Chapter 1
1 I am Paul, and I received a calling by the will of God. And God appointed me as an apostle of Jesus Christ. Brother Sosthenes is here with me.
2 And together with him we greet the church of God in Corinth.
God made you holy because you belong to Jesus Christ. God gave you a calling, and you became His holy people. He did it for all who call on the name of Jesus in different places and who accept Him as the Lord. Christ is the Lord for us and for all who believe in Him.
3 Receive grace and peace from our God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 You belong to Jesus Christ, and God gave you His grace. So I always thank my God for you.
5 Because of Christ, God made you rich with all the gifts. He gave you all the knowledge and the ability to speak well.
6 When you heard of Christ, His Word took deep roots in your hearts.
7 That is why you have no lack in spiritual gifts. And you look forward with great hope to the day when our Lord Jesus Christ comes back.
8 The Lord will keep strengthening you until the very end. The time will come when our Lord Jesus Christ returns to earth. On that day you will stand before Him, and He will not find you guilty of sin.
9 God will do this because He is faithful to His promises. He called you to Himself. And now you have fellowship with His Son Jesus Christ who became our Lord.
10 Brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ I urge you to live in unity and do not quarrel because quarrels lead to division. Learn to understand one another and set common goals.
11 Brothers, the family of Chloe told me that you are arguing with one another.
12 They informed me that some of you say, “I am a disciple of Paul.” Another one says, “I am a disciple of Apollos.” And the third one argues, “I am a disciple of Peter.” And someone else adds, “I am a disciple of Christ.”
13 But Christ unites us, He does not divide. You say that you are disciples of Paul. But did Paul die on the cross for your sins? Were you baptized in the name of Paul? Of course not.
14 I thank God that in your church I baptized only Crispus and Gaius.
15 And let no one say that I baptized in my name.
16 I also baptized the family of Stephanas. And I do not remember baptizing anyone else.
17 Christ did not send me to baptize people, but to spread the Good News. But I do not preach about the crucified Christ from a human point of view. Otherwise, my message would lose its power.
18 The one who is going towards eternal destruction thinks that the message about the cross is foolishness. But we are going towards salvation. We believe in the crucified Christ, and we can see the power of God.
19 God says in the Scriptures, “I will make the wisdom of men come to nothing. I will reject the point of view of the wise.”
20 The world cannot understand the message about the crucified Christ. Educated people, scientists and philosophers debate the cross from a human point of view which God calls insane.
21 The world debates God from the point of view of human wisdom. But still people cannot understand who God is. That is why God revealed His wisdom. He decided to save those who would believe in the message about the crucified Christ. But such a message sounds foolish to the people of this world.
22 When the Jews listen to the message about the cross, they demand that we would confirm it with supernatural manifestations. But for the Gentiles our message makes no sense because they can see nothing wise in it.
23 When we preach that Christ was crucified on the cross, it offends the Jews. And for the Gentiles our message sounds foolish.
24 God called us to Himself, and there are both Jews and Gentiles among us. The crucified Christ became God’s power and God’s wisdom for us.
25 Unbelievers think that the death of Christ is the foolish plan of God. I will tell such people that the foolishness of God surpasses human wisdom. The world says that when Christ died on the cross, God showed His weakness. And I will tell these people that the weakness of God is greater than human power.
26 Brothers, it was God who called you. But think of who you are. From a human point of view there are few educated and influential people among you. There are few who hold high social position among you.
27 The people of this world say that you are foolish and weak. And they consider themselves wise and strong. But God chose you to make this world realize that it is foolish and weak before God.
28 You do not hold high social position in the society that is why the world despises you. In the eyes of the world you are considered of no value. But God chose you so that the people of this world would understand that they have nothing to be proud of.
29 And when we stand before God, no person will be able to boast before Him.
30 God united us with Jesus Christ who became God’s wisdom for us. Christ became our righteousness, our sanctification and our redemption.
31 That is why the Scriptures say, “Do not praise yourselves. Praise the Lord for His works.”
Chapter 2
1 Brothers, when I came to visit you, I preached to you about God. But I did not try to impress you with my beautiful words. And I did not speak of God from a human point of view.
2 I decided to preach to you only about Jesus Christ who was crucified. And I did not want to speak about anything else.
3 When I was with you, I realized how helpless I was, and I saw that I needed the power of God. I experienced great fear and trembling in the presence of God.
4 When I preached about the crucified Christ, my words did not sound convincing from a human point of view. But the Holy Spirit demonstrated His power.
5 I wanted you to experience the power of God which could strengthen your faith. But if someone speaks of the crucified Christ from a human point of view, his faith will not be established on a firm foundation.
6 When we are among spiritually mature believers, we preach about wisdom. But this wisdom has nothing in common with the wisdom of this world. You should know that the wisdom that the rulers of this world live by will come to an end.
7 Even before the creation of the world God determined that He would reveal His secret wisdom to us, so that we could enter His glory. And now we openly speak of this wisdom of God.
8 The rulers of this world did not understand the wisdom of God. And if they understood it, they would not crucify our glorious Lord.
9 The Scriptures say, “No one saw, no one heard, and no one could imagine in his heart what God prepared for those who love Him.”
10 But the Spirit of God revealed to us the plans of God. This Spirit penetrates everywhere and shows us the depths of God’s revelations.
11 No one knows what a person thinks of. But the spirit of a person knows the thoughts of a person. The same way no one knows what God thinks of. But the Spirit of God knows the thoughts of God.
12 God gave us His Spirit which has nothing to do with the spirit of this world. The Spirit of God lives within us so that we could know the gift God gave us.
13 Human wisdom cannot teach us spiritual things. That is why we do not speak of spiritual things from a human point of view. The Holy Spirit teaches us. And we speak of spiritual things from the spiritual point of view.
14 A worldly-minded person relies on his understanding. He does not accept what comes from the Spirit of God, and he considers it foolishness. A worldly-minded person thinks of the spiritual things from a human point of view. That is why he is not able to understand the spiritual things.
15 A spiritual person evaluates everything from a spiritual point of view. But a worldly-minded person relies on his understanding, and he cannot evaluate a spiritual person correctly.
16 Who can understand the thoughts of the Lord? Who can teach Him? The Spirit of God gave us the ability to think like Christ that is why we have the mind of Christ.
Chapter 3
1 Brothers, I could not speak to you as spiritual people because you still submit to your old sinful nature. That is why I spoke to you as babies who should grow spiritually in Christ.
2 When I taught you, my teaching was like milk. I did it because you could not eat solid food. And even now you are not able to understand what spiritually mature believers understand.
3 You still submit to your old sinful nature. You are jealous and quarrel with one another. You make divisions among yourselves. Your actions show that you submit to your old sinful nature. You behave like people of this world.
