1 Corinthians 1-9
1: 1 Paul, called as an apostle of Christ Jesus through the intentions of God, and Sosthenes our brother: 2 To the assembly of those called out, the church of God which is in Corinth, having already been made holy inside of Christ Jesus together with all those in every place calling on the name of our Lord and theirs, Jesus Christ. 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord, Jesus Christ.4 I thank my God always concerning you, for the grace of God having already been given to you inside of Christ Jesus, 5 that in everything you have abounded and been made rich inside of Him in all speaking of word and in all knowledge 6 just as the witness of Christ was established inside of you, 7 so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you eagerly welcome the unveiling of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who also will establish and sustain you to full completion, without blame in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, through whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
10 I encourage you, brothers and sisters, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there not be any divisions among you, that you be one, since you already have been perfectly fitted together inside of the same mind and inside of the same judgment. 11 Indeed, it was shown to me concerning you, my brothers and sisters, by those of Chloe, that there has been quarrels among you. 12 What I mean is this, that each of you says either, “I am of Paul,” or, “I am of Apollos,” or, “I am of Peter,” or “I am of Christ.” 13 Has Christ been divided into parts? Was Paul crucified for you? Or, were you immersed into the name of Paul?
14 I thank God that I immersed none of you in water except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so that none of you should say that you were immersed into my name. 16 Yet I also immersed the household of Stephanas, but I don’t think I immersed anyone else. 17 For Christ did not send me to immerse in water, but to bring good news, not in the wisdom of intellectual words, so that the cross of Christ should not be deprived of recognition.
18 For the word of the cross is indeed foolishness to those perishing; but to those of us being saved, it is the power of God. 19 As it is written, “Indeed, I will eliminate the wisdom of the wise and annul and set aside the reasoning of the intelligent (Isaiah 29:14).” 20 Where is the wise? Where is the writer? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 Since indeed in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God; it pleased God, through the foolishness of preaching to save those who are believing. 22 We see both that Judeans ask for a sign and that Greeks seek wisdom; 23 we, on the other hand, preach Christ having been crucified, a stumbling block to the Judeans and foolishness to the Greeks. 24 To us who are called, however, both Judeans 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 Consider your calling and summoning brothers and sisters, that not many wise according to the flesh were called, not many powerful, not many of noble birth. 27 But the foolish things of the world God has chosen, that He might shame the wise; and the weak things of the world God has chosen, that He might shame the strong, 28 and the low-born of the world and those being despised God has chosen, and that which is not, so that He might bring to nothing that which is existing, 29 so that no flesh might boast in the presence of God.
30 Out of Him, moreover, you are inside of Christ Jesus, who has become as us wisdom from God and just innocence and also as us devotion and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one boasting, boast in the Lord” (Jeremiah 9:23-24) [that is, proclaiming Christ personal as you].
2:1 And I, having come to you, brothers and sisters, did not come according to the superiority of intellectual words and wisdom, proclaiming to you the witness of God. 2 Indeed, I determined to know nothing among you, except Jesus Christ and Him having been crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of intellectual wisdom, but in the demonstration and proof of the Spirit and power, 5 so that your faith might not be in the wisdom of men, but inside of the power of God.
6 We speak wisdom, moreover, among those who are perfect and complete [in Christ], wisdom, however, not of this age, nor of the rulers of this age who are becoming nothing. 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery being kept secret, which God pro-determined towards the ages into our glory, 8 which none of the rulers of this age has realized, for indeed, if they had realized, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
9 But, as it is written, “What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and into the heart of man has not entered, what God has prepared for those loving Him” (Isaiah 64:4 & 65:17). 10 To us indeed, God has unveiled it through the Spirit, for the Spirit searches all, even the depths of God. 11 Who indeed among men knows the things of the man if not the spirit of the man that is inside of him? Even so also, no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 More than that, we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is out from God, that we might know the things having been given to us by God.
13 These things we also speak, not in words taught of human wisdom, but in words taught of the Spirit as spiritual to spiritual judging together. 14 The natural man, however, does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he is not able to know them because they are spiritually distinguished. 15 He who is spiritual, moreover, examines all things himself, but is examined by no one. 16 Who, indeed, has known the mind of the Lord, that he will prove or instruct Him? We, however, possess the mind of Christ.
3: 1 And I, brothers and sisters, was not able to speak to you as to spiritual, but as to fleshly, as to infants inside of Christ. 2 I gave you milk to drink, not food, as you were not able. But you are still not able, 3 for you are still fleshly. Is there not indeed jealousy among you and strife, are you not fleshly and walking like other humans? 4 For indeed, if one might say, “I am of Paul,” another “I am of Apollos,” are you not like other humans?
5 Who, then, is Apollos? Who is Paul? Are they not servants through whom you believed, as also the Lord has given to each? 6 I planted; Apollos watered; but God actively gives growth and increase. 7 So that, neither is the one planting anything, nor the one watering, but only God giving growth and increase. 8 Now, one is planting, and one is watering; each will receive his own wages according to his own labor.
9 Indeed, we are workers together with God; you are God’s cultivated field, God’s dwelling place. 10 According to the grace of God having been given to me, as a wise architect, I have laid the foundation; another, however, is building upon it. Let each one, then, take heed how he builds upon that foundation. 11 For no one is able to lay another foundation besides the one continuously and actively being laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If, moreover, anyone builds upon the foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 the work of each will become visible; indeed, the day will make it clear because it is unveiled inside of fire; and the work of each, what sort it is, the fire itself will prove. 14 If anyone’s work will remain, which he built, he will receive a wage. 15 If anyone’s work will be burned up, he himself will be saved, yet as through fire.
16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and the Spirit of God dwells inside of you? 18 If anyone ruins the temple of God, God will ruin him; for the temple of God is holy and devoted, which you are.
18 Let no one deceive himself; if anyone among you imagines himself to be wise in this age, let him become foolish, that he might become wise. 19 Indeed, the wisdom of this world is foolishness alongside of God. As it has been written, “Indeed, He is the One entrapping the wise in their own cleverness” (Job 5:13). 20 And again, “The Lord knows the reasoning of the wise, that it is empty” (Psalm 94:11). 21 Therefore, let no one boast in men; indeed, all things are yours, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Peter or the cosmos or life or death or present things or coming things, all are yours, all belong to you. 23 You, moreover, belong to Christ and Christ belongs to God.
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4:1-5 Let a man so reckon us as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. In this case, moreover, it is required in the stewards that one shall be found faithful. It is the smallest matter, however, to me, that I be investigated by you, or by a human court. In fact, neither do I investigate or examine myself. For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I have not been justified by this; the One examining me, however, is the Lord. So then, do not judge anything before the proper time, until the Lord shall come, who will make evident the hidden things of darkness as well as make visible and clear the motives of the hearts; and then the praise and approval will be from God to each.
6-7 Now, these things, brothers and sisters, I have applied figuratively to myself and to Apollos for your sakes, so that in us you may learn, not beyond what has been written, that you be not puffed up or arrogant, one over the other. For who makes you different? What have you now which you did not receive? If you also received, why do you boast as if you have not received?
8-13 You are already satiated {filled with all that salvation is}; you have already become wealthy {all the riches of Christ}. Apart from us you have reigned, and I wish that you truly reigned, so that we might also reign together with you. For I think God has exhibited us apostles last, as condemned to death, because we have become a theater on the stage, a spectacle to the world [the cosmos], both to angels and to humans. We are fools through Christ; you, however, are wise inside of Christ. We are weak; you, however, are strong. You are honored; we, however, are without honor and unrecognized. Into the present time, we both hunger and thirst, and are poorly clothed and are struck hard and wander as homeless vagabonds. We toil, working with our own hands. When we are abused to our faces, we speak good words and bless; when we are persecuted, we bear with patience; when we are slandered, we comfort and encourage. We have until now become as the scum and filth wiped off of the earth.
14-17 I do not write these things to shame you, but to place these things into your minds, as my beloved children. For if you should have ten thousand teachers or guardians inside of Christ, yet you [have] not many fathers. For inside of Christ Jesus, I have begotten you through the gospel. I encourage you, therefore; become imitators of me. It is for this that I sent Timothy to you, who is my child, beloved and faithful inside of the Lord, who will remind you of my ways that are inside of Christ Jesus, as I teach everywhere in ever assembly.
18-21 As to my not coming now to you, some have become arrogant. I will come to you soon, however, if the Lord desires, and I will know, not the words of those who are arrogant, but the power. For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. What do you want? That I should come to you with a rod or in love and in a spirit of gentleness?
5:1-5 Sexual immorality is actually reported among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even among the ethnic groups, that one has his father’s wife! And you are arrogant, and have not rather grieved, so that the one having done this deed might be taken out of the midst of you. Indeed, though I be absent in body, I am present in spirit, and have already judged the one having worked this, as if I were present. In the name of our Lord, Jesus, having been gathered together, you with me in spirit, with the power of our Lord, Jesus, deliver such a one to Satan into the ruination of the flesh, so that the spirit may be saved inside the day of the Lord.
6-8 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven, leavens the whole lump of dough? Thoroughly cleanse out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump of dough as you are, unleavened. For so also Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed, so that we might keep the feast, not in old leaven, not with the leaven of inherent evil and pain-ridden toil, but in the unleavened bread of honesty and truth.
9-11 I wrote to you in a letter not to associate with the sexually immoral, but not with all the sexually immoral of this world, or with the covetous and thieves, or idolaters – since you would then need to depart out of the world. Rather, I wrote to you not to association with anyone being named a brother if he is sexually immoral or covetous or an idolater, or a verbal abuser, or a drunk, or a thief – not even to eat together with such a one.
12-13 For what is it to me to judge those outside? Do you not judge those within? For those outside, God will judge. Expel the evil out from yourselves!
6:1-6 Dare anyone of you, having a matter against the other, go to law before the unrighteous and not before the holy ones? Are you not aware that the holy ones will judge the cosmos? And if the cosmos is to be judged by you, are you unworthy of the smallest of cases? Are you not aware that we will judge angels? How much more the things belonging to ordinary life? If, then, you possess judgement as to the ordinary things of life, do you cause to be seated [in judgement] the ones being despised and held in contempt inside the church? I say this to shame you. Is there no one among you, one wise who is capable of judging between his brother? Instead, brother goes to law against brother, and this before unbelievers! Indeed, it is already a total failure and loss for you, that you have lawsuits among yourselves.
7-11 Why not suffer wrong through it? Why not rather be defrauded through it? But you do wrong and defraud and you do these things to brothers! Or are you not aware that the unjust will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be led astray; neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunks, nor verbal abusers, now thieves will inherit the kingdom of God. And such some of you were; but you were washed, but you were made holy, but you were justified inside of the name of our Lord and inside of the Spirit of our God.
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12 All things are permitted to me, but not all things profit. All things are permitted to me, but I will not be under the control of anything. 13 Foods are for the belly and the belly for foods, but God will render inoperative both this and these. The body is not for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 And God has both raised up the Lord and will raise us out through His power.
15 Are you not aware that your bodies are members and part of Christ? Having then the members of Christ, shall I make them members of a prostitute? It cannot happen! 16 Or are you not aware that the one being joined to the prostitute are one body? For it says, “The two will become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). 17 For the one joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.
18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin, whatever a man might do, is outside of the body; the one sinning sexually, however, sins against his own body. 19 Or are you not aware that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit inside of you, whom you possess from God? And you are not your own, 20 for you were purchased in the marketplace for a high price. Therefore, glorify God who is inside of your body and inside of your spirit, which are God’s [body and God’s Spirit].
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7:1-7 Now, concerning the things about which you write: (Here is an example of private communication, common to Paul, for which we now do NOT have the whole picture, for we do not know what was in the letter, and we do not know the things which Paul had conversed with them privately. Our problem is that Paul is not writing to us and thus does not know that he needs to explain the whole picture.} [It is] good for a man not to touch a woman. Because of sexual immorality, however, let each man have his own wife and let each [woman] have her own husband. Let the husband give to his wife what is due, likewise also the wife to the husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband; likewise also, the does not have authority over his own body, but the wife. Do not deprive one another except out of mutual agreement [sharing one voice together] for a time, that you might have time for prayer, and again be the same together, so that Satan may not tempt you through your lack of restraint. I say this now according to a shared knowing, not according to a rigid structure. I wish now all men to be even like myself. But each has his own gift out of God; one has indeed this, one, however, that.
