1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians — Chapter 1

Calling, Unity, and the Power of the Cross

Greetings from Paul

From Paul,

called by the will of God

to be a sent one of Jesus the Anointed One,

and from our brother Sosthenes,

To the gathering of God that is in Corinth—

to those made set apart in the Anointed One, Jesus,

called to be set-apart ones,

together with all who call on the name

of our Master Jesus the Anointed One

in every place—both theirs and ours:

Grace and peace to you

from God our Father and the Master, Jesus the Anointed One.

Thankful for the Work of God in Them

I always give thanks to my God for you

because of the grace of God that was given to you

in the Anointed One, Jesus.

For in Him you have been enriched in every way—

in all speech and in all knowledge—

just as the testimony about the Anointed One

was confirmed among you.

So you do not lack any spiritual gift

as you eagerly await the revealing

of our Master, Jesus the Anointed One.

He will also keep you firm to the end,

so that you will be blameless

on the day of our Master, Jesus the Anointed One.

God is faithful—

He has called you into fellowship

with His Son, Jesus the Anointed One, our Master.

Appeal for Unity

I urge you, brothers and sisters,

in the name of our Master Jesus the Anointed One,

that you all agree with one another

and that there be no divisions among you,

but that you be united

in the same mind and in the same purpose.

For I have been informed by those in Chloe’s household

that there are quarrels among you.

———

Paul's Message: Not with Eloquence, But with Power

When I came to you, brothers and sisters,

I didn’t come with brilliance of speech or lofty wisdom

proclaiming to you the mystery of God.

For I resolved to know nothing while I was among you

except Jesus the Anointed One—and Him crucified.

I came to you in weakness,

in fear, and with much trembling.

My message and my proclamation

were not with persuasive words of human wisdom,

but with a demonstration of the Breath’s power,

so that your trust

would not rest on human wisdom,

but on the power of God.

True Wisdom Comes from the Breath

We do speak wisdom among the mature—

but not the wisdom of this age

or of the rulers of this age,

who are coming to nothing.

Instead, we speak a hidden wisdom—a mystery—

the wisdom of God that was once concealed,

which God destined for our glory before time began.

None of the rulers of this age understood it—

for if they had,

they would not have crucified the Master of glory.

As it is written:

“What no eye has seen,

what no ear has heard,

and what no human mind has imagined—

these are the things God has prepared

for those who love Him.”

These things God has revealed to us

by His Breath.

The Breath Searches All Things

For the Breath searches everything—

even the deep things of God.

Who knows a person’s thoughts

except their own breath within them?

In the same way,

no one knows the thoughts of God

except the Breath of God.

We have not received the breath of the world,

but the Breath who is from God,

so that we may understand

what God has freely given us.

This is what we speak—

not in words taught by human wisdom,

but in words taught by the Breath,

interpreting spiritual truths

to those who are spiritual.

The Natural vs. the Spiritual Person

The natural person

does not accept the things of the Breath of God—

they are foolishness to them,

and they cannot understand them,

because they are discerned spiritually.

But the spiritual person

judges all things,

yet is not subject to anyone’s judgment.

For,

“Who has known the mind of the Lord

so as to instruct Him?”

But we have the mind of the Anointed One.

———

Still Infants in the Anointed One

Brothers and sisters,

I couldn’t speak to you as people who live by the Breath,

but only as people of the flesh—

as infants in the Anointed One.

I gave you milk, not solid food,

because you weren’t ready for it.

In fact, you’re still not ready.

You are still fleshly.

For since there is jealousy and strife among you,

are you not behaving like ordinary humans?

When one of you says,

“I follow Paul,”

and another,

“I follow Apollos,”

are you not acting like mere humans?

Servants, Not Masters

What then is Apollos? What is Paul?

Servants—through whom you came to trust,

as the Master assigned to each.

I planted, Apollos watered,

but God made it grow.

So neither the one who plants

nor the one who waters is anything,

but only God, who gives the growth.

The one who plants and the one who waters are united,

and each will receive their own reward

according to their labor.

For we are co-workers in God’s service.

You are God’s field—God’s building.

Build with Care

According to the grace God gave me,

I laid a foundation like a skilled builder,

and someone else is building on it.

But each one should build with care.

For no one can lay any foundation

other than the one already laid—

Jesus the Anointed One.

If anyone builds on this foundation

using gold, silver, costly stones,

wood, hay, or straw,

their work will be shown for what it is,

because the Day will bring it to light.

It will be revealed with fire,

and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work.

If what has been built survives,

the builder will receive a reward.

If it is burned up,

the builder will suffer loss,

but will still be rescued—

though only as one escaping through flames.

You Are God's Temple

Don’t you know

that you yourselves are God’s temple,

and that the Breath of God dwells among you?

If anyone destroys God’s temple,

God will destroy that person—

for God’s temple is set apart,

and you are that temple.

Do Not Boast in Humans

Let no one deceive themselves.

