Romans, page 1
The First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians
1 1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, 2 to the church of God which is at Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: 3 grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 4 I thank my God always for you because of the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, 5 that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledgeó6 even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, 7 so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you eagerly wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ; 8 who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 10 I appeal to you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11 For I have been informed by Chloe's people, that there are quarrels among you, my brethren. 12 What I mean is this, that each one 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 you baptized in the name of Paul? 14 I am thankful that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so that no one would say you were baptized in my name. 16 (Now I did baptize also the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any one else.) 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospelónot with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. 18 For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the cleverness of the clever I will frustrate." 20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know God, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand signs and Greeks look for 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 God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26 For consider your call, brethren; not many of you were wise according to fleshly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong, 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things, and the things that are not, to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no flesh may boast before God. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, 31 therefore, as it is written, "Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord." 2 1 When I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. 2 For I resolved to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 3 I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, 4 and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God. 6 Yet we do speak a wisdom among the mature, a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away. 7 But we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and which God destined for our glory before the ages. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood it; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But, as it is written, "No eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived what God has prepared for those who love him," 10 God has revealed them to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. 11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit which is in him? Even so no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand the things freely given to us by God. 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. 14 But the natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But the spiritual man judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. 16 "For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ. 3 1 But I, brethren, could not address you as spiritual men, but as carnal men, as infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk, not solid food; for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, even now you are not ready, 3 for you are still carnal. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not carnal, and are you not walking like mere men? 4 For when one says, "I am of Paul," and another, "I am of Apollos," are you not mere men? 5 What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord assigned to each one. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. 9 For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building. 10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. 11 For no other foundation can any one lay than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it, because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work. 14 If any man's work which he has built on it survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. 16 Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? 17 If any one destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and that temple you are. 18 Let no one deceive himself. If any one among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become a fool so that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, "He catches the wise in their own craftiness"; 20 and again, "The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile." 21 So then let no one boast of men. For all things are yours, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future; all belong to you, 23 and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God. 4 1 This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 Moreover it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy. 3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you, or by any human court; I do not even judge myself. 4 I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not acquitted by this. It is the Lord who judges me. 5 Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men's hearts. Then every man will receive his praise from God. 6 Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that in us you may learn not to go beyond what is written, so that no one of you will become arrogant in favor of one against the other. 7 For who regards you as different? 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 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 that God has exhibited us apostles last of all, like men condemned to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. 10 We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we are without honor. 11 To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and we are poorly clothed, and roughly treated, and homeless; 12 and we toil, working with our own hands. When we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure; 13 when we are slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become, and are now, as the scum of the world, the refuse of all things. 14 I do not write this to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. 15 For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. 16 Therefore I urge you, be imitators of me. 17 For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every church. 18 Now some have become arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. 19 But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out, not the words of these arrogant people, but their power. 20 For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power. 21 What do you desire? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love and a spirit of gentleness? 5 1 It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: a man has his father's wife. 2 And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to have mourned? Let the one who has done this be removed from your midst. 3 For though I am absent in body, I am present in spirit, and have already passed judgment on the one who has committed this, as if I were present. 4 In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, 5 you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. 6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? 7 Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8 Let us, therefore, celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 9 I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; 10 not at all meaning the immoral people of this world, or with the greedy and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world. 11 But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any one who bears the name of brother if he is an immoral person, or greedy, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindlerónot even to eat with such a one. 12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? 13 God judges those outside. "Expel the wicked man from among you." 6 1 When any one of you has a grievance against a brother, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of before the saints? 