Dec 2 - 1 Corinthians 9-11
1 Corinthians
1Am I not free? Am I not an Apostle? Have I not seen Christ Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord2And if I am not an Apostle to others, yet still I am to you. For you are the seal of my Apostleship in the Lord3My defense with those who question me is this4Do we not have the authority to eat and to drink5Do we not have the authority to travel around with a woman who is a sister, just as do the other Apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas6Or is it only myself and Barnabas who do not have the authority to act in this way7Who has ever served as a soldier and paid his own stipend? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat from its produce? Who pastures a flock and does not drink from the milk of the flock8Am I saying these things according to man? Or does the law not also say these things9For it is written in the law of Moses: "You shall not bind the mouth of an ox, while it is treading out the grain." Is God here concerned with the oxen10Or is he saying this, indeed, for our sake? These things were written specifically for us, because he who plows, ought to plow in hope, and he who threshes, too, in hope of receiving the produce11If we have sown spiritual things in you, is it important if we harvest from your worldly things12If others are sharers in this authority over you, why are we not more entitled? And yet we have not used this authority. Instead, we bear all things, lest we give any hindrance to the Gospel of Christ13Do you not know that those who work in the holy place eat the things that are for the holy place, and that those who serve at the altar also share with the altar14So, too, has the Lord ordained that those who announce the Gospel should live by the Gospel15Yet I have used none of these things. And I have not written so that these things may be done for me. For it is better for me to die, rather than to let anyone empty out my glory16For if I preach the Gospel, it is not glory for me. For an obligation has been laid upon me. And woe to me, if I do not preach the Gospel17For if I do this willingly, I have a reward. But if I do this reluctantly, a dispensation is granted to me18And what, then, would be my reward? So, when preaching the Gospel, I should give the Gospel without taking, so that I may not misuse my authority in the Gospel19For when I was a free man to all, I made myself the servant of all, so that I might gain all the more20And so, to the Jews, I became like a Jew, so that I might gain the Jews21To those who are under the law, I became as if I were under the law, (though I was not under the law) so that I might gain those who were under the law. To those who were without the law, I became as if I were without the law, (though I was not without the law of God, being in the law of Christ) so that I might gain those who were without the law22To the weak, I became weak, so that I might gain the weak. To all, I became all, so that I might save all23And I do everything for the sake of the Gospel, so that I may become its partner24Do you not know that, of those who run in a race, all of them, certainly, are runners, but only one achieves the prize. Similarly, you must run, so that you may achieve25And one who competes in a contest abstains from all things. And they do this, of course, so that they may achieve a corruptible crown. But we do this, so that we may achieve what is incorruptible26And so I run, but not with uncertainty. And so I fight, but not by flailing in the air27Instead, I chastise my body, so as to redirect it into servitude. Otherwise, I might preach to others, but become myself an outcast
1For I do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and they all went across the sea2And in Moses, they all were baptized, in the cloud and in the sea3And they all ate of the same spiritual food4And they all drank of the same spiritual drink. And so, they all were drinking of the spiritual rock seeking to obtain them; and that rock was Christ5But with most of them, God was not well-pleased. For they were struck down in the desert6Now these things were done as an example for us, so that we might not desire evil things, just as they desired7And so, do not take part in idolatry, as some of them did, just as it was written: "The people sat down to eat and to drink, and then they rose up to amuse themselves.8And let us not commit fornication, as some of them fornicated, and so twenty-three thousand fell on one day9And let us not tempt Christ, as some of them tempted, and so they perished by serpents10And you should not murmur, as some of them murmured, and so they perished by the destroyer11Now all of these things happened to them as an example, and so they have been written for our correction, because the final age has fallen upon us12And so, whosoever considers himself to be standing, let him be careful not to fall13Temptation should not take hold of you, except what is human. For God is faithful, and he will not permit you to be tempted beyond your ability. Instead, he will effect his Providence, even during temptation, so that you may be able to bear it14Because of this, most beloved of mine, flee from the worship of idols15Since I am speaking to those who are prudent, judge what I say for yourselves16The cup of benediction that we bless, is it not a communion in the Blood of Christ? And the bread that we break, is it not a participation in the Body of the Lord17Through the one bread, we, though many, are one body: all of us who are partakers of the one bread18Consider