Study Desk

Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock that the Holy Spirit has appointed you to as overseers, to shepherd the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood.

I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church in Cenchreae.

Greet also the church that meets in their home. Greet my dear friend Epaenetus, who is the first convert to Christ from Asia.

Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus greet you.

To God's church at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus and called as saints, with all those in every place who call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord—both their Lord and ours.

This is why I have sent Timothy to you. He is my dearly loved and faithful son in the Lord. He will remind you about my ways in Christ Jesus, just as I teach everywhere in every church.

So if you have cases pertaining to this life, do you select those who have no standing in the church to judge?

Give no offense to the Jews or the Greeks or the church of God,

For to begin with, I hear that when you come together as a church there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it.

Don't you have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you look down on the church of God and embarrass those who have nothing? What should I say to you? Should I praise you? I do not praise you for this!

And God has placed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, next miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, managing, various kinds of languages.

The person who speaks in another language builds himself up, but he who prophesies builds up the church.

I wish all of you spoke in other languages, but even more that you prophesied. The person who prophesies is greater than the person who speaks in languages, unless he interprets so that the church may be built up.

So also you—since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, seek to excel in building up the church.

yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, in order to teach others also, than 10,000 words in another language.

Therefore, if the whole church assembles together and all are speaking in other languages and people who are uninformed or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your minds?

But if there is no interpreter, that person should keep silent in the church and speak to himself and to God.

And if they want to learn something, they should ask their own husbands at home, for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church meeting.

For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly in the Lord, along with the church that meets in their home.