^2 (A)Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; ³ praying at the same time ^(B)for us as well, that God will open up to us a ^(C)door for ^(D)the word, so that we may proclaim ^(E)the mystery of Christ, for which I have also ^(F)been imprisoned; ⁴ that I may make it clear ^(G)in the way that I ought to proclaim it.

^5 [a](H)Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward ^(I)outsiders, ^[b](J)making the most of the opportunity. ^6 (K)Your speech must always be ^[c]with grace, as though seasoned with ^(L)salt, so that you will know how you should ^(M)respond to each person.

⁹ I wrote to you in my letter ^(A)not to associate with sexually immoral people; ¹⁰ I did not at all mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the greedy and swindlers, or with ^(B)idolaters, for then you would have to leave the world. ¹¹ But ^[a]actually, I ^[b]wrote to you not to associate ^[c]with any so-called ^(C)brother if he is a sexually immoral person, or a greedy person, or ^(D)an idolater, or is verbally abusive, or habitually drunk, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a person. ¹² For what business of mine is it to judge ^(E)outsiders? ^(F)Do you not judge those who are within the church? ¹³ But those who are outside, God ^[d]judges. ^(G)Remove the evil person from among yourselves.

The Lord’s Supper

²³ For ^(A)I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that ^(B)the Lord Jesus, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread; ²⁴ and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” ²⁵ In the same way He also took ^(C)the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the ^(D)new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” ²⁶ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death ^(E)until He comes.

²⁷ Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy way, shall be ^(F)guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. ²⁸ But a person must ^(G)examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. ²⁹ For the one who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not properly recognize the ^[a]body. ³⁰ For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number ^[b](H)are asleep. ³¹ But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. ³² But when we are judged, we are ^(I)disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with ^(J)the world.

^23 (A)All things are permitted, but not all things are of benefit. All things are permitted, but not all things ^[a](B)build people up. ²⁴ No one is to ^(C)seek his own advantage, but rather that of his ^[b]neighbor. ^25 (D)Eat anything that is sold in the meat market without asking questions, for the sake of conscience; ^26 (E)for the earth is the Lord’s, and ^[c]all it contains. ²⁷ If ^(F)one of the unbelievers invites you and you want to go, ^(G)eat anything that is set before you without asking questions, for the sake of conscience. ²⁸ But ^(H)if anyone says to you, “This is meat sacrificed to idols,” do not eat it, for the sake of that one who informed you and for the sake of conscience; ²⁹ Now by “conscience” I do not mean your own, but the other person’s; for ^(I)why is my freedom judged by another’s conscience? ³⁰ If I partake with thankfulness, ^(J)why am I slandered about that for which I ^(K)give thanks?

³¹ Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or ^(L)whatever you do, do all things for the glory of God. ^32 (M)Do not offend Jews or Greeks, or ^(N)the church of God; ³³ just as I also ^(O)please everyone in all things, ^(P)not seeking my own benefit but the benefit of the many, ^(Q)so that they may be saved.

¹⁹ For though I am ^(A)free from all people, I have made myself ^(B)a slave to all, so that I may ^(C)gain more. ^20 (D)To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might gain Jews; to those who are under the Law, I became as one under the Law, though ^(E)not being under the Law myself, so that I might gain those who are under the Law; ²¹ to those who are ^(F)without the Law, I became ^(G)as one without the Law, though not being without the law of God but ^(H)under the law of Christ, so that I might gain those who are without the Law. ²² To the ^(I)weak I became weak, that I might gain the weak; I have become ^(J)all things to all people, ^(K)so that I may by all means save some. ²³ I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.

^12 (A)Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they ^(B)slander you as evildoers, they may ^[a]because of your good deeds, as they observe them, ^(C)glorify God ^(D)on the day of ^[b]visitation.

^17 (A)Honor all people, ^(B)love the brotherhood, ^(C)fear God, ^(D)honor the ^[a]king.

¹⁵ but ^[a]sanctify ^(A)Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready ^(B)to make a ^[b]defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the ^(C)hope that is in you, but ^(D)with gentleness and ^(E)respect; ^16 [c]and keep a ^(F)good conscience so that in the thing in which ^(G)you are slandered, those who disparage your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame.