1 Corinthians Contemporary English Version (CEV)

chapter 1

     1From Paul, chosen by God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from Sosthenes, who is also a follower.

     2To God's church in Corinth. Christ Jesus chose you to be his very own people, and you worship in his name,

     as we and all others do who call him Lord.

     3My prayer is that God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ will be kind to you and will bless you with peace!

     4I never stop thanking my God for being kind enough to give you Christ Jesus, 5who helps you speak and

     understand so well. 6Now you are certain that everything we told you about our Lord Christ Jesus is true.

     7You are not missing out on any blessings, as you wait for him to return. 8And until the day Christ does

     return, he will keep you completely innocent. 9God can be trusted, and he chose you to be partners with his

     Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

     Taking Sides

     10My dear friends, as a follower of our Lord Jesus Christ, I beg you to get along with each other. Don't take

     sides. Always try to agree in what you think. 11Several people from Chloe's family have already reported to

     me that you keep arguing with each other. 12They have said that some of you claim to follow me, while

     others claim to follow Apollos or Peter or Christ. 13Has Christ been divided up? Was I nailed to a cross for

     you? Were you baptized in my name? 14I thank God that I didn't baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius.

     15Not one of you can say that you were baptized in my name. 16I did baptize the family of Stephanas, but I

     don't remember if I baptized anyone else. 17Christ did not send me to baptize. He sent me to tell the good

     news without using big words that would make the cross of Christ lose its power.

     Christ Is God's Power and Wisdom

     18The message about the cross doesn't make any sense to lost people. But for those of us who are being

     saved, it is God's power at work. 19As God says in the Scriptures,

     "I will destroy the wisdom

     of all who claim

     to be wise.

     I will confuse those

     who think they know

     so much."

     20What happened to those wise people? What happened to those experts in the Scriptures? What happened

     to the ones who think they have all the answers? Didn't God show that the wisdom of this world is foolish?

     21God was wise and decided not to let the people of this world use their wisdom to learn about him.

     Instead, God chose to save only those who believe the foolish message we preach. 22Jews ask for miracles,

     and Greeks want something that sounds wise. 23But we preach that Christ was nailed to a cross. Most Jews

     have problems with this, and most Gentiles think it is foolish. 24Our message is God's power and wisdom for

     the Jews and the Greeks that he has chosen. 25Even when God is foolish, he is wiser than everyone else, and

     even when God is weak, he is stronger than everyone else.

     26My dear friends, remember what you were when God chose you. The people of this world didn't think that

     many of you were wise. Only a few of you were in places of power, and not many of you came from important

     families. 27But God chose the foolish things of this world to put the wise to shame. He chose the weak things

     of this world to put the powerful to shame.

     28What the world thinks is worthless, useless, and nothing at all is what God has used to destroy what the

     world considers important. 29God did all this to keep anyone from bragging to him. 30You are God's children.

     He sent Christ Jesus to save us and to make us wise, acceptable, and holy. 31So if you want to brag, do

     what the Scriptures say and brag about the Lord.

chapter 2

     Telling about Christ and the Cross

     1Friends, when I came and told you the mystery that God had shared with us, I didn't use big words or try to

     sound wise. 2In fact, while I was with you, I made up my mind to speak only about Jesus Christ, who had

     been nailed to a cross. 3At first, I was weak and trembling with fear. 4When I talked with you or preached, I

     didn't try to prove anything by sounding wise. I simply let God's Spirit show his power. 5That way you would

     have faith because of God's power and not because of human wisdom.

     6We do use wisdom when speaking to people who are mature in their faith. But it isn't the wisdom of this

     world or of its rulers, who will soon disappear. 7We speak of God's hidden and mysterious wisdom that God

     decided to use for our glory long before the world began. 8The rulers of this world didn't know anything about

     this wisdom. If they had known about it, they would not have nailed the glorious Lord to a cross. 9But it is

     just as the Scriptures say,

     "What God has planned

     for people who love him

     is more than eyes have seen

     or ears have heard.

     It has never even

     entered our minds!"

     10God's Spirit has shown you everything. His Spirit finds out everything, even what is deep in the mind of

     God. 11You are the only one who knows what is in your own mind, and God's Spirit is the only one who knows

     what is in God's mind. 12But God has given us his Spirit. That's why we don't think the same way that the

     people of this world think. That's also why we can recognize the blessings that God has given us.

     13Every word we speak was taught to us by God's Spirit, not by human wisdom. And this same Spirit helps us

     teach spiritual things to spiritual people. 14That's why only someone who has God's Spirit can understand

     spiritual blessings. Anyone who doesn't have God's Spirit thinks these blessings are foolish. 15People who are

     guided by the Spirit can make all kinds of judgments, but they cannot be judged by others. 16The Scriptures

     ask, "Has anyone ever known

     the thoughts of the Lord

     or given him advice?"

     But we understand what Christ is thinking.

chapter 3

     Working Together for God

     1My friends, you are acting like the people of this world. That's why I could not speak to you as spiritual

     people. You are like babies as far as your faith in Christ is concerned. 2So I had to treat you like babies and

     feed you milk. You could not take solid food, and you still cannot, 3because you are not yet spiritual. You are

     jealous and argue with each other. This proves that you are not spiritual and that you are acting like the

     people of this world.

     4Some of you say that you follow me, and others claim to follow Apollos. Isn't that how ordinary people

     behave? 5Apollos and I are merely servants who helped you to have faith. It was the Lord who made it all

     happen. 6I planted the seeds, Apollos watered them, but God made them sprout and grow. 7What matters

     isn't those who planted or watered, but God who made the plants grow. 8The one who plants is just as

     important as the one who waters. And each one will be paid for what they do. 9Apollos and I work together

     for God, and you are God's garden and God's building.

     Only One Foundation

     10God was kind and let me become an expert builder. I laid a foundation on which others have built. But we

     must each be careful how we build, 11because Christ is the only foundation. 12-13Whatever we build on that

     foundation will be tested by fire on the day of judgment. Then everyone will find out if we have used gold,

     silver, and precious stones, or wood, hay, and straw. 14We will be rewarded if our building is left standing.

     15But if it is destroyed by the fire, we will lose everything. Yet we ourselves will be saved, like someone

     escaping from flames.

     16All of you surely know that you are God's temple and that his Spirit lives in you. 17Together you are God's

     holy temple, and God will destroy anyone who destroys his temple.

     18Don't fool yourselves! If any of you think you are wise in the things of this world, you will have to become

     foolish before you can be truly wise. 19This is because God considers the wisdom of this world to be foolish.

     It is just as the Scriptures say, "God catches the wise when they try to outsmart him." 20The Scriptures also

     say, "The Lord knows that the plans made by wise people are useless." 21-22So stop bragging about what

     anyone has done. Paul and Apollos and Peter all belong to you. In fact, everything is yours, including the

     world, life, death, the present, and the future. Everything belongs to you, 23and you belong to Christ, and

     Christ belongs to God.

chapter 4

     The Work of the Apostles

     1Think of us as servants of Christ who have been given the work of explaining God's mysterious ways. 2And

     since our first duty is to be faithful to the one we work for, 3it doesn't matter to me if I am judged by you or

     even by a court of law. In fact, I don't judge myself. 4I don't know of anything against me, but that doesn't

     prove that I am right. The Lord is my judge. 5So don't judge anyone until the Lord returns. He will show what

     is hidden in the dark and what is in everyone's heart. Then God will be the one who praises each of us.

     6Friends, I have used Apollos and myself as examples to teach you the meaning of the saying, "Follow the

     rules." I want you to stop saying that one of us is better than the other. 7What is so special about you?

     What do you have that you were not given? And if it was given to you, how can you brag? 8Are you already

     satisfied? Are you now rich? Have you become kings while we are still nobodies? I wish you were kings. Then

     we could have a share in your kingdom.

     9It seems to me that God has put us apostles in the worst possible place. We are like prisoners on their way

     to death. Angels and the people of this world just laugh at us. 10Because of Christ we are thought of as

     fools, but Christ has made you wise. We are weak and hated, but you are powerful and respected. 11Even

     today we go hungry and thirsty and don't have anything to wear except rags. We are mistreated and don't

     have a place to live. 12We work hard with our own hands, and when people abuse us, we wish them well.

     When we suffer, we are patient. 13When someone curses us, we answer with kind words. Until now we are

     thought of as nothing more than the trash and garbage of this world.

     14I am not writing to embarrass you. I want to help you, just as parents help their own dear children. 15Ten

     thousand people may teach you about Christ, but I am your only father. You became my children when I told

     you about Christ Jesus, 16and I want you to be like me. 17That's why I sent Timothy to you. I love him like a

     son, and he is a faithful servant of the Lord. Timothy will tell you what I do to follow Christ and how it agrees

     with what I always teach about Christ in every church.

     18Some of you think I am not coming for a visit, and so you are bragging. 19But if the Lord lets me come, I

     will soon be there. Then I will find out if the ones who are doing all this bragging really have any power.

     20God's kingdom isn't just a lot of words. It is power. 21What do you want me to do when I arrive? Do you

     want me to be hard on you or to be kind and gentle?

chapter 5

     Immoral Followers

     1I have heard terrible things about some of you. In fact, you are behaving worse than the Gentiles. A man is

     even sleeping with his own stepmother. 2You are proud, when you ought to feel bad enough to chase away

     anyone who acts like that. 3-4I am with you only in my thoughts. But in the name of our Lord Jesus I have

     already judged this man, as though I were with you in person. So when you meet together and the power of

     the Lord Jesus is with you, I will be there too. 5You must then hand that man over to Satan. His body will be

     destroyed, but his spirit will be saved when the Lord Jesus returns.

     6Stop being proud! Don't you know how a little yeast can spread through the whole batch of dough? 7Get rid

     of the old yeast! Then you will be like fresh bread made without yeast, and that is what you are. Our

     Passover lamb is Christ, who has already been sacrificed. 8So don't celebrate the festival by being evil and

     sinful, which is like serving bread made with yeast. Be pure and truthful and celebrate by using bread made

     without yeast.

     9In my other letter I told you not to have anything to do with immoral people. 10But I wasn't talking about

     the people of this world. You would have to leave this world to get away from everyone who is immoral or

     greedy or who cheats or worships idols. 11I was talking about your own people who are immoral or greedy or

     worship idols or curse others or get drunk or cheat. Don't even eat with them! 12Why should I judge

     outsiders? Aren't we supposed to judge only church members? 13God judges everyone else. The Scriptures

     say, "Chase away any of your own people who are evil."

chapter 6

     Taking Each Other to Court

     1When one of you has a complaint against another, do you take your complaint to a court of sinners? Or do

     you take it to God's people? 2Don't you know that God's people will judge the world? And if you are going to

     judge the world, can't you settle small problems? 3Don't you know that we will judge angels? And if that is so,

     we can surely judge everyday matters. 4Why do you take everyday complaints to judges who are not

     respected by the church? 5I say this to your shame. Aren't any of you wise enough to act as a judge

     between one follower and another? 6Why should one of you take another to be tried by unbelievers?

     7When one of you takes another to court, all of you lose. It would be better to let yourselves be cheated and

     robbed. 8But instead, you cheat and rob other followers.

     9Don't you know that evil people won't have a share in the blessings of God's kingdom? Don't fool yourselves!

     No one who is immoral or worships idols or is unfaithful in marriage or is a pervert or behaves like a homosexual

     10will share in God's kingdom. Neither will any thief or greedy person or drunkard or anyone who curses and

     cheats others. 11Some of you used to be like that. But now the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and the power

     of God's Spirit have washed you and made you holy and acceptable to God.

     Honor God with Your Body

     12Some of you say, "We can do anything we want to." But I tell you that not everything is good for us. So I

     refuse to let anything have power over me. 13You also say, "Food is meant for our bodies, and our bodies are

     meant for food." But I tell you that God will destroy them both. We are not supposed to do indecent things

     with our bodies. We are to use them for the Lord who is in charge of our bodies. 14God will raise us from

     death by the same power that he used when he raised our Lord to life.

     15Don't you know that your bodies are part of the body of Christ? Is it right for me to join part of the body of

     Christ to a prostitute? No, it isn't! 16Don't you know that a man who does that becomes part of her body?

     The Scriptures say, "The two of them will be like one person." 17But anyone who is joined to the Lord is one

     in spirit with him.

     18Don't be immoral in matters of sex. That is a sin against your own body in a way that no other sin is. 19You

     surely know that your body is a temple where the Holy Spirit lives. The Spirit is in you and is a gift from God.

     You are no longer your own. 20God paid a great price for you. So use your body to honor God.

chapter 7

     Questions about Marriage

     1Now I will answer the questions that you asked in your letter. You asked, "Is it best for people not to

     marry?" 2Well, having your own husband or wife should keep you from doing something immoral. 3Husbands

     and wives should be fair with each other about having sex. 4A wife belongs to her husband instead of to

     herself, and a husband belongs to his wife instead of to himself. 5So don't refuse sex to each other, unless

     you agree not to have sex for a little while, in order to spend time in prayer. Then Satan won't be able to

     tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6In my opinion that is what should be done, though I don't

     know of anything the Lord said about this matter. 7I wish that all of you were like me, but God has given

     different gifts to each of us. 8Here is my advice for people who have never been married and for widows. You

     should stay single, just as I am. 9But if you don't have enough self-control, then go ahead and get married.

     After all, it is better to marry than to burn with desire. 10I instruct married couples to stay together, and this

     is exactly what the Lord himself taught. A wife who leaves her husband 11should either stay single or go back

     to her husband. And a husband should not leave his wife. 

     12I don't know of anything else the Lord said about marriage. All I can do is to give you my own advice. If

     your wife isn't a follower of the Lord, but is willing to stay with you, don't divorce her. 13If your husband isn't

     a follower, but is willing to stay with you, don't divorce him. 14Your husband or wife who isn't a follower is

     made holy by having you as a mate. This also makes your children holy and keeps them from being unclean in

     God's sight.

     15If your husband or wife isn't a follower of the Lord and decides to divorce you, then you should agree to it.

     You are no longer bound to that person. After all, God chose you and wants you to live at peace. 16And

     besides, how do you know if you will be able to save your husband or wife who isn't a follower?

     Obeying the Lord at All Times

     17In every church I tell the people to stay as they were when the Lord Jesus chose them and God called

     them to be his own. Now I say the same thing to you. 18If you are already circumcised, don't try to change

     it. If you are not circumcised, don't get circumcised. 19Being circumcised or uncircumcised isn't really what

     matters. The important thing is to obey God's commands. 20So don't try to change what you were when God

     chose you. 21Are you a slave? Don't let that bother you. But if you can win your freedom, you should.

     22When the Lord chooses slaves, they become his free people. And when he chooses free people, they

     become slaves of Christ. 23God paid a great price for you. So don't become slaves of anyone else. 24Stay

     what you were when God chose you.

     Unmarried People

     25I don't know of anything that the Lord said about people who have never been married. But I will tell you

     what I think. And you can trust me, because the Lord has treated me with kindness. 26We are now going

     through hard times, and I think it is best for you to stay as you are. 27If you are married, stay married. If you

     are not married, don't try to get married. 28It isn't wrong to marry, even if you have never been married

     before. But those who marry will have a lot of trouble, and I want to protect you from that. 29My friends,

     what I mean is that the Lord will soon come, and it won't matter if you are married or not. 30It will be all the

     same if you are crying or laughing, or if you are buying or are completely broke. 31It won't make any

     difference how much good you are getting from this world or how much you like it. This world as we know it is

     now passing away. 32I want all of you to be free from worry. An unmarried man worries about how to please

     the Lord. 33But a married man has more worries. He must worry about the things of this world, because he

     wants to please his wife. 34So he is pulled in two directions. Unmarried women and women who have never

     been married worry only about pleasing the Lord, and they keep their bodies and minds pure. But a married

     woman worries about the things of this world, because she wants to please her husband. 35What I am saying

     is for your own good--it isn't to limit your freedom. I want to help you to live right and to love the Lord above

     all else. 36But suppose you are engaged to someone old enough to be married, and you want her so much

     that all you can think about is getting married. Then go ahead and marry. There is nothing wrong with that.

     37But it is better to have self-control and to make up your mind not to marry. 38It is perfectly all right to

     marry, but it is better not to get married at all. 39A wife should stay married to her husband until he dies.

     Then she is free to marry again, but only to a man who is a follower of the Lord. 40However, I think I am

     obeying God's Spirit when I say she would be happier to stay single. 

chapter 8

     Food Offered to Idols

     1In your letter you asked me about food offered to idols. All of us know something about this subject. But

     knowledge makes us proud of ourselves, while love makes us helpful to others. 2In fact, people who think

     they know so much don't know anything at all. 3But God has no doubts about who loves him.

     4Even though food is offered to idols, we know that none of the idols in this world are alive. After all, there is

     only one God. 5Many things in heaven and on earth are called gods and lords, but none of them really are

     gods or lords. 6We have only one God, and he is the Father. He created everything, and we live for him.

     Jesus Christ is our only Lord. Everything was made by him, and by him life was given to us.

