among men knows the things of a man, save the spirit of the man, which is in him? So also the things of G.o.d no one knows, but the Spirit of G.o.d. (12)And we received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of G.o.d; that we might know the things that were freely given to us by G.o.d. (13)Which things also we speak, not in words taught by man's wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit; comparing spiritual things with spiritual[2:13].

(14)But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of G.o.d, for they are foolishness to him; and he can not know them, because they are spiritually judged. (15)But he that is spiritual judges all things; but he himself is judged by no one. (16)For who knew the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

III.

I ALSO, brethren, was not able to speak to you as spiritual, but as carnal, as babes in Christ. (2)I fed you with milk, and not with meat; for ye were not yet able to bear it; nay, nor even now are ye able.

(3)For ye are yet carnal; for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and do ye not walk as men?

(4)For when one says, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? (5)Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to each one? (6)I planted, Apollos watered; but G.o.d gave the increase. (7)So then neither is he that plants anything, nor he that waters; but G.o.d that gives the increase. (8)And he that plants and he that waters are one; and each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.

(9)For we are G.o.d's fellow-laborers; ye are G.o.d's field, G.o.d's building. (10)According to the grace of G.o.d which was given to me, as a wise master-builder I laid a foundation, and another builds thereon.

But let each one take heed how he builds thereon. (11)For other foundation can no one lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. (12)And if any one builds on this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; (13)the work of each one will be made manifest; for the day will show it, because it is revealed in fire, and the fire itself will prove of what sort is each one's work.

(14)If any one's work which he built thereon remains, he will receive reward. (15)If any one's work shall be burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved; yet so as through fire.

(16)Know ye not that ye are G.o.d's temple, and that the Spirit of G.o.d dwells in you? (17)If any one defiles[3:17] the temple of G.o.d, him will G.o.d destroy; for the temple of G.o.d is holy, the which are ye.

(18)Let no one deceive himself. If any one seems to be wise among you in this world, let him become a fool, that he may become wise. (19)For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with G.o.d. For it is written: He that takes the wise in their craftiness. (20)And again:

The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, That they are vain.

(21)So then, let no one glory in men. For all things are yours; (22)whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come, all are yours; (23)and ye are Christ's, and Christ is G.o.d's.

IV.

SO let a man account us, as ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of G.o.d. (2)Moreover, it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. (3)But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you, or by man's day[4:3]; nay, neither do I judge myself. (4)For I am conscious to myself of nothing; yet am I not hereby justified, but he that judges me is the Lord. (5)So then judge not anything 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 shall each one have his praise of G.o.d.

(6)And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes; that in us ye may learn not to go beyond that which is written, that ye be not puffed up each for one against another. (7)For who makes thee to differ? And what hast thou, that thou didst not receive? But if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it? (8)Already ye are filled full, already ye became rich, without us ye reigned as kings; and I would ye did reign, that we also might reign with you.

(9)For I think that G.o.d set forth us the apostles last, as condemned to death; for we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. (10)We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honorable, but we are despised. (11)Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling-place; (12)and labor, working with our own hands; being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it; (13)being defamed, we entreat; we have become as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things unto this day.

(14)I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I admonish you. (15)For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I begot you through the gospel. (16)I beseech you therefore, be followers of me[4:16].

(17)For this cause I sent to you Timothy, who is my child, beloved and faithful in the Lord, who will bring to your remembrance my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church.

(18)Now some were puffed up, as though I were not coming to you.

(19)But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the word of those who are puffed up, but the power. (20)For the kingdom of G.o.d is not in word, but in power. (21)What will ye? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love, and the spirit of meekness?

V.

IT is commonly reported that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not even among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife. (2)And ye are puffed up, and did not rather mourn, that he who did this deed might be taken away from among you. (3)For I verily, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged, as though I were present, concerning him who has so done this; (4)in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, ye being gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, (5)to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

(6)Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? (7)Cleanse out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, according as ye are unleavened. For our pa.s.sover, Christ, was sacrificed for us; (8)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.

(9)I wrote to you, in my letter, not to keep company with fornicators; (10)yet not, altogether, with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters; for then ye must needs go out of the world. (11)But as it is, I wrote to you not to keep company, if any one called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner, with such a one not even to eat.

(12)For what have I to do with judging those also who are without? Do not ye judge those who are within? (13)But those who are without G.o.d judges. Therefore put away that wicked man from among yourselves.

VI.

DARE any one of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? (2)Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? And if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? (3)Know ye not that we shall judge angels? How much more the things of this life? (4)If then ye have judgments about things of this life, set those to judge who are of no esteem in the church.

(5)I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you, not even one that shall be able to judge between his brethren; (6)but brother goes to law with brother, and that before unbelievers?

(7)Now therefore, it is altogether a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? Why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? (8)Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren. (9)Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of G.o.d? Be not deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor the effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, (10)nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of G.o.d. (11)And such were some of you; but ye were washed, but ye were sanctified, but ye were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our G.o.d.

(12)All things are lawful for me, but not all things are expedient; all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of anything. (13)Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats; but G.o.d will destroy both it and them. But the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body. (14)And G.o.d both raised the Lord, and will also raise up us by his power.

(15)Know ye not that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them members of a harlot? Far be it! (16)Know ye not that he who is joined to a harlot is one body? For the two, says he, shall be one flesh. (17)But he that is joined to the Lord is one spirit. (18)Flee fornication. Every sin that a man commits is without the body; but he that commits fornication, sins against his own body. (19)Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom ye have from G.o.d, and ye are not your own?

(20)For ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify G.o.d in your body.