哥林多前書 1

祝福和感謝

1 奉上帝旨意，蒙召作基督耶穌使徒的保羅，同弟兄所提尼， 2 寫信給在哥林多上帝的教會—就是在基督耶穌裏成聖、蒙召作聖徒的—以及所有在各處求告我主耶穌基督之名的人。基督是他們的主，也是我們的主。 3 願恩惠、平安t從我們的父上帝並主耶穌基督歸給你們！

4 我常為你們感謝我的上帝，因上帝在基督耶穌裏所賜給你們的恩惠。 5 因為你們在他裏面凡事富足，具有各種口才、各樣知識， 6 正如我為基督作的見證在你們心裏得以堅固， 7 以致你們在恩賜上一無欠缺，切切等候我們主耶穌基督的顯現。 8 他也必堅固你們到底，使你們在我們主耶穌基督t的日子無可指責。 9 上帝是信實的，他呼召你們好與他兒子—我們的主耶穌基督—共享團契。

教會中的紛爭

10 弟兄們，我藉我們主耶穌基督的名勸你們說話要一致。你們中間不可分裂，只要一心一意彼此團結。 11 我的弟兄們，革來氏家裏的人曾對我提起你們，說你們中間有紛爭。 12 我的意思是，你們各人說：「我是屬保羅的」；「我是屬亞波羅的」；「我是屬磯法的」；「我是屬基督的。」 13 基督是分裂的嗎？保羅為你們釘了十字架嗎？你們是奉保羅的名受了洗嗎？ 14 我感謝上帝t，除了基利司布和該猶以外，我沒有給你們中的任何一個人施洗， 15 免得有人說你們是奉我的名受洗的。 16 我曾為司提法那家施過洗；此外我已記不清有沒有給別人施過洗。 17 因為基督差遣我不是為施洗，而是為傳福音；並不是用智慧的言論，免得基督的十字架落了空。

基督是上帝的大能和智慧

18 因為十字架的道理，在那滅亡的人是愚拙，在我們得救的人卻是上帝的大能。 19 就如經上所記： 「我要摧毀智慧人的智慧， 廢棄聰明人的聰明。」

20 智慧人在哪裏？文士在哪裏？這世上的辯士在哪裏？上帝豈不是已使這世上的智慧變成愚拙了嗎？ 21 既然世人憑自己的智慧不認識上帝，上帝就本著自己的智慧樂意藉著人所傳愚拙的話拯救那些信的人。 22 猶太人要的是神蹟，希臘人求的是智慧， 23 我們卻是傳被釘十字架的基督，這對猶太人是絆腳石，對外邦人是愚拙； 24 但對那蒙召的，無論是猶太人、希臘人，基督總是上帝的大能，上帝的智慧。 25 因為，上帝的愚拙總比人智慧；上帝的軟弱總比人強壯。 26 弟兄們哪，想一想你們的蒙召，按著人的觀點，有智慧的不多，有能力的不多，有尊貴地位的也不多。 27 但是，上帝揀選了世上愚拙的，為了使有智慧的羞愧；又揀選了世上軟弱的，為了使強壯的羞愧。 28 上帝也揀選了世上卑賤的，被人厭惡的，以及那一無所有的，為要廢掉那樣樣都有的， 29 使凡血肉之軀的，在上帝面前，一個也不能自誇。 30 但你們得以在基督耶穌裏是本乎上帝，他使基督成為我們的智慧，成為公義、聖潔、救贖。 31 如經上所記：「要誇耀的，該誇耀主。」

1 CORINTHIANS 1

1 From Paul, chosen by God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from Sosthenes, who is also a follower.

2  t To God's church in Corinth. Christ Jesus chose you to be his very own people, and you worship in his name, as we and all others do who call him Lord.

3 My prayer is that God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ will be kind to you and will bless you with peace!
4 I never stop thanking my God for treating you with undeserved grace by giving you Christ Jesus, 5 who helps you speak and understand so well. 6 Now you are certain that everything we told you about our Lord Christ Jesus is true. 7 You are not missing out on any blessings, as you wait for him to return. 8 And until the day Christ does return, he will keep you completely innocent.

9 God can be trusted, and he chose you to be partners with his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Taking Sides

10 My dear friends, as a follower of our Lord Jesus Christ, I beg you to get along with each other. Don't take sides. Always try to agree in what you think. 11 Several people from Chloe's familyt have already reported to me that you keep arguing with each other.

12 t They have said that some of you claim to follow me, while others claim to follow Apollos or Petert or Christ.
13 Has Christ been divided up? Was I nailed to a cross for you? Were you baptized in my name? 14 t I thank Godt that I didn't baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius. 15 Not one of you can say that you were baptized in my name. 16 t I did baptize the familyt of Stephanas, but I don't remember if I baptized anyone else.

17 Christ did not send me to baptize. He sent me to tell the good news without using words that sound wise and would make the cross of Christ lose its power.

Christ Is God's Power //and Wisdom

18 The message about the cross doesn't make any sense to lost people. But for those of us who are being saved, it is God's power at work.

19 t As God says in the Scriptures,
“I will destroy the wisdom
of all who claim
to be wise.
I will confuse those
who think they know
so much.”
20  t What happened to those wise people? What happened to those experts in the Scriptures? What happened to the ones who think they have all the answers? Didn't God show that the wisdom of this world is foolish?

21 t God was wise and decided not to let the people of this world use their wisdom to learn about him.
Instead, God chose to save only those who believe the foolish message we preach. 22 Jews ask for miracles, and Greeks want something that sounds wise. 23 But we preach that Christ was nailed to a cross. Most Jews have problems with this, and most Gentiles think it is foolish. 24 Our message is God's power and wisdom for the Jews and the Greeks that he has chosen.

25 Even when God is foolish, he is wiser than everyone else, and even when God is weak, he is stronger than everyone else.
26 My dear friends, remember what you were when God chose you. The people of this world didn't think that many of you were wise. Only a few of you were in places of power, and not many of you came from important families.

27 But God chose the foolish things of this world to put the wise to shame. He chose the weak things of this world to put the powerful to shame.
28 What the world thinks is worthless, useless, and nothing at all is what God has used to destroy what the world considers important. 29 God did all this to keep anyone from bragging to him. 30 You are God's children. He sent Christ Jesus to save us and to make us wise, acceptable, and holy. 31 t So if you want to brag, do what the Scriptures say and brag about the Lord.