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God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

For ye see, brethren, those of you who are called; that not many of you are wise men according to the flesh, not 27 many mighty, not many noble: but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world, to shame those that are wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world, 28 to shame the things which are mighty; and the base

things of the world, and the things which are despised, hath God chosen, [yea, and] the things which are not, 29 to bring to nought the things which are +: so that none 30 can glory before God +. And by him ye are in Christ

Jesus, whom God hath made unto us wisdom, and justi31 fication, and sanctification, and redemption so that, as it is written," He who glorieth, let him glory in the Lord."

CH. II. Accordingly § I, brethren, when I came to you,

came not with excellency of speech, or of wisdom, 2 declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined

not to know any thing among you, but Jesus Christ, 3 and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, 4 and in much fear and trembling. And my speech and

my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom||, 5 but with demonstration of the spirit, and of power: that your faith might not be through the wisdom of men, but through the power of God.

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However, we speak wisdom among those that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes 7 of this world, who will come to nought: but we speak the wisdom of God in his mystery, even the hidden wisdom which God predetermined before the world for our glory:

"That is, persons." Newcome.

+"And ignoble and despised persons, and even gentiles regarded by the Jews as nothing, [Deut. xxxii. 21; 1 Pet. ii. 10.] to substitute them in the place of the people of God." Newcome.

before him. R. T.

I of man's wisdom, R.T.

§ And accordingly, N. See W.

8 which none of the princes of this world knew: (for, if they had known it, they would not have crucified the 9 Lord of glory:) but, as it is written, "Things which eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have they entered into the heart of man, God hath prepared for those 10 who love him." But God hath revealed them to us by [his] spirit*: for the spirit searcheth all things, even the 11 deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things

of a man, but the spirit of a man which is in him? In like manner also none knoweth the things of God, but 12 the spirit of God. Now we have not received the spirit

of the world, but the spirit which is from God; that we may know the things which have been freely given to us of 13 God: which things we speak also, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the spirit+ teacheth; 14 comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the sen

sual man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God: for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, 15 because they are spiritually searched out. But the spiri

tual man searcheth out all things; yet he himself is 16 searched out by no man. For who knoweth the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct the spiritual man‡? But we have the mind of Christ.

CH. III. Moreover, brethren, I could not speak to you as to 2 spiritual; but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk, not with meat for ye were not then able 3 to bear it, nor indeed are ye now able. For ye are still carnal for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, [and divisions,] are ye not carnal, and walk ac4 cording to the manner of men? For when one saith, 'I am of Paul," and another, "I am of Apollos," are ye not carnal?

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Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos? Ministers by whom ye believed; and that according as the Lord gave

*Or, the spirit, MSS. N. m.

holy spirit. R. T.

Gr. him? N. m.

6 to each of us. I planted; Apollos watered; but God 7 gave the increase. So that neither is he that planteth any

thing, nor he that watereth; but God that giveth the in8 crease. Now he that planteth, and he that watereth, are

one; and each will receive his own reward, according to 9 his own labour. For we are workers together with God: 10 ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. Accord

ing to the favour of God which hath been given unto me, I laid the foundation as a wise master-builder and another buildeth on it. But let every man take heed how he 11 buildeth on it. For none other foundation can any man 12 lay, than what is laid, which is Jesus Christ. But if

any man build upon this foundation, gold, silver, pre13 cious stones, wood, grass, stubble, every man's work will

be manifest for the great day will shew it, because it will be revealed with fire; and the fire will try every 14 man's work, of what kind it is. If any man's work remain, which he hath built on it, he will receive a reward. 15 If any man's work shall be burnt, he will suffer loss: but he himself will be saved; yet so as through the fire.

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Know ye not that ye are the temple of God; and that 17 the spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man corrupt the temple of God, God will corrupt him: for the temple 18 of God is holy, which temple ye are. Let none deceive

himself. If any among you seem to be wise in this world, 19 let him become a fool, that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, "He taketh the wise in their own craftiness." 20 And again, "The Lord knoweth the reasonings of the 21 wise, that they are vain." Let none therefore glory in 22 men for all things are yours: whether Paul, or Apol

los, or Peter*, or the world, or life, or death, or things 23 present, or things to come; all things [are] yours: and ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's.

* Gr. Cephas, N. m.

CH. IV. Let a man so account of us, as of ministers of Christ, 2 and stewards of the mysteries of God. Now it is re3 quired in stewards that a man be found faithful. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you, or by human inquiry *: yea, I do not even judge 4 myself. For I am conscious to myself of nothing evil; yet I am not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is 5 the Lord. Judge nothing therefore before the time; until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then every man will have praise from God.

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Now these things, brethren, I have transferred to myself, and to Apollos, for your sakes; that ye may learn in us not to think of men above that which is here written, that no one of you be puffed up in behalf of one against 7 another. For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou which thou didst not receive? But if thou didst only receive it, why dost thou glory as if thou 8 hadst not received it? Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned without us: and I wish ye did reign, 9 that we also might reign with you. For I think [that] God hath brought forth us apostles last †, as devoted to death for we have been made a spectacle to the world, 10 both to angels and to men. We are fools for the sake of

Christ, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are disgraced. 11 To this present hour, we both hunger and thirst, and are 12 naked, and are beaten, and have no certain abode; and 13 labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we

* Gr. day, N. m. "Questioned by you or by man's judgement." W. "Searched out, examined, so as to be justified: ver. 4. See μg, ch. i. 8; iii. 13; v. 5. Sir Norton Knatchbull's note is, Ab humano judicio. Sermone Anglico vocatur, A daysman, qui delectus est judex inter fratrem et fratrem, forte a dicendo diem, in quo judicium feret arbiter: quæ phrasis est Latinis familiaris." Newcome.

"Alluding to those last exposed on the theatre, to fight with wild beasts, or with each other; and who were devoted to certain destruction. Or, we may render, 'hath appointed us apostles the lowest of men, and as devoted to death?" Newcome.

bless; being persecuted, we bear it; being evil-spoken of, we exhort: we are made as the vilest of the world, as 14 the off-scouring of all things, until now. I write not

these things to shame you; but I admonish you as my 15 beloved sons. For if ye have ten thousand guides in Christ,

yet ye have not many fathers: for I am your father * 16 in Christ Jesus, by preaching to you the gospel. Where17 fore I exhort you, be ye imitators of me. For this cause I have sent unto you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, as I teach every where in every church.

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But some have been puffed up, as though I would not 19 come to you. But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord be willing; and I will know, not the speech of 20 those that are puffed up, but their power. For the kingdom of God is not in speech, but in power.

21 WHAT will ye? that I come to you with a rod, or in CH.love, and in the spirit of meekness? Fornication is cer

V.

tainly heard of among you, and such fornication as is nott even among the gentiles, that one should have his 2 father's wife. And are ye puffed up? and have ye not rather mourned? so that he who hath committed this 3 deed might be taken away from among you. For I truly,

[as] absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged, as though I were present, him who hath so done 4 this; that, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, (when

ye are gathered together, and my spirit with the power 5 of our Lord Jesus Christ,) ye deliver such an one to

Satan §, for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit 6 may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Your glo

* I begat you, N.

† is not named, R. T. The Primate inserts the word committed, but this does not seem necessary, either to the sense or the construction.

when ye and I, who am with you in spirit, are gathered together, &c. W. § q. d. Disown him as a christian brother. Expel him from the community of believers. Let him be regarded as a heathen: no longer a subject of Christ, but a vassal of Satan. The world is considered as divided into two great empires, one under

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