4 One says, “I am a disciple of Paul.” And another one states, “I am a disciple of Apollos.” You are hostile to one another, and you do what your sinful nature desires.
5 Who is Paul? And who is Apollos? We are servants of God. And God used us to make you believe in Christ. Each of us did the work the Lord entrusted us.
6 I planted the seeds of the Word of God in your hearts, and Apollos watered them. But it was God who grew the seeds up.
7 So it is not important who plants the seeds. It does not matter who waters them. But the important thing is that God grows the seeds.
8 We set a common goal before us when we plant and water the seeds. But everyone will receive the reward he deserves.
9 Apollos and I work together for God in the same field. And it was you who became that field of God. You also became the building we build together for the Lord.
10 God gave me His grace. And as an experienced builder I laid the foundation, and another one is now building on it. But every builder must do his job well.
11 Jesus Christ is the foundation of God’s building. And no one can lay any other foundation.
12 But on this foundation different builders build using different materials. Some use gold, silver and precious stones. And others use wood, hay and straw.
13 But the day will come when God tests the work of each builder with fire. The fire will show how well each person did his job.
14 If the work of the person does not burn in the fire, such a builder will receive a reward.
15 But if the work of the person burns down, he will lose what he built. Yet the builder will be saved as people are saved from fire.
16 Don’t you know that you became the temple of God, and the Spirit of God lives within you?
17 God sanctified His temple. And it was you who became this temple. If someone destroys God’s temple, God will bring destruction upon that person’s life.
18 The people of this world will never understand what the wisdom of God is. That is why if the world recognizes that you have wisdom, you do not have the wisdom of God. And you are deceiving yourselves. But if the people of this world consider you fools, it means that God filled you with His wisdom through the crucified Christ.
19 Human wisdom is foolishness in the sight of God. The Scriptures say, “The people of this world call themselves wise. But God will show that people deceive themselves with their wisdom and fall into their own traps.”
20 The Scriptures also say, “The Lord knows what the wise people of this world think of. He knows that their wisdom will do them no good.”
21 Do not exalt any person who influences your life because it is God who works through all these people.
22 God works in your life through Paul, Apollos, and Peter. He uses everything that happens to you in this world for your benefit. God has authority over your life and death, your present and future.
23 Remember that you belong to Christ. And Christ belongs to God.
Chapter 4
1 You should treat us as the servants of Christ. God revealed His secrets to us and entrusted us to share them with people.
2 We are responsible for the work in the house of God, and we must do it faithfully.
3 I know that you and everyone else evaluate me from a human point of view. But it does not matter much for me. I do not even evaluate myself from a human point of view.
4 My conscience is clear, but it does not mean that I am right. Only the Lord can accurately evaluate my life.
5 So until a certain time you will not be able to make right conclusions about the ministry of others. But when the Lord comes, He will shine His light on what everyone has hidden in the darkness. The Lord will reveal the secret thoughts that filled each person’s heart. Then everyone will receive from God the praise he deserves.
6 Brothers, I gave you an example of myself and Apollos. And I did it for your benefit to teach you. Treat us as I wrote you and add nothing more to this. Do not be puffed up with pride in front of one another.
7 Are you better than another person? It was God who gave you everything you have. But you boast and say that you achieved everything by yourself.
8 You satisfied your needs beyond measure. You became rich and began to reign without us. I wish you really were reigning, so we could reign with you.
9 But I tell you that God appointed us as apostles, and we are ready to go to the end and die for Christ. We became a show to the whole world, angels and people.
10 We serve Christ so faithfully that the world considers us fools. But you want to believe in Christ and look wise in the eyes of this world. We rely on God and realize that we are weak. But you say that you are strong. You want the world to respect you. But the world despises us.
11 Until now we are still hungry and thirsty. We are poorly dressed, we are beaten, and we have no place to live.
12 We work hard with our hands. When people insult us, we bless them. When we are persecuted, we endure it patiently.
13 When people curse us, we pray hard for them. Despite all of this, the world treats us like garbage and waste.
14 I love you as my children. And I do not want my words to leave an unpleasant impression on you. But I am writing to you so that you might change.
15 You may have thousands of teachers who teach you about Christ. But you cannot have many fathers. I preached the Good News to you. And I became your father in Christ Jesus.
16 I act as Christ did. That is why I urge you to follow my example.
17 I sent Timothy to you. He serves the Lord faithfully, and I love him like my son. Timothy will remind you of how I follow Christ. He will share with you what I teach in every church.
18 But some of you became proud. They think that I will not come to you anymore.
19 If the Lord allows, I will visit you soon. And I will find out whether the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit works in their lives or not. I will not be impressed by the beautiful words of those who are proud.
20 We should show people the power of the Kingdom of God, not the beauty of our words.
21 Tell me, what should I do with you? I can come to discipline and correct you. Or I can come in the spirit of love and kindness.
Chapter 5
1 I was informed about what is happening in your church. There is a man among you who lives an immoral lifestyle. He acts so immorally that even the Gentiles do not act this way. One of you sleeps with his stepmother.
2 You should grieve over what this person is doing. But instead, you are proud of yourselves. Do not allow him to attend your meetings and avoid fellowship with him.
3 Physically I am far from you, but spiritually I am with you. And I have already decided what to do with this man who lives an immoral lifestyle.
4 When you gather together, I will be with you spiritually. And the power of our Lord Jesus Christ will also be present among you.
5 Then in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ hand over this immoral man to the power of Satan so that Satan may destroy his body. And if this person repents, God will save his spirit on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns to the earth.
6 You have nothing to be proud of. Don’t you know that small amount of yeast ferments the whole dough?
7 You must be like fresh dough without yeast. Remove sin as the Jews removed old yeast before the Passover. And as on the day of Passover a lamb became a sacrifice, so Christ became the sacrifice for our sins.
8 The old yeast symbolizes sin and evil. And bread without yeast symbolizes purity and truth. We must not live in sin, we must live a holy life.
9 I have already written you earlier that you must have nothing to do with sexually immoral people.
10 But I did not mean unbelievers. The people of this world live an immoral lifestyle. They are eager to gain profit by illegal means, commit fraud and worship idols. And as long as you live in this world, you will have to deal with unbelievers.
11 I wrote you that you should not communicate with anyone who calls himself a brother in Christ, but lives an immoral lifestyle. Such a person pretends to be a believer, but he is eager to gain profit by illegal means and worships idols. He insults others with swear words, gets drunk and commits fraud. You should not communicate with such a person or even eat with him at the same table.
12 You must judge the actions of those people who became part of the church. But it is not my responsibility to judge unbelievers.
13 It is God who judges unbelievers. Remove from your fellowship an immoral person who calls himself a brother in Christ.
