1 Corinthians.
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1 Corinthians
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1 Corinthians 1.
18 To those who are getting destroyed, the message of the cross is moronic.
To we who are getting saved, it’s the power of God.
19 It’s written: “I’ll destroy the wisdom of the wise.
I’ll nullify the intelligence of the intelligent.” Is 29.14
20 What about the wise? The scribes? The best debaters of this age?
Doesn’t God make the culture’s wisdom look stupid?
21 Since the culture doesn’t know anything through God’s wisdom,
God was pleased, through godly wisdom, through “moronic” preaching, to save believers.
22 Jews ask for signs, Greeks seek wisdom, 23 yet we preach a crucified Christ!
Jews are outraged; gentiles call it moronic.
24 Yet to the called, both Jews and Greeks:
It’s God’s Christ, power, and God’s wisdom.
25 God’s “moronic” stuff is wiser than the human stuff.
God’s “weak” stuff is stronger than the human stuff.
26 Christians: Look at when you were invited.
Not many of the so-called “wise”; not many powerful; not many nobles.
27 But God chose the world’s morons to shame the wise.
God chose the world’s weaklings to shame the strong.
28 God chose the world’s bastards and outcasts—
those who are nothing, so he might cancel out those who are “something.”
29 This way, when all flesh stand before God, none can emphasize themselves.
30 Because of this, you’re in Christ Jesus, who became our wisdom from God;
our rightness, holiness, and freedom, 31 just as it’s written:
“If you people emphasize anything, emphasize the Lord!” Jr 9.24
1 Corinthians 2.
1 Christians, when I first came to you, I didn’t come with an authoritative message,
or wisely declaring the secrets of God to you.
2 I didn’t know anything about you.
I only knew the crucified one, Christ Jesus.
3 So in weakness, in fear and trembling, I came to many of you.
4 My message and my preaching had no persuasive wisdom.
Instead, my proof came by the Spirit and his power.
5 Hence your faith isn’t based in human wisdom, but in God’s power.
6 But I do teach wisdom to the mature…
1 Corinthians 3.
10 By God’s grace given me, I laid down a foundation like a wise head contractor.
Others build on it. Each of you: Watch how you build!
11 No one can lay down a foundation besides what lies there—which is Christ Jesus.
12 If anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, expensive stones, wood, grass, or straw,
13 each one’s work will be revealed: The Last Day will make it visible.
It’s revealed in fire, and fire tests the quality of one’s work.
14 If a certain work built on it remains, they get paid.
15 If a certain work burns up, they lose everything—
they’ll be saved, but like someone who was saved from a fire.
16 You don’t know you’re all God’s temple,
and God’s Spirit lives in you all?
17 If anyone ruins God’s temple, God will ruin them, for it’s God’s holy temple.
That is you.
1 Corinthians 5.
1 It’s widely heard there’s inappropriate sexual activity among you,
such behavior not even found among pagans: Someone has his father’s woman.
2 You’re proud?—and not mourning instead,
because you might have to remove the one doing this act from your midst?
6 Your emphasis isn’t good. Don’t you know a little yeast leavens the whole ball of dough?
7 Clean out the old yeast!—so you can be a new ball of dough, like the matzo you are.
For our Passover lamb was sacrificed—i.e. Christ— 8 so we can celebrate the feast,
not with old yeast, nor with evil and wicked yeast, but with the matzo of sincerity and truth.
9 I wrote you in my previous letter to not get mixed up with inappropriate sexual activity.
10 I didn’t mean this world’s inappropriate sexual activity,
nor this world’s greedy people, thieves, nor idolaters: You have to go out to the world!
11 Now I write you: Don’t get mixed up with anyone who’s called a fellow Christian
when they’re into inappropriate sex, greed, idolatry, abusive talk, drunkenness, thievery.
No eating with such people.
12 What business do I have judging outsiders? But don’t you even judge those inside?
13 God will judge those on the outside. “Remove the evil person from you yourselves.” Dt 17.7
1 Corinthians 6.
1 When one of you has something on another,
they have it tried by the unrighteous, not by the saints.
