This book is one of the letters that the Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians at Corinth. We call this book

1 Corinthians

1

1 Corinthians 1:1-3

As your apostle, I greet you Corinthian believers, and I desire that God bless you.

1I, Paul, am writing this letter. Sosthenes, our fellow believer, is with me as I write it. God appointed me to be an apostle of Christ Jesus because that is what God desired. 2I am sending this letter to all you who are God’s believers in Corinth city. You have been set apart by God {God has set you apart} for himself because ◄of your close relationship with/you belong to► Christ Jesus. God has appointed you to be his people and to live in a morally pure way, just like he has appointed all the people everywhere who belong to him to live in a morally pure way. You and they have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ [MTY]. He is their sovereign Lord as well as the sovereign Lord of all of us (inc) who have trusted in him.

3We (exc) desire that God, who is our heavenly Father, and Jesus Christ, who is our sovereign Lord, will continue to act kindly toward you and cause you to experience inner peace.

I thank God for you and for all the spiritual abilities that he has given you.

1 Corinthians 1:4-9

4I very often [HYP] thank God for you because he has acted toward you kindly, acting in ways that you do not deserve. He has done this because of your ◄having a close relationship with/being united to► Christ Jesus. 5That is, God has [HYP] helped you spiritually very much because of your ◄having a close relationship with/being united to► Christ. Specifically, God has very much [HYP] enabled you to speak messages that his Spirit revealed to you, and he has very much enabled you to know many things [HYP] that his Spirit revealed to you. 6In that way, he confirmed to you that what we (exc) proclaimed about Christ is true. 7As a result, while you wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to return, within your group you truly have [LIT] every ability that God’s Spirit gives to believers. 8God will also cause you to steadfastly trust Christ to the very end of your lives [EUP]. The result will be that God will not consider you guilty of any sin when our Lord Jesus Christ returns to earth [MTY]. 9You can depend on God to do that. He is the one who chose you to become intimately associated with his Son, Jesus Christ, who is our Lord.

Stop dividing into groups in your congregations on the basis of which Christian leader you favor.

1 Corinthians 1:10-17

10My fellow believers, by the authority of [MTY] our Lord Jesus Christ, I urgently appeal to all of you to agree with one another. What I mean is, stop dividing into groups. Instead, be united [MET] concerning what you understand about spiritual matters,, and be united in what you decide. 11My fellow believers, I urge this because some members of Chloe’s household have told me that you are quarreling among yourselves. 12That is, some of you say, “Paul is the one to whom we are loyal,” and others say, “Peter is the one to whom we are loyal,” and still others say, “Christ is the one to whom we are loyal.” 13It is ridiculous that [RHQ] you are quarreling and dividing up into groups instead of being loyal to Christ alone. Christ certainly has not divided himself into parts and distributed those parts out to groups of people who oppose each other! [MET, RHQ] I, Paul, certainly did not die on the cross for you! [RHQ] When you were baptized {When someone baptized you}, you certainly did not promise that you were submitting to me! [RHQ] 14I thank God that Crispus and Gaius were the only ones from among you whom I baptized. 15As a result, no one there in Corinth except those two can say, “Paul baptized me so that I would become ◄his disciple/submissive to him►.” 16Now I remember that I also baptized the household of Stephanas, but I do not remember baptizing anyone else there. 17Christ sent me not primarily to baptize people but to preach the good message about him. When I do that, he does not want me to use words that human philosophers consider wise [IRO]. I do not want the message about what he accomplished when he was nailed to the cross [MTY] to lose its power.

The message about Christ dying on the cross is the means of saving us who believe it.

1 Corinthians 1:18-19

18Those who are perishing spiritually because they do not believe that message consider that the message about what Christ accomplished when he was nailed to the cross [MTY] is foolish. But to us who are being saved {whom God is saving} spiritually because we believe that message, it demonstrates that God acts powerfully in order to save us. 19It is like what God said that a prophet wrote long ago,

By the things that I will do, I will show that the ideas of those who think [IRO] they are wise are completely useless. I will ignore the ideas that they think are [IRO] so smart.

Some people think that the message about Christ is foolish, but to us whom God has chosen, it shows God’s power.

1 Corinthians 1:20-25

20So, do you know what God thinks about what [RHQ] people who [IRO] consider themselves to be wise and scholars and philosophers say? He does not pay attention to what they say, because [RHQ] he has shown clearly that what unbelievers think is [IRO] wise is not wise at all, but is really foolish. 21God, acting very wisely, made it impossible for unbelievers to know God by doing what they thought was [IRO] wise. Instead, he was happy to save those who trust in Christ as the result of their hearing the message that was proclaimed to them, a message that others consider to be foolish. 22The Jews want people to prove, by performing miracles, that their message is true. The non-Jews want to hear only messages consisting of talk that they consider to be very wise. 23As for us, we proclaim the message about what Christ accomplished for us when he was nailed {when they nailed him} to the cross. That message offends Jews because they do not think that the Messiah will die, and non-Jews think it is [IRO] a foolish message. 24But to us whom God has chosen to belong to himself, both Jews and non-Jews, that message shows that God acted powerfully and wisely by sending Christ to die for us. 25Unbelievers may think [IRO] that God was acting foolishly by doing that, but the truth is that he was acting more wisely than unbelievers who just think that [IRO] they are wise. And unbelievers may think that God was acting weakly by sending his son to die, but he was acting more powerfully than unbelievers who just think [IRO] that they act powerfully.

God chose mostly despised, not important, people to belong to Christ; so you should boast only about him.

1 Corinthians 1:26-31

26My fellow believers, remember what kind of people you were when God chose you. Not many of you whom he chose are people whom unbelievers considered to be wise. Very few of you were considered to be important. Very few of you came from families with a high social standing. 27Instead, it was usually those whom unbelievers considered to be foolish whom God chose. He did that in order to shame/discredit those whom unbelievers consider [IRO] wise. It was usually those whom unbelievers considered [IRO] unimportant whom God chose, in order to shame/discredit those whom unbelievers consider important. 28It was usually those who are despised and considered {whom unbelievers despise and consider} worthless whom God chose, in order to make completely ineffective what unbelievers consider to be important. 29He did that in order that no one could boast to God about being wise or important. 30It is because of what God has done that you ◄have a close relationship with/belong to► Christ Jesus. God put into effect his wise plan to save us by what Christ did for us. As a result of what Christ did, God erases the record of our sins, sets us apart for himself, and frees us from our being guilty for our sins. 31So, it is the Lord whom we should boast about, not about one spiritual leader being better than another. We should do as ◄a prophet/Jeremiah► wrote in the Scriptures that we should do:

Those who boast should boast only about what the Lord has done.

2

God showed that my message was true by the powerful things that he did, not because I spoke in a way that would make people think highly of me.

1 Corinthians 2:1-5

1My fellow believers, when I came to you, I proclaimed to you the message that God had revealed to me. But I did not proclaim it using eloquent words that would make people think highly of me, nor did I argue in a way that unbelievers would think was very wise. 2I did that because I decided that I would speak only about Jesus Christ. Specifically, I told you what he accomplished for us when he was killed by being nailed {when they killed him by nailing him} to a cross. 3Furthermore, when I was with you, I felt that I was not adequate to do what Christ wanted me to do. I was afraid that I would not be able to do it, and because of that I was trembling very much. 4When I taught you and preached to you, I did not speak words that unbelievers would consider [IRO] wise in order to convince them that my message was true. Instead, God’s Spirit showed that it was true by enabling me to powerfully perform miracles. 5I taught and preached that way in order that you might believe my message, not because you heard words that people considered to be [IRO] wise, but because you recognized God’s power.

Unbelievers do not consider that my message is wise, because I speak what God’s Spirit reveals to me.

1 Corinthians 2:6-16

6I do teach a message that people who are spiritually mature consider to be wise. But I do not teach a message that unbelievers consider to be wise. I also do not teach a message that unbelieving rulers in the world consider to be wise. What they think about it does not matter, because some day ◄they will lose their power/not be ruling anymore►. 7Instead, I teach about what God planned wisely long ago. It is something that people did not know about previously because God did not reveal it previously. But God determined before he created the world that he would greatly benefit us by his wise plan. 8None of those who rule this world knew that wise plan. If they had known it, they would not have nailed our wonderful Lord to the cross. 9But we believers need to remember these words that a prophet wrote in the Scriptures:

Things that no one has ever seen,

things that no one ever heard,

things that no one ever thought could happen,

those are the things that God has prepared for those who love him.

10God has caused his Spirit to reveal those things to us (inc) believers. His Spirit can do that because he knows thoroughly the meaning of all things. He even knows the things about God that are very difficult to understand. 11Only a person himself (OR, a person’s spirit) knows what he is thinking. Similarly, only God’s Spirit knows what God is thinking. 12It was not the ideas that unbelievers teach that we accepted. Instead, it was the Spirit who came from God that we received, in order that we might know the things that God has freely done for us. 13Those are the things that I tell you about. As I do that, I do not tell you things that someone whom others thought was [IRO] wise taught me. Instead, I tell you truths that God’s Spirit taught me, and I explain those spiritual truths to people whose thinking is guided by God’s Spirit (OR, I teach spiritual truths to spiritual people). 14Those who are unbelievers reject the truths that God’s Spirit teaches us (inc), because they consider those truths to be foolish. They cannot understand them, because it is God’s Spirit who enables us to evaluate those truths correctly, and those people do not have God’s Spirit. 15We who have God’s Spirit can judge correctly the value of all truths that the Spirit reveals, but unbelievers cannot evaluate us correctly. 16As one of our prophets wrote:

No human [RHQ] has known what the Lord is thinking.

No human [RHQ] is able to instruct him.

But we believers are able to think about things [MTY] in the way that Christ thinks about them.

3

I was unable to teach you difficult concepts, because you were controlled by your self-directed nature, as evidenced by your quarreling about which leader you should be loyal to.