If any of you thinks you are wise by the standards of this age,

you should become foolish

so that you may become truly wise.

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.

As it is written:

“He catches the wise in their craftiness,”

and again:

“The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise—

that they are empty.”

So then, let no one boast in human leaders.

For all things are yours—

whether Paul or Apollos or Peter,

or the world, or life, or death,

or the present, or the future—

all are yours,

and you belong to the Anointed One,

and the Anointed One belongs to God.

———

Servants and Stewards

So then,

consider us as servants of the Anointed One

and stewards of the mysteries of God.

Now it is required of stewards

that they be found trustworthy.

But to me it matters very little

if I am judged by you or by any human court—

in fact, I do not even judge myself.

My conscience is clear,

but that does not make me innocent.

It is the Master who judges me.

So then, do not judge anything before the time—

wait until the Master comes.

He will bring to light

what is hidden in darkness

and will expose the motives of the heart.

At that time each will receive their praise from God.

Do Not Boast in Men

Brothers and sisters,

I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your sake,

so that you may learn from us

not to go beyond what is written.

Then none of you will be puffed up

in favor of one against another.

For who makes you superior?

What do you have that you did not receive?

And if you did receive it,

why do you boast as if you did not?

Already you have all you want!

Already you have become rich!

You have begun to reign—without us!

How I wish that you really had begun to reign,

so that we also might reign with you.

Fools for the Anointed One

For it seems to me

that God has put us, the sent ones,

on display at the end of the procession,

like those condemned to die in the arena.

We have become a spectacle to the world—

to messengers and to humans alike.

We are fools for the Anointed One,

but you are wise in the Anointed One!

We are weak,

but you are strong!

You are honored,

we are dishonored!

To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty,

we are poorly clothed, mistreated, and homeless.

We labor, working with our own hands.

When we are cursed, we bless;

when persecuted, we endure it;

when slandered, we speak kindly.

We have become like the scum of the world,

the garbage of all things—until now.

A Father in the Anointed One

I am not writing this to shame you,

but to warn you as my beloved children.

Even if you had ten thousand guardians in the Anointed One,

you do not have many fathers.

For in the Anointed One, Jesus,

I became your father through the good news.

So I urge you: imitate me.

For this reason I have sent you Timothy,

my beloved and faithful child in the Master.

He will remind you of my ways in the Anointed One,

just as I teach everywhere in every gathering.

Power, Not Just Words

Some of you have become arrogant,

as if I were not coming to you.

But I will come to you soon,

if the Master wills,

and then I will find out

not just what these arrogant people are saying,

but what power they have.

For the reign of God

is not a matter of talk,

but of power.

What do you want?

Shall I come to you with a rod,

or with love and a gentle spirit?

———

A Case of Open Immorality

It is actually reported

that there is sexual immorality among you—

and of a kind not even tolerated among the nations:

A man is living with his father’s wife.

And you are proud?

Shouldn’t you rather have mourned,

so that the one who did this

would be removed from among you?

Even though I am not physically present,

I am with you in spirit.

And as if I were present,

I have already passed judgment

on the one who did this.

When you are assembled in the name of our Master, Jesus,

and I am with you in spirit,

and the power of the Master Jesus is present—

hand this man over to the adversary,

for the destruction of the flesh,

so that his spirit may be rescued

on the day of the Master.

Purge the Old Leaven

Your boasting is not good.

Don’t you know that a little yeast

leavens the whole batch of dough?

Clean out the old yeast,

so that you may be a new batch—unleavened.

For the Anointed One, our Passover Lamb,

has been sacrificed.

So then, let us keep the feast,

not with old yeast—

the yeast of malice and wickedness—

but with the unleavened bread

of sincerity and truth.

Clarifying the Boundaries

I wrote to you in my previous letter

not to associate with sexually immoral people—

not at all meaning the immoral of this world,

or the greedy, or swindlers, or idolaters—

for then you would have to leave the world entirely.

But now I am writing to you

not to associate with anyone

who claims to be a brother or sister

but is sexually immoral or greedy,

an idolater or slanderer,

a drunkard or swindler.

With such a person, do not even eat.

God Judges the Outsiders

What business is it of mine

to judge those outside the community?

Are you not to judge those inside?

God will judge those outside.

“Expel the wicked person from among you.”

———

Do Not Take Each Other to Court

If any of you has a dispute with another,

do you dare take it before the unrighteous

instead of before the set-apart ones?

Do you not know

that the set-apart ones will judge the world?

And if the world is to be judged by you,

are you not competent to judge minor cases?

Do you not know

that we will judge messengers?

How much more the matters of everyday life!

So if you have disputes about such matters,

why do you appoint as judges

those with no standing in the gathering?

I say this to shame you.

Is it really the case

that there is not one wise person among you

who is able to settle disputes between believers?

Instead, one brother takes another to court—

and this in front of unbelievers!

You Are Already Defeated

The very fact that you have lawsuits among you

means you have already lost.

