23All things are lawful for me, but all things are not profitable; all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. 24Let no man seek his own gratification, but every one another’s good.
25Every thing which is sold in the shambles eat, asking no question for conscience sake; 26“for the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof[98].” 27And if any one of those, who do not believe, invite you, and ye incline to go, eat every thing set before you, asking no question for conscience sake. 28But if any person say unto you, This is an idol’s sacrifice, eat not of it, for his sake who pointed it out, and for conscience sake. For the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof. 29Conscience indeed I say, not merely thine own, but that of the other person.
30For why is my liberty abridged by another’s conscience? If I truly with thanksgiving am a partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks?
31Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all things to the glory of God. 32Give no occasion of stumbling either to the Jews or the Gentiles, or the church of God: 33even as I please all men, not seeking my own advantage, but that of the many, that they may be saved.
[CHAP. XI.]
BE ye imitators of me, as I am of Christ. 2Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and hold fast the injunctions as I delivered them unto you. 3But I desire you to take notice that the head of every man is Christ; but the head of the woman is the man, and the head of Christ is God. 4Every man praying or prophesying, holding a veil over his head, dishonoureth his head; 5but every woman praying or prophesying with her head unveiled, dishonoureth her head; for it is one and the same thing, as if she were shaven. 6For if the woman be not veiled, let her hair be clipped: but if it would be scandalous for a woman to appear clipped or shaved, let her be veiled. 7For a man indeed ought not to veil his head, being the image and the glory of God; but the woman is the glory of the man. 8For the man is not from the woman, but the woman from the man. 9Also the man was not created for the woman, but the woman for the man. 10Therefore ought the woman to retain upon her head this badge of authority, because of the angels of the churches. 11Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, nor the woman without the man in the Lord. 12For as the woman was taken out of the man, so also is the man by the woman: but all things are of God. 13Judge among yourselves, is it decent for a woman to be praying to God without a covering? 14Does not even nature itself teach you, that if a man wear long flowing hair it is a dishonour to him? 15But if a woman let her hair flow, it is an ornament to her; for the hair was given her for a covering, 16But if any man mean to be contentious about it, we have no such custom, nor the churches of God.
17But in the matter I am going to denounce, I do not commend you, that ye meet together not for the better, but for the worse. 18For in the first place, when ye assemble in the church, I hear that there are divisions among you; and I partly believe it. 19For there must be heresies among you, that they who are the tried ones, may be made manifest among you.
20When therefore ye assemble in the same place, it is not to eat the Lord’s supper. 21For one in the eating it taketh before another his own supper: and one is hungry, and another drinks to excess. 22What! have ye not houses to eat in and to drink? or despise ye the church of God, and make those ashamed who have none? What shall I say unto you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not. 23For I received of the Lord what also I delivered to you, That the Lord Jesus, in the night in which he was betrayed, took a loaf: 24and when he had blessed it, he brake it, and said, Take, eat; this is my body, which is broken for you: do this in remembrance of me. 25In like manner also he took the cup, after they had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do, as often as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. 26For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew forth the death of the Lord till he come. 27Wherefore, whosoever eateth of this bread, or drinketh the cup of the Lord unworthily, he is guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread, and drink of the cup. 29For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh condemnation to himself, not distinguishing the Lord’s body. 30For this cause many are diseased and infirm among you, and some asleep in death. 31For if we thoroughly judged ourselves, we should not be judged of the Lord. 32But being judged, we are corrected by the Lord, that we might not be condemned with the world. 33Wherefore, when ye meet together to eat the Lord’s supper, wait for one another. 34And if any man be hungry, let him eat at home; that ye meet not together for condemnation. And the other matters I will regulate when I come.
[CHAP. XII.]
NOW concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. 2Ye know that ye were Gentiles, drawn away after the idols that are dumb, even as ye have been led. 3Wherefore I advertise you, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God, call Jesus anathema: and no man can say, Lord Jesus, but by the Holy Ghost. 4But there are diversities of gifts, though the same Spirit. 5And there are diversities of services, but the same Lord. 6And there are diversities of mighty operations, but it is the same God who worketh all in all.