1 From Paul, who was called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Sosthenes—
2 To the church of God which is in Corinth, to all who are called to be God's holy people, who belong to him in union with Christ Jesus, together with all people everywhere who worship our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:
3 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.
Blessings in Christ
4 I always give thanks to my God for you because of the grace he has given you through Christ Jesus. 5 For in union with Christ you have become rich in all things, including all speech and all knowledge. 6 The message about Christ has become so firmly established in you 7 that you have not failed to receive a single blessing, as you wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. 8 He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be faultless on the Day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is to be trusted, the God who called you to have fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Divisions in the Church
10 By the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ I appeal to all of you, my friends, to agree in what you say, so that there will be no divisions among you. Be completely united, with only one thought and one purpose. 11 For some people from Chloe's family have told me quite plainly, my friends, that there are quarrels among you. 12 Let me put it this way: each one of you says something different. One says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Peter”; and another, “I follow Christ.” 13 Christ has been divided into groups! Was it Paul who died on the cross for you? Were you baptized as Paul's disciples?
14 I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius. 15 No one can say, then, that you were baptized as my disciples. ( 16 Oh yes, I also baptized Stephanas and his family; but I can't remember whether I baptized anyone else.) 17 Christ did not send me to baptize. He sent me to tell the Good News, and to tell it without using the language of human wisdom, in order to make sure that Christ's death on the cross is not robbed of its power.
Christ the Power and the Wisdom of God
18 For the message about Christ's death on the cross is nonsense to those who are being lost; but for us who are being saved it is God's power. 19 The scripture says,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise
and set aside the understanding of the scholars.”
20 So then, where does that leave the wise? or the scholars? or the skillful debaters of this world? God has shown that this world's wisdom is foolishness!
21 For God in his wisdom made it impossible for people to know him by means of their own wisdom. Instead, by means of the so-called “foolish” message we preach, God decided to save those who believe. 22 Jews want miracles for proof, and Greeks look for wisdom. 23 As for us, we proclaim the crucified Christ, a message that is offensive to the Jews and nonsense to the Gentiles; 24 but for those whom God has called, both Jews and Gentiles, this message is Christ, who is the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For what seems to be God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and what seems to be God's weakness is stronger than human strength.
26 Now remember what you were, my friends, when God called you. From the human point of view few of you were wise or powerful or of high social standing. 27 God purposely chose what the world considers nonsense in order to shame the wise, and he chose what the world considers weak in order to shame the powerful. 28 He chose what the world looks down on and despises and thinks is nothing, in order to destroy what the world thinks is important. 29 This means that no one can boast in God's presence. 30 But God has brought you into union with Christ Jesus, and God has made Christ to be our wisdom. By him we are put right with God; we become God's holy people and are set free. 31 So then, as the scripture says, “Whoever wants to boast must boast of what the Lord has done.”
1 Paul called to be an Apostle of Iesus Christ, through the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, 2 Vnto the Church of God, which is at Corinthus, to them that are sanctified in Christ Iesus, Saintes by calling, with all that call on the Name of our Lord Iesus Christ in euery place, both their Lord, and ours: 3 Grace be with you, and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Iesus Christ. 4 I thanke my God alwayes on your behalfe for the grace of God, which is giuen you in Iesus Christ, 5 That in all things ye are made rich in him, in all kinde of speach, and in all knowledge: 6 As the testimonie of Iesus Christ hath bene confirmed in you: 7 So that ye are not destitute of any gift: wayting for the appearing of our Lord Iesus Christ. 8 Who shall also confirme you vnto the ende, that ye may be blamelesse, in the day of our Lord Iesus Christ. 9 God is faithfull, by whom ye are called vnto the fellowship of his Sonne Iesus Christ our Lord. 10 Nowe I beseeche you, brethren, by the Name of our Lord Iesus Christ, that ye all speake one thing, and that there be no dissensions among you: but be ye knit together in one mind, and in one iudgement. 11 For it hath bene declared vnto me, my brethren, of you by them that are of the house of Cloe, that there are contentions among you. 12 Nowe this I say, that euery one of you saith, I am Pauls, and I am Apollos, and I am Cephas, and I am Christs. 13 Is Christ deuided? was Paul crucified for you? either were ye baptized into the name of Paul? 14 I thanke God, that I baptized none of you, but Crispus, and Gaius, 15 Lest any should say, that I had baptized into mine owne name. 16 I baptized also the houshold of Stephanas: furthermore knowe I not, whether I baptized any other. 17 For CHRIST sent me not to baptize, but to preache the Gospel, not with wisdome of wordes, lest the crosse of Christ should be made of none effect. 18 For that preaching of the crosse is to them that perish, foolishnesse: but vnto vs, which are saued, it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisedome of the wise, and will cast away the vnderstanding of the prudent. 20 Where is the wise? where is the Scribe? where is the disputer of this worlde? hath not God made the wisedome of this worlde foolishnesse? 21 For seeing the worlde by wisedome knewe not God in the wisedome of GOD, it pleased God by the foolishnesse of preaching to saue them that beleeue: 22 Seeing also that the Iewes require a signe, and the Grecians seeke after wisdome. 23 But wee preach Christ crucified: vnto the Iewes, euen a stumbling blocke, and vnto the Grecians, foolishnesse: 24 But vnto them which are called, both of the Iewes and Grecians, we preach Christ, the power of God, and the wisedome of God. 25 For the foolishnesse of God is wiser then men, and the weakenesse of God is stronger then men. 26 For brethren, you see your calling, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. 27 But God hath chosen the foolish thinges of the world to confound the wise, and God hath chosen the weake thinges of the worlde, to confound the mightie things, 28 And vile things of the worlde and thinges which are despised, hath God chosen, and thinges which are not, to bring to nought thinges that are, 29 That no flesh shoulde reioyce in his presence. 30 But ye are of him in Christ Iesus, who of God is made vnto vs wisedome and righteousnesse, and sanctification, and redemption, 31 That, according as it is written, Hee that reioyceth, let him reioyce in the Lord.