Why not rather be wronged?

Why not rather be cheated?

Instead, you yourselves do wrong and cheat—

and you do this to your own brothers and sisters.

A Warning to the Unrepentant

Do you not know

that those who persist in injustice

will not inherit the reign of God?

Do not be deceived:

Neither the sexually immoral,

nor idolaters,

nor adulterers,

nor passive or aggressive participants in sexual perversion,

nor thieves,

nor the greedy,

nor drunkards,

nor slanderers,

nor swindlers

will inherit the reign of God.

And that is what some of you were.

But you were washed,

you were made set apart,

you were made right

in the name of the Master Jesus the Anointed One

and by the Breath of our God.

The Body Is Not for Sexual Immorality

“Everything is permitted for me”—you say,

but not everything is beneficial.

“Everything is permitted for me”—

but I will not be mastered by anything.

“Food for the stomach and the stomach for food”—

but God will destroy them both.

The body is not meant for sexual immorality,

but for the Master,

and the Master for the body.

By His power God raised the Master from the dead,

and He will raise us also.

You Are One with the Anointed One

Do you not know

that your bodies are members of the Anointed One Himself?

Shall I then take the members of the Anointed One

and unite them with a prostitute?

Absolutely not!

Do you not know

that whoever unites with a prostitute

becomes one body with her?

For it is said:

“The two will become one flesh.”

But whoever is united with the Master

is one spirit with Him.

Flee Sexual Immorality

Flee from sexual immorality.

Every other sin a person commits

is outside the body,

but whoever sins sexually

sins against their own body.

Do you not know

that your body is a temple of the Set-Apart Breath,

who is in you,

whom you have received from God?

You are not your own.

You were bought with a price.

So honor God with your body.

———

Principles for Marriage

Now about the matters you wrote about:

“It is good for a man not to touch a woman.”

But because of widespread immorality,

each man should have his own wife,

and each woman her own husband.

The husband should fulfill his duty to his wife,

and likewise the wife to her husband.

The wife does not have authority over her own body,

but the husband does.

In the same way,

the husband does not have authority over his own body,

but the wife does.

Do not deprive one another,

except perhaps by mutual consent for a time,

so that you may devote yourselves to prayer.

Then come together again,

so that the Adversary will not tempt you

because of your lack of self-control.

I say this as a concession, not as a command.

I wish that all people were as I am.

But each has their own gift from God—

one in this way, another in that.

To the Unmarried and Widows

To the unmarried and the widows I say:

It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do.

But if they cannot control themselves,

they should marry,

for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

To the Married

To the married I give this instruction—

not I, but the Master:

A wife must not separate from her husband.

But if she does,

she must remain unmarried

or else be reconciled to her husband.

And a husband must not divorce his wife.

To Believers Married to Unbelievers

To the rest I say—

I, not the Master:

If any brother has a wife who is not a believer

and she is willing to live with him,

he must not divorce her.

And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer

and he is willing to live with her,

she must not divorce him.

For the unbelieving husband

has been made set apart through his wife,

and the unbelieving wife

has been made set apart through her believing husband.

Otherwise, your children would be unclean,

but as it is, they are set apart.

But if the unbeliever leaves, let them go.

The brother or sister is not bound in such cases.

God has called you to live in peace.

How do you know, wife,

whether you will save your husband?

Or how do you know, husband,

whether you will save your wife?

Remain in the Calling You Were In

Each person should live

as the Master has assigned them,

to the condition they were in when God called them.

This is the rule I lay down in all the gatherings.

Were you a slave when you were called?

Don’t let it trouble you—

although if you can gain your freedom, do so.

For the one who was a slave when called in the Master

is the Master’s freed person;

likewise, the one who was free when called

is now a servant of the Anointed One.

You were bought with a price;

do not become slaves of humans.

Brothers and sisters,

each one should remain before God

in the condition they were in when called.

About Virgins and Those Not Yet Married

Now about those who are not yet married:

I have no direct command from the Master,

but I give a trustworthy opinion

as one who has received mercy from the Master to be faithful.

Because of the present distress,

I think it is good for a person to remain as they are.

Are you bound to a wife?

Do not seek to be released.

Are you free from a wife?

Do not seek a wife.

But if you do marry, you have not sinned;

and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned.

Yet those who marry will face many troubles in this life,

and I want to spare you from them.

Time Is Short — Live Lightly

What I mean, brothers and sisters, is this:

The time is short.

From now on,

those who have wives should live as if they had none;

those who mourn, as if they did not;

those who rejoice, as if they were not rejoicing;

those who buy, as if they did not own;

and those who deal with the world,

as if not absorbed by it.

For the present form of this world is passing away.

Undivided Devotion

I want you to be free from anxiety.

The unmarried person is concerned

with the things of the Master—

how to please Him.

But the married person is concerned

with the things of the world—how to please their spouse—

and their interests are divided.