2 Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you not competent to try trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life! 4 So if you have disputes about such matters, do you appoint them as judges who are of no account in the church? 5 I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no man among you wise enough to decide between his brethren, 6 but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers? 7 Actually, then, it is already a defeat for you, that you have lawsuits with one another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded? 8 Instead, you yourselves defraud and do wrong, and you even do this to your brethren. 9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor sexual perverts, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. 12 "All things are lawful for me," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful for me," but I will not be mastered by anything. 13 "Food is for the stomach and the stomach for food"óbut God will destroy them both. The body is not meant for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 By his power God raised the Lord, and he will also raise us up. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! 16 Or do you not know that he who joins himself to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, "The two shall become one flesh." 17 But he who unites himself with the Lord is one spirit with him. 18 Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. 19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body. 7 1 Now concerning the matters about which you wrote, it is good for a man not to touch a woman. 2 But because of immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband. 3 The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise 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 Do not deprive one another, except by agreement for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6 I say this by way of concession, not of command. 7 I wish that all men were as I myself am. But 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 the widows that it is good for them if they remain even as I. 9 But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry; for it is better to marry than to burn with passion. 10 To the married I give charge, not I but the Lord, that the wife should not separate from 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 divorce his wife. 12 But to the rest 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 divorce her. 13 If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her, she must not divorce him. 14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her husband. Otherwise, your children would be unclean, but as it is they are holy. 15 But if the unbelieving partner leaves, let him do so; in such a case the brother or sister is not bound. For God has called us to peace. 16 For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife? 17 Only, let each one lead the life which the Lord has assigned to him, and in which God has called him. This is the rule I lay down in 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? He is not to be circumcised. 19 Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what counts. 20 Each one should remain in the state in which he was called. 21 Were you a slave when you were called? Do not let it trouble youóbut if you can gain your freedom, do so. 22 For he who was called in the Lord as a slave is the Lord's freedman; likewise he who was free when called is Christ's slave. 23 You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men. 24 Brethren, let each one remain with God in that condition in which he was called. 25 Now concerning virgins, I have no command of the Lord, but I give my opinion as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy. 26 I think that in view of the present distress it is good for a person to remain as he is. 27 Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek marriage. 28 But if you marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Yet those who marry will have troubles in this flesh, and I am trying to spare you. 29 I mean, brethren, the appointed time has grown very short; so that from now on, those who have wives should live as though they had none, 30 and those who mourn, as though they were not mourning; and those who rejoice, as though they were not rejoicing; and those who buy, as though they did not possess; 31 and those who use the world, as though they did not make full use of it. For the form of this world is passing away. 32 But I want you to be free from concern. One who is unmarried is concerned about the affairs of the Lord, how he may please the Lord; 33 but a married man is concerned about the affairs of the world, how he may please his wife, 34 and his interests are divided. The unmarried woman, and the virgin, is concerned about the affairs of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit; but the married woman is concerned about the affairs 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 to promote what is good and to secure undivided devotion to the Lord. 36 But if any man thinks that he is not acting properly toward his betrothed, if she is past her youth, and if it must be so, let him do what he wishes, he does not sin; let them marry. 37 But he who stands firm in his heart, being under no constraint, but has control over his own will, and has decided this in his own heart, to keep her as his betrothed, he will do well. 38 So then he who marries his betrothed does well, and he who does not marry her will do better. 39 A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord. 40 But in my judgment she is happier if she remains as she is; and I think that I also have the Spirit of God. 8 1 Now concerning food sacrificed to idols: we know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. 2 If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. 3 But if anyone loves God, he is known by him. 4 Therefore concerning the eating of food sacrificed to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no God but one. 5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many "gods" and many "lords"), 6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we exist. 7 However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, being accustomed to idols, eat food as really sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. 8 But food will not commend us to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do. 9 But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if a man sees you, who have knowledge, at table in an idol's temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be encouraged to eat food sacrificed to idols? 11 And so by your knowledge this weak man is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. 12 Thus, sinning against your brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if food causes my brother to fall, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to fall. 9 1 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? 2 If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. 3 This is my defense to those who would examine me. 4 Do we not have the right to food and drink? 5 Do we not have a right to take along a believing wife, even as the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? 6 Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living? 7 Who at any time serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk? 8 Do I say this merely from a human point of view? Does not the Law say the same thing? 9 For it is written in the Law of Moses, "You shall not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain." Is it for oxen that God is concerned? 10 Or is he speaking altogether for our sake? Yes, for our sake it was written, because the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher to thresh in hope of sharing the crops. 11 If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? 12 If others share this right of support from you, do not we all the more? Nevertheless, we did not make use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ. 13 Do you not know that those who work in the temple get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? 14 In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living from the gospel. 15 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. I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of my ground for boasting. 