1 Corinthians 3:1-4

1My fellow believers, when I was with you previously, I was not able to teach you as I would teach people who are controlled by the Holy Spirit {whom the Holy Spirit controls}. Instead, I had to teach you as I would teach people whom their self-directed nature controls. I taught very simple concepts to you who had recently believed in Christ, as a parent would speak very simple words to a baby. 2I did not teach you things that were difficult for you to understand, just like a woman does not give her baby solid food that the baby cannot chew and digest. And just like a woman ◄gives her baby milk/breast-feeds her baby►, I taught you simple spiritual concepts, because at that time you were not able to understand difficult things. And you are still not able to understand difficult concepts, 3because you are still controlled by your self-directed nature. Some of you are jealous and quarreling. ◄That shows that your self-directed nature is controlling you!/Does not that prove your self-directed nature is controlling you?► [RHQ] It shows that you are acting like unbelievers act. 4By some of you saying, “I am loyal to Paul,” and others saying, “I am loyal to Apollos,” ◄you show that you are acting like unbelievers./does not it show that you are acting like unbelievers?► [RHQ]

I preached the gospel to you first, and Apollos followed, but we are both serving God equally.

1 Corinthians 3:5-9a

5So what you really ought to think about Apollos and me [RHQ] is that we(dl) are merely men who serve God. As a result of our telling you the message about Christ, you trusted in him. Both of us (dl) are merely doing the work that the Lord appointed us to do. 6I was the first one who preached God’s message to you. I was like [MET] someone who plants seeds. Later, Apollos taught you more of God’s message. That was like [MET] someone who waters plants after they start to grow. But it is God who enables people to grow spiritually, just like he is the one who causes plants to grow. 7So the person who first preaches God’s message to people is not important, and the person who later teaches people more of God’s message is not important, just like [MET] it is not the person who plants the seeds or the person who waters the plants who is important. Instead, it is God, who causes plants to grow and who causes people to grow spiritually, who is important. 8The person who first preaches God’s message to people and the one who later teaches them more of God’s message [MET] both ◄are trying to reach the same goal/have the same purpose►. And God will reward each of them according to how they served him. 9Remember that Apollos and I are both working together for God. You do not belong to us. Just like a field belongs to its owner, not to those who work in it, you belong to God, not to us who work for him.

Each one who teaches believers must examine what he is teaching them because God will reward him only if his teaching is valuable and long-lasting.

1 Corinthians 3:9b-15

Also, a house belongs to its owner. It does not belong to the man who built it. Similarly, God is the one to whom you belong. 10Just like a skilled person puts a foundation in the ground before he builds a house, as a result of God kindly helping me [MET], I was the first one who declared the message about Christ to you. And, just like others build a house on its foundation, there were others who later taught you more about Christ. But just like each person who builds a house must be careful about what materials he uses to build it [MET], each person who teaches God’s truth must be careful about what he teaches. 11Just like people can put in only one foundation for a house [MET], there is only one message that we can give to people. That message is about Jesus Christ. 12Furthermore, people can build a house on its foundation with materials that are valuable and do not burn easily, such as gold, silver, and expensive jewels. Or they could build a house with materials that are not valuable and that burn easily, such as wood, hay, and straw. 13Later it will become clear/evident what kind of material they used to build the house. Similarly, when people teach others God’s truth, it will later become clear what kind of things they taught. God will make that clear/evident at the time when he judges us [MTY]. 14When a fire starts burning a house, it becomes clear whether the builders used materials in their work that will burn, or materials that will not burn. Similarly [MET], when God judges us, it will be clear whether we taught others things that were long-lasting and valuable or not. If the materials that are used to build a house are materials that do not burn, the builder will receive a reward [MET]. Similarly, if we have taught others things that are valuable and long-lasting, God will give us a reward. 15If the things that we have taught are not valuable and long-lasting [MET], we will not get a reward. We will be saved {God will save us} from hell, but that is all that we will get. We will be like a man who escapes from a fire without saving any of his possessions.

God will destroy anyone who destroys the unity of a congregation.

1 Corinthians 3:16-17

16You need to remember that God is present among you (pl) as he was present in the Temple in Jerusalem. [RHQ] God’s Spirit lives within you. 17So, just like God will destroy anyone who tries to destroy his Temple, he will destroy anyone who destroys the unity of a congregation. He will do that because he has set you, his people, apart for himself, just like he set his Temple apart for himself.

Stop being proud of one Christian leader or another, because we are all just working for your benefit.

1 Corinthians 3:18-23

18Some among you think that you are wise because unbelievers thought you were wise previously. Stop deceiving yourselves. If you really want to be wise, by accepting what God considers to be wise you should be willing to let unbelievers consider that you are foolish [IRO]. 19You should do that because things that unbelievers consider to be [IRO] wise, God considers to be foolish. We can learn from the Scriptures what God says about that:

Those who think that they are [IRO] wise, he messes up their plans by the mistakes they make!

20And we can learn from these words of Scripture,

The Lord considers as useless the thoughts of humans who think that they are [IRO] wise.

21So, stop boasting about how good one Christian leader is or how good another Christian leader is. All of us(exc) exist as leaders only to help you! 22Specifically, do not boast about me, or about Apollos, or about Peter! Everything in the world exists to benefit you believers. Whether you live or whether you die, the things that are happening now or the things that will happen in the future, they are all to benefit you. 23You should boast about Christ, not about your leaders, because you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.

4

Stop evaluating your leaders’ value; do not be proud of one and despise another.

1 Corinthians 4:1-7

1So, people ought to consider us apostles (OR, Apollos and me) to be merely servants of Christ. God has given to us (exc) the work of telling others the message that God has now revealed to us. 2With respect to doing that, those who are given work are required {give others some work to do require them} to do that work faithfully. 3I am not concerned whether you or the judges in some court decide whether I have done my work faithfully or not. I do not even judge myself about that. 4I do not think that I have done anything wrong, but that does not prove that I have done nothing wrong. The Lord is the one who judges me. 5So, stop evaluating any of us (exc) before the time when God judges everyone [MTY]! Do not judge us before the Lord comes. He is the one who will reveal the sinful things that people have done secretly. He will even reveal what people have thought. At that time God will praise each person as each one of them deserves.

6My fellow believers, I have told you all these things as illustrations of myself and Apollos. I have done this for your sake, in order that you may learn to live according to the saying, “Do not act contrary to what is {what they have} written in the Scriptures.” If you follow that rule, you will not be proud of one spiritual leader and despise another. 7◄No one has made any of you superior to others!/Why do any of you think that you are superior to others?► [RHQ] All the abilities that you have, you received from God. [RHQ] So if you received them all from God, ◄you should not boast thinking, “I got these abilities from myself, not from God!”/why do you boast thinking, “I got these abilities from myself, not from God?”► [RHQ]

It is disgusting that you are so proud of your spiritual gifts and that you despise us apostles.

1 Corinthians 4:8-13

8It is disgusting that you act as though [IRO] you have already received everything that you need spiritually. You act as though [IRO] you were spiritually rich (OR, you had received all the spiritual gifts you need). You act as though [IRO] you had already begun to rule as kings with Christ. Well, I wish that you really were ruling with him, in order that we apostles might also rule with you! 9But it seems as though God has put us apostles on display, like prisoners at the end of the victor’s parade. We (exc) are like men who have been condemned to die, who have been put in the arena where everyone can see the wild animals killing them. And not only people, but even angels all over the world are watching us, as people watch those who are performing a play in a theater. 10Many people consider us to be [IRO] fools because we preach about Christ, but you proudly think [IRO] that you are wise because ◄of your close relationship with/you belong to► Christ. Many people consider us [IRO] to be unimpressive, but you proudly think that you impress others. People respect you, but they do not respect us. 11Up to this present time we have often been hungry. We have often been thirsty. We have ragged clothes. Often we have been beaten {others have beaten us}. We have traveled so much that we have no regular homes to live in. 12We work very hard to earn a living. When we are cursed by people {When people curse us}, we ask God to bless them. When we are persecuted {When people cause us to suffer}, we endure it. 13When we are slandered by people {When people slander us}, we reply kindly to them. Up to now, unbelievers consider us to be worthless [MET], as though we were just garbage.

Imitate the way in which I serve Christ.

1 Corinthians 4:14-17

14I am writing this to you, not to make you feel ashamed, but instead to warn you as though you were my own dear children. 15I say that because as an apostle of Christ Jesus I was the first one who proclaimed the good message to you. As a result, I was the one who enabled you to have eternal life. So even if there were thousands of Christians who instruct you [MET], I am the only one who became like a father to you. 16So I urge you to live for Christ the way I do. 17In order to help you do that, I have sent/will be sending Timothy to you. I love him as though he were my son. He serves the Lord faithfully. He will remind you of the way I conduct my life as one who ◄has a close relationship with/belongs to► the Lord. The way I conduct my life is the same as how I teach others to live in all the congregations to whom I have spoken.

I hope you will change your thinking, so I do not have to punish you when I come there.

1 Corinthians 4:18-21

18Some of you have become proud, thinking that I will not come there to rebuke your congregation about what they are doing. 19But if the Lord wants me to come, I will come to you soon. Then I will not pay any attention to what those proud people say. Instead, I will find out whether they have God’s power. 20Remember that God judges whether or not we are letting him rule our lives, not by listening to how we talk, but by seeing whether his power is present ◄among us/in our lives►. 21So which do you prefer? Do you want me to come to you and punish you because you have not changed your ways, or shall I come to you and act lovingly and gently toward you because you have done what I told you to do?

5

You should expel the man in your congregation who has acted so immorally.

1 Corinthians 5:1-5

1Now I want to discuss another matter. It has been {People have} reported to me, and I believe that it is true, that some people among you have been acting in a sexually immoral way, in a way that is so bad that not even ◄pagans/people who do not know about God► act that way. People tell me that a man is living with his stepmother (OR, his father’s other wife). 2You should be sad about what that man is doing! He should have been expelled {You should have expelled him} from your congregation! But you have not done that, so ◄how can you be proud, thinking that you are spiritually mature?/it is disgusting that you are proud, thinking that you are spiritually mature!► [RHQ] 3As for me, I have already decided how you should punish that man. And even though I am away from you, my spirit is with you, and you should do as I would do if I were there with you. 4What I have decided is that when you have gathered together with the authority [MTY] of our Lord Jesus, and my spirit is with you, and the power of our Lord Jesus is with you, 5you should hand that man over to Satan. Then Satan can injure/punish his body, in order that he will turn away from his sinful behavior and his spirit will be saved on the day when the Lord returns [MTY].

Make sure that no one in your congregation is acting immorally or maliciously or wickedly.

