God that I baptized none of you, wise; and the weak things of the save Crispus and Gaius; lest any world hath he chosen, to put to man should say that ye were bap- shame the things which are strong; tized into my name. And I bap- and the mean things of the world, tized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other.

and the things which are despised, yea, and the things which are esteemed of no account, hath God appointed, to bring to nought things that are; that no flesh might boast before God.

4 Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel; not with wisdom of speech, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect. 8 And so it is that we are in For the preaching of the cross is to Christ Jesus, who was chosen by those who are perishing, foolishness; God to become to us wisdom, and but to us who are being saved, it is righteousness, and sanctification, the power of God. As it is written, and redemption. According, then, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, as it is written, so let it be, He that and will bring to nought the discern- glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. ment of the discerning.

SELECTION II.

5 Where now are the wise men, the scribes, the disputers of the The higher truths of God can only be world? Hath not God made their revealed through the Divine Spirit to those wisdom to appear foolish? For who are spiritually minded; and spiritual since the world by its wisdom knew babes must not expect to understand those not God, it pleased God, in his wis- truths which only spiritual manhood is dom, by the simplicity of preaching competent to receive. to illuminate those who believe.

AND I, brethren, when I came to

you, came not with eloquence

6 The Jews ask for signs, and the Greeks seek for profound knowledge, of speech, or of wisdom, to declare but we preach Christ crucified; to to you the testimony of God; for the Jews he is a stumbling-block, I resolved not to know any thing and to the Greeks foolishness, but to among you, save Jesus Christ, and those who are called, both Jews and him crucified. I was with you in Greeks, he is the power of God, and weakness, and in fear, and in much the wisdom of God. So it is that trembling; and my speech and my the foolishness of God is wiser than preaching were not in persuasive men; and the weakness of God is words of wisdom, but in demonstronger than men. stration of the Spirit, and of power; and this, in order that your faith might not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.

7 For consider, brethren, who they are that have accepted Christ; not many wise men after the fashion of the world, not many mighty, 2 But to the wise we do speak not many noble. So it is that God wisdom; not indeed the wisdom of hath chosen the foolish things of the age, nor of the rulers of the age, the world, to put to shame the which amounts to nothing: but we

7 On this account, brethren, I was not able to speak to you as to spir

speak God's wisdom in a mystery, the spiritual mind which was in even the hidden wisdom, which God, Christ. before the age began, appointed for our glory. This is the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age com- itual men, but as to those who are prehended; for had they compre- not spiritual, even as to babes in hended it, they would not have Christ; so I fed you with milk, incrucified the glorious Master who re- stead of meat, because ye were not vealed it. then able to bear it.

8 Nor indeed are ye even now able to bear it; for ye are yet unspiritual; while there is among you rivalry and strife, are ye not unspiritual, walking after the manner of

3 But as it is written: Eye hath not seen, ear hath not heard, and it hath not entered into the mind of man to comprehend the great things which God hath prepared for those that love him; for God by his Spirit worldly-minded men? For while hath revealed them to us; and the Spirit searcheth all things, even the depths of God.

4 For who among men knoweth even the secrets of a man, but the spirit of the man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no one but the Spirit of God.

5 We did not receive the spirit of worldly wisdom in order to know the things that have been revealed to us by the grace of God; but we received the Spirit of God; and the things thereby revealed we also speak, not in words taught by man's wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, connecting what is spiritual with what is spiritual.

one is saying, I am a disciple of Paul; and another, I am a disciple of Apollos; are ye not like common men?

9 Who then is Apollos? and what is Paul? Servants through whom ye believed; and that according to the wisdom which the Lord gave to each of us? I planted, Apollos watered; but it was God who gave the growth.

10 So then, neither he that planteth nor he that watereth is any thing, but God that giveth the growth: also he that planteth and he that watereth are one; and each will receive his own reward, according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow-laborers, and ye are God's

SELECTION III.

6 For the man of unspiritualized tilled land. mind.cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God; they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them; because they must be spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritually minded understandeth all these things, even though he himself is understood by no one; for who

hath known the mind of the Lord, to be instructed by him? We have

Those who receive the teachings and inspirations of the Divine Spirit are thereby made temples of God; therefore every one should seek to be holy, humble, and full of loving self-sacrifice toward others. NOW ye are God's building. Ac

cording to the grace of God bestowed on me, I, as a skilful mas

ter-builder, laid the foundation; and then, as only servants of Christ, and another buildeth thereon: but let stewards of God's mysteries.

every one take heed how he buildeth; for a different foundation is no man strong enough to lay than that which I have already put in place, that is, Christ Jesus.

6 But it is required of stewards, that they should be found faithful. However, with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged as to my faithfulness by you, or by any human tribunal; nay, I do not even judge myself; for though I may be conscious to myself of noth

2 But if any one build upon this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble, the work of every one will be made manifest; ing wrong, yet not by this am I for the day will show it; because it cleared of blame; for he that judgwill be tried by fire; and the fire it-eth me is the Lord. self will prove what kind of work it is. If the work which any one hath built thereon remaineth, he will receive reward; if any one's work shall be consumed, he will lose the reward, but he himself will be saved, yet as one saved by escaping through fire.

3 Know then that ye are God's temple, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any one defaceth the temple of God, God will deface him; for the temple of God is holy, and such are ye.

4 Let no one deceive himself; if any one thinketh himself wise among you in this age, let him become as a fool, in order that he may become truly wise; for the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God; as it is written: He taketh the wise in their craftiness; and again: The Lord knoweth the reasonings of the wise, that they are vain. So then, let no one be too confident of the wisdom of men.

