Study Desk

For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy.

For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?

For he who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord's freedman. Likewise he who is called while free is Christ's slave.

I suppose therefore that this is good because of the present distress--that it is good for a man to remain as he is:

and those who use this world as not misusing it. For the form of this world is passing away.

But I want you to be without care. He who is unmarried cares for the things of the Lord--how he may please the Lord.

And this I say for your own profit, not that I may put a leash on you, but for what is proper, and that you may serve the Lord without distraction.

For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords),

yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.

However, there is not in everyone that knowledge; for some, with consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.

But food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse.

For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol's temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols?

And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?

If I am not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am to you. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

For it is written in the law of Moses, "You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain." Deuteronomy 25:4">[fn] Is it oxen God is concerned about?

Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope.

If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things?

But I have used none of these things, nor have I written these things that it should be done so to me; for it would be better for me to die than that anyone should make my boasting void.

For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!

For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a stewardship.