2 Didn’t you know the saints will judge the world?
If the world’s to be judged by you, are you unable to judge trivia?
3 Didn’t you know we’ll judge angels?—much less mortals!
4 So when we have mortals under our purview,
sort out the irrelevant issues within the church.
5 For shame, I tell you. Isn’t there anyone wise among you?
Someone who’ll be able to evaluate things among the family?
Yet brother sues brother—and tries this by unbelievers.
19 Or don’t you all know your body’s the temple of the Holy Spirit, whom you have from God?
You’re not your own: 20 You were dearly purchased, so think about the God in your body.
1 Corinthians 9.
19 Having freedom in everything, I enslave myself. Because I could get many!
20 I become, to the Judeans, like a Judean. Because I could get Judeans!
I become, to Law-followers, like a Law-follower. Because I could get Law-followers!
21 I become, to Law-breakers, like a Law-breaker—
Not breaking God’s Law, but following Christ’s Law. Because I could get Law-breakers!
22 I become, to the weak, weak. Because I could get the weak!
I become, to whomever, whatever. Because however I could save some of them, I will.
23 I’ll do anything for the gospel, so I can be a part of it.
1 Corinthians 10.
13 None of you have experienced superhuman temptations.
God is faithful: He doesn’t allow unbeatable things to tempt you.
Instead he’ll work an escape route into the temptation, which you use to endure.
14 So, my beloved Christians, flee from idolatry.
15 I speak as if you’re wise, so judge for yourselves what I reveal.
16 The cup of blessing which we bless: Isn’t it connected to Christ’s blood?
The bread we break: Isn’t it connected to Christ’s body?
17 For it’s one loaf. The many are one body, for everyone shares the one loaf.
18 Look at Israel—literally. Aren’t those who eat sacrifices connected to the altar?
19 So what am I saying?—that idol-sacrifices are something real, or an idol is something real?
20 But that which they sacrifice is to demons, not God,
and I don’t want you to become connected to demons.
21 You can’t drink the Master’s cup and the demons’ cup.
You can’t share the Master’s table and the demons’ table.
22 (Or are we provoking them with the Master’s might? We’re not strong like that.)
31 Whether you eat, drink, or do anything, do everything with God’s opinion in mind.
32 Don’t offend the Jews and Greeks and God’s church,
33 just like I make everything I do acceptable to everyone—
not so I can get ahead, but so they can, and be saved.
1 Corinthians 11.
1 Mimic me like I do Christ.
2 I praise you all: You remembered all I taught, and follow the practices just as I practiced them for you.
3 I want you all to know Christ is the head of every man,
the man the head of his woman, and God the head of Christ.
4 Any man praying or prophesying against his head, disgraces his head.
5 Any woman praying or prophesying with her head unveiled, disgraces her head.
One may as well shave her: 6 If a woman isn’t veiled, cut her hair short.
And if it’s disgraceful for a woman to cut her hair short or be shaved, then be veiled!
7 A man isn’t obligated to cover his head—being God’s image and glory.
But a woman is her man’s glory, 8 for man isn’t out of woman, but woman out of man—
9 for the first man wasn’t created through the woman, but woman through the man.
10 This is why the woman’s obligated to exercise power over her head—because of the angels.
11 Still, neither a woman with no man, nor a man with no woman, in the Master:
12 Just as woman came out of man, likewise the man comes from woman. And all out of God.
13 Judge for yourselves: Is it appropriate for an unveiled woman to pray to God?
14 Doesn’t nature itself teach us when a man has long hair, it dishonors him?
15 —and when a woman has long hair, it’s to her glory? That hair gives her a covering?
16 If anyone wishes to debate this…
well we just don’t have such a custom. Not in God’s churches.
23 This which I pass on to you, I received from the Master.
On the night when Master Jesus was turned in, he took bread.
24 Giving thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, given for you all.
Do this in my memory.”
25 Likewise the cup after dinner, saying, “This cup is the new relationship, in my blood.
Whenever you drink, do this in my memory.”