{As a married man walking in the Spirit and in the full knowledge of Christ living as me, according to Paul’s gospel, I can say with all reality that Paul, never having been married, is speaking complete blither in the above verses. Intimacy with one’s wife is found entirely inside of Christ, has nothing to do with any “temptation of Satan,” and does not take one out of continuous communion with the Father in every moment.}
8-9 I say now to the unmarried and to the widows, it is good for them if they should remain even as I. If, however, they do not have self-control, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn.
{Again, Paul’s thinking here, completely separate from Christ our only life, is deplorable in its definition of the sweet intimacy and communion known inside of a holy marriage in the Lord. In fact, in the next verse Paul admits that he is speaking only out of his own personal experience, and not out of Christ.}
10-11 To those now having married I share this message, not I, but the Lord – A wife is not divided from her husband. If, however, she is separated, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband, and a husband is not to send away his wife.
12-16 Now to the rest I say – I, not the Lord: if any brother has an unbelieving wife, and she consents to live with him, let him not send her away. And if a woman has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to dwell with her, let her not send away her husband. For the unbelieving husband is made holy in the wife; and the unbelieving wife is made holy in the husband; else then your children are unclean; now, however, they are holy. If, however, the unbeliever separates, let him separate; the brother or sister is not under bondage in such cases. God has called you inside of peace, however. For how do you know, wife, if you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, if you will save your wife?
17-24 As the Lord has distributed to each, as God has called each, so let him walk. And thus I prescribe in all the churches. Was anyone called having been circumcised? Let him not be uncircumcised. Was anyone called in uncircumcision? Let him not be circumcised. Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but watching over the end purposes of God. Let each one continue in the calling in which he has been called. If you were called while a slave, let it not make you anxious, but if you are able to become free, do so. For the slave having been called inside the Lord is a free man; likewise a free man, having been called, is a servant of Christ. You were purchased out of the marketplace with a great price, do not become slaves of men. Wherein each one was when called, let him remain in that with God.
25-31 Now, concerning the virgins, I do not have a directive of the Lord, I give a judgment, however, as one having received mercy from the Lord to be faithful. I think this is good, because of the present necessity, that it is good for a man to be in this manner. Have you been bound to a wife? Do not seek to be loosed. Have you been loosed from a wife? Do not seek a wife. If, however, you shall have married, you did not sin; and if the virgin shall have married, she did not sin; pressures, however, such will have in the flesh, that I am now sparing you. I now say this, brothers; the time is drawn together [shortened]. From now on, both those having wives should be as not having; and those weeping as not weeping; and those rejoicing as not rejoicing; and those buying as not owning; and those making use of the world, as not using it. For the present outward form of this world is passing away.
32-35 I desire now for you to be without concern. The unmarried man cares for the things of the Lord, how he should please the Lord; the one having been married, however, cares for the things of the world, how he should please his wife, and is divided. And the unmarried woman and virgin cares for the things of the Lord, that she should be holy both in body and in spirit; the one having been married, however, cares for the things of the world, how she should please her husband. I say this now for your benefit, not that I might place a restraint upon you, but for what is honorable and devoted to the Lord without distraction.
{This is really bothering me, for these ideas Paul is expressing here are entirely separate from his gospel of Christ our life and from Jesus command to us to love one another. In fact, elsewhere Paul says that we are to think about other people’s need and not just our own. A wife and a husband, living in the knowledge of God filling them full with all that He is, out from that God-love, are caring for one another’s needs. This caring for one another’s needs cannot be a “distraction,” for it is God among us. Remember that Paul instructed us to set aside the things even he might say that are contrary to his gospel of Christ our only life. A man or a woman who says, “I don’t have time to meet your needs because I am too busy ‘being holy’” is not being holy at all. In fact, such is not the love of God. Sadly, these portions of this first letter to the Corinthians, written before Paul even understood the gospel he was given to preach, have caused such perversions away from Christ among Christians through the centuries.}
36-38 If, however, anyone supposes to be behaving improperly to his virgin, if she is beyond youth, and so it ought to be, what he wills let him do; he does not sin; let them marry. He, however, who stands firm in his heart, not having necessity, having authority, however, over his own desire, and this has judged in his own heart, guard over the virgin, he will do well. So, then also, the one marrying his own virgin does well, and the one not marrying will do better.