16 For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion. For woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! 17 For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward; but if it is not of my will, I have a stewardship entrusted to me. 18 What then is my reward? Just this: that in my preaching I may offer the gospel free of charge, and so not make full use of my right in the gospel. 19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, that I might win the more. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews; to those under the law I became as one under the lawóthough not being myself under the lawóso that I might win those under the law. 21 To those who are without law, I became as one without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, so that I might by all means save some. 23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. 24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. 25 Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 Therefore I do not run aimlessly. I do not box as a man beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified. 10 1 For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 and all ate the same spiritual food; 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they drank from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased; for they were overthrown in the wilderness. 6 Now these things are examples for us, not to desire evil things as they did. 7 Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink, and stood up to play." 8 We must not indulge in immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in one day. 9 We must not put the Lord to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents. 10 Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. 11 Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written down for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. 12 Therefore let any one who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man. And God is faithful, who will not let you be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. 14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak as to sensible men; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. 18 Consider Israel after the flesh; are not those who eat the sacrifices partners in the altar? 19 What do I mean then? That a thing offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 No, but I say that the things pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be partners with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. 22 Are we trying to provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he? 23 "All things are lawful," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful," but not all things build up. 24 Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. 25 Eat anything that is sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience; 26 for, "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it." 27 If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you want to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising questions of conscience. 28 But if anyone says to you, "This has been offered in sacrifice," then do not eat it, both for the sake of the man who informed you and for conscience' sakeó29 the other man's conscience, I mean, not yours. For why should my freedom be judged by another's conscience? 30 If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks? 31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32 Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, 23 just as I try to please all men in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved. 11 1 Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. 2 I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold firmly to the traditions, just as I delivered them to you. 3 But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ. 4 Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. 5 But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her headóit is the same as if her head were shaved. 6 For if a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut or shaved off, let her cover her head. 7 For 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. 8 For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man; 9 neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. 10 Therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. 11 In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. 12 For as woman was made from man, so also man is born of woman. And all things are from God. 13 Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14 Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him, 15 but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering. 16 If anyone wants to be contentious, we have no other practice, nor do the churches of God. 17 But in the following instructions, I do not praise you, because you come together not for the better but for the worse. 18 For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you; and I partly believe it. 19 For there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized. 20 Therefore when you meet together, it is not the Lord's supper that you eat, 21 for in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal, and one is hungry and another is drunk. 22 What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? No, I will not. 23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." 25 In the same way he took the cup also after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. 27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. 31 But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world. 33 So then, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. 34 If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, so that you will not come together for judgment. About the other things I will give directions when I come. 12 1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to mute idols, however you may have been moved. 3 Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit. 4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are varieties of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are varieties of working, but the same God who works all of them in all men. 7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 To one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 and to another the working of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another distinguishing between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as he wills. 12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one bodyówhether Jews or Greeks, slaves or freeóand we were all made to drink of one Spirit. 14 For the body is not made up of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason be any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason be any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But now God has arranged the members in the body, each one of them, just as he desired. 19 If they were all one member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you," nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and those parts of the body which we think less honorable we treat with the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 while our more presentable members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving the greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and individually members of it. 28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, then those having gifts of healings, helps, administrations, and those speaking in various kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the greater gifts. 13 And I will show you a still more excellent way. 1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I have to the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous or boastful, it is not arrogant 5 or rude, it does not seek its own, it is not provoked, it keeps no record of wrongs, 6 it does not rejoice in evil, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails; but where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part; 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know fullyóeven as I have been fully known. 13 So now faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 14 1 Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. 