Chapter 6
1 I know that there are legal issues among the members of your church. So you go to the court to unbelievers, and you sue one another there. How do you dare behave like this? Why don’t you seek resolution from believers?
2 Don’t you know that the holy people of God will judge this world? And if it is so, don’t you have some knowledgeable people among you who are capable to resolve ordinary issues of this life?
3 Don’t you know that we will judge angels? And I tell you that we can definitely resolve ordinary issues by ourselves.
4 But you bring your ordinary cases to court and go to ungodly judges. They live a sinful lifestyle which is disgusting to the believers in the church.
5 I am saying this to shame you. Don’t you have a single wise person among you who can resolve a dispute among brothers?
6 But instead, one believer sues another one. And all of this is happening in front of unbelievers.
7 You engage in lawsuits against one another, and by doing this you defeat yourselves. You should understand that it is better to endure patiently when someone offends you and deceives you.
8 But instead, you offend and deceive others. And you do this even to your brothers in Christ.
9 Do not deceive yourselves. Don’t you know that the unrighteous will not receive God’s inheritance and will not enter the Kingdom of God? This is what such people do. They live an immoral lifestyle and worship idols. They are unfaithful to their spouse. Men sleep with other men for money and engage in homosexuality.
10 Such people steal, extort bribes, and get drunk. They insult others with swear words and engage in fraud. Remember that the unrighteous will not receive God’s inheritance and will not enter the Kingdom of God.
11 Some of you used to live like that. But now God cleansed you from your sin. He sanctified you and gave you His righteousness. God did it in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by His Spirit.
12 You say, “I can do whatever I wish.” But our actions can harm us. You say, “I have the right to do what I want.” But we can lose our freedom because of our actions.
13 You say, “God created human body with various needs which must be satisfied. So we eat to nourish our bodies.” It is true, but one day God will destroy both the body and food. You should not justify an immoral lifestyle. Do not say that a person has sexual need that he must also satisfy, so he can sleep with anyone. The Lord created our bodies for Himself, not for immorality. And God wants our bodies to bring Him glory.
14 And as God raised the Lord Jesus from the dead so He will raise our bodies by His power.
15 Don’t you know that the Church is the Body of Christ, and we are members of His Body? That is why we have no right to take what belongs to Christ and give it to a woman who is engaged in prostitution. Of course, we must not do this!
16 Don’t you know that if a man sleeps with an immoral woman, he becomes one with her? The Scriptures say, “When two people are united in a physical body, they become one.”
17 And he who is united with the Lord becomes one with the Spirit of the Lord.
18 Refuse an immoral lifestyle. Other sins that a person commits do not unite him with the body of another person. He who commits sexual sins destroys his own body.
19 Don’t you know that your bodies became the temple of the Holy Spirit who lives within you? God gave you His Spirit, that is why you do not belong to yourselves.
20 Christ paid a high price for you. Now your spirit and your body belong to Him. So your bodies should bring glory to God.
Chapter 7
1 You wrote to me that it is better for a man not to marry and not to have intimate relationship with a woman.
2 But such a man may begin to live an immoral lifestyle. That is why every man should have a wife, and every woman should have a husband.
3 The husband should satisfy the sexual needs of his wife. And the wife should satisfy the sexual needs of her husband.
4 The wife should not deny her husband to have intimate relationship, because her body belongs to her husband. The husband also should not deny his wife to have intimate relationship, because his body belongs to his wife.
5 Do not avoid intimacy with each other. But if you want to devote yourselves to fasting and prayer then during this time you may avoid sexual relations by mutual agreement. But after that you should be together again. Otherwise, you may lose control of yourselves, and it will make you fall into the trap of Satan.
6 I am writing to you that you may avoid sexual relations during fasting. But this is my advice, and I do not require you to do so.
7 I wish everyone could follow my example. But God has a plan for each person regarding marriage. That is why some people marry, while others do not.
8 I want to give advice to the unmarried and widows. Now it is not the best time to start a family. That is why you should remain unmarried and live without a family as I do.
9 But if you cannot control yourselves, you should marry. It is better to get married than to burn with sexual desire.
10 These are the requirements which married people should keep. And it is not I who make these demands, but the Lord. A wife must not divorce her husband.
11 If she leaves her husband, she should not marry another man. And if a woman does not want to live alone, she should make peace with her husband. And a husband also must not divorce his wife.
12 Here is what I will say to those who are married to an unbeliever. And it is not the requirement of the Lord, but my advice. If a believing husband has an unbelieving wife, and she agrees to live with him, he must not divorce her.
13 And if a believing wife has an unbelieving husband, and he agrees to live with her, she must not divorce him.
14 The believing wife brings holiness to her marriage and spiritually influences her unbelieving husband. The believing husband also brings holiness to his marriage and spiritually influences his unbelieving wife. You also bring holiness to the lives of your children to save them from sin.
15 If an unbeliever wants to divorce, let him divorce. In this case, the believing husband or believing wife is no longer bound in marriage to the unbeliever. The Lord wants us to live in peace.
16 Wife, don’t you realize that you may lead your unbelieving husband to salvation? And husband, don’t you understand that you may lead your unbelieving wife to salvation?
17 God has a plan for each of us. And every person should do what the Lord wants. All churches should follow what I teach.
18 If a Jew turned to Christ, he should not hide that he was circumcised. And if the Gentile turned to Christ, he should not be circumcised.
19 Now it does not matter who was circumcised, and who was not. But what really matters is that we should keep the commandments of God.
20 When we turned to Christ, each of us was in different circumstances. And these circumstances will remain in our lives until God changes them.
21 If you were a slave when you turned to God, do not think that you are less worthy than other believers. But if you have the opportunity to become free, take advantage of this.
22 A slave who turned to the Lord should consider that now he is free in the Lord. And a free person who turned to Christ should consider that now he is the slave of Christ.
23 Christ paid a high price for you. So do not become slaves to people.
24 Brothers, when you turned to God, each of you was in different circumstances. And these circumstances will remain in your life until God changes them.
25 I have no requirements from the Lord regarding unmarried girls. But I want to give advice because I received mercy from the Lord, and I serve Him faithfully.
26 Now we are going through difficult trials. That is why I think it is better for a person not to change his marital status.
27 If you are already married, do not divorce. And if you are left without wife, do not look for another one.
28 But if you marry, you will not sin. And if a girl gets married, she will not sin also. Now we are experiencing difficult times, so married people will face hardships. And I feel very sorry for you.
29 Brothers, I tell you that we do not have much time left. That is why a married man should not devote all his time only to his wife.
30 And those who mourn should not be completely overwhelmed by their sorrow. And those who rejoice should not be entirely consumed by their joy. And when you buy things, you should not be attached to them.
31 You use the things of this world. But you should not get attached to anything because this world will soon pass away.
32 I want you to be free from the worries of this life. An unmarried man wants to fulfill only the plans of the Lord.
33 But a married man has many daily responsibilities. He should pay attention to the plans of his wife. And at the same time, he should make efforts to fulfill God’s plans.
34 An unmarried girl or a woman who is left without husband wants to fulfill only the plans of the Lord. So she sanctifies her body and spirit. But a married woman has many daily responsibilities. And she should pay attention to the plans of her husband.
35 I do not limit you. But I speak this for your benefit so that nothing would distract you from your ministry. Then you will serve the Lord more effectively and with greater dedication.
36 Perhaps some of you made a promise to marry your bride. And you postponed the wedding because of the trials we are going through. But now you may think that it is not good if your bride becomes older and remains unmarried. In this case, there is nothing wrong with getting married now.
37 But perhaps some of you decided firmly in your heart not to marry. Such a person feels that he has no need to marry because he can control himself. In this case, it is the right thing to do because now it is not the best time to start a family.
38 So he who marries does the right thing. But he who does not marry does even better.
39 When a woman gets married, the Law of God binds her to her husband in marriage. But if her husband dies, the woman has the right to marry any man she likes. But he must believe in the Lord.
40 God gave me His Spirit that is why I want to give you advice. I think it would be better for a woman not to marry while we are going through the trials.
Chapter 8
1 Now let’s talk about the food which the Gentiles offer to idols. We all have some knowledge about this subject. But knowledge makes us proud, while love makes us strong.
2 Perhaps some of you put knowledge in the first place. But no one can get enough knowledge to understand everything perfectly.
3 But if a person puts the love for God in the first place, he brings joy to God. And to such a person God gives His knowledge of how to do what is right.
4 So let’s talk about the food which the Gentiles dedicate to idols. People of this world worship idols. But we know that an idol is not God. We also know that there is only one God, and there is no other God besides Him.
5 But the Gentiles believe that different gods rule over heaven and earth. So they worship many gods and recognize their authority over themselves.
6 But we believe in one God the Father who created everything. And we live for Him. We believe in the one and only Lord Jesus Christ through whom God created the whole world. And we live because of Christ.
7 But not all of you realize that there is only one God. There are people among you who still believe in idols. Their conscience cannot distinguish between what is right and what is wrong. Such people have weak faith in God. That is why they believe that it is allowed to eat the food offered to idols, and it defiles their conscience.
8 We know that food cannot bring us closer to God. And food cannot make us either better or worse.
9 That is why some of you say that it is allowed to eat the food which the Gentiles offered to idols. But such people should think about the consequences of their actions. They will push to sin those people whose faith is weak.
10 You understand that an idol is not God. But suppose, you will have food in an idol temple, and a person whose faith is weaker than yours will see you there. Consider what example you are setting for him? Such a person will start eating the food offered to idols and worshiping them because of you.
11 Do you think that you can eat the food which the Gentiles offered to idols? But if your brother in Christ has weak faith, you will ruin your brother for whom Christ died.
12 You sin against brothers whose faith is weak. Their conscience cannot distinguish between what is right and what is wrong. You destroy their faith, and this way you sin against Christ.
13 What should I do if what I eat causes my brother to sin? In this case, I will never again eat the food offered to idols so that I would not ruin the faith of my brother.
Chapter 9
1 God appointed me as an apostle, and I have the right to act with authority. I saw our Lord Jesus Christ, and you turned to Him as a result of my ministry.
2 Perhaps, others do not consider me an apostle. But for you I became an apostle because you turned to God through my ministry. Now you belong to the Lord, and you are the proof that I am an apostle of Jesus Christ.
3 This way I protect my ministry from those who criticize me.
4 We work for the Lord. Can’t you offer us something to eat and drink to thank us for our ministry?
5 Peter, the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers travel with their believing wives. Don’t we have the same right to take our believing wives with us?
6 Don’t we have the right to use donations for our expense? But Barnabas and I gave up this right, and we work to support ourselves.
7 Tell me, does a soldier pay for his expenses when he serves in the army? And doesn’t a person eat the grapes of the vineyard he planted? And doesn’t a shepherd drink the milk produced by his flock?
8 I give you examples from everyday life, and the Law says the same thing.
9 God said through Moses, “When an ox works in the field, he eats the harvest. But you should not close his mouth.” Tell me, does God care only about oxen?
10 Doesn’t God mean us when He talks about it? Of course, Moses wrote it for us. The one who plows and the one who harvests do their job. And each of them is completely confident that part of the crop will belong to him.
11 We have planted spiritual blessings in your life which are far more valuable than material things. And we have the right to reap the harvest of the material blessings from you.
12 Other ministers receive financial support from you. We have much greater right to ask for your support. But we do not use this right. And even though we face financial difficulties, we do not stop and continue to spread the Good News about Christ.
13 Don’t you know that the priests receive the food which people bring to the temple and offer to God? Don’t you know that the ministers who serve at the altar take a portion of what people offer to the Lord?
14 And this is the instruction given to us by the Lord. He who preaches the Good News about Christ has the right to receive the financial support from those he ministers to.
15 But I did not use this right. And now I am not writing this so that you would start supporting me financially. I decided that I would rather die than live at the expense of those to whom I preach. And it brings me joy that I can provide for myself.
16 I am preaching the Good News about Christ, but I do not expect to receive financial support for this. It is my duty which I must fulfill. And woe to me if I stop preaching the Good News about Christ.
17 Suppose, I decided to become a preacher to earn my living. In that case, I would expect payment for my work. But I didn’t have such an intention. I preach because God entrusted me with His ministry which I must fulfill.
18 When I preach the Good News about Christ to you, I have every right to receive financial support from you. But I do not use this right. I minister to you without expecting any financial support from you. And God will give me a reward for that.
19 No one limits my freedom. But I sacrificed my freedom for the sake of others to win more people for Christ.
20 That is why to the Jews I preach about Jesus from a Jewish point of view. I do this so that they would turn to Christ. I use the Law of Moses when I share about Jesus with those who live according to this Law so that they would also turn to Christ.
21 Gentiles do not know what the Law of Moses is. That is why when I preach to them, I do not use the Law and do not live according to it. But I obey Christ and do not break the Law of God. I do it to bring the Gentiles to God.
22 When I preach about Christ to those who are going through sufferings, I put myself in the place of a weak person to bring him to God. I find a common ground with all people to save at least some of them.
23 I act like this to spread the Good News about Christ. And this way, I take part in the work of God.
24 You know that many athletes participate in a running competition. But only one of them will receive a reward. So you must run to win.
25 All competitors train and discipline themselves in everything. They do it to receive a reward that will not last. But we discipline ourselves to receive the eternal reward which God will give us.
