²⁸ Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock^(A) of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.^(B) Be shepherds of the church of God,^[a](C) which he bought^(D) with his own blood.^[b](E)

² To the church of God^(A) in Corinth,^(B) to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called^(C) to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name^(D) of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours:

¹⁶ If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice—nor do the churches of God.^(A)

²² Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God^(A) by humiliating those who have nothing?^(B) What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you?^(C) Certainly not in this matter!

⁹ For I am the least of the apostles^(A) and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted^(B) the church of God.^(C)

⁵ (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?)^(A)

¹⁵ if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church^(A) of the living God,^(B) the pillar and foundation of the truth.