2 For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God; for no one understands him, but in his spirit he speaks mysteries. 3 But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their edification and encouragement and comfort. 4 He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. 5 Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more that you would prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than he who speaks in tongues, unless some one interprets, so that the church may be edified. 6 But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking in tongues, what will I profit you unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching? 7 If even lifeless things, such as the flute or the harp, do not give a distinction in the notes, how will any one know what is played? 8 And if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle? 9 So it is with you, unless you utter by the tongue speech that is intelligible, how will anyone know what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air. 10 Undoubtedly there are many languages in the world, and none of them is without meaning. 11 If then I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner to the one who is speaking, and the speaker will be a foreigner to me. 12 So it is with you; since you are eager for spiritual gifts, strive to excel in building up the church. 13 Therefore, he who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. 15 What am I to do? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also; I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also. 16 Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how can any one in the position of an outsider say the "Amen" to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying? 17 For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other man is not edified. 18 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than you all; 19 but in the church I would rather speak five words with my mind, to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue. 20 Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; be infants in evil, but in thinking be mature. 21 In the law it is written, "By men of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people, and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord." 22 Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; but prophecy is for believers, not for unbelievers. 23 Therefore if the whole church assembles together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are mad? 24 But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all; 25 the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so, he will fall on his face, and worship God, declaring that God is really among you. 26 What is the outcome then, brethren? When you come together, each one has a hymn, or a teaching, or a revelation, or a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification. 27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, it should be by two or at the most three, and each in turn; and one must interpret. 28 But if there is no interpreter, he must keep silent in the church; and let him speak to himself and to God. 29 Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said. 30 But if a revelation is made to another who is sitting, the first one must keep silent. 31 For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged; 32 and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets. 33 For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints, 34 the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be submissive, as even the law says. 35 If they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for a woman to speak in church. 36 Did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached? 37 If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord's command. 38 But if anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized. 39 Therefore, my brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. 40 But all things should be done decently and in an orderly way. 15 1 Now I would remind you, brethren, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 After that he appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 And last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared to me also. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. No, I worked harder than all of themóyet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed. 12 Now if Christ is preached that he has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised; 14 if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and so is your faith. 15 More than that, we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all men most to be pitied. 20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since by a man came death, by a man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then, at his coming, those who belong to him. 24 Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all rule and all authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 "For God has put all things in subjection under his feet." But when it says, "All things are put in subjection under him," it is plain that he is excepted who put all things under him. 28 When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to the one who put all things under him, that God may be all in all. 29 Otherwise, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are people baptized for them? 30 Why are we also in danger every hour? 31 I protest, brethren, by my pride in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day. 32 If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die." 33 Do not be deceived: "Bad company corrupts good morals." 34 Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame. 35 But someone will ask, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?" 36 You foolish man! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 And that which you sow, you do not sow the body which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or of something else. 38 But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body. 39 For not all flesh is the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of birds, and another of fish. 40 There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. 42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised imperishable; 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 So it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; and then the spiritual. 47 The first man was from the earth, of dust; the second man is from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so are those who are of the dust; and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. 50 Now I tell you this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then will come to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory." 55 "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. 16 1 Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you must also do. 2 On the first day of every week, each one of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that no collections be made when I come. 3 And when I arrive, I will send those whom you approve with letters to carry your gift to Jerusalem. 4 If it seems advisable for me to go also, they will accompany me. 5 But I will come to you after I go through Macedonia, for I am going through Macedonia; 6 and perhaps I will stay with you or even spend the winter, so that you may help me on my journey, wherever I go. 7 For I do not want to see you now just in passing; I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. 8 But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, 9 for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries. 10 Now if Timothy comes, see that he is with you with nothing to fear, for he is doing the work of the Lord, just as I am. 11 So let no one despise him. Send him on his way in peace, that he may return to me; for I am expecting him with the brethren. 12 As for our brother Apollos, I strongly urged him to come to you with the other brethren, but it was not at all his will to come now. He will come when he has opportunity. 13 Be on the your guard, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. 14 Let all that you do be done in love. 15 You know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints. Now I urge you, brethren, 16 to be subject to such men and to everyone who helps in the work and labors. 17 I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have supplied what was lacking on your part. 18 For they refreshed my spirit and yours also. Give recognition to such men. 19 The churches of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Prisca greet you warmly in the lord, with the church that is in their house. 20 All the brethren send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss. 21 I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. 22 If anyone does not love the Lordólet him be accursed. Come, O Lord! 23 The grace of The Lord Jesus be with you. 24 My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.