39-40 A wife is bound for as long a time as her husband may live; if however, the husband shall have died, she is free to marry whom she wills, only in the Lord. She is more blessed, however, if she should continue in the same manner, according to my judgment; I think NOW, that I also have the Spirit of God.
8:1-3 Now, concerning the things sacrificed to idols, we know all the knowledge we possess. Knowledge makes arrogant, but love constructs [God’s house]. If anyone things to have known anything, He does not yet know as it is necessary to know. If, however, anyone loves God, he is known by Him.
4-6 Concerning the eating of the things sacrificed to idols, then, we know that an idol is nothing in this world, and there is no God except One. Even if there are indeed those called “gods” whether inside of heaven or upon earth, as there are gods many and lords many, yet to us there is one God, the Father, out of whom are all things and we into Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we through Him.
7-8 But this knowledge is not inside of all. Some by habit until now, eat of a thing sacrificed to an idol and their consciousness, being weak, is defiled. Food, however, will not commend us to God; neither are we lacking if we should not eat, nor, if we should not eat, do we have any over-abundance.
9-13 Be watchful, however, lest somehow your right becomes an occasion of stumbling to those who are weak. For if anyone sees you, having knowledge, in an idol’s temple eating, will not his consciousness, being weak, be emboldened into eating the things sacrificed to idols. The one being weak is ruined by your knowledge, this brother for whom Christ died. Thus then sinning against the brothers and wounding their consciousness being weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food snares my brother, I will never eat meat into the age, so that I might not snare my brother.
9:1-2 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work inside of the Lord? If to others I am not an apostle, yet to you at least I am; for you are the seal of my apostleship inside of the Lord.
3-7 My defense towards those examining me is this. Do we not have the authority to eat and to drink? Do we not have the authority to take about a sister, a wife, as also the other apostles, and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? Or do only Barnabas and I not have the authority to work? Who serves as a soldier at his own expense at any time? Who plants a vineyard and does not it the fruit of it? Or who shepherds a flock, and does not drink the milk of the flock?
8-14 Do I not speak these things according to man? Or does the law also say these things? For in the law of Moses it has been written, “You shall not muzzle an ox treading out grain.” Is there not care for the oxen with God? Or is He speaking entirely of us? For our sake it was written because the one plowing to plow and the one threshing to hope to partake. If we have sown spiritual things among you is it a great thing if we reap material things from you? If others partake of authority over you, should not we more? But we did not use this authority. Instead, we cover and bear all things so that not we should not place any hindrance upon the gospel of Christ. Do you not know that those working in the temple eat of the things {of the sacrifices} of the temple and those attending at the altar partake in the altar?
15-18 I, however, have used none of these. Neither have I written now, that these should become in me; good, rather, for me to die, than anyone to make my boasting empty. For if I preach the gospel, there is not boasting to me; for necessity is placed upon me. Alas be to me, however, if I should not preach the gospel. For if I willingly do this, I have a reward; if unwillingly, however, I am entrusted with a stewardship.
19-23 What then is my reward? That in preaching the gospel freely, I should set forth the gospel so as to not make use of my right in the gospel. For, being free of all, I myself become a servant to all, so that I might win the more. And I became to the Judeans like a Judean, so that I might win Judeans. To those under Law, [I become] as under law (not being myself under law), so that I might win those under law. To those outside the law [I become] outside law (not being outside law of God, but inside law of Christ), so that I might win those outside law. I became weak to the weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all in these to all, so that by all, some I might save. Now I do all through the gospel, I might become a fellow partaker with it.
24-27 You are aware that not all those running in a race, though all run; one, however receives the prize? Thus run that you might seize hold of [the prize.] Now, everyone competing controls himself in all. They indeed [compete], then, that they might win a decaying crown; we, however, a [crown] unable to decay. Therefore, I run thus, not as uncertainly; so I fight, not as flogging the air. But I discipline my body and subdue it, lest having preached to others, I myself might be unapproved.