The unmarried woman or virgin

is concerned with the matters of the Master,

that she may be set apart both in body and spirit.

But the married woman is concerned

with the things of the world—how to please her husband.

I am saying this for your benefit—

not to place a restriction on you,

but to promote what is proper

and to secure undivided devotion to the Master.

Regarding Engagements

If anyone is concerned

that they are not behaving appropriately toward the woman they are pledged to,

and if passions are strong and they feel they should marry—

they should do as they want. They are not sinning. Let them marry.

But the one who stands firm in their heart,

having no compulsion but control over their will,

and who has decided in their own heart not to marry—

that person does well.

So then,

the one who marries does well,

but the one who does not marry does even better.

On Widows

A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives.

But if her husband dies,

she is free to marry anyone she wishes—

but only in the Master.

In my judgment,

she is happier if she remains as she is—

and I believe that I too

have the Breath of God.

———

Knowledge Can Puff Up — Love Builds Up

Now concerning food sacrificed to idols:

We know that “we all possess knowledge.”

But knowledge puffs up—

while love builds up.

Those who think they know something

do not yet know as they ought to know.

But whoever loves God

is known by God.

One God, One Master

So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols:

We know that an idol is nothing in the world,

and that there is no God but one.

Even if there are so-called gods,

whether in heaven or on earth—

as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords” in the world—

yet for us,

there is one God—the Father—

from whom all things come and for whom we live,

and one Master—Jesus the Anointed One—

through whom all things exist and through whom we live.

Be Careful With the Weak in Trust

But not everyone possesses this knowledge.

Some, still accustomed to idols,

eat such food as though it were truly offered to a god,

and their conscience—being weak—is defiled.

Food does not bring us nearer to God:

We are no worse if we do not eat,

and no better if we do.

But be careful that the exercise of your freedom

does not become a stumbling block to the weak.

For if someone with a weak conscience sees you—

with all your “knowledge”—

eating in an idol’s temple,

might they not be emboldened

to eat what has been sacrificed to idols?

So this “stronger one’s knowledge”

destroys a brother or sister

for whom the Anointed One died.

When you sin against them in this way

and wound their weak conscience,

you sin against the Anointed One.

If It Causes My Brother to Stumble...

Therefore,

if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin,

I will never eat meat again,

so that I will not cause them to stumble.

———

Paul Defends His Calling

Am I not free?

Am I not a sent one?

Have I not seen Jesus, our Master?

Are you not the result of my work in the Master?

Even if I am not a sent one to others,

surely I am to you—

for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Master.

This is my defense

to those who sit in judgment on me:

Don’t we have the right to food and drink?

Don’t we have the right

to take along a believing wife,

as do the other sent ones and the Master’s brothers and Peter?

Or is it only I and Barnabas

who must work for a living?

A Worker Deserves Support

Who serves as a soldier at their own expense?

Who plants a vineyard and doesn’t eat its fruit?

Who tends a flock and doesn’t drink its milk?

Do I say this merely from a human perspective?

Doesn’t the law say the same?

For it is written in the Law of Moses:

“Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.”

Is it about oxen that God is concerned?

Surely He says this for us, doesn’t He?

Yes, this was written for us,

because whoever plows and threshes

should do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest.

If we have sown spiritual seed among you,

is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you?

If others have this right over you,

shouldn’t we have it even more?

But we did not use this right.

Instead, we put up with anything

rather than hinder the good news of the Anointed One.

Preaching as a Calling, Not a Charge

Don’t you know

that those who serve in the temple

get their food from the temple,

and those who serve at the altar

share in what is offered?

In the same way,

the Master has commanded

that those who proclaim the good news

should receive their living from the good news.

But I have not used any of these rights.

And I am not writing this so that you’ll do such things for me.

I would rather die

than have anyone deprive me of this boast.

Yet when I proclaim the good news,

I cannot boast—

for I am compelled to do so.

Woe to me if I do not proclaim it!

If I do this willingly, I have a reward;

but if not willingly,

I am still entrusted with a responsibility.

———

Lessons from Israel’s History

Brothers and sisters,

I don’t want you to be unaware

that our ancestors were all under the cloud,

and all passed through the sea.

They were all immersed into Moses

in the cloud and in the sea.

They all ate the same spiritual food

and drank the same spiritual drink—

for they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them,

and that rock was the Anointed One.

Yet God was not pleased with most of them,

and their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.

Now these things became examples for us,

so that we would not desire evil as they did.

Do not be idolaters, as some of them were—

as it is written:

“The people sat down to eat and drink

and rose up to play.”

We must not engage in sexual immorality, as some of them did—

and in one day twenty-three thousand fell.

We must not test the Anointed One,

as some of them did—

and were destroyed by serpents.

And do not grumble,

as some of them did—

and were destroyed by the Destroyer.

These things happened to them as warnings,

and were written down as instruction for us,

on whom the end of the age has come.

So let the one who thinks they stand

be careful, lest they fall.

