1 Corinthians 1

1 Paul, called as an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God; and Sosthenes, a brother:2 to the Church of God which is at Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints with all who are invoking the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place of theirs and of ours.3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.4 I give thanks to my God continuously for you because of the grace of God that has been given to you in Christ Jesus.5 By that grace, in all things, you have become wealthy in him, in every word and in all knowledge.6 And so, the testimony of Christ has been strengthened in you.7 In this way, nothing is lacking to you in any grace, as you await the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.8 And he, too, will strengthen you, even until the end, without guilt, until the day of the advent of our Lord Jesus Christ.9 God is faithful. Through him, you have been called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.10 And so, I beg you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that every one of you speak in the same way, and that there be no schisms among you. So may you become perfect, with the same mind and with the same judgment.11 For it has been indicated to me, about you, my brothers, by those who are with Chloes, that there are contentions among you.12 Now I say this because each of you is saying: “Certainly, I am of Paul;” “But I am of Apollo;” “Truly, I am of Cephas;” as well as: “I am of Christ.”13 Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?14 I give thanks to God that I have baptized none of you, except Crispus and Gaius,15 lest anyone say that you have been baptized in my name.16 And I also baptized the household of Stephanus. Other than these, I do not recall if I baptized any others.17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to evangelize: not through the wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ become empty.18 For the Word of the Cross is certainly foolishness to those who are perishing. But to those who have been saved, that is, to us, it is the power of God.19 For it has been written: “I will perish the wisdom of the wise, and I will reject the discernment of the prudent.”20 Where are the wise? Where are the scribes? Where are the truth-seekers of this age? Has not God made the wisdom of this world into foolishness?21 For the world did not know God through wisdom, and so, in the wisdom of God, it pleased God to accomplish the salvation of believers, through the foolishness of our preaching.22 For the Jews ask for signs, and the Greeks seek wisdom.23 But we are preaching Christ crucified. Certainly, to the Jews, this is a scandal, and to the Gentiles, this is foolishness.24 But to those who have been called, Jews as well as Greeks, the Christ is the virtue of God and the wisdom of God.25 For what is foolishness to God is considered wise by men, and that which is weakness to God is considered strong by men.26 So take care of your vocation, brothers. For not many are wise according to the flesh, not many are powerful, not many are noble.27 But God has chosen the foolish of the world, so that he may confound the wise. And God has chosen the weak of the world, so that he may confound the strong.28 And God has chosen the ignoble and contemptible of the world, those who are nothing, so that he may reduce to nothing those who are something.29 So then, nothing that is of the flesh should glory in his sight.30 But you are of him in Christ Jesus, who was made by God to be our wisdom and justice and sanctification and redemption.31 And so, in the same way, it was written: “Whoever glories, should glory in the Lord.”

1 Corinthians 1

Salutation

1 From Paul,t called to be an apostle of Christ Jesuss by the will of God, and Sosthenes, our brother,2 to the church of God that is in Corinth,s to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, and called to be saints, with all those in every place who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.t

3 Grace and peace to yout from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!

Thanksgiving

4 I always thank my God for you because of the grace of God that was given to you in Christ Jesus.5 For you were made richs in every way in him, in all your speech and in every kind of knowledges –6 just as the testimony about Christ has been confirmed among you –7 so that you do not lack any spiritual gift as you wait for the revelations of our Lord Jesus Christ.8 Het will also strengthen you to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into fellowship with his son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Divisions in the Church

10 I urge you, brothers and sisters,t by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to agree together,t to end your divisions,t and to be united by the same mind and purpose.t11 For members of Chloe’s household have made it clear to me, my brothers and sisters,t that there are quarrelst among you.12 Now I mean this, thatt each of you is saying, “I am with Paul,” or “I am with Apollos,” or “I am with Cephas,” or “I am with Christ.”13 Is Christ divided? Paul wasn’t crucified for you, was he?t Or were you in fact baptized in the name of Paul?t14 I thank Gods that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius,15 so that no one can say that you were baptized in my name!16 (I also baptized the household of Stephanus. Otherwise, I do not remember whether I baptized anyone else.)

17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel – and not with clever speech, so that the cross of Christ would not become useless.t

The Message of the Cross

18 For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.19 For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will thwart the cleverness of the intelligent.”s20 Where is the wise man? Where is the expert in the Mosaic law?t Where is the debater of this age? Has God not made the wisdom of the world foolish?21 For since in the wisdom of God the world by its wisdom did not know God, God was pleased to save those who believe by the foolishness of preaching.22 For Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks ask for wisdom,23 but we preach about a crucified Christ,t a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.24 But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.

25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom,t and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.t
26 Think about the circumstances of your call,t brothers and sisters.t Not many were wise by human standards,t not many were powerful, not many were born to a privileged position.t27 But God chose what the world thinks foolish to shame the wise, and God chose what the world thinks weak to shame the strong.28 God choset what is low and despised in the world, what is regarded as nothing, to set aside what is regarded as something,29 so that no one can boast in his presence.30 He is the reason you have a relationship with Christ Jesus,t who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption,

31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”s