1 Corinthians 5:6-8

6It is not good that, while you are letting that immoral man continue to be in your congregation, you are boasting about being spiritually mature. ◄You know that a small amount of yeast affects all the bread dough [MET] into which it is put {a woman puts it}./Do you not know that a small amount of yeast affects all the bread dough [MET] into which it is put?► [RHQ] Similarly, one person who continues to sin will have a bad effect on all the congregation. 7So, just like we Jews expel the old yeast from our houses during the Passover celebration in order that we may have a fresh batch of dough without yeast in it [MET], you must expel such evil people from your congregation. Do that so that you can truly be holy people, as I know that you really are. Remember that Christ was sacrificed {sacrificed himself} so that God could spare us from being punished for our sins, just like the Jews sacrificed lambs during the first Passover celebration so that God would spare their firstborn sons from being killed. 8So let us celebrate the fact that God has freed us from being punished us for our sins [MET], just like the Jews in later years celebrated Passover to celebrate God freeing them from being slaves in Egypt. They made sure that there was no old yeast in the dough. They ate bread that had no yeast in it. Similarly, we should make sure that there are no people in our congregations [MET] who act maliciously toward others or act wickedly. Instead, make sure [MET] that all those in our congregations are ones who act sincerely and speak truthfully.

Expel wicked people from your congregation.

1 Corinthians 5:9-13

9In the previous letter that I wrote to you, I said that you should not associate with sexually immoral people. 10I did not mean that you should not associate with unbelievers who are immoral, or who desire things that belong to others, or who ◄forcefully seize things that belong to others/are swindlers►, or who worship idols. You would have to leave this world to avoid all people like that. 11But now I am stating clearly that when I wrote, I meant that you should not associate with those who say that they are fellow believers, if they are sexually immoral or if they desire and forcefully seize things that belong to others, or worship idols, or slander others, or become drunk. You should not associate with people like that, and you should not even eat with them! 12It is certainly not [RHQ] my business to judge people who are not believers and who do not belong to Christian congregations. But it certainly is [RHQ] your business to judge those who are in your congregation! 13God is the one who will judge those who are not believers. Do as the Scriptures command: “Expel the wicked person from your midst!”

6

It is disgusting that you prosecute fellow believers and let judges who are not believers decide your cases.

1 Corinthians 6:1-6

1Now another matter: When any of you believers accuses another believer about some matter, he takes that matter to judges who are not believers, for them to decide the case, instead of asking God’s people to decide it. ◄That is disgusting!/Why do you do that?► [RHQ] 2I want you to know that we who are God’s people will some day judge those who are unbelievers. [RHQ] So, since you will be judging unbelievers, you certainly are capable of judging between believers who disagree on small matters! [RHQ] 3◄You should keep in mind that we will even judge angels!/Do you not know that we will even judge angels?► [RHQ] So we certainly should be able to judge about matters that relate to how we conduct our lives here on earth! 4Therefore, when you believers have a dispute, you should certainly not choose as judges to decide your case people whom the congregation cannot respect because those judges are not believers! [RHQ] 5I am saying this to make you ashamed. Surely there is someone among you who is wise enough to judge disputes between believers! [RHQ] 6But instead, some believers among you accuse other believers in a legal court. And what is worse, you let the cases be judged by unbelievers {unbelievers judge the cases}!

God has freed you from your former sinful behavior, so remember that he will exclude from his kingdom those who engage in all kinds of sinful behavior.

1 Corinthians 6:7-11

7The fact that you have any lawsuits among you shows that you have completely failed as Christians (OR, allowed Satan to defeat you). You should allow other believers to wrong you without taking them to court!! [RHQ] You should not accuse them when they cheat you! [RHQ] 8But what is happening is that some of you are cheating others and doing wrong to them. That is bad. But you are doing that to fellow believers, and that is worse!

9◄You should keep in mind that wicked people will not become members of the group over whom God will rule./Do you not know that wicked people will not become members of the group over whom God will rule?► [RHQ] Do not be deceived {Do not deceive yourselves} by thinking wrongly about these matters. People who are sexually immoral, or who worship idols, or who ◄commit adultery/have sex with someone to whom they are not married►, or who happily allow others to commit homosexual acts with them, or who take the initiative in committing homosexual acts, 10or who are thieves, or who desire and forcefully seize things that belong to others, or who are drunkards, or who slander others, or who are swindlers, will not enter the place where God rules. 11Some of you previously did things like that. But God has freed/cleansed you [MET] from your sinful behavior. He has set you apart for himself. He has erased the record of your sins because you trusted [MTY] in the Lord Jesus Christ and because of what the Spirit of our God has done for you.

Because the Lord wants us to use our bodies in ways that please him, we must avoid all sexually immoral acts.

1 Corinthians 6:12-20

12Some of you may say, “God allows us to do anything that he does not forbid.” But I would reply, “That is true, but not everything that God permits us to do helps us.” Yes, as some of you say, God permits us to do anything that he does not forbid. But as for me, I will not let anything make me its slave; that is, I will not do anything that will gain control over me in such a way that I will not be able to stop doing it. 13Some of you may also say, “Food is just for us to put in the stomach, and the stomach is just for us to put food in. And since God will do away with food and stomachs when he gives us our new bodies, what we do with our bodies sexually does not affect us any more than eating food does.” But what you have concluded is wrong, because the Lord does not want us to use our bodies to do sexually immoral things. Instead, the Lord wants us to use our bodies in ways that please him. Also, the Lord wants us to do what is good for our bodies. 14God, by his power, caused the Lord Jesus to live again after he died, and he will cause us to live again after we die, which shows that he is very concerned about our bodies.

15You should keep in mind that your bodies belong to Christ. [RHQ] So, should I or any other believer [RHQ] take our body, which belongs to Christ, and join it sexually to a prostitute? No, certainly not! 16When a man has sexual relations [EUP] with a prostitute, it is as though their two bodies become one body. ◄You should never forget that!/Do you not know that?► [RHQ] What Moses wrote about people who join together sexually is, “The two of them will become as though they are one body.” 17But anyone who is united {who joins himself} to the Lord becomes one with him spiritually.

18Always ◄run away from/avoid► committing sexually immoral acts. Other sins that people commit do not affect their bodies, but those who commit sexually immoral acts sin against their own bodies. 19◄Keep in mind that your bodies are like [MET] temples of the Holy Spirit./Do you not know that your bodies are like [MET] temples of the Holy Spirit?► [RHQ] The Spirit, whom God gave you, lives within you. You do not belong to yourselves. You belong to God, 20because when his Son died for you it was as though [MET] God paid a price for you. So honor God by how you use your bodies!

7

Married people should not deprive their spouses of sexual relations, except under special conditions.

1 Corinthians 7:1-7

1Now I will reply to the things that you wrote to me about.

It is good for people not to get married. 2But because many people are committing sexual immorality, which God detests, every man should have his own wife with whom he can have sexual relations, and every woman should have her own husband with whom she can have sexual relations. 3Every man must continue having sexual relations [EUP] with his wife, and every woman must continue having sexual relations with her husband. 4A man’s wife does not have the right over her own body to be the only one to decide about having sexual relations with her husband. Instead, her husband also has a right to decide about that. Similarly, a woman’s husband does not have the right over his own body to be the only one to decide about having sexual relations with his wife. Instead, his wife also has a right to decide about that. 5You may refuse to have sexual relations with each other [EUP] only if you both first agree to do that for a short time, in order that you may both have more time to pray. Then after that, begin having sexual relations again [EUP] in order that Satan will not be able to persuade you to have sex with someone else because you are unable to control your sexual desires.

6I am telling you these things to say that God allows you to get married, but he does not say that you must get married. 7I myself wish that all people would stay unmarried/single, as I am. But God has enabled each person to live in ways that seem right for them. He has enabled some people to live without getting married, and he has enabled other people to get married.

It is all right to get married, but it is wrong to get divorced. However, you should not force an unbelieving spouse to keep living with you.

1 Corinthians 7:8-16

8Now I want to say this to you unmarried people and to you whose spouses have died: It would be good for you to remain unmarried as I am. 9But if you cannot control your sexual desires [EUP], you should get married. It is better to be married so that you can satisfy your sexual desires with your spouse than to constantly have a strong desire [EUP] for sexual relations.

10And now I will give a command for believers who are married. This is not a command from me alone; it also comes from the Lord Jesus. You married women must not ◄separate from/divorce► your husbands! 11But if any of you do that, you must remain unmarried, or else you should be reconciled with your husband and live with him again. Similarly, men must not ◄separate from/divorce► their wives.

12Now I say this to the rest of you, to those who became believers after they were married. This is what I am saying, not what the Lord has commanded. If someone has a wife who is not a believer, if she is willing to keep living with him, he must not divorce her. 13Similarly, if a woman has a husband who is not a believer, if he is willing to keep living with her, she must not divorce him. 14I say that because God has set apart every woman’s unbelieving husband for himself because of his wife being a believer, and God has set apart every man’s unbelieving wife for himself because of her husband being a believer. If that were not true, God would consider their children unacceptable. But, the fact is that God does consider them acceptable to him.

15However, if a woman’s husband who is not a believer or a man’s wife who is not a believer wants to leave, let him or her do so. The husband or wife who is a believer should not force the other one to stay. God has chosen us in order that we may live peacefully. 16You women believers should allow your unbelieving spouses to leave you if they want to, because there is no way that you can be sure that God will save your husband if you stay together [RHQ] (OR, perhaps God will save your husband if you stay together.) Similarly, you men who are believers, there is no way that you can be sure that God will save your wives if you stay together [RHQ] (OR, perhaps God will save your wives if you stay together.)

In general, each person should remain in the status that he had before he became a believer.

1 Corinthians 7:17-24

17However, each person should continue in the status that the Lord gave him, the status that he had when the Lord called him to belong to him. That is the rule that I tell people in all the congregations where I speak. 18If a man had already been circumcised [RHQ] when he became a Christian, he should not try to pretend that he is not circumcised. If a man had not been circumcised [RHQ] before he became a Christian, he should not become circumcised. 19You should not try to change your status that way, because it means nothing to God whether someone is circumcised or not. What is important is that we obey what God has commanded. 20Generally, each person should remain in the status that he had when he became a Christian. 21If one of you was a slave when you (sg) became a Christian [RHQ], do not be concerned about it. However, if you get an opportunity to be free, do what you need to do to become free. 22Do not worry about your previously being a slave, because those who were slaves before they became Christians, the Lord has freed them from Satan’s control. Similarly, those who were not slaves before they became Christians, it is as though [MET] they are Christ’s slaves because they must do what he tells them to do [MET]. 23Christ paid a price to buy you when he died for you. So do not act as if you are evil people’s slaves by doing the evil things that they tell you to do. 24My fellow believers, I repeat that in general each believer, being in fellowship with God, should continue in the status that he had before he became a Christian.