God Provides a Way of Escape

No testing has overtaken you

except what is common to humanity.

And God is faithful—

He will not allow you to be tested beyond what you can bear,

but with the test

He will also provide a way of escape,

so that you can endure it.

Flee from Idolatry

Therefore, my beloved,

flee from idolatry.

I speak to you as sensible people—

judge for yourselves what I say.

The cup of blessing that we bless—

is it not a sharing in the blood of the Anointed One?

The bread that we break—

is it not a sharing in the body of the Anointed One?

Because there is one bread,

we who are many are one body—

for we all share the one bread.

Consider the people of Israel:

Those who eat the sacrifices

are partners at the altar.

So what am I saying?

That food sacrificed to idols is anything?

Or that an idol is anything?

No—

but the things the nations sacrifice

they sacrifice to unclean spirits, not to God,

and I do not want you to be partners with them.

You cannot drink the cup of the Master

and the cup of demons.

You cannot share in the Master’s table

and the table of demons.

Or are we trying to provoke the Master to jealousy?

Are we stronger than He?

Everything Is Permissible — But Not All Is Beneficial

“All things are permissible”—but not all things are beneficial.

“All things are permissible”—but not all things build up.

No one should seek their own good,

but the good of others.

Eat whatever is sold in the marketplace

without raising questions of conscience,

for,

“The earth is the Master’s, and everything in it.”

If an unbeliever invites you and you want to go,

eat whatever is set before you

without raising questions of conscience.

But if someone says to you,

“This has been offered in sacrifice,”

then do not eat it—

for the sake of the one who told you,

and for the sake of conscience.

I don’t mean your own conscience, but theirs.

For why should my freedom

be judged by someone else’s conscience?

If I take part with thankfulness,

why am I spoken of as evil

for something I give thanks for?

Whatever You Do — Do It for God’s Glory

So whether you eat or drink,

or whatever you do,

do all to the glory of God.

Do not cause anyone to stumble—

whether Jews, Greeks, or the gathering of God—

just as I try to please everyone in every way,

not seeking my own advantage,

but that of many,

so that they may be rescued.

———

Imitate Me as I Imitate the Anointed One

Follow my example,

just as I follow the example of the Anointed One.

I praise you because you remember me in everything

and hold to the traditions

just as I passed them on to you.

On Head Coverings and Honor

But I want you to understand this:

The head of every man is the Anointed One,

the head of a woman is the man,

and the head of the Anointed One is God.

Every man who prays or prophesies

with his head covered

dishonors his head.

And every woman who prays or prophesies

with her head uncovered

dishonors her head—

it is the same as having her head shaved.

For if a woman does not cover her head,

she might as well have her hair cut off;

but if it is disgraceful for a woman

to have her hair cut or her head shaved,

then she should cover her head.

A man ought not to cover his head,

since he is the image and glory of God;

but the woman is the glory of man.

For man did not come from woman,

but woman from man;

neither was man created for woman,

but woman for man.

It is for this reason

that a woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head—

because of the messengers.

However, in the Master,

woman is not independent of man,

nor is man independent of woman.

For just as woman came from man,

so also man is born of woman.

But everything comes from God.

Judge for yourselves:

Is it proper for a woman to pray to God

with her head uncovered?

Does not nature itself teach you

that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him,

but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory?

For long hair is given to her as a natural covering.

If anyone wants to argue about this,

we have no other custom—

nor do the gatherings of God.

Abuse of the Master’s Meal

Now in the following instruction

I do not praise you—

for your meetings do more harm than good.

In the first place,

I hear that when you come together as a gathering,

there are divisions among you—

and to some extent I believe it.

No doubt there must be differences among you

to show which of you are genuine.

So then, when you come together,

it is not truly the Master’s meal you eat.

For as you eat,

each one takes their own supper without waiting for anyone else.

One goes hungry, another gets drunk.

Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in?

Or do you despise the gathering of God

and shame those who have nothing?

What shall I say to you?

Shall I praise you?

Certainly not in this matter.

The True Meaning of the Master’s Meal

For I received from the Master

what I also passed on to you:

That the Master Jesus,

on the night He was betrayed,

took bread,

and after giving thanks, He broke it and said,

“This is My body, which is for you.

Do this in remembrance of Me.”

In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying,

“This cup is the new covenant in My blood.

Do this, as often as you drink it,

in remembrance of Me.”

For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup,

you proclaim the Master’s death

until He comes.

Examine Yourselves

So then, whoever eats the bread

or drinks the cup of the Master

in an unworthy manner

will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Master.

Let a person examine themselves,

and in this way eat the bread and drink from the cup.

For the one who eats and drinks

without discerning the body

eats and drinks judgment on themselves.

That is why many among you are weak and sick,

and some have even fallen asleep.

But if we judged ourselves rightly,

we would not come under judgment.

Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Master,

we are being disciplined

so that we will not be condemned with the world.