26 When you eat this bread and drink the cup,
you announce the Master’s death till he comes.
27 So anyone who eats the Master’s bread or drinks of his cup wrongly,
will be guilty of the Master’s body and blood.
28 People, examine yourselves! Then eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
29 For those who currently eat and drink,
eat judgment on themselves, and drink without considering the body,
30 and for this reason many among you are unwell, weak, dying.
31 Had we examined ourselves, we’d never be judged!
32 We the judged are being reared by the Master—
so we weren’t condemned along with the world.
1 Corinthians 12.
1 I don’t want you to be ignorant regarding the supernatural, Christians.
2 Gentiles: Remember when you followed idols which don’t talk, which always led you astray?
3 It’s why I have to tell you: Nobody speaking by God’s Spirit can say, “Damn Jesus.”
Nobody can say “Lord Jesus” unless they’re in the Holy Spirit.
4 And there are a diversity of supernatural things—and the same Holy Spirit;
5 a diversity of ministries—and the same Lord;
6 a diversity of activities—and the same God activating all of them in all of us.
7 Each individual is given an individual revelation of the Spirit—to bring together.
8 For by the Spirit, while a word of wisdom is given to one,
by the same Spirit, a word of knowledge is given to another.
9 To someone else, by the same Spirit, faith.
To another, by the one Spirit, healing gifts.
10 To another, powerful activity.
To another, prophecy.
To another, the ability to judge spiritual things.
To someone else, families of tongues.
To another, interpretation of tongues.
11 One and the same Spirit acts in all these things,
dividing them to each of his own people however he wants.
12 It’s like this: One body has many limbs, and the limbs compose one body.
Christ’s the same way: 13 We were baptized by one Spirit into one body.
Whether Jews, Greeks, slaves, or citizens, we were all given one Spirit to drink.
14 The body isn’t one limb, but many.
15 Had the foot said, “Since I’m no hand, I’m not of the body,” this doesn’t make it not of the body.
16 Had the ear said, “Since I’m no eye, I’m not of the body,” this doesn’t make it not of the body.
17 If an eye were the whole body, where’s the hearing?
If hearing were all, where’s the sense of smell?
18 Now, God put each one of the limbs in the body as he wanted.
19 If one limb was all, how’s that a body? 20 Yet now, many limbs and one body.
21 The eye can’t tell the hand, “I’ve no use for you.” Nor the head to the feet, “I’ve no use for you.”
22 On the contrary: Limbs thought weak are necessary for the body.
23 We take more care with the parts of the body we find embarrassing.
We take pains to conceal the parts of the body we find unpresentable.
24 Those pains are inconvenient, but God put the body together so we’d be prepared for it—
25 not to divide the body, but to make the limbs care for one another.
26 If one limb suffers, all limbs suffer together. If one limb excels, all limbs rejoice together.
27 And you’re Christ’s body—parts of a limb.
28 This is who God put in the church:
First apostles. Second prophets. Third teachers. Then powers.
Then supernatural healing. Helpers. Leadership. Different kinds of tongues.
29 Not everyone’s an apostle. Not everyone’s a prophet.
Not everyone’s a teacher. Not everyone works acts of power.
30 Not everyone has supernatural healing. Not everyone speaks in tongues.
Not everyone interprets tongues. Right?
31 Strive for greater supernatural gifts!
And I’ll show you how—by an outstanding way.
1 Corinthians 13.
1 When I speak in human and angelic tongues:
When I have no love, I’ve become the sound of a gong, a clanging symbol.
2 When I have a prophecy—“I knew the whole mystery! I know everything!”—
when I have all the faith necessary to move mountains:
When I have no love, I’m nobody.
3 Might I give away everything I possess?
Perhaps submit my body so I could be praised for my sacrifice?
When I have no love, I benefit nobody.
4 Love has patience. Love behaves kindly.
It’s not emotion out of control. It doesn’t draw attention to how great it is. It doesn’t exaggerate.
5 It doesn’t ignore others’ considerations. It doesn’t look out for itself. It doesn’t provoke behavior.
It doesn’t plot evil. 6 It doesn’t delight in doing wrong: It delights in truth.
7 It puts up with everything, puts trust in everything,
puts hope in everything, survives everything. 8 Love never falls down.
Even after prophecy and knowledge become irrelevant; even after tongues stop:
9 We know and prophesy partially— 10 and once the End comes, partial becomes irrelevant.
11 When I was a kid, I spoke like a kid, understood like a kid, reasoned like a kid—
when I became a man, the kid stuff became irrelevant.
12 Now, we see through a tarnished mirror. Then, we see face to face.
Now, I know partially. Then, I’ll see myself as everyone else sees me.
13 Now, these three exist: Faith, hope, and love. And love is the greatest of them.
1 Corinthians 14.
1 Pursue love. Be zealous for the supernatural.
Most of all so you can prophesy:
2 Tongues-speakers speak to God, not people.
Nobody else understands them, and they speak secrets in the Spirit.
3 Prophecy-speakers speak to people: They build up, help out, and advise.
4 Tongues-speakers build up themselves. Prophecy-speakers build up a church.
5 I want all of you to speak in tongues; most of all so you can prophesy.
Prophesy-speakers are more valuable than tongues-speakers—
unless tongues-speakers interpret themselves so the church can be built up.
6 Now fellow Christians, when I come to you as a tongues-speaker,
how do I benefit you when I don’t speak to you of revelation, knowledge, prophecy, nor teaching?
7 Likewise any non-vocal sound: When a flute or guitar is played improperly,
how will you know whether someone played the flute or the guitar?
8 When an unrecognizable sound comes out of a siren,
who prepares for an emergency?
9 Likewise you with tongues: When you don’t give a word that’s easy to understand,
how will people know what’s been said? You’re wasting your breath.
10 May every kind of great sound in the universe be achievable!—nothing without sound.
11 Still, when I don’t know the meaning of the sound, it’ll be like saying bar-bar-bar to me.
The one speaking to me will sound like bar-bar-bar.
12 So with you, since you’re zealous for the Spirit,
be zealous for a church abundantly built up.
13 So tongues-speakers: Pray that you can interpret.
14 When I pray tongues, my spirit prays. My mind isn’t fruitful.
15 Why is this? I’ll pray by my spirit; I’ll pray by my mind.
I’ll sing by my spirit; I’ll sing by my mind.
16 For when you praise in your spirit, and the place is full of newbies,
how will they say amen to your thanksgiving, since they don’t know what you said?
17 You did give thanks properly, but others weren’t built up.
18 I thank God—and I speak tongues more than all of you.
19 But in church, I want five words in my mind to speak so I can also instruct others.
(That, or tens of thousands of words in tongues.)
20 Christians, don’t be childish inside, but be full of understanding.
Be childish about evil. Be holistic in your thinking.
21 In the Law, this was written:
“I’ll speak to those people in other tongues and with other lips—
yet they won’t even hear me that way, says the Lord.” Is 28.11-12
22 Hence tongues are made into a sign—not for believers but pagans.
And the prophetic isn’t for pagans, but believers.
23 So once the whole church gathered itself together, and everyone speaks in tongues,
and pagans or newbies come in: Don’t they say you’re mad?
24 When everyone prophesies, and any pagan or newbie comes in,
they’re corrected by everyone, questioned by everyone,
25 the secrets of their hearts become revealed—
so, falling on their face, they’ll worship God, proclaiming God is really in you.
26 Why is it, Christians, that every time you gather together,
every individual has a psalm, a lesson, a revelation, tongues, and interpretation?
Everything must be done to build up the group.
27 When someone speaks in tongues—or two, three at most, and one at a time—
one must interpret them.
28 When there’s no interpreter, they must be quiet in the church;
they must speak to themselves, or to God.
29 Prophets likewise: Two or three must speak, and must be distinct from one another.
30 When another prophet takes the floor to reveal something, the first must be silent.
31 For everyone can prophesy, one by one,
so that everyone can learn how, and everyone can help one another.
32 Prophets’ spirits are in submission to the prophets,
33 for God doesn’t do disorder, but peace.
Likewise, in all the holy churches, 34 the women in the church have to be silent,
for they’re not yet trusted to speak. They have to submit, like the Law says.
35 If they want a certain understanding, they have to question their men at home,
for it’s embarrassing for a woman to talk in church.
36 Either you’ve forgotten the word of God—
or it only came to you, right?
1 Corinthians 15.
3 First I passed down to you what I received:
Christ died for our sins—according to the scriptures.
4 He was buried, and raised on the third day—according to the scriptures.
5 He was seen by Simon Peter, then the Twelve.
6 Then more than 500 Christians saw him at once.
Many of them remain to this day—and some have “fallen asleep.”
7 Then he was seen by James, then all the apostles.
8 Last of all, as if to a stillborn child, he was seen by me too— 9 for I’m the lowest of apostles.
I’m not qualified to be called an apostle: I persecuted God’s church!
10 But by God’s grace I’m what I am. His grace to me hasn’t been wasted.
Instead I work more than anyone!—well, not me, but God’s grace in me.
11 So either I or they proclaim this, and you believe this.
12 If it’s preached Christ is risen from the dead,
how can some of you say resurrection of the dead isn’t true?
13 If resurrection of the dead isn’t true, not even Christ is risen.
14 If Christ isn’t risen, our message is worthless. Your faith is worthless.
15 Turns out we’re bearing false witness about God:
We testified about God that he raised Christ!
Whom he didn’t raise, if it’s true the dead aren’t raised.
16 If the dead aren’t raised, Christ isn’t risen either.
17 If Christ isn’t risen, your faith has no foundation.
You’re still in your sins, 18 and those who “sleep in Christ” are gone.
19 If hope in Christ only exists in this life, we’re the most pathetic of all people.
22 For just as everybody is doomed because of Adam,
everybody will be brought to life because of Christ.
35 Some will object, “How are the dead raised up? What sort of body do they come in?”
36 You’re being dense. When you sow seed, it’s not brought to life unless it dies.
37 And you’re not sowing the body to come:
You’re sowing a simple kernel, like grain or some other plant.
38 God grows it into the body he wants; each seed its own body.
39 Not every species comes out the same.
There’s the human species, animal species, fishes, birds, 40 heavenly bodies, earthly bodies—
but the heavenly bodies are reckoned differently than the earthly bodies.
41 The sun’s deemed different than the moon and stars; one star’s deemed different from another.
42 Same with the resurrection of the dead.
It’s sown rotten, raised fresh; 43 sown unwanted, raised in honor.
It’s sown in weakness, raised in power; 44 sown in an animal body, raised in a spiritual body.
There’s an animal body and a spiritual body.
45 This is why it’s written, “The first human, Adam, became a living animal.” Ge 2.7
The final Adam is made alive in the Spirit.
46 But not spiritual first: Animal, then spiritual.
47 The first human was made from earth, animal. The second human is the Lord, from heaven.
48 Those made from dirt are dirty. Those made from heaven are heavenly.
49 Just as we have the image of dirty humans,
we’ll also wear the image of heavenly humans.
50 Fellow Christians, I say flesh and blood aren’t able to inherit God’s kingdom.
Nor can decay inherit the indestructible.
51 Look, I’m telling you a mystery: Everybody won’t die. Everybody will transform.
52 In an instant. In an eyeblink. In the last trumpet:
He blows the trumpet, and the dead will rise—indestructible.
We’ll be transformed: 53 This decay has to be clothed with indestructibility.
This mortality has to be clothed with undying.
54 Once this decay is clothed with indestructibility,
once this mortality is clothed with undying,
then the written word will happen: “Death is swallowed by victory.” Is 25.8
“Death, where’s your victory? Death, where’s your prod?” Ho 13.14
56 Death’s prod is sin. Sin’s power is Law.
57 Grace to God, who gave us victory through our master, Christ Jesus.