It is not sinful to get married, but married people will have a lot of problems.

1 Corinthians 7:25-28

25Now I will answer your question about women who have never married. There is nothing that the Lord has commanded me to write about them, but I am writing this to tell you what I think is best, because the Lord Jesus has mercifully enabled me to say what is reliable. 26There are a lot of distressing events happening now (OR, that will soon happen), so I think that it is better for people to remain in the marital status that they now have. 27If any of you men are married [RHQ], do not try to divorce your wife. If any of you are unmarried [RHQ], do not seek a wife. 28But if any of you men get married, you have not committed a sin by doing that. Likewise, if an unmarried woman gets married, she has not committed a sin by doing that. However, those who get married will have many troubles, so I am urging you to remain unmarried in order that you may not experience such troubles.

We believers should not devote our time to the affairs of this life.

1 Corinthians 7:29-31

29My fellow believers, this is what I mean: There is not much time left before Christ returns. So, from now on those men who are married should devote themselves to serving the Lord as much as they would if they were not married. 30Those who are sad should devote themselves to serving the Lord as much as they would if they were not sad. Those who are rejoicing should devote themselves to serving the Lord as much as they would if they were not joyful. 31Those who are buying things should devote themselves to serving the Lord as much as they would if they did not possess those things. Because this world as it exists now will soon be gone, those who are actively involved in the affairs of this life should not devote all their time to be involved in those things.

It is better to remain unmarried because married people are more concerned about pleasing their spouses than about how to please the Lord.

1 Corinthians 7:32-35

32Another reason why I encourage you to remain unmarried is that I desire that none of you be anxious about the everyday affairs of this life. Unmarried men are able to be primarily concerned about serving the Lord Jesus and trying to please him. 33But married men are often greatly concerned about the affairs of this life. Specifically, they are concerned about pleasing their wives. 34So their thinking is divided. Unmarried women are able to be concerned about serving the Lord. They want to set apart their minds and their bodies for serving the Lord. But married women are often concerned about the affairs of this life. Specifically, they are concerned about how to please their husbands. 35I am telling you this for your own good. I am not saying it in order to restrict you. Instead, I am saying it in order that you may do what is proper and be able to serve the Lord without being distracted {things distracting you}.

It is better for a man to decide that his daughter should remain unmarried than that she should get married, but either decision is all right.

1 Corinthians 7:36-38

36Some of you men have asked about your unmarried daughters. I suggest that if any man thinks that he may be treating his daughter unfairly by keeping her from marrying, and if it is already past the right time for her to get married, and if he thinks that she ought to be married, he should do what he wants to do. He should let her get married. He will not be sinning by doing that. 37But if a man feels absolutely sure that it is better that his daughter not get married, and if nothing is forcing her to get married, and if he is free to do what he decides to do on the matter, if he decides that his daughter should not get married, he is doing what is right in keeping her from marrying. 38So any man who decides that his daughter should get married is doing what is good, but if he decides that she should not get married, he is doing something even better. (OR, 36 Some of you men have asked about the women to whom you are engaged to marry. If any man thinks that he may be treating that woman unfairly by not marrying her, and if it is already past the right time for her to get married, and if he wants to marry her very much, he should do what he wants to do. He should marry her. He will not be sinning by doing that. 37 But if a man feels absolutely sure that it is better for him not to get married, and if nothing is forcing them to get married, if he is free to make his own decision on the matter, if he decides not to get married, he is doing what is right. 38 So any man who decides that he should get married to the woman he is engaged to is doing what is good, but if he decides that he should not get married, he is doing something even better.)

Women whose husbands have died are free to get remarried, but only to believers. However, they will probably be happier if they do not marry again.

1 Corinthians 7:39-40

39Women must remain married to their husbands while their husbands are still alive. But if a woman’s husband dies, she is free to marry any unmarried man whom she wants to marry, but he must belong to the Lord. 40However, I think that she will be happier if she does not marry again. And I believe that the Spirit of God is directing me as I say that.

8

We should not be proud about knowing the truth about idols.

1 Corinthians 8:1-3

1Now I will answer what you asked about us believers eating meat that has been sacrificed to idols. We know what some of you say, that God has enabled all of us to know the truth about things such as idols. But often we become proud because we say that we know all those things. But instead of being proud about what we know, we should show that we love our fellow believers by helping them to become spiritually mature. 2Those who think that they thoroughly know something do not yet know it as they should. 3But as for those who love God, they know that they belong to him.

There are many idols that people think are gods, but there is only one true God.

1 Corinthians 8:4-6

4So I will tell you about eating meat that people have sacrificed to idols. We know that it is true, as you say, that idols are not really alive. We also know that there is only one real God. 5It is true that there are gods whom people think live in the heavens or whom they think live on earth. Truly, there are many beings that people call gods, and whom they call lords. 6But for us believers there is only one real God. He is our heavenly Father who created everything. He is the one whom we worship and serve. Also, for us believers Jesus Christ is the one and only Lord. He is the one whom God caused to create everything. It is because of what he has done for us on the cross that we have spiritual life.

Do not eat meat offered to idols if that would encourage other believers to eat that food contrary to their conscience.

1 Corinthians 8:7-13

7Nevertheless, some people do not understand that idols are not really alive. In the past, some among you who are believers now were accustomed to believing that idols were really alive. As a result, when they eat such meat now, they still think that it was sacrificed to an idol that is alive. They are not sure that God allows believers to eat meat that has been offered to idols. So, when they eat such meat, they think that they have sinned. 8But God will not think more highly about us if we eat certain foods, or if we do not eat certain foods. That is, we are not more acceptable to God if we do not eat certain foods, nor are we more acceptable to him if we eat those foods. 9However, be sure that you do not do anything that God allows you to do, if by doing that you would encourage any of your fellow believers to do something that they are not sure God allows them to do. As a result, you would be causing them to sin. 10For example, you know that idols are not really alive. Suppose that in a temple where they worship idols you eat food that has been sacrificed to idols. Suppose that someone who is not sure whether God allows us to eat that food sees you eating it. You would be encouraging him to eat it, too. [RHQ] 11As a result, you who know that idols are not really alive, might cause that fellow believer, one for whom Christ died, ◄to be ruined spiritually/to stop believing in Christ►. 12By sinning against your fellow believer by causing him to do something that he thinks God does not allow us to do, it is as though you are sinning against Christ himself! 13So if I, Paul, think that by eating a certain food I might cause a fellow believer to be ruined spiritually, I will never eat such food again. I do not want to cause any fellow believer ◄to be ruined spiritually/to stop believing in Christ►. And you should ◄do as I do/imitate my example►.

9

As your apostle I am free to do anything that God allows me to do.

1 Corinthians 9:1-2

1I am certainly free to do all the things that God allows me to do. [RHQ] I am an apostle. [RHQ] You certainly know that I have seen Jesus our Lord. [RHQ] It is a result of my work that you have believed in the Lord Jesus. [RHQ] 2And even though other people may think that I am not an apostle, you certainly should know that I am an apostle. Remember that your having become Christians [MET] as a result of my telling you about the Lord ◄confirms/shows that it is true► that I am an apostle.

Barnabas and I have the same right to receive financial support that the other apostles have.

1 Corinthians 9:3-7

3In order to defend myself, this is what I say to those who criticize me by claiming that I do not act like an apostle. 4As for Barnabas and me, we certainly have the right as apostles to receive from you and other congregations food and drink for our work. [RHQ] 5We have the same right that the other apostles and the Lord Jesus’ younger brothers and especially Peter have. They all take along a wife who is a believer when they travel various places in order to tell people about Christ. And they have a right that the people whom they work among will support their wives, too. So Barnabas and I certainly have those same rights. [RHQ] 6It would be ridiculous to think that Barnabas and I are the only apostles who must work to earn money to pay our expenses while we are doing God’s work! [RHQ] 7Soldiers certainly do not pay their own wages. [RHQ] Those who plant a vineyard would certainly eat some of the grapes when they become ripe. [RHQ] Those who care for sheep would certainly drink the milk from those sheep.[RHQ] Similarly, those who tell others about Christ certainly have a right to receive ◄financial help/food► from the people to whom they preach.

God’s servants have always had the right to receive financial help from others, but we have not insisted on that right because we want to preach the gospel without charge.

1 Corinthians 9:8-18

8I am saying that, not only because people think that it is right. [RHQ] No, I am [RHQ] saying it because it is what God said in the laws that he gave to Moses. 9Moses wrote in one of those laws, “While an ox is threshing grain, you must not tie its mouth shut so that it cannot eat the grain.” ◄God was not only concerned about oxen when he gave that law./Was God only concerned about oxen when he gave that law?► [RHQ] 10No, he was [RHQ] concerned about us, also! Yes, God caused Moses to write those words because he is concerned about us! Those who plow the ground confidently expect to eat some of the crop that grows. Those who thresh grain confidently expect to eat some of the grain that they thresh. Similarly, we who proclaim the message about Christ have the right to confidently expect to receive financial help for our work. 11And because we have proclaimed God’s message to you, we certainly have the right to receive from you the things that we need for our bodies [MET]! [MET, RHQ] 12Since other people who preached to you had that right, certainly Barnabas and I have the same right.[RHQ]

However, neither of us insisted that you give us the things that we have a right to receive from you. Instead, we were willing to endure anything in order that we not hinder anyone from believing the message about Christ. 13You should keep in mind that the priests and servants in the Temple eat some of the food that people bring to the Temple.[RHQ] Specifically, the priests who work at the altar eat some of the food that the people bring to sacrifice on the altar. 14So the Lord has commanded that those who proclaim the good message about him should receive from those who hear that message what they need to live on.

15However, I have not requested that you give me those things that I have a right to receive from you. Furthermore, I am writing this to you, not in order to request you to begin giving me financial help now. I would rather die than to receive help from you. I do not want anyone to prevent me from boasting about my proclaiming God’s message to you without receiving financial help from you. 16When I proclaim the message about Christ, I cannot boast about doing it, because Christ has commanded me to do it. I would be very miserable (OR, I am afraid that God would punish me) if I did not proclaim that message. 17If I had decided by myself to proclaim it, God would reward me. But I did not decide by myself to do that. I am simply doing the work that God entrusted to me. 18So perhaps you wonder what my reward is. [RHQ] I will tell you. When I proclaim the good message about Christ, I do not ask people for financial help. It makes me very happy not to ask for help, and being happy is the reward I get. I do not want to use the rights that I have when I proclaim the gospel.

I have adopted the code of conduct of whatever group I have been among, in order to bring more people to Christ.

1 Corinthians 9:19-27

19I am not obligated to do what anyone else thinks that I should do. Nevertheless, when I have been with any group of people, I have made myself do what they believed that I should do, just like a slave does what his master wants him to do. I have done that in order that I might convince more people to trust in Christ. 20Specifically, when I was with fellow Jews, I did the things that Jews think that people should do. I did that in order that I might convince some of them to trust in Christ. Although I am now not obligated to obey the Jewish laws and rituals, when I was with those who believe that they are obligated to obey those laws, I did the things that they think that people should do. I did that in order to convince some of them to trust in Christ. 21When I was with ◄non-Jews/those who do not know those laws►, I did the things that non-Jews think that people should do, in order that I might convince some of them to trust in Christ. I do not mean that I disobey God’s laws. No, I obey the things that Christ commanded us to do. 22When I was with those who doubt whether God will permit them to do certain things that others ◄disapprove of/think it is not right to do►, I avoided doing those things, in order that I might convince some of them to trust in Christ. In summary, I have done all the things that the people I have been with think that others should do, in order that by every possible means I might convince some of them to trust in Christ. 23I do all these things in order that more people will believe the message about Christ, and in order that I, along with other believers, may receive the good things that God promises to give us.

24When people run in a race, they all run, but only one of them wins the race and as a result gets a prize. You certainly know that [RHQ]. So, just like runners exert themselves fully to win a race [MET], you should exert yourselves fully to do the things that God wants you to do, in order that you may receive the reward that God wants to give you. 25All athletes exercise their bodies strenuously in many ways. They do that in order to receive a wreath as a reward to wear on their heads. Those wreaths fade, but we will receive a reward that will last forever [LIT]. 26For that reason, I try hard to please God [MET], like a runner who runs toward the goal [LIT]. I try hard to accomplish what God wants me to accomplish, like a boxer tries hard to hit his opponent, not to miss hitting him. 27I beat my body to make it do what I want it to do [MET], as slaves obey their masters, in order that, after I have proclaimed God’s message to others, he will not say that I do not deserve to receive a reward.

10

Our Jewish ancestors all experienced God’s power, but almost all of them died in the desert because they sinned against him.

1 Corinthians 10:1-5

1My fellow believers, I want to remind you about our(exc) Jewish ancestors. They were all under the cloud by which God miraculously led them and protected them when they left Egypt with Moses. All those ancestors crossed the Red Sea after God miraculously made the water separate so that they could walk through it. 2God caused all of them to begin to live under the authority of [MTY] Moses when they walked under that cloud and walked through the Red Sea. 3All those ancestors of ours ate the same food that God miraculously provided. 4They all drank water that God miraculously provided. That is, they all drank water that God miraculously made come out of the rock. That rock was a symbol of [MET] Christ, who went with them. So we conclude that God helped all of those people in many ways. 5However, we also conclude that God was angry [LIT] with most of those people because they sinned against him. He caused almost all of them to die, and as a result their bodies were scattered in the desert.

What happened to our Jewish ancestors was a warning of what will happen to us if we give in to temptation.

1 Corinthians 10:6-13

6Those things that happened long ago became examples to teach us the following things: We should not desire to do evil things as those people desired to do. 7We should not worship idols as many of those people did. Remember that Moses wrote, “The people sat down. They ate and drank to honor the golden calf that they had just made. Then they got up to dance immorally.” 8We should not have sexual relations with someone to whom we are not married, as many of them did. As a result, God punished them by causing 23,000 people to die in only one day. 9We should not try to see how much we can sin without the Lord punishing us. Some of them did that, and as a result they died because poisonous snakes bit them. 10We should not complain about what God does. Some of them did that, and as a result an angel destroyed them. So God will certainly punish us if we sin like they did.

11All those things that happened to our ancestors long ago are examples for us. Moses wrote those things to warn us who are living at this time which is near the end. We are the people for whom God has done the things that he decided to do in the previous periods of time. 12So I say this to all those who confidently think that they will always steadfastly continue to believe what God said and will never disobey what he commanded: Be careful that you (sg) do not sin when you are tempted. 13Remember that your desires to sin are the same desires that other people have. But when you are tempted to sin, you can trust God to help you. He will not permit you to be tempted {anything to tempt you} more than you are able to resist. Instead, when you are tempted {things tempt you}, he will also provide a way for you to endure it without sinning.

God will punish us if we participate in demon worship by eating food sacrificed to demons when we eat the Lord’s Supper.

1 Corinthians 10:14-22

14So, I say to you people whom I love, avoid worshipping idols just like you would run away from anything that is dangerous. 15It is to people who think that they are wise that I write. So, you, as wise people, judge whether what I am writing is true. 16During the Lord’s Supper, after we ask God to bless ◄the wine/the juice► in the cup, we give thanks for it and drink it. By doing that, we certainly are [RHQ] sharing in what Christ did for us when his blood flowed from his body when he died. During the Lord’s Supper, when we break the bread and eat it, we are certainly sharing in [MTY] what Christ did for us when his body suffered for us on the cross. [RHQ] 17Because it is one loaf of bread that we break and eat during the Lord’s Supper, it symbolizes that we who are many are one group, because we all eat from the one loaf.

18Consider what happens when the Israeli people eat the food that the priests sacrifice on the altar outside the Temple. They participate in what the priests do at [MTY] the altar. [RHQ] Similarly, if you eat food that non-believers have offered to an idol in a temple, you are participating in their worship of the idol there. 19By saying that, I do not mean that offering food to an idol makes it anything more than just ordinary food [RHQ]. I do not mean that an idol is anything more than just an idol. 20No! Instead, I mean that what people sacrifice to idols, they are sacrificing to demons, not to God. So, if you eat food that has been sacrificed to idols, you are participating in worshipping the demons that the idols represent. And I do not want you to participate in worshipping demons! 21When you drink the grape juice/wine in [MTY] the cup at the Lord’s Supper, you cannot participate in the blessings that the Lord Jesus brought to us and at the same time drink the wine in the [MTY] cup that people offer to demons! When you eat at the Lord’s table, you cannot participate in the blessings the Lord provided [MTY] when he died for us and at the same time participate in the things that represent demons by eating food that has been sacrificed to idols22If you participate in honoring demons in that way, you will certainly make the Lord very angry [RHQ]! ◄Remember that you are certainly not stronger than he is./Do you think that you are stronger than he is?► [RHQ] Certainly not, so you will not escape his punishing you if you honor demons in that way!

It is all right to eat food offered to idols, but we should not do so if it would offend those who think that it is wrong.

1 Corinthians 10:23—11:1

23Some people say, “God permits believers to do anything.” But I say that not everything that people do benefits those who do it! Yes, some people say, “God permits believers to do all things.” But not everything that people do helps them to become spiritually mature. 24No one should try to benefit only himself. Instead, each person should try to benefit other people spiritually. 25This is what you should do: Eat any food that is sold {that people sell} in the market. Do not ask questions to find out if that food has been offered {someone offered that food} to idols, just because you think it would be wrong to eat such food. 26Remember that the Psalmist wrote, “Everything on the earth belongs to the Lord God because he created it!” So, food that has been offered to idols belongs to the Lord, not to the idols, and you may eat it. 27If a non-believer invites you to a meal, go if you want to, and eat any food that is set {that he sets} before you. Do not ask whether it was offered to idols, just because you think that it would be wrong to eat such food. 28But if someone says to you, “This is food that was sacrificed to an idol,” do not eat it, for the sake of the person who told that to you, and also because someone there may think that it is wrong to eat such food. 29I do not mean that you should be concerned about whether it is all right to eat such food. What I mean is that you should be concerned about others who may think that it is wrong to eat such food. Since I know that I ◄am free/have the right► to eat such food without God punishing me, no one should [RHQ] say that what I am doing is wrong just because he himself thinks that it is wrong. 30If I thank God for the food when I eat food that has been offered to an idol, no one should criticize me for eating food for which I have thanked God [RHQ]!

31So I say to you in conclusion, when you eat food, or drink something, or do anything else, do everything in order that people will praise God. 32Do not do anything that would hinder Jews or Greeks from becoming believers, and do not do things that would encourage members of God’s congregations to sin. 33Do as I do. I try to please everyone in every way. I do this by not seeking to benefit myself. Instead, I try to benefit many others, in order that they may be saved {that God may save them} from the guilt of their sins.

11

1Follow my example, just like I try to follow Christ’s example.

Women should wear a hair covering while praying or prophesying in a service, but men should not do so.

1 Corinthians 11:2-16

2I praise you because you remember all the things that I taught you and because you follow the instructions that I gave you. You have done just like I told you to do. 3Now, I want you to know that the one who has authority over [MTY] every man is Christ, and the ones who have authority over women are men (OR, their husbands), and the one who has authority over Christ is God. 4So if any man wears a covering over his head when he prays or speaks a message God gave him, he disgraces himself [SYN]. 5Also, if any woman does not wear a covering over her head when she prays or speaks a message that God gave her, she disgraces herself (OR, she dishonors her husband). That would be acting like [SIM] women who are ashamed because their heads have been shaved. 6So, if women do not wear coverings over their heads when they pray or speak messages that God gave them, they should let someone shave their heads so that they will be ashamed. But since women are ashamed if someone cuts their hair short or shaves off their hair, they should wear coverings over their heads when they pray or speak messages that God gave them. 7Men should not wear coverings over their heads when they pray or speak messages that God gave them, because they represent what God is like [MET] and they show how great God is. But women show how great men (OR, their husbands) are. 8Remember that God intends that men have authority over women. We know that because God did not make the first man, Adam, from the first woman, Eve. Instead, he made that woman from a bone that he took from the man. 9Also, God did not create the first man to help the woman. Instead, he created the woman to help the man. 10For that reason, women should wear something to cover their heads as a symbol of their being under their husbands’ [MTY] authority. They should also cover their heads so that the angels will see that and rejoice.

11-12However, remember that even though God created the first woman from the first man, all other men have been born from women. So men cannot be independent of women, nor can women be independent of men. But all things, including men and women, come from God. 13Consider this for yourselves: Is it proper for [RHQ] women to pray to God while they do not have coverings over their heads? 14◄Everyone senses that it is disgraceful for men to have long hair./Doesn’t everyone sense that it is disgraceful for men to have long hair?► [RHQ] 15But it is very delightful if women have long hair, because God gave them long hair to be like a beautiful covering for their heads. 16But whoever wants to argue with me about my saying that women should have a covering over their heads when they pray or speak a message from God should consider the fact that we apostles do not permit any other custom, and the other congregations of God do not have any other custom.

When you gather to eat the Lord’s Supper, you act selfishly. I cannot praise you for that.

1 Corinthians 11:17-22

17Now I want to tell you about some other things. I do not praise you about them, because whenever you believers meet together, good things do not happen. Instead, bad things happen. 18First of all, people have told me that when you gather together as a group to worship God, you divide into groups that are hostile to each other. To some extent I believe that is true. 19It seems that you must divide into groups that despise each other in order that it might be clear/evident which people among you God approves of! 20When you gather together, you [IRO] eat the meal that you say is to remember the death of the Lord Jesus for us. 21But what happens when you eat is that each person eats his own meal before he thinks about sharing his food with anyone else. As a result, when the meal is over, some people are still hungry and others are drunk! So it is not a meal that honors the Lord. 22◄You act as though you do not have your own houses in which you can eat and drink whatever you want to!/Do you not have your own houses in which you can eat and drink whatever you want to?► [RHQ] Do you not realize [RHQ] that by acting selfishly in this way, it is God’s people whom you are despising, and it is the poor people in your group whom you are treating as though they were not important? What shall I say to you about that [RHQ]? Do you expect me to praise you about what you do [RHQ]? I certainly will not praise you!

The Lord gave us instructions about the significance of the Lord’s Supper.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

23The Lord taught me these things that I also taught you: During the night that Jesus was betrayed {Judas enabled the enemies of the Lord Jesus to seize him}, he took some bread. 24After he thanked God for it, he broke it into pieces. Then he gave it to his disciples and said, “This bread represents [MET] (OR, is) my body, that I am about to sacrifice for you. Eat bread in this way again and again to remember my offering myself as a sacrifice for you.” 25Similarly, after they ate their meal, he took a cup [MTY] of wine. He thanked God for it. Then he gave it to his disciples, saying, “The wine in [MTY] this cup represents [MET] (OR, is) my blood that will flow from my body ◄to put into effect/to establish► the new agreement that God is making with people. Whenever you drink wine in this way, do it to remember that my blood flowed for you.” 26Remember that until the Lord Jesus returns to the earth, whenever you eat the bread that represents his body and drink the wine [MTY] that represents his blood, you are telling other people that he died for you.

God punishes those who eat the Lord’s Supper in a way that does not express the unity of his people.

1 Corinthians 11:27-34

27So, those who eat that bread and drink that wine [MTY] in a way that is not proper for those who belong to the Lord are guilty of acting in a way that is contrary to what our Lord intended when he offered his body as a sacrifice and his blood flowed when he died. 28Before any believer eats that bread and drinks that wine [MTY], he should think carefully about what he is doing, 29because if anyone eats the bread that represents Christ’s body and drinks the wine that represents his blood without recognizing that all God’s people should be united, God will punish him for doing that. 30Many people in your group are weak and sick, and several have died [EUP] because of the way they acted when they ate that bread and drank that wine. 31If we would think carefully about what we are doing, God would not judge and punish us like that. 32But when the Lord judges and punishes us for acting wrongly, he disciplines us to correct us, in order that he will not need to punish us when he punishes the people who do not trust in Christ [MTY].

33So, my fellow believers, when you gather together to eat food to remember the Lord’s dying for you, wait until everyone has arrived so that you can find out who does not have enough food. 34Those who are so hungry that they cannot wait to eat until everyone else has arrived should eat in their own homes first, in order that when you gather together God will not judge and punish them for ◄being inconsiderate of/not being concerned about► others.

And when I come to Corinth I will give you instructions about other matters concerning the Lord’s Supper.

12

It is only God’s Spirit who enables people to say that Jesus is Lord.

1 Corinthians 12:1-3

1Now, my fellow believers, I will answer your questions about the things God’s Spirit enables believers to do. I want you to know clearly [LIT] about these things. 2You know that before you became Christians, various things led you to worship idols, which are unable to tell you any of God’s message. 3So the first thing that I will tell you now is that it is not the Spirit of God who would cause anyone to say, “Jesus deserved to die,” and that the Holy Spirit is the only one who can enable anyone to say, “Jesus is truly the Lord.”

God’s Spirit gives believers special abilities as he desires.

1 Corinthians 12:4-11

4There are various things that God’s Spirit enables various believers to do, but it is that same Spirit who enables us to do them. 5There are many different ways to serve the Lord, but it is the same Lord whom we all are serving. 6We believers have the power to do various tasks, but it is the same God who gives all of us the power to do these things.

7God’s Spirit gives his power to each believer in order to benefit all the other believers. 8To some, the Spirit gives the ability to speak very wise messages. To others, the same Spirit gives the ability to know things that he reveals to them. 9To others, the same Spirit gives the ability to believe that God will work miracles. To others, the Spirit gives the ability to heal sick people. 10To others, he gives the power to perform miracles. To others, he gives the ability to speak messages that come directly from God. To others, he gives the ability to tell if a message is really from God or not. To others he gives the ability to speak messages in languages [MTY] that they have not learned. To others, he gives the ability to tell the meaning of those messages [MTY]. 11It is the same Spirit who gives all these abilities. He gives whatever abilities he wants to give, to whatever person he wants to give them.

A congregation needs all the abilities that God’s Spirit gives to its members, but you should especially desire the ones that help others the most.

1 Corinthians 12:12-31

12Although a person’s body has many parts, all the parts form just one body [DOU]. It is like that with those who belong to Christ. 13When we were baptized {When people baptized us}, the one Holy Spirit caused us to become one group of believers. It does not matter whether we are Jews or non-Jews. It does not matter whether we are slaves or not slaves. When we believed in Christ, the one Spirit came to live [MET] within all of us.

14Our bodies do not have only one part. They have many parts with various functions. 15If our foot could talk and say to us, “Because I am not your hand, I am not a part of your body,” it would still be a part of our body. 16If our ear could talk and say, “Because I am not your eye, I am not a part of your body,” it would still be a part of our body. 17If our body were only an eye, ◄we would not be able to hear./how could we hear?► [RHQ] If our body were only an ear, ◄we would not be able to smell anything!/how could we smell anything?► [RHQ] 18But the truth is that God has put all the parts of our bodies together exactly as he wanted to put them. 19If our body had only one part, it would not be a body. [RHQ] 20But the truth is that there are many parts in our body, but it is still only one body. 21That is why if our eye could talk, it should never say to our hand, “I do not need you!” And if our head could talk, it should not say to our feet, “I do not need you!” 22Instead, the parts of our body that seem to be weaker are the ones that are absolutely necessary. 23And the parts that we do not think highly of are the parts that we clothe carefully. And we protect carefully those parts that we do not show to people. 24The parts that are all right to show people, we do not need to protect. Instead, God, who has put all the parts of our bodies together, causes us to care for in a special way the parts that we think are less important. 25He does that in order that all the parts of our body will work together harmoniously [LIT], and so that all the parts will care for all the other parts equally. 26If one part of our body hurts, it is as though all the parts of our body are hurting. If we pay special attention to one part of our body, it is as though all the parts of our body feel pleasure [MET].

27Everything I have just said about how the parts of our bodies relate to each other applies to how all of you who belong to Christ should relate to each other. Each of you belongs to him, but you have not all been given the same abilities and work. 28God has placed apostles in our congregations. Apostles are first in rank. Next in rank are those who speak messages which come directly from God. Next in rank are those who teach spiritual truth. Then there are those who have the power to work miracles, those who have the ability to heal sick people, those who have the ability to help others, those who have the ability to govern the affairs of the congregation, and those who have the ability to speak messages in languages [MTY] that they have not learned. 29Certainly not all believers are apostles. [RHQ] They all do not have the ability to speak messages that come directly from God. [RHQ] They do not all have the ability to teach spiritual truth. [RHQ] They do not all have the power to work miracles. [RHQ] 30They do not all have the ability to heal people. [RHQ] They do not all have the ability to speak messages in languages [MTY] they have not learned. [RHQ] They do not all have the ability to tell others the meaning of those messages. [RHQ] Certainly not!31But you should eagerly desire to have the abilities that will help other believers the most (OR, the abilities that God considers to be the most important). But now I will tell you the best way to use the abilities that God’s Spirit has given you.

13

We should use the abilities that God’s Spirit has given us in ways that show that we love others.

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

1Supposing we could speak all the various languages [MTY] that people in the world speak and even speak the language that angels speak. If we did not love others, speaking those languages would be as useless as beating a brass gong or clanging cymbals together. 2Supposing we had the ability to speak messages that come directly from God, and we could understand the plans that he has not yet revealed to others, and we could know everything about everything, and we believed in God so strongly that we could do impossible things like causing mountains to move. If we did not love others, God would consider all that to be worthless. 3And supposing we would give everything that we own to poor people, and would let others kill us in order that we could boast about sacrificing our own bodies. If we did not love others, we would not get any reward from God.

4Those who [PRS] truly love others act patiently and kindly toward them. Those who [PRS] truly love others are not jealous of them, they do not boast about what they themselves have done, and are not proud. 5Those who [PRS] truly love others do not act in disgraceful/disrespectful ways towards them. They do not ◄act selfishly/think only of themselves and what they want►. They do not quickly become angry. They do not keep remembering the bad things that others have done to them. 6Those who [PRS] truly love others do not rejoice when people do evil things, but they do rejoice when people act righteously. 7Those who truly love others patiently put up with the faults of others. They do not quickly assume that others have done something bad. They confidently expect that others will act righteously. They patiently endure all their own troubles.

8We should never [PRS] let anything stop us from continuing to love others. As for the ability to speak messages that come directly from God, some day that will come to an end. As for the ability to speak languages [MTY] that we have not learned, that will also come to an end some day. And as for the ability to know things that God reveals to us, that will come to an end some day because it will not be necessary anymore. 9God does not reveal everything to us, and we cannot know everything that he knows. 10But when everything is perfect after Christ returns, things which are not perfect now, such as the abilities which God’s Spirit gives us, will ◄disappear/come to an end►. 11When we were children, we talked like children talk, we thought like children think, we reasoned like children reason. But when we grew up, we got rid of our childish ways [MET]. Similarly, you need to get rid of your childish thinking about the abilities that the Spirit has given you. 12In this life we do not understand everything fully. It is like [MET] looking at something indirectly by seeing it in a mirror. But when we get to heaven [MTY], we will understand everything clearly. It will be like talking to someone face-to-face. Now we know only part of everything that God wants us to know. Then we will know everything completely, just like God knows us completely. 13So now there are three things that we must continue to do: To trust in God, to confidently expect to receive what he will give us, and to love others. But the greatest of those three things is loving others.

14

Speaking messages that come directly from God will help believers much more than speaking messages in unknown languages.

1 Corinthians 14:1-25

1You must want to love others more than you want anything else. But you should also eagerly desire the abilities that God’s Spirit gives to believers. And you should desire most of all to have the ability to speak messages that come directly from God [MTY]. 2-3I say that because those who speak messages that come directly from God are speaking in languages that they and the other believers in the congregation know, and so they are able to strengthen them spiritually and to encourage and comfort them. But those who speak in languages [MTY] that they have not learned are not speaking to people. Instead, they are only speaking to God. No one understands them. By the power/guidance of God’s Spirit (OR, From within their own spirit) they speak things that others do not know. 4Those who speak in languages that they have not learned are receiving a blessing for themselves, but those who speak messages that come directly from God are giving a blessing to all the believers in the congregation because they are speaking in a language that the congregation knows.

5I would like you all to have the ability to speak in languages [MTY] you have not learned. But I would like even more for you to have the ability to speak messages that come directly from God. People can speak messages in a language that they have not learned, but if there is no one there who can explain the meaning, that situation is not as helpful to the congregation as speaking messages that come directly from God in the language that the congregation knows.

6My fellow believers, suppose I came and spoke to you in a language that none of you knows and I did not explain the meaning of what I told you. Even if I told you something that God had revealed to me, or told you some message that had come directly from him, or taught you something that you needed to know, ◄that certainly would not help you!/how would that help you?► [RHQ] 7It is like lifeless musical instruments, like flutes and harps for example. When they are played, if the notes are not played {if those playing those instruments do not play the notes} clearly, no one will know what tune is being played {what tune they are playing}. [RHQ] 8If someone playing the trumpet wants to signal that the soldiers should prepare to fight a battle, the soldiers certainly will not get ready if the call to battle is not played {he does not play the call to battle} clearly. [RHQ] 9It is the same with you! If you do not speak words that other people can understand, ◄no one will know what you are saying./how will anyone know what you are saying?► [RHQ] It will be as though you are just speaking to the air! 10There are many different languages in the world, and all of them convey meaning [LIT] to the people who know those languages. 11But if we do not understand the language that others are speaking, it will be as though they are foreigners to us, and we will be foreigners to them. 12So I say this to you: Because you are eager to have the abilities that God’s Spirit gives, earnestly desire those abilities that will do the most to help all the believers in the congregation.

13So, those who have the ability to speak in languages [MTY] that they have not learned should pray that God will give them the ability to explain the meaning of what they say. 14If they pray in a language [MTY] that they have not learned, their spirits are praying, but they are not using their minds. 15So I will tell you [RHQ] what we should do. At times we may pray, using only our spirits, in languages we have not learned. And at other times we should pray using our minds, thinking about the words that we are praying. Similarly, at times we may sing using only our spirits, using languages that we have not learned, and at other times we should sing using our minds, thinking about the words that we are singing. 16Suppose that any one of you praises God (OR, thanks God for what he has done), using only your (sg) spirit and not using your mind. Maybe some people will be present who do not know about the abilities that God’s Spirit gives to believers. Because they do not know what you are saying, after you thank God, they will not [RHQ] know when to say “Amen!/I agree!” 17You may be thanking God very well, but you are not helping them. 18I thank God that I speak in languages [MTY] that I have not learned more than any of you do. 19But during a worship service, in order that others will understand what I am saying, I would prefer to speak five words using my mind, in order that I may teach others, rather than to speak 10,000 words in a language [MTY] that is not understood by the congregation.

20My fellow believers, stop being like little children in the way that you think about these abilities that God’s Spirit gives. Instead, think about them in a mature way. If you really want to be like little children, do as few wicked things as babies do! 21When the Jews long ago refused to obey God, he warned them about what would happen when he allowed their enemies to punish them. In the Scriptures it is written {the prophet Isaiah wrote} what the Lord God said about that,

They didn’t listen to prophets speaking their own language, so I will send people from foreign lands to attack my people.

Those foreigners will speak languages that my people do not know [DOU].

In that way, I will warn my people,

but they will still not pay attention to what I say.

22If we speak in languages [MTY] that we have not learned, unbelievers who are there will realize that the Spirit of God is truly among us. That will warn them that they need to fear God. But believers do not need such a warning. 23Suppose during the worship service everyone started to speak in languages [MTY] that they have not learned. If unbelievers or people who do not know about the abilities that God’s Spirit gives to believers come in and hear that, they will surely think that you are crazy. [RHQ] 24But if an unbeliever or someone who does not know about those abilities comes in while all of you believers are one by one speaking messages that come directly from God, everything that you say will show that person that he is a sinner and that God will punish him if he does not turn from his sinful behavior. 25He will realize that God knows the evil things that he has done that, things that other people do not know. Then he will kneel down and worship God and say, “God is truly among you!”

Believers should all be prepared to participate in an orderly way during worship services.

1 Corinthians 14:26-40

26So, my fellow believers, I will tell you [RHQ] what I think that you should be doing. When you come together to worship God, some of you may have a hymn to sing. Others may have something to teach the congregation. Others may have something to say that God has revealed to them. Others may give messages in languages that they have not learned. Others will explain the meaning of those messages. Make sure that all of these things that you do will make the congregation become more mature spiritually. 27It is all right if two people, or at the most three people, speak in languages [MTY] that they have not learned. But they must speak one at a time, and someone must explain the meaning of what the others have said. 28If those who want to speak in a language that they have not learned realize that there is no one there who will be able to explain the meaning of what they will say, they should not speak in that language during the meeting. Instead, they should speak to God by themselves, somewhere else.

29During a meeting, two or three people should speak messages that come directly from God, and others who are there should think carefully about what those people have said. 30If someone receives a new message directly from God while someone else is speaking, the one who is speaking should stop speaking and let the other person tell what God has revealed to him. 31You can all, one by one, speak messages that have come directly from God, in order that you can teach others and all be encouraged {encourage everyone}. 32Those who speak messages that come directly from God are in control of their own spirits, so they can wait for their turn to speak. 33Remember that God does not desire that things be done in a disorderly way during your worship services. Instead, he desires that everything be done in an orderly way.

Just like it happens in all the other congregations of believers, 34the women should not be permitted {do not permit the women} to interrupt the meeting by asking questions. They must keep quiet. They must be subject to their husbands. What Moses wrote [PRS] about how God created the first two people suggests that the women should do that. 35If they want to know more about something that a speaker said, they should ask their husbands when they get home, for it is disgraceful for women to interrupt a service by asking such questions. 36If you do not agree with these things that I have been telling you, remember that [RHQ] the message from God did not first come from you people in Corinth. Also, you are not [RHQ] the only ones who have heard it! Many others have heard it and accepted it, so you should not act as though you are the only believers who have heard the message from God. 37Those of you who think that you have the ability to speak messages that come directly from God, or think that you have some other ability that God’s Spirit gives, should realize that the things that I have written about in this letter are things that the Lord has commanded. 38But if they are not willing to accept my authority, God will not accept them (OR, they will not be accepted by the congregation).

39So, my fellow believers, be eager to speak messages that come directly from God, and do not prevent anyone from speaking in a language that he has not learned. 40But make sure that everything that you do during the worship services is done in a proper and orderly way.

15

I was not worthy to become an apostle, but the Lord Jesus committed to me the message about his death and resurrection.

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

1Now, my fellow believers, I want to remind you about the message about Christ that I preached to you. It is the message that you received and that you have continued to trust firmly. 2If you keep on firmly believing this message that I preached to you, you will be saved {God will save you}. If you do not continue to believe it, your believing in Christ was ◄all for nothing/useless►!

3The most important part of the message that I received from the Lord Jesus, and that I told you, was this: Christ died to take away the guilt of our sins, as the Scriptures said that he would do. 4His dead body was buried {They buried his body}. On the third day after that, God caused him to become alive again, as the Scriptures said would happen. 5After that, Christ was seen by {appeared to} Peter. Then he appeared to eleven of the original twelve apostles. 6Later he was seen by {appeared to} more than 500 of our fellow believers. Most of those are still living, but some of them have died [EUP]. 7Then he was seen by {appeared to} his younger brother James, who became the leader of the congregation in Jerusalem. Then he appeared to all of the apostles. 8Finally, he was seen by {appeared to} me, but I became an apostle in a way that was very unusual [MET]. 9The fact is, I consider that I am the least important of the apostles. I do not deserve to be an apostle, because I ◄persecuted God’s groups of believers/caused God’s groups of believers to suffer► everywhere I went. 10But it is because God acted kindly toward me in ways that I did not deserve that I became what I am now. And his acting kindly toward me produced a great result [LIT], which is that I worked harder for Christ than all the other apostles. But it was not that I was working with my own ability. Instead, God was helping me in a way I did not deserve. 11So it does not matter whether it was I who was preaching or whether it was the other apostles who were preaching. We all preached the same message, and that message is what you believed.

Christ has truly come back to life, and he will some day raise all believers.

1 Corinthians 15:12-34

12So now let me ask you this: Since we have all preached to you that Christ was raised again {that God caused Christ to become alive} after he died, ◄no one among you should be saying that God will not cause believers to become alive again after they die!/why do some of you say that God will not cause believers to become alive again after they die?► [RHQ] 13If it is true that God will not cause anyone to become alive again, that situation would mean that Christ was not raised from the dead {he did not cause Christ to become alive again}! 14And if Christ was not raised from the dead {if God did not cause Christ to become alive again}, then what we preached to you was useless, and your believing in Christ is useless. 15If it is true that no one will be raised from the dead {that God will not cause anyone to become alive again after he dies}, we (exc) have been guilty of lying to you about God, because we told you that God caused Christ to become alive again. 16But if it were really true that no one who has died will be raised {that God will not cause anyone who has died to become alive} again, then Christ was not raised {he did not cause Christ to become alive} again either! 17If it were true that Christ was not raised {that God did not cause Christ to become alive} again after he died, you have believed in Christ for nothing, because God will still punish you for [MTY] your sins. 18And those people who died [EUP] while they were trusting in Christ will go to hell. 19In this life many of us have suffered much for Christ because we confidently expect that he will reward us in heaven. If we have confidently expected this in vain, people should pity us more than they pity anyone else!