Wait for One Another

So then, my brothers and sisters,

when you come together to eat,

wait for one another.

If anyone is hungry, let them eat at home,

so that when you meet together

it does not result in judgment.

And the rest I will set in order when I come.

———

Concerning Spiritual Gifts

Now about the spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters,

I do not want you to be unaware.

You know that when you were outsiders,

you were led astray to mute idols—however you were led.

Therefore, I want you to understand

that no one speaking by the Breath of God

ever says, “Jesus be cursed,”

and no one can say, “Jesus is Master,”

except by the Set-Apart Breath.

One Breath, Many Gifts

There are different kinds of gifts,

but the same Breath.

There are different kinds of service,

but the same Master.

There are different kinds of workings,

but the same God

who works all things in all people.

To each one,

the manifestation of the Breath is given

for the benefit of all.

To one is given a message of wisdom by the Breath,

to another a message of knowledge by the same Breath,

to another trust by the same Breath,

to another gifts of healing by that one Breath,

to another miraculous powers,

to another prophecy,

to another distinguishing between spirits,

to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,

and to still another the interpretation of tongues.

All these are the work of one and the same Breath,

and He distributes them to each one

just as He chooses.

One Body, Many Parts

Just as the body is one and has many parts,

and all the parts of that body, though many, are one body—

so also is the Anointed One.

For in one Breath

we were all immersed into one body—

whether Jew or Greek, slave or free—

and we were all given the same Breath to drink.

Even so, the body is not made up of one part, but many.

All Parts Belong

If the foot says,

“Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,”

that does not make it any less part of the body.

And if the ear says,

“Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,”

it is still part of the body.

If the whole body were an eye,

where would the hearing be?

If the whole body were an ear,

where would the sense of smell be?

But God has placed the parts in the body,

each one of them,

just as He chose.

If all were one part,

where would the body be?

As it is, there are many parts,

but one body.

No Part Can Be Disregarded

The eye cannot say to the hand,

“I don’t need you.”

And the head cannot say to the feet,

“I don’t need you.”

On the contrary,

those parts of the body that seem to be weaker

are indispensable.

And the parts that we think are less honorable

we treat with special honor.

The parts that are unpresentable

are treated with greater modesty,

while our presentable parts need no special treatment.

But God has put the body together

and given greater honor to the parts that lacked it,

so that there would be no division in the body,

but that its parts should have the same concern for one another.

If one part suffers,

all the parts suffer with it.

If one part is honored,

all the parts rejoice together.

You Are the Body of the Anointed One

Now you are the body of the Anointed One,

and each one of you is a part of it.

And God has appointed in the gathering:

first, sent ones;

second, prophets;

third, teachers;

then miracles;

then gifts of healing, helping, guidance,

and various kinds of tongues.

Are all sent ones?

Are all prophets?

Are all teachers?

Do all work miracles?

Do all have gifts of healing?

Do all speak in tongues?

Do all interpret?

But earnestly desire the greater gifts.

And now I will show you

a far better way.

———

Love Is Greater Than All Gifts

If I speak in the tongues of humans or of messengers,

but do not have love,

I am only a ringing gong or a clashing cymbal.

If I have prophecy

and can understand all mysteries and all knowledge,

and if I have trust that can move mountains,

but do not have love,

I am nothing.

If I give away all I possess to the poor,

and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,

but do not have love,

I gain nothing.

———

Prophecy Is Greater Than Tongues

Pursue love,

and eagerly desire the spiritual gifts—

especially that you may prophesy.

For the one who speaks in a tongue

does not speak to people but to God.

Indeed, no one understands them—

they speak mysteries by the Breath.

But the one who prophesies

speaks to people for their strengthening, encouragement, and comfort.

The one who speaks in a tongue builds themselves up,

but the one who prophesies builds up the gathering.

I would like every one of you to speak in tongues,

but I would rather have you prophesy.

The one who prophesies is greater

than the one who speaks in tongues—

unless someone interprets—

so that the gathering may be built up.

Words Must Be Understandable

Now, brothers and sisters,

if I come to you and speak in tongues,

what good will I be to you,

unless I bring some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or instruction?

Even in the case of lifeless instruments—like the flute or harp—

how will anyone recognize the tune

if the notes are not distinct?

And if the trumpet gives an unclear call,

who will prepare for battle?

So it is with you:

Unless you speak words that are clear,

how will anyone understand?

You’ll just be speaking into the air.

There are, it may be,

many kinds of voices in the world,

and none is without meaning.

But if I don’t understand the meaning of the sound,

I will be a foreigner to the speaker,

and the speaker a foreigner to me.

So it is with you:

Since you are eager for spiritual gifts,

seek to excel in those that build up the body.

Tongues and Interpretation

That is why the one who speaks in a tongue

should pray that they may interpret what they say.

For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays,

but my mind is unfruitful.

So what shall I do?

I will pray with the spirit,

but I will also pray with my mind.

I will sing with the spirit,

but I will also sing with my mind.

