And everyone who competes [for the prize] is temperate in all things. Now they [do it] to obtain a perishable crown, but we [for] an imperishable [crown.]

To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and we are poorly clothed, and beaten, and homeless.

And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure;

All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body [is] not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.

Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.

For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

But in all [things] we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses,

in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings;

in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness --

Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

Beloved, I beg [you] as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul,

And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

I speak in human [terms] because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members [as] slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness [leading] to [more] lawlessness, so now present your members [as] slaves [of] righteousness for holiness.

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.

And though I bestow all my goods to feed [the poor,] and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

But to the wicked God says: "What [right] have you to declare My statutes, Or take My covenant in your mouth,

" Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

"And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'

"But if that servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk,

"And that servant who knew his master's will, and did not prepare [himself] or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many [stripes.]

"then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.'

"But He will say, 'I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.'

They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the [son] of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

[People] will call them rejected silver, Because the LORD has rejected them."

"For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?

"to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place."

Examine yourselves [as to] whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? -- unless indeed you are disqualified.

But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified.