Children's Bible - New Testament - Sherman and Kent




Paul's Work at Corinth

And Paul left the place and went to the home of Titius Justus, who worshipped God, whose house was next to the synagogue. Crispus, the president of the synagogue, and all his family, believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians when they heard Paul, believed and were baptized. One night the Lord said to Paul in a vision, "Do not be afraid, but speak and do not stop, for I am with you and no one shall harm you; I have many followers in this city." So Paul lived there a year and a half and taught them the word of God.

But when Gallio was governor of Greece, the Jews joined in an attack on Paul and brought him before the court on the charge that he led people to worship God contrary to the law. But just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to the Jews, "If it were something about wrong-doing or a serious crime, there would be some reason for my listening to you, O Jews; but if these are only questions about names and your own law, take care of them yourselves. I do not wish to be a judge of matters like these." And he drove them out of the court. Then all the people caught hold of Sosthenes, the president of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the court; but Gallio paid no attention to these things. Paul, after staying some time longer in Corinth, said good-by to the brothers and with Priscilla and Aquila, sailed for Syria.


Paul Writes to His Friends in Corinth


Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and brother Sosthenes to the church of God at Corinth.

I thank God continually for the blessing which he has given you through Jesus Christ. Through him you have been so richly and fully gifted with every kind of speech and knowledge that you have proved the truth of the testimony which I bore to Christ when I was with you.

Brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ I beg of you all to agree in your statement of faith. There must be no quarrels among you, but you must be one both in your way of thinking and in your purpose. For I have been told, brothers, by the members of Chloe's household, that there are quarrels among you.

Avoid all impurity! Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the impure man sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit that is within you, which you have received from God? You do not belong to yourselves, for you were bought for a price. Be sure to honor God with your bodies.

No temptation has come to you that is beyond your power to resist. God is faithful and will not let you be tempted beyond what you can stand; but when the temptation comes, he will provide the way of escape, so that you will have strength to endure.

In all things I can do as I like, but they are not all good for me. In all things I can do as I like, but they do not all make me a better man. Each of us must seek not only his own good but that of his neighbor.

Do you not know that in a race, though all run, only one wins the prize? So run that you may win the prize. Every athlete exercises self-restraint in every way; but while they do this to win a crown that perishes, we do it to secure one that is eternal. So then I run as one who is sure of his goal. I do not plant my blows as a boxer who beats the air; rather I constantly train my body and keep it under control for fear that I, who told others of the contest, might myself be disqualified.

Now brothers, I wish you to understand about spiritual gifts. There are different kinds of gifts, but all are given by the same Spirit. There are different ways of serving, but all are for the same Master. There are different ways in which God's power is shown, but the same God is working in all of you in all these ways. Each is given his own gift of the Spirit for the common good.

Just as a man's body has many parts, and these parts, although many, form only one body, so it is with Christ. For we have all been baptized by the one Spirit so as to form one body. Whether we were Jews or Greeks, slaves or freemen, we have all been given the same Spirit. For the body consists not of one part but of many. If the foot were to say, "Because I am not the hand I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the ear were to say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would be, for all that, a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But as it is, God gave each part of the body its proper place, exactly as he wished. If they were all only one part, where would the body be? As it is, while there are many parts, there is only one body.

The eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you," nor can the head say to the feet, "I have no need of you." On the contrary, even those parts of the body which seem weaker are necessary. If one part suffers, all parts suffer with it. If one part is honored, all the parts share its honor.

Now you are one body—the body of Christ, and each of you are parts of it. And God gave each his proper place in the church: apostles first, prophets next, teachers third, then workers of miracles, healers, helpers, and directors.

Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all able to work miracles? Are all healers? Are all able to tell what their words mean? But always seek to attain the highest gifts.

Yet I will show you a far better way. Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels but have not love, I am only sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. Even though I have the gift of prophecy, and can understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and have faith enough to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And if I give all I have to feed the poor and my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient and kind; love is not envious; love is not boastful, is not conceited, does not act rudely, is not selfish, is never provoked, does not resent wrong; rejoices not in evil, but rejoices in the truth. Love forgives all things, believes all things, hopes for all things, endures all things.

Love never fails. As for prophecies they shall come to an end. As for tongues they shall cease. As for knowledge it also shall come to an end; for we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, that which is imperfect shall come to an end.

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child; but now that I am a man I have put away childish ways. For now we see only the dim reflection in a mirror, but then face to face. Now I know only in part, but then I shall know fully, even as also I am fully known.

And now abide faith, hope, and love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.


The New Life after Death


Now, brothers, remember the good news I preached to you, that Christ died for our sins, and that he was buried and rose again the third day.

Now if we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why do some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no such thing as a resurrection of the dead, then Christ did not rise; and if Christ did not rise then our preaching is of no value and your faith also is of no value.

But some one will say, "How do the dead rise and what kind of body will they have when they come back?" Foolish one! The seed you sow does not come to life again unless it dies. What you sow is not the body that will be, but a mere grain, perhaps of wheat or of some other seed. God gives it the kind of body that he sees fit, to each kind of seed a body of its own.

All flesh is not the same; there is human flesh, another flesh of beasts, another flesh of birds, and another of fishes. There are heavenly bodies and also earthly bodies, but the splendor of the heavenly is one thing and that of the earthly is another. There is one splendor of the sun, another splendor of the moon, and another splendor of the stars; for one star differs from another in splendor.

So it is with a man's body when he rises from the dead. It is sown a perishable thing, it is raised imperishable; it is sown without honor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.

In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, we shall be changed and this perishable body must put on the imperishable and this mortal body put on immortality. Then shall come true what is written in Scripture "Death is swallowed up by victory. O grave, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.


Ways of Showing Love


Now about the collection for God's people in Jerusalem, you must carry out the same directions that I gave to the churches in Galatia. On the first day of every week let each one put aside a certain part of what he has gained, so that the money will not have to be collected when I come. When I arrive I will send those whom you select, with letters, to carry your gift to Jerusalem, and if it is worth while for me to go too, they shall go with me.

I will come to you after I have passed through Macedonia, for I am going there. Perhaps I shall spend some time, or even pass the winter with you, that you may start me on my way, wherever I may be going. I do not wish to see you merely in passing, for my hope is to stay some time with you, if the Lord permits. But I will stay in Ephesus until the Feast of Pentecost, for I have a great opportunity here for work, and there are many foes.

If Timothy comes, see that he has nothing to fear while among you, for he is carrying on the Lord's work even as I am. So let no one slight him, but see him safely on his way that he may come to me, for I am waiting for him along with the other brothers.

Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, be men, be strong! Let all that you do be done in love.

The churches of the province in Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Prisca, with the church that meets in their home, also send you greetings, and so do all the brothers.

I, Paul, add this greeting with my own hand: "The Love of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus."