Now I urge you, brothers, through the name [i.e., by the authority] of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you should all agree in what you say, so that no divisions [continue] among you. Be restored [to unity] by having common thoughts and convictions [i.e., in spiritual matters].

Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name.

For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

That no flesh should glory in his presence.

That according, as it is written, "He which rejoiceth, should rejoice in the Lord."

That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

But in dealing with truths hitherto kept secret we speak of God's wisdom--that hidden wisdom which, before the world began, God pre-destined, so that it should result in glory to us;

For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he should instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

For when a certain one should say, I truly am of Paul; and another, I of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

if that man's work should be burnt, he will suffer loss: but should he himself escape, it will be as out of the fire.

No one should deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks he is wise in this age, he must become foolish so that he can become wise.

So no one should boast in human leaders, for everything is yours—

including Paul, and Apollos, and Cephas [i.e., Peter], and the world, and life and death, and present and future things. All of these things are yours. [Note: Paul is showing that, as Christians, they really possessed and should value all preachers and circumstances of life alike].

A person should consider us in this way: as servants of Christ and managers of God’s mysteries.

In this case, moreover, it is required [as essential and demanded] of stewards that one be found faithful and trustworthy.

But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self.

Therefore do not judge anything before the time, until the Lord should come, who will both enlighten the hidden things of darkness and will reveal the counsels of hearts, and then praise will come to each one from God.

Now I have applied these things, brothers, to myself and to Apollos as an illustration for your benefit, so that you might learn to "follow the written message." [Note: This is thought to have been a common way of referring, in that day, to the importance of adhering to Old Testament Scripture]. So, none of you should be more proud of one [leader] than of another.

For if ye should have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet not many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the glad tidings.

But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord should will, and I will know, not the word of those who are puffed up, but the power.

What do you want? Should I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness?

It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife.

And you are inflated with pride, and should you not rather have mourned, so that the one who has done this deed would be removed from your midst?

purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new mass, since you should be without leaven. for Christ our paschal lamb has been sacrificed for us.

So, we should observe the Festival [i.e., live the Christian life], but not with the old yeast [i.e., old sinful ways], such as the leavening [effect] of evil and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

I wrote unto you in an epistle that ye should not company with fornicators.

not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the avaricious and rapacious, or idolaters, since then ye should go out of the world.

For what [is it] to me to judge those outside? Should you not judge those inside?

For what business is it of mine to judge outsiders? [i.e., non-Christians]; God judges them. But should you not judge those people who are inside? [i.e., Christians]. [So], remove the evil person from your fellowship [See Deut. 17:7].

Indeed, the fact that you have lawsuits with one another is [evidence of] a complete failure among you. Why should you not rather take the wrong? Why should you not rather accept being cheated?

Don’t you know that your bodies are a part of Christ’s body? So should I take a part of Christ’s body and make it part of a prostitute? Absolutely not!

But because sexual immorality is so common, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband.

The husband must fulfill his [marital] duty to his wife [with good will and kindness], and likewise the wife to her husband.

Do not defraud one another, except perhaps by agreement, for a time, in order that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and [then] you should be {together} again, lest Satan tempt you because of your lack of self control.

I should wish every one to be just what I am myself. But every one has his own gift from God-one in one way, and one in another.

But I say, to the unmarried, and to the widows, good, were it for them, that they should abide, even as I;

But if they do not have [sufficient] self-control, they should marry; for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

To the married I give this command -- not I, but the Lord -- a wife should not divorce a husband

(but should she depart, let her remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband); and that the husband leave not his wife.

To the rest I declare—I, not the Lord [since Jesus did not discuss this]—that if any [believing] brother has a wife who does not believe [in Christ], and she consents to live with him, he must not leave her.

And if any [believing] woman has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not leave him.

(Should the unbelieving partner be determined to separate, however, separation let it be; in such cases the Christian brother or sister is not tied to marriage.) It is to a life of peace that God has called us.

Nevertheless, everyone should live the life that the Lord gave him and to which God called him. This is my rule in all the churches.

Was anyone already circumcised when he was called? He should not undo his circumcision. Was anyone called while uncircumcised? He should not get circumcised.

Each one should remain in the condition in which he was [when he was] called.

Were you called while a slave? It should not be a concern to you. But if you can become free, by all means take the opportunity.

Each one in [the situation] in which he was called, brothers--in this he should remain with God.

I think, then, that, in view of the time of suffering that has now come upon us, what I have already said is best-that a man should remain as he is.

The one bound to a wife should not seek divorce. The one released from a wife should not seek marriage.

If, however, thou shouldst even marry, thou hast not sinned; and, if one who is virgin should marry, that one hath not sinned; - but, tribulation of the flesh, shall, such, have: - howbeit, I, spare you.

But I say this, brothers: the time is shortened, that from now on even those who have wives should be as [if they] do not have [wives],

Those who cry [should live] as though they were not sad. Those who rejoice [should live] as though they were not happy. Those who buy things [should live] as though they did not own them.

And those who make use of the things of the world [should live] as though they were not [really] involved with them. For the world as we know it is passing away. [Note: The five "as though's" of verses 29-31 are intended to emphasize that Christians should live with eternity in mind and not to become preoccupied with even legitimate earthly circumstances].

Now I say this for your own advantage, and not that I should lay a snare in your way, but as what is seemly, and that you may wait on the Lord without distraction.

If, however, a father thinks he is acting unbecomingly towards his still unmarried daughter if she be past the bloom of her youth, and so the matter is urgent, let him do what she desires; he commits no sin; she and her suitor should be allowed to marry.

A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives; but, if the husband should pass to his rest, the widow is free to marry any one she wishes, provided he is a believer.

But meat does not commend us to God; neither if we should not eat do we come short; nor if we should eat have we an advantage.

But take care lest this liberty of yours should prove a hindrance to the progress of weak believers.

For if someone should see you who has knowledge reclining for a meal in an idol's temple, will not his conscience, [because it] is weak, be strengthened so that [he] eats the food sacrificed to idols?

Therefore if what I eat causes my brother to fall, never again to the end of my days will I touch any kind of animal food, for fear I should cause my brother to fall.

For it is written in the law of Moses [Deut. 25:4], "You should not put a muzzle on an ox while it tramples over the grain." Is it the oxen that God is concerned about?

Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.

If it is we who sowed the spiritual grain in you, is it a great thing that we should reap a temporal harvest from you?

If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ.

Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.

But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void.

For if I announce the glad tidings, I have nothing to boast of; for a necessity is laid upon me; for it is woe to me if I should not announce the glad tidings.

What, then, is my reward? that, in telling the glad-message, free of cost, I should put the glad-message, - to the end I should not use to the full my right in the glad-message.

Do you not know that [although] everyone runs in a race, only one person wins the prize? So, you should run in order to win.

But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;

Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

Nor should we be idolaters, even as some of them, as it is written: "The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play."

Neither should we commit sexual immorality as some of them did, [with] 23,000 people falling dead in one day. [Note: Num. 25:9 mentions 24,000 people slain, but that number could have included the additional people slain by the judges. See Num. 25:5].

We must not tempt the Lord [that is, test His patience, question His purpose or exploit His goodness], as some of them did—and they were killed by serpents.

Nor should we complain as some of them did, and were killed by the destroyer.

Therefore, whoever thinks he is standing securely should watch out so he doesn't fall.

No temptation has taken you but such as is according to man's nature; and God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above what ye are able to bear, but will with the temptation make the issue also, so that ye should be able to bear it.

But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.

you should not drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of demons: you should not be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of demons.

Do we [really] provoke the Lord to jealousy [when we eat food sacrificed to handmade “gods” at pagan feasts]? Are we [spiritually] stronger than He? [Certainly not! He knows that the idols are nothing. But we deeply offend Him.]

No one should seek his own good, but the good of the other person.

But, if anyone should say unto you, - This, is, a holy sacrifice, do not eat, for that man's sake who disclosed it, and for conscience sake: -

and by conscience I mean for the sake of the other man’s, not yours. For why is my freedom [of choice] judged by another’s conscience [another’s ethics—another’s sense of right and wrong]?

If I eat with thankfulness, why should I be denounced because of what I am thankful for?

You people should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.

But I am anxious that you should understand that the Christ is the Head of every man, that man is the Head of woman, and that God is the Head of the Christ.

If a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off; and if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, she should cover her head.

A man, in fact, should not cover his head, because he is God’s image and glory, but woman is man’s glory.

Therefore the woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head, for the sake of the angels [so as not to offend them].

Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman should pray to God uncovered?

But if a woman should have long hair, it is a glory to her; for her hair is given to her in place of a veil.

For it behooves that heresies should indeed be among you, in order that the approved may be made manifest among you.

Don’t you have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you look down on the church of God and embarrass those who have nothing? What should I say to you? Should I praise you? I do not praise you for this!

Therefore whoever should eat this bread, and drink the cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be liable to the penalty of the body and blood of the Lord.

But a person must [prayerfully] examine himself [and his relationship to Christ], and only when he has done so should he eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.

But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

If anyone is hungry, he should eat at home, so that when you gather together you will not come under judgment. And I will give instructions about the other matters whenever I come.

It is important, brethren, that you should have clear knowledge on the subject of spiritual gifts.