26 I act like an athlete who has a goal. I want to reach the finish line. I act like a boxer who thinks about every strike. I don’t beat the air.
27 I preach to others. But I also should discipline and have complete control over my body. Otherwise, I will not be able to reach the finish line to receive a reward.
Chapter 10
1 Brothers, I want you to remember how Moses led our Jewish people out of Egypt into the wilderness. When the Egyptians chased the people of God, the Lord stood in the cloud between the Egyptians and the Jews to protect His people. Then the sea was divided, and the Israelites walked through the sea on the ground to the other side, but the Egyptians drowned.
2 The people of God followed Moses. And all of them were baptized in the name of Moses in the cloud and in the sea.
3 All the people ate the same spiritual food.
4 All the people drank from the same spiritual source which flowed from the spiritual Rock. This Rock was Christ. And Christ accompanied His people in the wilderness.
5 But not all the Israelites brought joy to God. They sinned so they died in the wilderness.
6 People wanted to do evil, and their evil desires destroyed them. Let it be an example for us and keep us from the desire to do evil.
7 Also do not worship idols, as some of the Israelites did. The Scriptures say about them, “The people sat down in front of the golden calf and started eating and drinking. Then they began to jump around the idol like crazy.”
8 Do not indulge in sexual immorality, as some of the Israelites did. They sinned, and 23,000 people died in one day.
9 When God led His people through the wilderness, some of them doubted the plan of God. They spoke against God and tested the patience of Christ with their sins. That is why the snakes bit them, and people died. But we should not doubt the plans of the Lord. Let’s not test to what extent the Lord will tolerate our sinful behavior.
10 Some of the Israelites died because they grumbled and complained. It was the reason why they were destroyed. But we must not complain and grumble.
11 We live in the last days. And the prophets wrote for us everything what happened with the people of Israel. It should become an example to prevent us from sinning like them.
12 You may think that you stand firm on your feet. But you must be careful and avoid sinning. Otherwise, you will fall down.
13 If you think about sin, such thoughts will lead you to sinful actions. And this is something that everyone faces. But you should know that God is faithful to His Word, and He will never fail you. He will give you strength so that you would not follow your sinful desire. God will fill you with patience and help you overcome your sinful thoughts.
14 My dear brothers, do not worship idols. Stay far away from them.
15 You are intelligent people. And you can understand what I am talking about.
16 When we take part in communion, we remember the death of Christ. We thank God and drink from the blessed cup. In this way, Christ unites us by His Blood. We also break the bread and eat it. In this way, Christ unites us in His Body.
17 The Church is the Body of Christ made of many different parts. When we all eat the same bread, we become one Body of Christ.
18 Think about the people of Israel. When people offered sacrifices to God, they ate them at the altar, and this united them with God.
19 We know that idol is not God. So the sacrifices the Gentiles offer to idols have no meaning.
20 But you must understand that when people offer sacrifices to idols, they offer them to demons, not to God. And I do not want you to communicate with evil spirits.
21 You cannot drink from the cup which belongs to the Lord and also drink from the cup which belongs to demons. You cannot eat the bread offered to the Lord and also eat the food sacrificed by the Gentiles to evil spirits.
22 Do we dare to provoke the Lord to anger? Are we stronger than Him?
23 You say, “I can do whatever I wish.” But our actions can harm us. You say, “I have the right to do what I want.” But our actions can make our faith weaker.
24 We should not pursue our own interests. Instead, each of us should take care of one another.
25 When you go to the market, do not ask which of the products the Gentiles offered to idols. Eat everything you buy at the market with a clear conscience.
26 The Scriptures say that the earth belongs to the Lord. And everything that exists on it also belongs to Him.
27 Suppose, some unbeliever will invite you to his place, and you would like to go there. In this case, you can eat whatever he offers you with a clear conscience. And do not ask him if the food was offered to idols.
28 Remember that the earth belongs to the Lord. And everything that exists on it also belongs to Him. But suppose, someone will tell you, “This food was offered to idols.” In this case, refuse to eat it. You should not eat the sacrificed food for the sake of the person who told you about it. And also you should not eat the sacrificed food for the sake of another believer who has weak faith in God. The conscience of this person still cannot distinguish between what is good and what is bad. So such a person will start eating the food offered to idols and worshipping them because of you.
29 I know that everything belongs to the Lord, so my conscience does not condemn me. But I have to consider how my action will affect another person who has weak faith in God. Some of you say, “The Lord gave me freedom. And no one can judge me or tell me how I should behave.”
30 And another one says, “I eat the food offered to idols and thank God for it. How can you blame me for this?”
31 You should understand that all your actions should glorify God. When you eat or drink, it should also bring glory to Him.
32 That is why you should behave in such a way that you would not provoke to sin either the Jews, or the Gentiles, or the Church which belongs to God.
33 I want people to receive salvation. So I make efforts and put the interests of others above my own. I do my best to take care of every person.
Chapter 11
1 Follow my example as I follow the example of Jesus Christ.
2 Brothers, I rejoice that you remember me and act as I taught you.
3 I also want you to know that Christ is the head of every man. Husband is the head of his wife. And God is the head of Christ.
4 If a man prays or prophesies with his head covered as a woman does, he dishonors himself and the Lord.
5 And if a woman prays or prophesies with her head shaved as a man does, she dishonors herself and her husband.
6 There are some women among you who do not want to cover their heads. But they look like men because they have short hair. A woman should not shave her hair or cut her hair like a man. She should be ashamed of this, and she should cover her head.
7 A man should not cover his head and resemble a woman. God created man in His image so that man would glorify God. And the wife should take care of her husband’s reputation, and she should not disgrace him.
8 In the beginning God created man. Then God created woman from the rib of man.
9 God did not create man for woman. But He created woman for man.
10 That is why angels must see that woman recognizes the authority of her husband over herself. And if a woman looks like a man because she has short hair, she should cover her head to look like a woman.
11 We belong to the Lord and understand that men depend on women, and women depend on men.
12 God created the first woman from the rib of a man, and all the other men were born of women. And God created us all.
13 There are some women among you who look like men because they have short hair. Think about it. Is it proper when such a woman prays to God with her head uncovered?
14 If a man grows his hair and becomes womanlike, he acts against his nature and behaves unnaturally. And this way, he dishonors himself.
15 But when a woman grows her hair, she emphasizes her femininity. And her long hair naturally covers her like a veil.
16 And if anyone wants to argue about it, I will say, “Men and women must look differently. And we must follow this rule. Such an order should operate in all churches which belong to God.”
17 I cannot praise you for some other things which also happen among you. When you get together, it does you more harm than good.
18 I was informed about what happens during your meetings. First, when you come to church, you have some disagreements among you. And to some extent, I admit that it could happen.
19 You may have some different points of view so that you could see which of you holds the right position approved by God.