Otherwise, when you are praising God in the spirit,

how can someone who doesn’t understand

say “Amen” to your thanksgiving,

since they don’t know what you’re saying?

You may be giving thanks well enough,

but the other person is not built up.

I thank God

that I speak in tongues more than all of you.

But in a gathering,

I would rather speak five words with my mind

to instruct others

than ten thousand words in a tongue.

Be Mature in Understanding

Brothers and sisters,

do not be children in your thinking.

Be innocent in evil,

but in your thinking be mature.

In the Law it is written:

“With foreign tongues and through the lips of foreigners

I will speak to this people,

but even then they will not listen to Me,”

says the Lord.

Tongues, then, are a sign

not for those who trust but for unbelievers;

prophecy, however, is not for unbelievers

but for those who trust.

So if the whole gathering comes together

and everyone speaks in tongues,

and outsiders or unbelievers come in,

will they not say you are out of your mind?

But if all prophesy,

and an unbeliever or outsider comes in,

they are convicted and called to account by all.

The secrets of their heart are laid bare,

and they will fall down and worship God,

declaring,

“God is truly among you!”

Orderly Worship

What then shall we say, brothers and sisters?

When you come together,

each one has a hymn, a teaching, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation.

Let all things be done for building up.

If anyone speaks in a tongue,

let two—or at most three—speak, one at a time,

and someone must interpret.

But if there is no interpreter,

let them keep silent in the gathering

and speak to themselves and to God.

Let two or three prophets speak,

and let the others evaluate what is said.

If a revelation comes to someone who is seated,

let the first speaker be silent.

You can all prophesy in turn,

so that everyone may learn and be encouraged.

And the spirits of prophets

are subject to the control of prophets.

For God is not a God of confusion,

but of peace.

Honor, Not Disorder

As in all the gatherings of the set-apart ones,

let the women be respectful and self-controlled in the gatherings.

They are not to speak out of turn,

but to be in harmony with the order,

as the law also says.

If they desire to learn something,

let them ask their own husbands at home.

For it is dishonoring

for a woman to interrupt or take control in the gathering.

Final Word on Order and Authority

Did the word of God originate with you?

Or are you the only ones it has reached?

If anyone thinks they are a prophet or spiritual,

let them acknowledge

that what I am writing to you is a command of the Master.

If anyone ignores this,

they themselves will be ignored.

So then, my brothers and sisters,

be eager to prophesy,

and do not forbid speaking in tongues.

But let everything be done

decently and in order.

———

The Core of the Good News

Now I remind you, brothers and sisters,

of the good news I proclaimed to you,

which you received,

in which you stand,

and by which you are being rescued—

if you hold firmly to the word I proclaimed to you.

Otherwise, you have trusted in vain.

For what I received,

I passed on to you as of first importance:

That the Anointed One died for our failures,

according to the Scriptures;

that He was buried;

that He was raised on the third day,

according to the Scriptures;

and that He appeared to Peter,

then to the Twelve.

After that, He appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at once,

most of whom are still alive,

though some have fallen asleep.

Then He appeared to James,

then to all the sent ones.

Last of all,

as to one untimely born,

He appeared also to me.

For I am the least of the sent ones,

not even worthy to be called one,

because I persecuted the gathering of God.

But by the grace of God, I am what I am,

and His grace to me was not without effect.

No—

I worked harder than all of them—

yet not I,

but the grace of God that was with me.

Whether then it is I or they,

this is what we proclaim,

and this is what you believed.

If the Anointed One Has Not Been Raised…

But if it is proclaimed

that the Anointed One has been raised from the dead,

how can some of you say

that there is no resurrection of the dead?

If there is no resurrection of the dead,

then not even the Anointed One has been raised.

And if the Anointed One has not been raised,

then our proclamation is empty,

and so is your trust.

More than that,

we are found to be false witnesses about God,

because we testified that God raised the Anointed One from the dead—

but He did not raise Him if in fact the dead are not raised.

For if the dead are not raised,

then the Anointed One has not been raised either.

And if the Anointed One has not been raised,

your trust is pointless—

you are still in your sins.

Then those who have fallen asleep in the Anointed One are lost.

If our hope in the Anointed One is only for this life,

we are to be pitied more than all people.

The Anointed One: Firstfruits of Resurrection

But the Anointed One has indeed been raised from the dead—

the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

For since death came through a human being,

the resurrection of the dead also comes through a human being.

For just as in Adam all die,

so in the Anointed One all will be made alive.

But each in turn:

the Anointed One, the firstfruits;

then, at His coming, those who belong to Him;

then the end will come,

when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father

after destroying all rule, authority, and power.

For He must reign

until He has put all His enemies under His feet.

The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

For “God has put everything under His feet.”

Now when it says “everything,”

it is clear that this does not include God Himself,

who put everything under the Anointed One.

When He has done this,

then the Son Himself will be made subject to Him

who put everything under Him,

so that God may be all in all.