     7Not everyone knows these things. In fact, many people have grown up with the belief that idols have life in

     them. So when they eat meat offered to idols, they are bothered by a weak conscience. 8But food doesn't

     bring us any closer to God. We are no worse off if we don't eat, and we are no better off if we do.

     9Don't cause problems for someone with a weak conscience, just because you have the right to eat anything.

     10You know all this, and so it doesn't bother you to eat in the temple of an idol. But suppose a person with a

     weak conscience sees you and decides to eat food that has been offered to idols. 11Then what you know

     has destroyed someone Christ died for. 12When you sin by hurting a follower with a weak conscience, you sin

     against Christ. 13So if I hurt one of the Lord's followers by what I eat, I will never eat meat as long as I live.

chapter 9

     The Rights of an Apostle

     1I am free. I am an apostle. I have seen the Lord Jesus and have led you to have faith in him. 2Others may

     think that I am not an apostle, but you are proof that I am an apostle to you.

     3When people question me, I tell them 4that Barnabas and I have the right to our food and drink. 5We each

     have the right to marry one of the Lord's followers and to take her along with us, just as the other apostles

     and the Lord's brothers and Peter do. 6Are we the only ones who have to support ourselves by working at

     another job? 7Do soldiers pay their own salaries? Don't people who raise grapes eat some of what they grow?

     Don't shepherds get milk from their own goats? 8-9I am not saying this on my own authority. The Law of

     Moses tells us not to muzzle an ox when it is grinding grain. But was God concerned only about an ox? 10No,

     he wasn't! He was talking about us. This was written in the Scriptures so that all who plow and all who grind

     the grain will look forward to sharing in the harvest.

     11When we told the message to you, it was like planting spiritual seed. So we have the right to accept

     material things as our harvest from you. 12If others have the right to do this, we have an even greater right.

     But we haven't used this right of ours. We are willing to put up with anything to keep from causing trouble for

     the message about Christ. 

     13Don't you know that people who work in the temple make their living from what is brought to the temple?

     Don't you know that a person who serves at the altar is given part of what is offered? 14In the same way,

     the Lord wants everyone who preaches the good news to make a living from preaching this message.

     15But I have never used these privileges of mine, and I am not writing this because I want to start now. I

     would rather die than have someone rob me of the right to take pride in this. 16I don't have any reason to

     brag about preaching the good news. Preaching is something God told me to do, and if I don't do it, I am

     doomed. 17If I preach because I want to, I will be paid. But even if I don't want to, it is still something God

     has sent me to do. 18What pay am I given? It is the chance to preach the good news free of charge and not

     to use the privileges that are mine because I am a preacher.

     19I am not anyone's slave. But I have become a slave to everyone, so that I can win as many people as

     possible. 20When I am with the Jews, I live like a Jew to win Jews. They are ruled by the Law of Moses, and I

     am not. But I live by the Law to win them. 21And when I am with people who are not ruled by the Law, I

     forget about the Law to win them. Of course, I never really forget about the law of God. In fact, I am ruled

     by the law of Christ. 22When I am with people whose faith is weak, I live as they do to win them. I do

     everything I can to win everyone I possibly can. 23I do all this for the good news, because I want to share in

     its blessings.

     A Race and a Fight

     24You know that many runners enter a race, and only one of them wins the prize. So run to win! 25Athletes

     work hard to win a crown that cannot last, but we do it for a crown that will last forever. 26I don't run

     without a goal. And I don't box by beating my fists in the air. 27I keep my body under control and make it my

     slave, so I won't lose out after telling the good news to others.

chapter 10

     Don't Worship Idols

     1Friends, I want to remind you that all of our ancestors walked under the cloud and went through the sea.

     2This was like being baptized and becoming followers of Moses. 3All of them also ate the same spiritual food

     4and drank the same spiritual drink, which flowed from the spiritual rock that followed them. That rock was

     Christ. 5But most of them did not please God. So they died, and their bodies were scattered all over the

     desert.

     6What happened to them is a warning to keep us from wanting to do the same evil things. 7They worshiped

     idols, just as the Scriptures say, "The people sat down to eat and drink. Then they got up to dance around."

     So don't worship idols. 8Some of those people did shameful things, and in a single day about twenty-three

     thousand of them died. Don't do shameful things as they did. 9And don't try to test Christ, as some of them

     did and were later bitten by poisonous snakes. 10Don't even grumble, as some of them did and were killed by

     the destroying angel. 11These things happened to them as a warning to us. All this was written in the

     Scriptures to teach us who live in these last days. 12Even if you think you can stand up to temptation, be

     careful not to fall. 13You are tempted in the same way that everyone else is tempted. But God can be

     trusted not to let you be tempted too much, and he will show you how to escape from your temptations.

     14My friends, you must keep away from idols. 15I am speaking to you as people who have enough sense to

     know what I am talking about. 16When we drink from the cup that we ask God to bless, isn't that sharing in

     the blood of Christ? When we eat the bread that we break, isn't that sharing in the body of Christ? 17By

     sharing in the same loaf of bread, we become one body, even though there are many of us.

     18Aren't the people of Israel sharing in the worship when they gather around the altar and eat the sacrifices

     offered there? 19Am I saying that either the idols or the food sacrificed to them is anything at all? 20No, I am

     not! That food is really sacrificed to demons and not to God. I don't want you to have anything to do with

     demons. 21You cannot drink from the cup of demons and still drink from the Lord's cup. You cannot eat at the

     table of demons and still eat at the Lord's table. 22We would make the Lord jealous if we did that. And we are

     not stronger than the Lord.

     Always Honor God

     23Some of you say, "We can do whatever we want to!" But I tell you that not everything may be good or

     helpful. 24We should think about others and not about ourselves. 25However, when you buy meat in the

     market, go ahead and eat it. Keep your conscience clear by not asking where the meat came from. 26The

     Scriptures say, "The earth and everything in it belong to the Lord."

     27If an unbeliever invites you to dinner, and you want to go, then go. Eat whatever you are served. Don't

     cause a problem for someone's conscience by asking where the food came from. 28-29But if you are told that

     it has been sacrificed to idols, don't cause a problem by eating it. I don't mean a problem for yourself, but for

     the one who told you. Why should my freedom be limited by someone else's conscience? 30If I give thanks for

     what I eat, why should anyone accuse me of doing wrong?

     31When you eat or drink or do anything else, always do it to honor God. 32Don't cause problems for Jews or

     Greeks or anyone else who belongs to God's church. 33I always try to please others instead of myself, in the

     hope that many of them will be saved.

chapter 11

     1You must follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.

     Rules for Worship

     2I am proud of you, because you always remember me and obey the teachings I gave you. 3Now I want you

     to know that Christ is the head over all men, and a man is the head over a woman. But God is the head over

     Christ. 4This means that any man who prays or prophesies with something on his head brings shame to his

     head.

     5But any woman who prays or prophesies without something on her head brings shame to her head. In fact,

     she may as well shave her head. 6A woman should wear something on her head. It is a disgrace for a woman

     to shave her head or cut her hair. But if she refuses to wear something on her head, let her cut off her hair.

     7Men were created to be like God and to bring honor to God. This means that a man should not wear anything

     on his head. Women were created to bring honor to men. 8It was the woman who was made from a man, and

     not the man who was made from a woman. 9He wasn't created for her. She was created for him. 10And so,

     because of this, and also because of the angels, a woman ought to wear something on her head, as a sign of

     her authority. 11As far as the Lord is concerned, men and women need each other. 12It is true that the first

     woman came from a man, but all other men have been given birth by women. Yet God is the one who created

     everything. 13Ask yourselves if it is proper for a woman to pray without something on her head. 14Isn't it

     unnatural and disgraceful for men to have long hair? 15But long hair is a beautiful way for a woman to cover

     her head. 16This is how things are done in all of God's churches, and that's why none of you should argue

     about what I have said.

     Rules for the Lord's Supper

     17Your worship services do you more harm than good. I am certainly not going to praise you for this. 18I am

     told that you can't get along with each other when you worship, and I am sure that some of what I have

     heard is true. 19You are bound to argue with each other, but it is easy to see which of you have God's

     approval.

     20When you meet together, you don't really celebrate the Lord's Supper. 21You even start eating before

     everyone gets to the meeting, and some of you go hungry, while others get drunk. 22Don't you have homes

     where you can eat and drink? Do you hate God's church? Do you want to embarrass people who don't have

     anything? What can I say to you? I certainly cannot praise you.

     The Lord's Supper

     (Matthew 26.26-29; Mark 14.22-25; Luke 22.14-20)

     23I have already told you what the Lord Jesus did on the night he was betrayed. And it came from the Lord

     himself.