Israel, according to the flesh. Are not those who eat from the sacrifices partakers of the altar19What is next? Should I say that what is immolated to idols is anything? Or that the idol is anything20But the things that the Gentiles immolate, they immolate to demons, and not to God. And I do not want you to become partakers with demons21You cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of demons. You cannot be partakers of the table of the Lord, and partakers of the table of demons22Or should we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he is? All is lawful to me, but not all is expedient23All is lawful to me, but not all is edifying24Let no one seek for himself, but for others25Whatever is sold in the market, you may eat, without asking questions for the sake of conscience26"The earth and all its fullness belong to the Lord.27If you are invited by any unbelievers, and you are willing to go, you may eat whatever is set before you, without asking questions for the sake of conscience28But if anyone says, "This has been sacrificed to idols," do not eat it, for the sake of the one who told you, and for the sake of conscience29But I am referring to the conscience of the other person, not to yours. For why should my liberty be judged by the conscience of another30If I partake with thanksgiving, why should I be slandered over that for which I give thanks31Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever else you may do, do everything for the glory of God32Be without offense toward the Jews, and toward the Gentiles, and toward the Church of God33just as I also, in all things, please everyone, not seeking what is best for myself, but what is best for many others, so that they may be saved
1Be imitators of me, as I also am of Christ2Now I praise you, brothers, because you are mindful of me in everything, in such a way as to hold to my precepts as I have handed them down to you3So I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ. But the head of woman is man. Yet truly, the head of Christ is God4Every man praying or prophesying with his head covered disgraces his head5But every woman praying or prophesying with her head not covered disgraces her head. For it is the same as if her head were shaven6So if a woman is not veiled, let her hair be cut off. Truly then, if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut off, or to have her head shaven, then she should cover her head7Certainly, a man ought not to cover his head, for he is the image and glory of God. But woman is the glory of man8For man is not of woman, but woman is of man9And indeed, man was not created for woman, but woman was created for man10Therefore, a woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head, because of the Angels11Yet truly, man would not exist without woman, nor would woman exist without man, in the Lord12For just as woman came into existence from man, so also does man exist through woman. But all things are from God13Judge for yourselves. Is it proper for a woman to pray to God unveiled14Does not even nature herself teach you that, indeed, if a man grows his hair long, it is a disgrace for him15Yet truly, if a woman grows her hair long, it is a glory for her, because her hair has been given to her as a covering16But if anyone has a mind to be contentious, we have no such custom, nor does the Church of God17Now I caution you, without praising, about this: that you assemble together, and not for better, but for worse18First of all, indeed, I hear that when you assemble together in the church, there are schisms among you. And I believe this, in part19For there must also be heresies, so that those who have been tested may be made manifest among you20And so, when you assemble together as one, it is no longer in order to eat the Lord’s supper21For each one first takes his own supper to eat. And as a result, one person is hungry, while another is inebriated22Do you not have houses, in which to eat and drink? Or do you have such contempt for the Church of God that you would confound those who do not have such contempt? What should I say to you? Should I praise you? I am not praising you in this23For I have received from the Lord what I have also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus, on the same night that he was handed over, took bread24and giving thanks, he broke it, and said: "Take and eat. This is my body, which shall be given up for you. Do this in remembrance of me.25Similarly also, the cup, after he had eaten supper, saying: "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.26For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord, until he returns27And so, whoever eats this bread, or drinks from the cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be liable of the body and blood of the Lord28But let a man examine himself, and, in this way, let him eat from that bread, and drink from that cup29For whoever eats and drinks unworthily, eats and drinks a sentence against himself, not discerning it to be the body of the Lord30As a result, many are weak and sick among you, and many have fallen asleep31But if we ourselves were discerning, then certainly we would not be judged32Yet when we are judged, we are being corrected by the Lord, so that we might not be condemned along with this world33And so, my brothers, when you assemble together to eat, be attentive to one another34If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, so that you may not assemble together unto judgment. As for the rest, I will set it in order when I arrive