20 Second, when you get together, you take communion. But you do it in such a way that it has nothing to do with true communion.
21 You do not share with one another. You greedily eat the food you brought. That is why some of you remain hungry while others get drunk.
22 You should eat and drink at home. Do not dishonor the church of God and do not humiliate the poor. What should I tell you? Do you think that I will praise you for this? Of course not.
23 I passed on to you what the Lord taught me. On the night when Judas betrayed the Lord Jesus, the Lord took the bread.
24 He thanked God, broke the bread into pieces, and said to His disciples, “Take the bread and eat it. The bread is My Body which will suffer for you. That is why when you break this bread and eat it, you should remember Me.”
25 After the supper the Lord also took the cup and said, “Between God and people this cup establishes the New Agreement which I will seal with My Blood. When you drink from this cup, always remember Me.”
26 When you eat this bread and drink from this cup, every time you will proclaim the death of the Lord. Do it until the Lord returns to this earth again.
27 Some of you eat this bread and drink from the cup of the Lord, but do not take it seriously. Such people will be guilty of sinning against the Body and the Blood of the Lord.
28 A person should examine his heart before he eats this bread and drinks from this cup.
29 If you eat and drink without taking it seriously, God will judge you for this. You must realize what the Body of Christ is.
30 You take communion in a wrong way. That is why many people are getting weak, sick and die in your church.
31 We should think about our actions and correct ourselves. Then God will not condemn us.
32 But if we do not do it, the Lord judges and disciplines us. But He does not judge us the way He will judge this world.
33 My brothers, when you gather for communion, wait for one another and take communion together.
34 And if you know that you will get hungry, eat at home before coming. Then God will not judge you for your wrong behavior during communion. When I come to visit you, I will also talk to you about other things.
Chapter 12
1 Brothers, I want you to know about spiritual gifts.
2 You remember that you used to be Gentiles. And at that time mute idols misled you. You worshiped them as if someone was guiding you.
3 And here is what you should know. A person who speaks from the Spirit of God cannot curse Jesus. And when someone accepts Jesus as Lord, it happens only because of the Holy Spirit.
4 Believers have different gifts. But it is the same Spirit who gives all these gifts to them.
5 We participate in different ministries, but we serve the same Lord.
6 The Lord works in different ways. But it is the same God who does His work in all of us.
7 The Spirit manifests His presence in each of us, and it brings benefits to all of us.
8 To one believer the Spirit gives the word of wisdom. To another believer the same Spirit gives the word of knowledge.
9 Someone receives faith which comes from the same Spirit. And to some other person the same Spirit gives the gifts of healings.
10 Someone else receives the ability to perform miracles. To one believer the Spirit gives the gift of prophecy. And to another He gives the gift of discerning spirits. And someone else receives the supernatural ability to pray in different languages. And another believer receives the gift to interpret prayer in unknown languages.
11 It is the same Spirit who works through all these spiritual gifts. And it is the same Spirit who decides how to distribute the gifts to each believer.
12 Human body has many parts, and all of them form a single organism. The same thing happens in the Church. The Church is one Body of Christ which has many different parts. And all the parts of the Body of Christ must work together with one another in unity.
13 There are Jews and Gentiles, slaves and free people among us. But it is one Spirit who baptized all of us so that we would become one Body of Christ. And we all drink from the same Spirit.
14 Human body does not have one part, but many parts.
15 Suppose, the foot would say, “I am not able to do what the hand does that is why I am not a part of the body.” Feet and hands perform different functions, but they are parts of the same body.
16 Suppose, the ear would say, “I am not able to do what the eye does that is why I am not a part of the body.” Ears and eyes perform different functions, but they are parts of the same body.
17 If the whole body becomes an eye, how will we hear? And if the whole body becomes an ear, how will we distinguish smells?
18 The body has many parts. And God planned to place each part of the body in a certain place.
19 Suppose, all parts of the body would become the same. Could such a body be able to function?
20 The body has many different parts, and all of them form a single organism.
21 The eye cannot say, “Hand, I do not need you.” And the head also cannot say, “Feet, I do not need you.”
22 And it happens that we may think that our vital organs are not as significant as the other parts of our body.
23 And if we notice any imperfection, we care more about this part of our body.
24 And the other parts of our body do not need any special care. We hide our imperfections and those parts of our body that no one should see under the clothes. God created the body in such a way that we take special care of those parts of the body which really need it.
25 The parts of our body cannot be at war with one another. Instead, all the parts of the body have mutual concern for one another.
26 That is why if some part of the body suffers, the other parts of the body will also suffer. And if we pay more attention to a specific part of the body, it benefits the whole body.
27 All together you form the Body of Christ. And each of you is a separate part in His Body.
28 First, God appointed the apostles in the Church. Second, He appointed the prophets. And third, God appointed the teachers. To some people He gave the ability to perform miracles. To others God gave the gifts of healings. To someone else He gave the ability to help others. There are also those among you to whom God gave the ability to lead. To others He gave supernatural ability to pray in different languages.
29 But did all of us become apostles, prophets or teachers? Do all of us have supernatural abilities to perform miracles?
30 Did all of us receive the gifts of healings? Do all of us have supernatural ability to pray in tongues? Is everyone capable of interpreting prayer in unknown languages?
31 Make every effort to sincerely serve one another with the gifts which will benefit you the most. And I want to tell you about the most important thing so that you could walk the perfect way.
Chapter 13
1 If I pray in different languages of people and angels, but I do it without love then I am acting like an annoying bell or a noisy musical plate.
2 Suppose, I know everything because I have the gift of prophecy which reveals all the secrets to me. Suppose, I can move mountains because I have all the faith. But if I treat people without love, I am of no value.
3 I can give away everything I have. I can die in the fire like a martyr. But if I sacrifice myself without love, this sacrifice is in vain.
4 He who loves shows great patience and treats people kindly. He who loves does not envy others, does not praise himself and is not proud of himself.
5 He who loves does not insult people and does not put his own interests above the interests of others. He who loves does not get irritated and does not think of how to do evil.
6 He who loves grieves when injustice wins. He who loves rejoices when the truth triumphs.
7 He who loves forgives everything and never loses faith. He who loves always has hope and patiently goes through all difficulties.
8 The time will come when people stop prophesying, praying in tongues, and they will no longer need knowledge. But we will never stop loving.
9 Now we do not have complete knowledge. And when we prophesy, we do not see all the details.
10 But when the perfect time comes then all what is temporary will stop existing.
11 When I was little I spoke, thought and reasoned like a child. But when I became a man, I stopped acting like a child.
12 Now we can see the future like an unclear image which resembles a reflection in a dim mirror. But the time will come and then we will see everything as clearly as we can see each other in person. Now I do not have complete knowledge. But the time will come, and I will know God as well as He knows me.
13 Now we should believe, have hope and love. But most of all, we should make every effort to treat one another with love.
Chapter 14
1 Make every effort to love one another. You should have a strong desire to receive spiritual gifts. And most of all, you should desire to prophesy.
2 He who prays in an unknown language does not speak to people, but to God. When a person prays in the Spirit, he speaks mysteries which no one can understand.
3 But he who prophesies speaks to people. Prophecy makes people strong. It inspires and brings peace to their hearts.
4 He who prays in an unknown language strengthens himself. But he who prophesies makes the whole church strong.
5 I want all of you to pray in unknown languages. But even more, I want you to prophesy. He who prophesies brings more benefit to the church than he who prays in tongues. But prayer in unknown languages can also strengthen the church. For this to happen, the one who prays in tongues should interpret his prayer for the church.
6 Brothers, if I come to you and start praying in unknown languages, it will not bring you any benefit. But if I share with you some revelation, knowledge, prophecy or sermon, it will be useful for you.
7 Look at lifeless objects such as the flute and harp. If they play out of tune, no one will recognize the melody.
8 And if the trumpet makes an unclear signal, the soldiers will not prepare for the battle.
9 The same thing applies to you. When you pray in unknown languages, no one can understand what you are saying. You shake the air with your words in vain.
10 There are many words in different languages in the world, and each word has its meaning.
11 But if I do not understand the language of another person, and he does not understand me then we are foreigners to each other.
12 You have a strong desire for spiritual gifts to work through you. But you should make every effort to have an abundance of such gifts which will strengthen your church.
13 That is why if someone speaks in an unknown language, he should pray to receive the gift of interpretation of tongues.
14 When I speak in an unknown language, only my spirit prays. But my mind does not understand what I am saying.
15 So how should I pray? I will pray in the Spirit in an unknown language. And I will also pray with my mind and speak words which I understand. I will sing in the Spirit in an unknown language. And I will also sing with my mind in a language which I understand.
16 When you pray in an unknown language, you thank God and bless Him in the Spirit. But suppose, there is a person next to you who does not understand what spiritual gifts are. He will not be able to understand your prayer, so he will not say, “Amen.”
17 When you pray in tongues, you thank God well. But such a prayer cannot strengthen another person.
18 I thank my God that I pray in unknown languages more than all of you.
19 But when I come to church, I want other people to learn something. That is why in church I would rather say five understandable words than many words in an unknown language.
20 Brothers, you should not do evil. Be innocent like children. But you should approach spiritual gifts like adults, not like children.
21 The Lord said in the Scriptures, “I will speak to this nation through people who speak in unknown languages. And this nation will not believe in Me.”
22 Tongues are supernatural manifestation. But this gift cannot change an unbeliever and make him a believer. But prophecy can influence an unbeliever so that he will turn to God.
23 Suppose, the whole church gathered together, and everyone started speaking in unknown languages. And at this time some unbelievers or those who do not understand what spiritual gifts are came to you. Wouldn’t they say that you are crazy?
24 But suppose, everyone in the church is prophesying. And at this time some unbelievers or those who know nothing about spiritual gifts came to you. Because of the prophecy they will feel that they are sinners. And they will think about the way they live.
25 Prophecy will reveal the secret thoughts hidden in a person’s heart. Then he will kneel before God and exclaim, “God is truly present among you!”
26 Brothers, here is what I want to tell you. When you get together, each of you can praise God with a song. Some of you may preach, and others may share a revelation. One person can pray in an unknown language, and another one can interpret that language. And everything you do should strengthen your church.
27 Two or a maximum of three people can take turns praying in an unknown language. And let someone else interpret what they said.
28 Perhaps there will be no one among you who could interpret prayer in unknown languages. In that case, do not pray in tongues loudly so that the whole church could hear you. But pray silently and speak in tongues to God, not to the church.
29 Two or three prophets may speak a word from the Lord, and the rest should discuss what they have said.
30 Suppose, God will give a revelation to someone else in the church. In this case, the one who started speaking first should stop and allow the next person to speak.
31 You all can prophesy one after another. And this way, you all will learn from one another, and you all will be inspired.
32 Each prophet is able to control his prophetic gift.
33 God does not create chaos. Instead, He establishes order and peace. Such rules should be applied in all churches where the holy people of God meet together.
34 When women come to church, they should listen, not talk. They should not break order during church meetings. The Law of Moses also speaks about it.
35 If a woman has a question during a meeting, she should ask her husband about it at home. A woman should be ashamed to interrupt others and break order in the church.
36 You were not the first ones who started preaching the Word of God. And you were not the first ones who heard the Word of God.
37 There are those in your church who consider themselves to be prophets or spiritual people. In this case, they should understand that I am writing to you about the commandments given to us by the Lord.
38 And if someone does not accept the commandments of God, God will not accept such a person.
39 Brothers, make every effort to prophesy. And also do not forbid praying in tongues.
40 But you should conduct your meetings properly and avoid creating disorder.
Chapter 15
1 Brothers, I preached to you the Good News about Christ. And I remind you that you accepted it, and now you firmly believe in it.
2 Through this News you received salvation. But you must believe the way I spoke and preached to you. And if you believe in something else, such faith will not be able to save you.
3 First of all, I taught you the most important things which I received from God. The Scriptures say that Christ died for our sins.
4 The Scriptures also say that Christ was buried, but on the third day He was resurrected.
5 After that He appeared to Peter, and then to the twelve apostles.
6 Then Christ also appeared to the other brothers. At the same time over 5,000 people saw Him. Most of these people are still alive, and some have already died.
7 After that Christ appeared to James and to all the apostles.
8 Finally, Christ also appeared to me. But I was not able to serve Christ just as miscarriage is not able to live.
9 I am the least important of all the apostles. And I am not worthy to be called an apostle because I was persecuting the Church of God.
10 But God’s grace changed me and made me a different person. It was not in vain that God poured out His grace into my life. I worked harder than all the other apostles. But actually I cannot take credit for this, because it was God’s grace working through me, and it was always with me.
11 It does not matter who shared with you about Christ — whether it was me or the other apostles. We all preach the same message which you believed in.
12 We taught you that Christ rose from the dead. But why do some of you say that the dead will not rise again?
13 If the dead do not rise then Christ did not rise either.
14 And if Christ did not rise then our message has no meaning, and your faith is also meaningless.
15 Suppose, God will not raise the dead. It means that He also did not resurrect Christ. In this case, if we preach that God raised Christ, we become false witnesses, because we are lying about God.
16 If the dead are not raised again, Christ was not raised either.
17 And if Christ was not resurrected, your faith has no meaning. And you still live in your sins.
18 In this case, those people who believed in Christ and died would perish forever.
19 If we have hope in Christ in this life only, we are the most miserable among all people.
20 But Christ was the first who rose from the dead. We will die, but we will be resurrected like Him.
21 Death came into this world through a man. In the same way, the resurrection from the dead came into this world through a Man.
