1 Corinthians 1:1–31
1 Paul, acalled to be an apostle of Jesus Christ bthrough the will of God, and cSosthenes our brother,
2 To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who dare 1sanctified in Christ Jesus, ecalled to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ four Lord, gboth theirs and ours:
3 hGrace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 iI thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, 5 that you were enriched in everything by Him jin all 2utterance and all knowledge, 6 even as kthe testimony of Christ was confirmed 3in you, 7 so that you come short in no gift, eagerly lwaiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 mwho will also confirm you to the end, nthat you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 oGod is faithful, by whom you were called into pthe fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
10 Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, qthat you all 4speak the same thing, and that there be no 5divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11 For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are 6contentions among you. 12 Now I say this, that reach of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of sApollos,” or “I am of tCephas,” or “I am of Christ.” 13 uIs Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
14 I thank God that I baptized vnone of you except wCrispus and xGaius, 15 lest anyone should say that I had baptized in my own name. 16 Yes, I also baptized the household of yStephanas. Besides, I do not know whether I baptized any other. 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, znot with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.
Christ the Power and Wisdom of God
18 For the 7message of the cross is afoolishness to bthose who are perishing, but to us cwho are being saved it is the dpower of God. 19 For it is written:
e“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”
20 fWhere is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the 8disputer of this age? gHas not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For since, in the hwisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For iJews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, jto the Jews a 9stumbling block and to the 1Greeks kfoolishness, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ lthe power of God and mthe wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
26 For 2you see your calling, brethren, nthat not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many 3noble, are called. 27 But oGod has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the 4base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence. 30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and prighteousness and sanctification and redemption—31 that, as it is written, q“He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.”