     He took some bread in his hands. 24Then after he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body,

     which is given for you. Eat this and remember me."

     25After the meal, Jesus took a cup of wine in his hands and said, "This is my blood, and with it God makes his

     new agreement with you. Drink this and remember me."

     26The Lord meant that when you eat this bread and drink from this cup, you tell about his death until he

     comes.

     27But if you eat the bread and drink the wine in a way that isn't worthy of the Lord, you sin against his body

     and blood. 28That's why you must examine the way you eat and drink. 29If you fail to understand that you

     are the body of the Lord, you will condemn yourselves by the way you eat and drink. 30That's why many of

     you are sick and weak and why a lot of others have died. 31If we carefully judge ourselves, we won't be

     punished. 32But when the Lord judges and punishes us, he does it to keep us from being condemned with the

     rest of the world.

     33My dear friends, you should wait until everyone gets there before you start eating. 34If you really are

     hungry, you can eat at home. Then you won't condemn yourselves when you meet together.

     After I arrive, I will instruct you about the other matters. 

chapter 12

     Spiritual Gifts

     1My friends, you asked me about spiritual gifts. 2I want you to remember that before you became followers of

     the Lord, you were led in all the wrong ways by idols that cannot even talk. 3Now I want you to know that if

     you are led by God's Spirit, you will say that Jesus is Lord, and you will never curse Jesus.

     4There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but they all come from the same Spirit. 5There are different ways

     to serve the same Lord, 6and we can each do different things. Yet the same God works in all of us and helps

     us in everything we do.

     7The Spirit has given each of us a special way of serving others. 8Some of us can speak with wisdom, while

     others can speak with knowledge, but these gifts come from the same Spirit. 9To others the Spirit has given

     great faith or the power to heal the sick 10or the power to work mighty miracles. Some of us are prophets,

     and some of us recognize when God's Spirit is present. Others can speak different kinds of languages, and still

     others can tell what these languages mean. 11But it is the Spirit who does all this and decides which gifts to

     give to each of us.

     One Body with Many Parts

     12The body of Christ has many different parts, just as any other body does. 13Some of us are Jews, and

     others are Gentiles. Some of us are slaves, and others are free. But God's Spirit baptized each of us and made

     us part of the body of Christ. Now we each drink from that same Spirit. 14Our bodies don't have just one

     part. They have many parts. 15Suppose a foot says, "I'm not a hand, and so I'm not part of the body."

     Wouldn't the foot still belong to the body? 16Or suppose an ear says, "I'm not an eye, and so I'm not part of

     the body." Wouldn't the ear still belong to the body? 17If our bodies were only an eye, we couldn't hear a

     thing. And if they were only an ear, we couldn't smell a thing. 18But God has put all parts of our body

     together in the way that he decided is best.

     19A body isn't really a body, unless there is more than one part. 20It takes many parts to make a single body.

     21That's why the eyes cannot say they don't need the hands. That's also why the head cannot say it

     doesn't need the feet. 22In fact, we cannot get along without the parts of the body that seem to be the

     weakest. 23We take special care to dress up some parts of our bodies. We are modest about our personal

     parts, 24but we don't have to be modest about other parts. 

     God put our bodies together in such a way that even the parts that seem the least important are valuable.

     25He did this to make all parts of the body work together smoothly, with each part caring about the others.

     26If one part of our body hurts, we hurt all over. If one part of our body is honored, the whole body will be

     happy.

     27Together you are the body of Christ. Each one of you is part of his body. 28First, God chose some people

     to be apostles and prophets and teachers for the church. But he also chose some to work miracles or heal

     the sick or help others or be leaders or speak different kinds of languages. 29Not everyone is an apostle. Not

     everyone is a prophet. Not everyone is a teacher. Not everyone can work miracles. 30Not everyone can heal

     the sick. Not everyone can speak different kinds of languages. Not everyone can tell what these languages

     mean. 31I want you to desire the best gifts. So I will show you a much better way. 

chapter 13

     Love

     1What if I could speak

     all languages

     of humans

     and of angels?

     If I did not love others,

     I would be nothing more

     than a noisy gong

     or a clanging cymbal.

     2What if I could prophesy

     and understand all secrets

     and all knowledge?

     And what if I had faith

     that moved mountains?

     I would be nothing,

     unless I loved others.

     3What if I gave away all

     that I owned

     and let myself

     be burned alive? I would gain nothing,

     unless I loved others.