22 Just as everyone dies because of Adam, so in Christ everyone will become alive.
23 God resurrects all people in particular order. Christ was the first raised by God from the dead. And when Christ comes to the earth, God will resurrect those who belong to Christ.
24 And after that the end will come. Christ will destroy every ruler, authority and power. And He will restore the Kingdom back to God the Father.
25 Christ will reign until He conquers all His enemies, and until they fall under His feet.
26 Death is the last enemy which Christ will destroy.
27 The Scriptures say that God put everything under the feet of Christ. But it is clear that God Himself does not submit to Christ.
28 God gave authority to His Son. And when everything submits to Christ, the Son will give back His authority to God. Then God will reign everywhere and over everything.
29 When believers are baptized with water, some of them are persecuted and die for Christ. But new believers step forward to take their place. They know that they could be also killed after baptism. But they believe that they will be resurrected.
30 Every hour we face danger. And we also believe that if we die, we will be resurrected.
31 Brothers, I assure you that every day I am facing mortal danger. But I rejoice that you turned to our Lord Jesus Christ.
32 When I was in the city of Ephesus, I was attacked by wild animals, and I was fighting them. But I was sure that if I die, I would be resurrected. If we look at this from a human point of view and do not believe that the dead will rise then why should we follow Christ? Let’s eat and drink, because tomorrow we will die!
33 Do not deceive yourselves — bad friends will spoil a good person.
34 You should think about the way you live. Stop sinning. I am saying this to make you feel ashamed, because some of you do not know God.
35 Perhaps someone will ask, “How will people rise from the dead? And what will their bodies look like?”
36 Why can’t you understand such simple things? When we sow a seed, first it dies, and then it comes to life.
37 We do not sow the plant itself, but ordinary grain. For example, we can sow wheat grain or some other grain.
38 God determined in advance the way the plant would look like. And different types of plants grow from different seeds.
39 Living creatures also look differently. The form of human body is different from the form of the body of animals, fish or birds.
40 There are also heavenly and earthly bodies. But the greatness of heavenly bodies is different from earthly ones.
41 The sun shines with one kind of light, and the moon and stars with another one. Stars also differ from one another in their magnificence.
42 If you look at the grain, you cannot tell what the plant will look like. We can say the same thing about the resurrection from the dead. A mortal body is buried in the ground, but an immortal body will be resurrected.
43 When a person dies, there is no greatness in his body. But when God raises a person, He will fill his body with His glory. When a person dies, his body becomes powerless. But when God resurrects a person, He will fill his body with His power.
44 The physical body of a person will die, but the spiritual body will be resurrected. There are physical and spiritual bodies.
45 The Scriptures say, “Adam was the first person who received physical life. And Christ became the last Adam who gives spiritual life.”
46 First, a physical body is born, then a spiritual one, but not the other way around.
47 The first man came from the earth, because God created him from the dust of the earth. And the second Man came from heaven.
48 Earthly people look like earthly Adam. But heavenly people look like Christ who came from heaven.
49 Now we look like Adam whom God created from the earth. But we will look like Christ who came from heaven.
50 Brothers, I am saying that now we live in physical bodies which have blood in them. But when we receive the inheritance in the Kingdom of God, our earthly bodies will not be able to go there because the mortal does not inherit the immortal.
51 I will tell you a secret. Some believers will see the coming of the Lord during their earthly life. Then the bodies of all the living and dead will be transformed suddenly.
52 It will happen instantly when the last trumpet blows. Then the dead will rise to live forever. And those believers who are living on the earth at the time of the Lord’s coming will be also transformed.
53 Now our bodies are subject to death. But believers must receive bodies which will never die. Our mortal bodies must become immortal.
54 The time will come when the dead will be resurrected for eternal life, and they will receive immortal bodies instead of mortal ones. Then the word which the prophet wrote in the Scriptures will be fulfilled, “God won the victory which destroyed death.”
55 Death, you will never win again! Death, you will never strike with your sting again!
56 The Law of Moses shows that humanity is under the power of sin. People sin, that is why death strikes them with its sting.
57 But our Lord Jesus Christ conquered sin and death. And we thank God who gave us the victory of Christ.
58 My dear brothers, believe firmly and have no doubt. You should know that everything you do for the Lord will bring results. That is why you should always work for Him with full dedication.
Chapter 16
1 Now I would like to discuss how you should collect money for God’s holy people who live in Jerusalem. Follow the order I established in the churches of Galatia.
2 When I come to you, I do not want to be involved in collecting money. So on the first day of the week, let each of you set aside and save as much money as his earnings allow.
3 When I come to you, I will write letters and send them with the people you choose. And they will deliver your financial aid to Jerusalem.
4 And if necessary, I will also go to Jerusalem. Then your people will accompany me.
5 I am planning to travel through Macedonia, and after that I will come to visit you.
6 Perhaps, I will stay with you for a while. And maybe I will spend the whole winter with you. And after that, I want you to help me go on my next trip.
7 I decided not to come to you now, because this visit would be very short. But if the Lord allows, I will come to you later. And I hope that I can spend some time with you.
8 I am writing you this letter from Ephesus where I will stay until the Festival of Pentecost.
9 Here God opened a wide door for me to do great work. But many people are against me.
10 Perhaps Timothy will come to visit you. Be friendly with him so that he would not feel embarrassed. He works for the Lord, just as I do.
11 No one should treat Timothy with disrespect. So peacefully say goodbye to him and help him reach me. I am waiting for him to come to me along with the other believers.
12 I strongly urged brother Apollos to visit you along with the brothers. But he did not want to go to you now. He will come to you later when he has such an opportunity.
13 Do not lose your interest in spiritual things. Firmly follow what you believe in. Be courageous and strong.
14 Show love in everything you do.
15 You know that Stephen’s family was the first who turned to Christ in Achaia. They dedicated themselves to serving the holy people of God.
16 Brothers, I urge you to follow the example of people like them. Work together with those who completely commit themselves to serving the Lord.
17 I was so glad when Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus came to visit me. We had such a great time together that I felt as if I was visiting you.
18 They strengthened me spiritually just as they strengthened you. So you should respect such people.
19 The churches located in the province of Asia send you greetings. Aquila, Priscilla and all the church which meets at their home also send you warm greetings in the Lord.
20 All the brothers send you greetings. Greet each other with a holy kiss.
21 I, Paul, greet you and sign this letter with my own hand.
22 Remember that he who does not love the Lord Jesus Christ falls under the curse. Come, our Lord!
23 Live in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
24 I love you all because you belong to Jesus Christ. Amen.