1 Corinthians 1

1 I, Paul, am writing this letter. I have been chosen to be an apostle of Christ Jesus just as God planned. Our brother Sosthenes joins me in writing.

2 We are sending this letter to you, the members of God's church in Corinth. You have been made holy because you belong to Christ Jesus. God has chosen you to be his holy people. He has done the same for all those everywhere who pray to our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is their Lord and ours.
3 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

Paul Gives Thanks

4 I always thank God for you. I thank him because of the grace he has given to you who belong to Christ Jesus.5 You have been blessed in every way because of him. All your teaching of the truth is better. Your understanding of it is more complete.6 Our witness about Christ has been proved to be true in you.
7 There is no gift of the Holy Spirit that you don't have. You are full of hope as you wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to come again.8 God will keep you strong to the very end. Then you will be without blame on the day our Lord Jesus Christ returns.
9 God is faithful. He has chosen you to share life with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Taking Sides in the Church

10 Brothers and sisters, I ask all of you to agree with one another. I make my appeal in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Then you won't take sides. You will be in complete agreement in all that you think.
11 My brothers and sisters, some people who live in Chloe's house have told me you are arguing with each other.12 Here is what I mean. One of you says, "I follow Paul." Another says, "I follow Apollos." Another says, "I follow Peter." And still another says, "I follow Christ."
13 Does Christ take sides? Did Paul die on the cross for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul?14 I'm thankful that I didn't baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius.15 No one can say that you were baptized in my name.
16 It's true that I also baptized those who live in the house of Stephanas. Besides that, I don't remember if I baptized anyone else.
17 Christ did not send me to baptize. He sent me to preach the good news. He commanded me not to use the kind of wisdom that people commonly use. That would take all the power away from the cross of Christ.

Christ Is God's Power and Wisdom

18 The message of the cross seems foolish to those who are lost and dying. But it is God's power to us who are being saved.

19 It is written,
"I will destroy the wisdom of those who are wise.
I will do away with the cleverness of those who think they are so smart." (Isaiah 29:14)
20 Where is the wise person? Where is the educated person? Where are the great thinkers of this world? Hasn't God made the wisdom of the world foolish?21 God wisely planned that the world would not know him through its own wisdom. It pleased God to use the foolish things we preach to save those who believe.
22 Jews require miraculous signs. Greeks look for wisdom.23 But we preach about Christ and his death on the cross. That is very hard for Jews to accept. And everyone else thinks it's foolish.
24 But there are those God has chosen, both Jews and others. To them Christ is God's power and God's wisdom.25 The foolish things of God are wiser than human wisdom. The weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when God chose you. Not many of you were considered wise by human standards. Not many of you were powerful. Not many of you belonged to important families.
27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise. He chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.28 God chose the things of this world that are common and looked down on. He chose what is not considered to be important to do away with what is considered to be important.29 So no one can brag to God.
30 Because of what God has done, you belong to Christ Jesus. He has become God's wisdom for us. He makes us right with God. He makes us holy and sets us free.31 It is written, "The one who brags should brag about what the Lord has done." (Jeremiah 9:24)

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.