20But the truth is that Christ has been raised from the dead {that God has caused Christ to live again after he had died}, and ◄that guarantees/because of that, it is certain► [MET] that he will also cause those believers who have died [EUP] to become alive again. 21What one man, Adam, did affects us all. We all die. Similarly, what one man— Christ —did affects us(inc) all: God will cause all believers to become alive again. 22Because of what Adam did, all of us who are descended from him die. Similarly, because of what Christ did, all of us who have a close relationship with him will be brought back to life {God will make alive all of us who have a close relationship with Christ}. 23But we must all take our turn. God raised Christ first [MET]. And when Christ returns, God will cause those who belong to Christ to become alive again. 24Then, after Christ has destroyed all [DOU] the evil powers that oppose God, the world will end. Then Christ will give to God, his Father, his kingdom to completely rule over it. 25You must realize that Christ must rule here on earth until he has completely defeated [MTY] all his enemies. 26The last thing that he will get rid of is death. But he certainly will get rid of death, which is like an enemy to us. 27In the Scriptures the Psalmist wrote that God will cause everything to be under Christ’s authority [MTY]. But it is clear that the word ‘everything’ here does not include God, because God is the one who will cause everything to be under Christ’s authority [MTY]. 28After everything is put under the authority of God’s Son, then Christ will put himself completely under the authority of God, the one who gave him that authority. Then God will be completely in control of everything [IDM], everywhere.

29Now think about this: Some among you are being baptized (OR, are baptizing people) on behalf of those who died before someone baptized them (OR, who died before they became believers). If, as some people say, believers will not be raised from the dead {God will not cause believers to become alive again}, ◄what is the value in those people doing that?/there is no value in those people doing that!► [RHQ] If God will not cause any believers to become alive again, it is senseless to be baptized {baptize anyone} on behalf of someone who has died. [RHQ] 30Furthermore, if God will not cause us believers to become alive again, it is [RHQ] very foolish for me and the other apostles to be constantly putting ourselves in danger because we tell people the gospel. 31My fellow believers, every day I am in danger of being killed {people killing me}! That is as true as it is that I am pleased with you because of your close relationship with Christ Jesus our Lord. 32If God will not cause us believers to become alive again after we die, ◄I will receive no benefit at all from having opposed those who attacked me so strongly in Ephesus city./what will I gain from having opposed those who attacked me so strongly in Ephesus city?► [RHQ] They were fighting me like wild beasts! If we believers will not be raised from the dead {If God will not cause us believers to live again}, we might as well say as people often say: “Tomorrow we are going to die, so we might as well enjoy now everything that we can. We might as well feast and get drunk!” 33Do not let yourselves be deceived by those who say that God will not cause believers to live again {Do not let people who say that God will not cause believers to live again deceive you}. If you associate with evil people who say such things, they will ◄influence you to do evil things/destroy your good moral way of living►. 34Start thinking correctly again about these matters, as you should, and stop your sinful behavior which has resulted from your wrong thinking. I say that because it seems that some among you do not know God, and as a result they are thinking wrongly. I say that to make you ashamed.

In heaven we will have glorious indestructible bodies.

1 Corinthians 15:35-58

35But some of you are asking, “How will dead people be raised {How will God cause dead people to become alive} again? What kind of bodies will they have?” 36Anyone who asks such questions is foolish. You know that a seed that is planted in the ground must completely change its form [MET] before it sprouts. 37A seed, such as a wheat seed, is very different from the plant that sprouts from it. 38God gives everything that lives the form that he desires. He gives each seed its own form. 39Similarly, people, animals, birds, and fish all have flesh, but each one has a different kind of flesh. 40Also, there are angelic beings in heaven (OR, stars and planets in the sky), and there are people with bodies on the earth. The angelic beings (OR, stars and planets) are beautiful in one way, and people on earth are beautiful in a different way. 41The sun is bright in one way, and the moon is bright in a different way, and the stars are bright in a different way. And even the various stars are different from each other in how bright they are.

42And it is the same way with our bodies. The bodies that we will have when God causes us to live again after we die will not be the same as the bodies that we have now [MET]. The bodies that we have now will die and decay. The new bodies that we will have will never die. 43We despise the bodies that we have now, before we die. But our new bodies will be glorious. The bodies that we have before we die are weak. But our new bodies will be strong. 44The bodies that we have before we die are natural bodies. But our new bodies will be ones that God’s Spirit ◄controls/gives us►. Just like there are natural bodies, there are bodies that God’s Spirit completely controls (OR, makes alive).

45In the Scriptures it is written {we read} that when the first man, Adam, was created, he became a living human being. Christ later also became a human being. But he is different from Adam, because he became a person who gives us spiritual life. 46But our bodies that God’s Spirit ◄will completely control/will give us► are not the first bodies that we have. We have our natural bodies first. 47The first man, Adam, was created {God created the first man, Adam} from the dust of the earth. But Christ, the one who came later, came from heaven. 48Everyone on earth has a body like the first man on the earth had. And in heaven, everyone will have a body like Christ, the man who came from heaven, has. 49And just like God gave us bodies like the first man on earth had, so we believers will have bodies like Christ has, who is now in heaven.

50My fellow believers, I want you to know that we (inc) [SYN] cannot go to heaven, where God rules over everything, with our physical bodies, because our bodies cannot last forever. They will die and decay. 51But I will tell you something that God has not revealed before: Some of us believers will not die [EUP]. However, all of us will be changed {God will change all of us}. 52It will happen suddenly, as fast as someone can blink his eye [MET], when we hear the sound of God’s trumpet for the last time. When we hear that trumpet, all the believers who have died will come back to life and will have bodies that are changed {that God has changed}, bodies that will never decay. 53And the bodies of us who are alive at that time will also be changed {And God will also change the bodies of us who are alive at that time}. These bodies of ours that die and decay must be transformed into new bodies that will never die; it will be like someone [MET] getting rid of his old clothes and putting on new ones. 54When that happens, what is written {what ◄a prophet/Isaiah► wrote} in the Scriptures will come true/happen:

God will completely get rid of [MET] death. Our dying will no longer have any power to defeat us; 55Death [APO] will not win a victory over us. Death will not be able to hurt us.

56It is because we sin [MET] that we die, and it is because we have God’s laws that we know that we have sinned. 57But because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done, he enables us to be free from having to obey God’s laws to be saved and to be free of being afraid to die. We should thank God for that!

58So, my fellow believers whom I love, continue to hold strongly to the things that you believe. Do not let anything cause you to doubt them. Always be doing enthusiastically the work that the Lord gives you. And remember that the work that you do for the Lord is never ◄in vain/useless►, as it would be if God will not cause us to live again after we die.

16

You should set aside funds each week for the offering to be sent to believers in Jerusalem.

1 Corinthians 16:1-4

1Now I will reply to another question that you asked. You asked about the money you are collecting to send to God’s people in Jerusalem. Do what I told the congregations in Galatia to do. 2Every Sunday each of you should set aside at home some funds [EUP] for this purpose, in proportion to how much God has prospered you. Then you should save it up, so that when I arrive there, you will not need to collect any more money. Choose some men whom you approve of, to take this money to Jerusalem. 3Then, when I arrive, I will write letters stating that you have authorized these men to take the funds there. 4And if you (OR, I) think that it is appropriate, I will go with them.

I plan to spend some time with you. Treat Timothy respectfully when he arrives. Apollos plans to visit you later.

1 Corinthians 16:5-12

5Now I plan to travel through Macedonia province. I plan to come to visit you, but I want to go through Macedonia first. 6Perhaps I will stay with you for a short while, or I may stay with you for the whole winter, in order that you yourselves can provide some of the things that I will need [EUP] for my next trip. 7I do not want to see you just for a short time and then continue my trip. I am hoping to stay with you for a while, if the Lord Jesus allows me to do that. 8But I will stay here in Ephesus city until after the Pentecost festival. 9I want to do that because God has given me a great opportunity [MET] to proclaim his good message here. As a result of my work here, God is producing great results. I also want to stay here because there are many people here who oppose my work, and I need to refute them.

10When Timothy arrives there in Corinth, treat him respectfully [LIT], because he is working for the Lord just as I am. 11Do not let anyone despise him. And when he leaves there, give him some of the things that he needs for his trip [EUP] here, and also ask God to bless him. I am waiting for him to come, along with the other fellow believers who have been traveling with him.

12You also asked about our fellow believer, Apollos. I urged him strongly that he should go back to you with the three fellow believers who came here from Corinth. He was not at all willing to go now, but he will go later, when he has an opportunity.

I give you my final instructions, greetings from others, and my final blessings.

1 Corinthians 16:13-24

13Be on guard against anything that would hinder you spiritually. You have believed the true message; continue believing it firmly. Be courageous. Keep strong in your relationship with God. 14Act in a loving way in everything that you do.

15You know that Stephanas and his family were the first ones there in Achaia province to believe in Christ [IDM]. They have devoted themselves to helping God’s people. 16My fellow believers, I urge you to submit yourselves to them and to people like them who do God’s work and who work hard. 17I was glad when Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus arrived here from Corinth, because they did things for me that you were not able to do because you were not with me. 18They comforted and encouraged me [SYN], and I expect that this news from me will do the same for you. You should honor them, and you should also honor others like them.

19The congregations here in Asia province ◄send their greetings to/say that they are thinking fondly of► you. Aquila and his wife Priscilla and the congregation that meets in their house ◄send their warm greetings to/say that they are thinking fondly of► you because both they and you belong to the Lord. 20All your fellow believers here ◄send their greetings to/say that they are thinking of► you. Greet each other affectionately, as fellow believers should.

21Now I, Paul, having taken the pen from the hand of my secretary, write with my own hand to say that I am thinking fondly of you/to give you my greetings. I do this to show you that this letter really comes from me.

22◄I pray that God will/May God► curse/cause bad things to happen to ◄anyone who does not love the Lord Jesus. I pray that our Lord will come soon/May our Lord come soon►!

23I pray that our Lord Jesus will/May our Lord Jesus ◄continue to act toward you all kindly/in ways that you do not deserve.►

24I love all of you who have a close relationship with Christ Jesus.