so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” ¹ 

I am not writing these things to shame you, but to correct you as my dear children.

I wrote you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people.

Now with regard to the issues you wrote about: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” ¹ 

For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will thwart the cleverness of the intelligent.” ¹ 

If anyone considers himself a prophet or spiritual person, he should acknowledge that what I write to you is the Lord’s command.

For the wisdom of this age is foolishness with God. As it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness.” ¹ 

For it is written in the law of Moses, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” ¹  God is not concerned here about oxen, is he?

Or is he not surely speaking for our benefit? It was written for us, because the one plowing and threshing ought to work in hope of enjoying the harvest.

So do not be idolaters, as some of them were. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” ¹ 

These things happened to them as examples and were written for our instruction, on whom the ends of the ages have come.

It is written in the law: “By people with strange tongues and by the lips of strangers I will speak to this people, yet not even in this way will they listen to me,” ¹  says the Lord.

So also it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living person”; ¹  the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

Now when this perishable puts on the imperishable, and this mortal puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will happen, “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” ¹ 

But just as it is written, “Things that no eye has seen, or ear heard, or mind imagined, ¹  are the things God has prepared for those who love him.” ² 

I have applied these things to myself and Apollos because of you, brothers and sisters, ¹  so that through us you may learn “not to go beyond what is written,” so that none of you will be puffed up in favor of the one against the other.

But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who calls himself a Christian ¹  who is sexually immoral, or greedy, or an idolater, or verbally abusive, ²  or a drunkard, or a swindler. Do not even eat with such a person.

But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing these things so that something will be done for me. ¹  In fact, it would be better for me to die than – no one will deprive me of my reason for boasting! ²