First Corinthians, page 1
The Second Letter of Paul to the Corinthians
1 1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are throughout Achaia: 2 grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. 6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings that we suffer. 7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort. 8 For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. 9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 10 He delivered us from so deadly a peril, and he will deliver us; on him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. 11 You also must help us by your prayers, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us in answer to the prayers of many. 12 For our boast is this: the testimony of our conscience, that with holiness and godly sincerity, not in worldly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and still more toward you. 13 For we write you nothing but what you can read and understand; and I hope you will understand fully, 14 as you have understood us in part, that you can be proud of us just as we can be of you, in the day of the Lord Jesus. 15 Because I was sure of this, I wanted to come to you first, so that you might have a double benefit. 16 I planned to visit you on my way to Macedonia and to come back to you from Macedonia, and then to have you send me on my way to Judea. 17 When I was planning this, did I do it lightly? Or do I make my plans in a fleshly manner so that in the same breath I say, "Yes, Yes" and "No, No"? 18 But as surely as God is faithful, our word to you has not been Yes and No. 19 For the Son of God, Christ Jesus, who was preached among you by usóby me and Silvanus and Timothyówas not Yes and No, but in him it has always been Yes. 20 For as many as are the promises of God, in him they are Yes. And so through him we speak our Amen to the glory of God. 21 Now it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us; 22 he has put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. 23 But I call God as my witness that it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth. 24 Not that we lord it over your faith; but we work with you for your joy, for you stand firm in your faith. 2 1 So I made up my mind that I would not make another painful visit to you. 2 For if I cause you pain, who is there to make me glad but the one whom I have pained? 3 And I wrote as I did, so that when I came I might not suffer pain from those who should have made me rejoice, for I had confidence in all of you, that my joy would be the joy of you all. 4 For I wrote you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you. 5 But if any one has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measureónot to put it too severelyóto all of you. 6 Sufficient for such a one is this punishment which was inflicted by the majority, 7 so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8 I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. 9 For this is why I wrote, that I might test you and know whether you are obedient in everything. 10 Any one whom you forgive, I also forgive. What I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ, 11 in order that Satan might gain no advantage over us; for we are not ignorant of his schemes. 12 Now when I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and when a door was opened for me in the Lord, 13 I still had no rest in my mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I took my leave of them and went on to Macedonia. 14 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumph, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. 15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, 16 to the one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. And who is sufficient for these things? 17 For we are not, like so many, peddling the word of God; but as men of sincerity, as from God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ. 3 1 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you, or from you? 2 You yourselves are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men. 3 You show that you are a letter from Christ, delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of carnal hearts. 4 Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are competent of ourselves to claim anything as coming from ourselves; but our competence is from God, 6 who has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 7 Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, fading though it was, 8 will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? 9 For if the ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness exceed it in glory. 10 For indeed what had glory, in this case has no glory because of the glory that surpasses it. 11 For if what was fading away came with glory, much more is the glory of that which lasts. 12 Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. 13 We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at the end of the radiance that was fading away. 14 But their minds were hardened; for to this day, when they read the old covenant, the same veil remains unlifted, because only in Christ is it removed. 15 Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts. 16 But whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into his likeness from one degree of glory to another, for this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. 4 1 Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. 2 But we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. 6 For it is the God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying about in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 11 For we who live are always being given up to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So then death is at work in us, but life in you. 13 Since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, "I believed and therefore I spoke," we also believe and therefore speak, 14 knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. 15 For all this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. 16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, yet our inner nature is being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are unseen; for the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are unseen are eternal. 5 1 For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 Here indeed we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, 3 so that when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. 4 For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed, but to be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now he who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. 6 Therefore we are always of good courage; and we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, I say, and would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 11 Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men; but what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. 12 We are not again commending ourselves to you, but are giving you an occasion to be proud of us, so that you may have an answer for those who take pride in appearance and not in heart. 13 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14 For the love of Christ controls us, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. 16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a fleshly point of view; even though we once regarded Christ from a fleshly point of view, we regard him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making his appeal through us. We beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 6 1 Working together with him, then, we urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2 For he says, "At the acceptable time I have listened to you, and helped you on the day of salvation." Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. 3 We put no stumbling block in anyone's path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. 4 But as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, distresses, 5 in beatings, imprisonments, tumults, labors, sleeplessness, hunger, 6 in purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in genuine love, 7 in truthful speech, and in the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; 8 through glory and dishonor, evil report and good report; true, yet regarded as impostors; 9 as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as punished, and yet not killed; 10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything. 11 Our mouth has spoken freely to you, O Corinthians. Our heart is opened wide. 12 You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections. 13 Now in a fair exchangeóI speak as to my childrenóopen wide your hearts also. 14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 What harmony has Christ with Belial? Or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, "I will live in them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you. 18 And I will be a father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty." 7 1 Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. 2 Make room for us in your hearts; we have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have taken advantage of no one. 3 I do not say this to condemn you, for I have said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together. 4 I have great confidence in you; I have great pride in you; I am filled with comfort. With all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy. 5 For even when we came into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turnóconflicts on the outside and fears within. 6 But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, 7 and not only by his coming but also by the comfort with which he was comforted in you, as he told us of your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced still more. 8 For even if I made you sorry with my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret itó for I see that my letter hurt you, though only for a little whileó9 now I rejoice, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance; for you became sorrowful as God intended, so that you suffered no loss through us. 10 For godly sorrow produces a repentance that leads to salvation and brings no regret, but worldly sorrow produces death. 11 For behold what this very thing, godly sorrow, has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what zeal, what readiness to see justice done! At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. 12 So although I wrote to you, it was not on account of the one who did the wrong, nor on account of the one who suffered the wrong, but in order that your zeal for us might be revealed to you in the sight of God. 13 Therefore we are comforted. And besides our own comfort, we rejoiced still more at the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. 14 For if I have boasted to him about you, I was not put to shame; but just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting before Titus has proved true. 15 And his affection goes out all the more to you, as he remembers the obedience of you all, how you received him with fear and trembling. 16 I rejoice, because I have perfect confidence in you. 8 1 Now, brethren, we want you to know about the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, 2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. 3 For I testify that according to their ability, and even beyond their ability, they gave of their own free will, 4 urgently pleading with us for the privilege of sharing in the relief of the saints. 5 And they did not do as we expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God. 6 So we urged Titus that as he had previously made a beginning, he would also complete in you this work of grace. 7 But as you excel in everythingóin faith, in utterance, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in your love for usósee that you excel in this work of grace also. 8 I am not speaking this as a command, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that through his poverty you might become rich. 10 And in this matter I give my advice: it is best for you now to complete what a year ago you began not only to do but to desire. 11 Now finish the work, so that your readiness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. 12 For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a man has, not according to what he does not have. 13 For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened; 14 but at the present time your abundance should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be equality. 15 As it is written, "He who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack." 16 But thanks be to God who puts the same earnest care for you into the heart of Titus. 17 For he not only accepted our appeal, but being himself very earnest he is going to you of his own accord. 18 And we are sending along with him the brother who is praised by all the churches for his preaching of the gospel; 19 and not only that, but he has been appointed by the churches to travel with us in this gracious work which we are carrying on, for the glory of the Lord himself and to show our good will. 20 We intend that no one should blame us about this liberal gift which we are administering, 21 for we have regard for what is honorable, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men. 22 And with them we are sending our brother whom we have often proved diligent in many matters, but who is now more diligent than ever because of his great confidence in you. 23 As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you; and as for our brethren, they are messengers of the churches, a glory to Christ. 24 Therefore openly before the churches, show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our boasting about you. 9 1 Now it is superfluous for me to write to you about the offering for the saints, 2 for I know your readiness, of which I boast about you to the Macedonians, saying that Achaia has been ready since last year; and your zeal has stirred up most of them. 3 But I am sending the brethren so that our boasting about you may not prove vain in this case, so that you may be ready, as I said you would be; 4 lest if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, weónot to say anything about youó would be ashamed of having been so confident. 5 So I thought it necessary to urge the brethren to go on to you before me, and arrange in advance for this gift you have promised, so that it may be ready not as an exaction but as a willing gift. 6 The point is this: he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give just as he has purposed in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, so that you, always having all sufficiency in everything, may have an abundance for every good work. 9 As it is written, "He has scattered abroad, he gives to the poor; his righteousness endures forever." 10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will multiply the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way for great generosity, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. 12 For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God. 13 Because of the test of this service, you will glorify God by your obedience in your confession of the gospel of Christ, and by the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others; 14 while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God in you. 15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! 10 1 I, Paul, myself urge you, by the meekness and gentleness of ChristóI who am humble when face to face with you, but bold to you when I am away!ó2 I beg you that when I am present I may not have to be bold with that confidence by which I intend to be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. 3 For though we live in the flesh, we do not wage war as the flesh does. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the world, but they have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ, 6 and we are ready to punish every disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete. 7 You look at things as they are outwardly. If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ's, let him consider this again within himself, that just as he is Christ's, so also are we. 8 For even if I boast somewhat further about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I shall not be put to shame. 