     4Love is kind and patient,

     never jealous, boastful,

     proud, or 5rude.

     Love isn't selfish

     or quick tempered.

     It doesn't keep a record

     of wrongs that others do.

     6Love rejoices in the truth,

     but not in evil.

     7Love is always supportive,

     loyal, hopeful,

     and trusting.

     8Love never fails!

     Everyone who prophesies

     will stop,

     and unknown languages

     will no longer

     be spoken.

     All that we know

     will be forgotten.

     9We don't know everything,

     and our prophecies

     are not complete.

     10But what is perfect

     will someday appear,

     and what isn't perfect

     will then disappear.

     11When we were children,

     we thought and reasoned

     as children do.

     But when we grew up,

     we quit our childish ways.

     12Now all we can see of God

     is like a cloudy picture

     in a mirror. 

     Later we will see him

     face to face.

     We don't know everything,

     but then we will,

     just as God completely

     understands us.

     13For now there are faith,

     hope, and love.

     But of these three,

     the greatest is love. 

chapter 14

     Speaking Unknown Languages and Prophesying

     1Love should be your guide. Be eager to have the gifts that come from the Holy Spirit, especially the gift of

     prophecy. 2If you speak languages that others don't know, God will understand what you are saying, though

     no one else will know what you mean. You will be talking about mysteries that only the Spirit understands.

     3But when you prophesy, you will be understood, and others will be helped. They will be encouraged and

     made to feel better.

     4By speaking languages that others don't know, you help only yourself. But by prophesying you help everyone

     in the church. 5I am glad for you to speak unknown languages, although I had rather for you to prophesy. In

     fact, prophesying does much more good than speaking unknown languages, unless someone can help the

     church by explaining what you mean.

     6My friends, what good would it do, if I came and spoke unknown languages to you and didn't explain what I

     meant? How would I help you, unless I told you what God had shown me or gave you some knowledge or

     prophecy or teaching? 7If all musical instruments sounded alike, how would you know the difference between

     a flute and a harp? 8If a bugle call isn't clear, how would you know to get ready for battle?

     9That's how it is when you speak unknown languages. If no one can understand what you are talking about,

     you will only be talking to the wind. 10There are many different languages in this world, and all of them make

     sense. 11But if I don't understand the language that someone is using, we will be like foreigners to each

     other. 12If you really want spiritual gifts, choose the ones that will be most helpful to the church.

     13When we speak languages that others don't know, we should pray for the power to explain what we mean.

     14For example, if I use an unknown language in my prayers, my spirit prays but my mind is useless. 15Then

     what should I do? There are times when I should pray with my spirit, and times when I should pray with my

     mind. Sometimes I should sing with my spirit, and at other times I should sing with my mind.

     16Suppose some strangers are in your worship service, when you are praising God with your spirit. If they

     don't understand you, how will they know to say, "Amen"? 17You may be worshiping God in a wonderful way,

     but no one else will be helped. 18I thank God that I speak unknown languages more than any of you. 19But

     words that make sense can help the church. That's why in church I had rather speak five words that make

     sense than to speak ten thousand words in a language that others don't know.

     20My friends, stop thinking like children. Think like mature people and be as innocent as tiny babies. 21In the

     Scriptures the Lord says,

     "I will use strangers

     who speak unknown languages

     to talk to my people.

     They will speak to them

     in foreign languages,

     but still my people

     won't listen to me."

     22Languages that others don't know may mean something to unbelievers, but not to the Lord's followers.

     Prophecy, on the other hand, is for followers, not for unbelievers. 23Suppose everyone in your worship

     service started speaking unknown languages, and some outsiders or some unbelievers come in. Won't they

     think you are crazy? 24But suppose all of you are prophesying when those unbelievers and outsiders come in.

     They will realize that they are sinners, and they will want to change their ways because of what you are

     saying. 25They will tell what is hidden in their hearts. Then they will kneel down and say to God, "We are

     certain that you are with these people." 

     Worship Must Be Orderly

     26My friends, when you meet to worship, you must do everything for the good of everyone there. That's how

     it should be when someone sings or teaches or tells what God has said or speaks an unknown language or

     explains what the language means. 27No more than two or three of you should speak unknown languages

     during the meeting. You must take turns, and someone should always be there to explain what you mean.

     28If no one can explain, you must keep silent in church and speak only to yourself and to God.