Strange Behavior Without Resurrection

Now if the dead are not raised,

what will those do who are immersed on behalf of the dead?

If the dead are not raised at all,

why are people being immersed for them?

And why do we endanger ourselves every hour?

I die every day—

yes, just as surely as I boast about you

in the Anointed One, Jesus our Master.

If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus with no resurrection hope,

what have I gained?

“Let us eat and drink,

for tomorrow we die.”

Do not be misled:

“Bad company corrupts good character.”

Come to your senses as you ought,

and stop sinning—

for there are some among you

who are ignorant of God.

I say this to your shame.

What Kind of Body?

But someone will ask,

“How are the dead raised?

With what kind of body do they come?”

Foolish one!

What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.

And what you sow is not the body that will be,

but just a seed—perhaps of wheat or something else.

But God gives it a body as He has chosen,

and to each kind of seed its own body.

Not all flesh is the same:

People have one kind of flesh,

animals another,

birds another,

and fish another.

There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies,

but the glory of the heavenly is one kind,

and the glory of the earthly is another.

The sun has one kind of glory,

the moon another,

and the stars another—

and star differs from star in glory.

The Resurrection Body

So it is with the resurrection of the dead:

The body that is sown is perishable;

it is raised imperishable.

It is sown in dishonor;

it is raised in glory.

It is sown in weakness;

it is raised in power.

It is sown a natural body;

it is raised a spiritual body.

If there is a natural body,

there is also a spiritual body.

So it is written:

“The first human, Adam, became a living being”;

the last Adam became a life-giving Breath.

The spiritual did not come first, but the natural,

and after that the spiritual.

The first man was from the earth, made of dust;

the second man is from the skies.

As was the man of dust,

so are those who are of the dust;

and as is the man from heaven,

so also are those who are of heaven.

And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man,

so shall we also bear the image of the heavenly one.

The Final Victory

I declare this, brothers and sisters:

Flesh and blood cannot inherit the reign of God,

nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

Listen! I tell you a mystery:

We will not all sleep,

but we will all be changed—

in a flash,

in the twinkling of an eye,

at the last trumpet.

For the trumpet will sound,

the dead will be raised imperishable,

and we will be changed.

For the perishable must be clothed with the imperishable,

and the mortal with immortality.

When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable,

and the mortal with immortality,

then the saying that is written will come true:

“Death has been swallowed up in victory.”

“Where, O death, is your victory?

Where, O death, is your sting?”

The sting of death is sin,

and the power of sin is the law.

But thanks be to God,

who gives us the victory

through our Master, Jesus the Anointed One.

Stand Firm

Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters,

stand firm.

Let nothing move you.

Always give yourselves fully

to the work of the Master,

because you know

that your labor in the Master

is not in vain.

———

The Collection for the Set-Apart Ones

Now about the collection

for the set-apart ones:

Do as I directed the gatherings in Galatia.

On the first day of each week,

each of you should set aside a sum of money

in keeping with your income,

saving it up,

so that when I come

no collections will have to be made.

Then, when I arrive,

I will give letters of introduction

to the people you approve

and send them with your gift to Jerusalem.

If it seems appropriate for me to go also,

they will go with me.

Paul’s Travel Plans

After I go through Macedonia—

for I will be passing through there—

I will come to you.

Perhaps I will stay with you for a while,

or even spend the winter,

so that you may send me on my way wherever I go.

I do not want to visit you now only in passing;

I hope to spend some time with you,

if the Master permits.

But I will stay on in Ephesus until Pentecost,

because a great and effective door has opened for me,

though many oppose me.

Concerning Timothy

If Timothy comes,

see to it that he has nothing to fear while he is with you,

for he is doing the work of the Master, just as I am.

So no one should look down on him.

Send him on his way in peace

so that he may return to me.

I am expecting him along with the brothers.

Concerning Apollos

Now about our brother Apollos:

I strongly urged him to go to you with the brothers,

but he was not at all willing to go now.

He will come when he has the opportunity.

Final Instructions

Be alert.

Stand firm in the trust.

Be courageous.

Be strong.

Let everything you do

be done in love.

Honor Those Who Labor

You know that the household of Stephanas

were the first converts in Achaia,

and they have devoted themselves

to the service of the set-apart ones.

I urge you, brothers and sisters,

to submit to such people

and to everyone who joins in the work and labor of love.

I was glad when Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus arrived,

because they have supplied what was lacking from you.

They refreshed my spirit and yours also.

Honor people like them.

Final Greetings

The gatherings in the province of Asia send you greetings.

Aquila and Prisca greet you warmly in the Master,

and so does the gathering that meets at their house.

All the brothers and sisters here send you greetings.

Greet one another with a set-apart kiss.

I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand.

If anyone does not love the Master, let them be separated.

Come, Master! (Maranatha)

The grace of the Master Jesus be with you.

My love to all of you

in the Anointed One, Jesus.

Amen.