9 I do not wish to seem as if I would terrify you by my letters. 10 For they say, "His letters are weighty and strong, but his personal presence is weak, and his speech of no account." 11 Let such people realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present. 12 For we do not dare to class or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves. But when they measure themselves by themselves, and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding. 13 But we will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the field God has apportioned to us, a field that reaches even to you. 14 For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we did not reach to you; we were the first to come even as far as you with the gospel of Christ. 15 We do not go beyond limits by boasting in other men's labors, but our hope is that as your faith grows, our sphere among you may be greatly enlarged, 16 so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. For we do not want to boast of work already done in another man's territory. 17 But, "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord." 18 For it is not he who commends himself that is approved, but he whom the Lord commends. 11 1 I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness; but indeed you are bearing with me. 2 I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin. 3 But I am afraid that just as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4 For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the one we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough. 5 I think that I am not in the least inferior to these super-apostles. 6 But even if I am unskilled in speech, I am not in knowledge; in every way we have made this plain to you in all things. 7 Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you without charge? 8 I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you. 9 And when I was with you and needed something, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied what I needed. I have kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so. 10 As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be stopped in the regions of Achaia. 11 Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do! 12 And what I am doing, I will also continue to do, in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things of which they boast. 13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will be according to their deeds. 16 I repeat, let no one think me foolish; but even if you do, receive me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little. 17 What I am saying I am not saying as the Lord would, but as a fool, in this confidence of boasting. 18 Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast. 19 For you put up with fools gladly, being so wise yourselves! 20 For you put up with anyone if he makes slaves of you, or preys upon you, or takes advantage of you, or exalts himself, or strikes you in the face. 21 To my shame, I must say that we were too weak for that! But whatever anyone else dares to boast aboutóI am speaking as a foolóI also dare to boast about. 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. 23 Are they servants of Christ? I am a better oneóI am talking like a madmanóin far more labors, in far more imprisonments, with more beatings, and often in danger of death. 24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the open sea. 26 I have been on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, in danger from robbers, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles, in danger in the city, in danger in the wilderness, in danger at sea, and in danger from false brethren; 27 I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28 Besides such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I do not inwardly burn? 30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. 31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. 32 In Damascus the governor under King Aretas had the city of the Damascenes guarded in order to arrest me, 33 but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped his hands. 12 1 I must go on boasting, though there is nothing to be gained by it; but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not knowóGod knows. 3 And I know that this manówhether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knowsó4 was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, which a man is not permitted to tell. 5 On behalf of such a man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses. 6 Though if I should boast, I will not be a fool, for I will be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me. 7 And to keep me from being too elated because of the abundance of revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to harass me, to keep me from being too elated. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should depart from me. 9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ's sake, I am content in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties; for when I am weak, then I am strong. 11 I have been a fool! You forced me to it, for I ought to have been commended by you. For I was not in the least inferior to these super- apostles, even though I am nothing. 12 The signs of a true apostle were performed among you in all perseverance, with signs and wonders and mighty works. 13 For in what respect were you inferior to the rest of the churches, except that I myself did not become a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong! 14 Here for the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not be a burden to you, for I seek not what is yours but you; for children ought not to lay up for their parents, but parents for their children. 15 I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you the more, am I to be loved the less? 16 But be that as it may, I did not burden you myself. Yet, crafty fellow that I am, I caught you by trickery! 17 Did I take advantage of you through any of those whom I sent to you? 18 I urged Titus to go, and I sent the brother with him. Titus did not take advantage of you, did he? Did we not act in the same spirit and walk in the same steps? 19 Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves before you? It is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ, and all for your upbuilding, beloved. 20 For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you what I wish you to be, and you may not find me what you wish me to be; I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder. 21 I am afraid that when I come again my God will humble me before you, and I will have to mourn over many of those who sinned before and have not repented of the impurity, immorality, and lewdness which they have practiced. 13 1 This is the third time I am coming to you. Every charge must be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 2 I warned those who sinned in the past and all the others, and I warn them now while absent, as I did when present the second time, that if I come again I will not spare themó3 since you desire proof that Christ is speaking in me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful in you. 4 For he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God for you. 5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in youóunless, indeed, you fail the test? 6 I trust that you will realize that we have not failed the test. 7 Now we pray to God that you may not do wrongónot that we may appear to have met the test, but that you may do what is right, even though we may seem to have failed. 8 For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. 9 For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. What we pray for is your perfection. 10 I write these things while I am absent, in order that when I come I may not have to be severe in my use of the authority which the Lord gave me for building you up, and not for tearing you down. 11 Finally, brethren, farewell. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. 12 Greet one another with a holy kiss. 13 All the saints greet you. 14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.