7 So then judge nothing prematurely, but wait for the Lord, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and make manifest the purposes of men's hearts; and then shall every one have his just praise from God.

8 These things, brethren, I have transferred in a figurative language to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that through us ye may learn not to esteem yourselves too highly; and that no one of you may exalt himself over another. For who maketh thee to differ from another? And what hast thou that thou didst not receive? And if thou didst receive it, why dost thou boast, as if thou hadst not received it?

9 Already ye think ye are full! already ye think ye are rich! already ye have become kings as ye think, and that without our help! I would indeed ye were kings, that we also might reign with you; for God, as it appears, hath set forth us the apostles as the very lowest of men. Sentenced to death, we are made a spectacle to the age, both before angels and men. We are fools for Christ's

5 All things are yours; whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come,-all are yours; and ye are of Christ, and Christ is of God. Let us be considered sake, but ye think ye are wise in

3 What have I to do with judging those who are without? Judge ye, those who are among yourselves; and those who are without, God will judge: put away bad men from among you.

Christ; we are weak, but ye think extortioner; with such a one do not ye are strong; ye are in honor, but even eat. we are despised. Even to this very hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling-place, and labor, working with our own hands; being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure it; being slandered, we exhort; we have become as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now.

4 Doth any one of you, who hath a matter of law against another, presume to bring it for settlement before the unrighteous, and not before Io I do not write these things to the righteous? Do ye not know, shame you, but to admonish you as that righteous men shall judge the my beloved children: for though ye world? And if the world is judged should have ten thousand teachers by you, are ye unworthy to judge in in Christ, yet have ye not many causes of the least importance? fathers; I begot you in Christ Jesus, Know ye not that we shall judge through the gospel; I exhort you angels, much more matters of this therefore, be ye followers of me. present life?

SELECTION IV.

5 If then ye have any causes relating to this life, why do ye set men Only those who strive to be pure in heart to judge who are of no repute in the and life should be admitted to, or retained congregation? I speak this to your in, the church of God on earth; for the shame. Is it so, that there is not a church is designed to be a brotherhood of wise man among you, not one that those who are seeking to be holy, and to is able to judge between his brethglorify God both in body and in spirit.

KNOW ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Cleanse out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump.

ren ?

Brother going to law with brother, and that before unbelievers! This is altogether an evil among you, that ye have law-suits against each other. Why do ye not rather submit to wrong? Why do ye not rather allow yourselves to be defrauded?

2 I wrote to you in my letter, not to keep company with fornicators; certainly not meaning the fornica- 6 But ye yourselves wrong, and tors, or the covetous and extortion- defraud, and that too your own ers, or idolaters, of the world in gen- brethren! Do ye not know that eral; for to do this it would be wrongdoers shall have no place in necessary to go out of the world. the kingdom of God? Do not be But this is what I meant, not to deceived; neither fornicators, nor keep in your company any one who idolaters, nor adulterers, nor the calls himself a brother, and yet is a effeminate, nor abusers of themselves fornicator, or covetous, or an idola- with mankind, nor thieves, nor the ter, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers,

nor extortioners, shall have any place in the kingdom of God.

7 And such were some of you: but ye were washed, and made holy, and accepted as righteous in the name of Jesus the Master, and the Spirit of our God.

SELECTION V.

Teachers of religion have a right to receive needful material sustenance from those whom they serve; and yet rather than compromise their liberty as truth-speakers, they should refuse either to claim or to re

ceive it.

ΑΝ

M I not free? Am I not an
Have I not seen

apostle?
Jesus our Master?
work in the Lord?

Are not ye my

If I am not an

8 All things are permitted to me, but all things are not profitable; all things are permitted to me, but I will not be made the slave of any thing. Meats are for the stomach, apostle to others, yet surely I am to and the stomach for meats; but God you; and ye are the seal of my will bring them both to an end. The apostleship in the Lord. body is not designed for sensual gratifications, but for the Lord, and the Lord for it. And as through his power God raised up the Master, so will he in like manner raise us up.

9 Know ye not that your body is consecrated to Christ? Shall I then take that which is consecrated to Christ, and give it away to a harlot ? God forbid! Do ye not know that he who is connected with a harlot is one body with her? But he that is connected with the Lord is one spirit with him. Flee then from sensual gratifications; for all other sins which a man may commit, are apart from the body; but he that is sensual, sinneth against his own body.

2 This is my answer to those who question me. Have not we a right to eat and drink? Who ever serveth as a soldier at his own charges? Who planteth a vineyard without eating its fruit? Or who tendeth a flock and doth not eat of the milk of the flock?

3 And it is not on man's authority alone that I am saying this, for it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle an ox while treading out grain. Is it for oxen only that God careth? Or doth he not say it also on our account? On our account, no doubt, it was also written, that he who plougheth might plough in hope, and that he who thrasheth should do it in the hope of partaking. 4 If we have sown to you spiritual things, is it a great obligation on our part if we reap from you things needful for the body? If others possess this right in relation to you, do not II Knowledge puffeth up, but love we still more? Nevertheless we have buildeth up. If any one think that not used this right, but have subhe knoweth any thing, he knoweth mitted to all things, that we might nothing yet, as he ought to know; occasion no hindrance to the gospel but if any one love God, the same is of Christ. known by him.

IO Do ye not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have received from God? And that ye are not your own, but are bought with a price? Therefore glorify God in your body.

5 Do ye not know, that they