Warning against Idolatry

101 And I do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, 2 and all to Moses were baptized in the cloud, and in the sea; 3 and all the same spiritual food did eat, 4 and all the same spiritual drink did drink, for they were drinking of a spiritual rock following them, and the rock was the Christ; 5 but in the most of them God was not well pleased, for they were strewn in the wilderness,

6 and those things became types of us, for our not passionately desiring evil things, as also these did desire. 7 Neither become ye idolaters, as certain of them, as it hath been written, 'The people sat down to eat and to drink, and stood up to play;' 8 neither may we commit whoredom, as certain of them did commit whoredom, and there fell in one day twenty-three thousand; 9 neither may we tempt the Christ, as also certain of them did tempt, and by the serpents did perish; 10 neither murmur ye, as also some of them did murmur, and did perish by the destroyer. 11 And all these things as types did happen to those persons, and they were written for our admonition, to whom the end of the ages did come, 12 so that he who is thinking to stand—let him observe, lest he fall. 13 No temptation hath taken you—except human; and God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above what ye are able, but He will make, with the temptation, also the outlet, for your being able to bear 'it'. 14 Wherefore, my beloved, flee from the idolatry;

15 as to wise men I speak—judge ye what I say: 16 The cup of the blessing that we bless—is it not the fellowship of the blood of the Christ? the bread that we break—is it not the fellowship of the body of the Christ? 17 because one bread, one body, are we the many—for we all of the one bread do partake. 18 See Israel according to the flesh! are not those eating the sacrifices in the fellowship of the altar? 19 what then do I say? that an idol is anything? or that a sacrifice offered to an idol is anything?— 20 'no,' but that the things that the nations sacrifice—they sacrifice to demons and not to God; and I do not wish you to come into the fellowship of the demons. 21 Ye are not able the cup of the Lord to drink, and the cup of demons; ye are not able of the table of the Lord to partake, and of the table of demons; 22 do we arouse the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than He?

Do All to the Glory of God

23 All things to me are lawful, but all things are not profitable; all things to me are lawful, but all things do not build up; 24 let no one seek his own—but each another's. 25 Whatever in the meat-market is sold eat ye, not inquiring, because of the conscience, 26 for the Lord's 'is' the earth, and its fulness; 27 and if any one of the unbelieving do call you, and ye wish to go, all that is set before you eat, nothing inquiring, because of the conscience; 28 and if any one may say to you, 'This is a thing sacrificed to an idol,'—do not eat, because of that one who shewed 'it', and of the conscience, for the Lord's 'is' the earth and its fulness: 29 and conscience, I say, not of thyself, but of the other, for why 'is it' that my liberty is judged by another's conscience? 30 and if I thankfully do partake, why am I evil spoken of, for that for which I give thanks? 31 Whether, then, ye eat, or drink, or do anything, do all to the glory of God; 32 become offenceless, both to Jews and Greeks, and to the assembly of God; 33 as I also in all things do please all, not seeking my own profit, but that of many—that they may be saved.

Laborers Together with God

31 And I, brethren, was not able to speak to you as to spiritual, but as to fleshly—as to babes in Christ; 2 with milk I fed you, and not with meat, for ye were not yet able, but not even yet are ye now able, 3 for yet ye are fleshly, for where 'there is' among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not fleshly, and in the manner of men do walk? 4 for when one may say, 'I, indeed, am of Paul;' and another, 'I—of Apollos;' are ye not fleshly?

5 Who, then, is Paul, and who Apollos, but ministrants through whom ye did believe, and to each as the Lord gave? 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God was giving growth; 7 so that neither is he who is planting anything, nor he who is watering, but He who is giving growth—God; 8 and he who is planting and he who is watering are one, and each his own reward shall receive, according to his own labour, 9 for of God we are fellow-workmen; God's tillage, God's building ye are. 10 According to the grace of God that was given to me, as a wise master-builder, a foundation I have laid, and another doth build on 'it',

11 for other foundation no one is able to lay except that which is laid, which is Jesus the Christ; 12 and if any one doth build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 of each the work shall become manifest, for the day shall declare 'it', because in fire it is revealed, and the work of each, what kind it is, the fire shall prove; 14 if of any one the work doth remain that he built on 'it', a wage he shall receive; 15 if of any the work is burned up, he shall suffer loss; and himself shall be saved, but so as through fire.

16 have ye not known that ye are a sanctuary of God, and the Spirit of God doth dwell in you? 17 if any one the sanctuary of God doth waste, him shall God waste; for the sanctuary of God is holy, the which ye are.

18 Let no one deceive himself; if any one doth seem to be wise among you in this age—let him become a fool, that he may become wise, 19 for the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God, for it hath been written, 'Who is taking the wise in their craftiness;' 20 and again, 'The Lord doth know the reasonings of the wise, that they are vain.'

21 So then, let no one glory in men, for all things are yours, 22 whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things about to be—all are yours, 23 and ye 'are' Christ's, and Christ 'is' God's.