1 Wakorintho 1

1 Mimi Paulo, niliyeitwa kuwa mtume wa Kristo Yesu kwa mapenzi ya Mungu, na ndugu Sosthene, 2 tunawaandikia nyinyi mlio kanisa la Mungu huko Korintho. Nyinyi mmefanywa watakatifu katika kuungana na Kristo Yesu, mkaitwa muwe watu wa Mungu, pamoja na watu wote popote wanaomwomba Bwana wetu Yesu Kristo aliye Bwana wao na wetu pia.

3 Nawatakieni neema na amani kutoka kwa Mungu Baba yetu na Bwana wetu Yesu Kristo.

Baraka za Mungu

4 Ninamshukuru Mungu wangu daima kwa ajili yenu kwa sababu amewatunukia nyinyi neema yake kwa njia ya Kristo Yesu. 5 Maana, kwa kuungana na Kristo mmetajirishwa katika kila kitu. Mmejaliwa elimu yote na uwezo wote wa kuhubiri. 6 Maana ujumbe juu ya Kristo umethibitishwa ndani yenu, 7 hata hampungukiwi kipaji chochote cha kiroho mkiwa mnangojea kufunuliwa kwake Bwana wetu Yesu Kristo. 8 Yeye atawaimarisheni nyinyi mpaka mwisho mpate kuonekana bila hatia siku ile ya Bwana wetu Yesu Kristo. 9 Mungu ni mwaminifu; yeye aliwaita nyinyi muwe na umoja na Mwanae Yesu Kristo Bwana wetu.

Mgawanyiko katika jumuiya ya waumini

10 Ndugu, nawasihini kwa jina la Bwana wetu Yesu Kristo: Pataneni nyote katika kila jambo msemalo; yasiweko mafarakano kati yenu; muwe na fikira moja na nia moja. 11 Ndugu zangu, habari nilizopata kutoka kwa watu kadhaa wa jamaa ya Kloe, zaonesha wazi kwamba kuna kutoelewana kati yenu. 12 Nataka kusema hivi: Kila mmoja anasema chake: Mmoja husema, “Mimi ni wa Paulo”, mwingine: “Mimi ni wa Apolo”, mwingine: “Mimi ni wa Kefa,” na mwingine: “Mimi ni wa Kristo.” 13 Je, Kristo amegawanyika? Je, Paulo ndiye aliyesulubiwa kwa ajili yenu? Au je, mlibatizwa kwa jina la Paulo? 14 Namshukuru Mungu kwamba sikumbatiza mtu yeyote miongoni mwenu isipokuwa tu Krispo na Gayo. 15 Kwa hiyo hakuna awezaye kusema amebatizwa kwa jina langu. ( 16 Samahani, nilibatiza pia jamaa ya Stefana; lakini zaidi ya hawa, sidhani kama nilimbatiza mtu mwingine yeyote). 17 Kristo hakunituma kubatiza, bali kuhubiri Habari Njema; tena, niihubiri bila kutegemea maarifa ya hotuba za watu, kusudi nguvu ya kifo cha Kristo msalabani isibatilishwe.

Kristo ni nguvu na hekima ya Mungu

18 Maana ujumbe kuhusu kifo cha Kristo msalabani ni jambo la kipumbavu kwa wale walio katika mkumbo wa kupotea, lakini kwetu sisi tulio katika njia ya wokovu, ujumbe huo ni nguvu ya Mungu. 19 Maana Maandiko Matakatifu yasema: “Nitaiharibu hekima yao wenye hekima, na elimu ya wataalamu nitaitupilia mbali.”

20 Yu wapi basi, mwenye hekima? Yu wapi basi, mwalimu wa sheria? Naye bingwa wa mabishano wa nyakati hizi yuko wapi? Mungu ameifanya hekima ya ulimwengu kuwa upumbavu. 21 Maana, kadiri ya hekima ya Mungu, watu hawawezi kumjua Mungu kwa njia ya hekima yao wenyewe. Badala yake, Mungu amependa kuwaokoa wale wanaoamini kwa njia ya kile ambacho wenye hekima wanakiona kuwa ni upumbavu, yaani ujumbe tunaohubiri. 22 Wayahudi wanataka ishara, na Wagiriki wanatafuta hekima; 23 lakini sisi tunamhubiri Kristo aliyesulubiwa. Kwa Wayahudi jambo hili ni kikwazo, na kwa watu wa mataifa ni upumbavu; 24 lakini kwa wale walioitwa, Wayahudi kwa Wagiriki, Kristo ni nguvu ya Mungu na hekima ya Mungu. 25 Maana kinachoonekana kuwa ni upumbavu wa Mungu, kina busara kuliko hekima ya binadamu; na kinachoonekana kuwa ni udhaifu wa Mungu, kina nguvu kuliko nguvu za binadamu.

26 Ndugu, kumbukeni wakati mlipoitwa: Wengi wenu hawakuwa wenye hekima hata kwa fikira za binadamu; wengi hawakuwa wenye nguvu au watu wa tabaka la juu. 27 Ndiyo kusema, Mungu aliyachagua yale ambayo ulimwengu huyaona ni upumbavu, ili awaaibishe wenye hekima; na aliyachagua yale ambayo ulimwengu huyaona ni dhaifu, ili awaaibishe wenye nguvu. 28 Mungu ameyachagua yale ambayo kwa fikira za dunia ni mambo yaliyo duni na yanayodharauliwa, mambo ambayo hata hayakuwako, ili kwa hayo ayafutilie mbali yale ambayo kwa fikira za binadamu ni mambo ya maana. 29 Basi, hakuna mtu awezaye kujivunia chochote mbele ya Mungu. 30 Mungu mwenyewe ndiye aliyewaunganisha nyinyi na Kristo Yesu. Mungu amemfanya Kristo awe hekima yetu; kwa njia yake sisi tunapatanishwa na Mungu, tunakuwa watu wake Mungu na kukombolewa. 31 Basi, kama yasemavyo Maandiko Matakatifu: “Mwenye kutaka kujivuna, na ajivunie kazi ya Bwana.”

1 Corinthians 1

1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,2 unto the church of God which is at Corinth, even them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place, their Lord and ours:3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.4 I thank my God always concerning you, for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus;5 that in everything ye were enriched in him, in all utterance and all knowledge;6 even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:7 so that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ;8 who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye be unreproveable in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.9 God is faithful, through whom ye were called into the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.10 Now I beseech you, brethren, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfected together in the same mind and in the same judgment.11 For it hath been signified unto me concerning you, my brethren, by them that are of the household of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.12 Now this I mean, that each one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos: and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.13 Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized into the name of Paul?14 I thank God that I baptized none of you, save Crispus and Gaius;15 lest any man should say that ye were baptized into my name.16 And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other.17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not in wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made void.18 For the word of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us who are saved it is the power of God.19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And the discernment of the discerning will I bring to nought.

20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?21 For seeing that in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom knew not God, it was God’s good pleasure through the foolishness of the preaching to save them that believe.22 Seeing that Jews ask for signs, and Greeks seek after wisdom:23 but we preach Christ crucified, unto Jews a stumblingblock, and unto Gentiles foolishness;24 but unto them that are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.26 For behold your calling, brethren, that not many wise after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:27 but God chose the foolish things of the world, that he might put to shame them that are wise; and God chose the weak things of the world, that he might put to shame the things that are strong;28 and the base things of the world, and the things that are despised, did God choose, yea and the things that are not, that he might bring to nought the things that are:29 that no flesh should glory before God.30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who was made unto us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption:31 that, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.