1 Corinthians 1:10–25

10 Now aI exhort you, bbrethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all 1agree and that there be no 2cdivisions among you, but that you be 3made complete in dthe same mind and in the same judgment.

11 For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe’s people, that there are quarrels among you.

12 Now I mean this, that aeach one of you is saying, “I am of Paul,” and “I of bApollos,” and “I of cCephas,” and “I of Christ.”

13 1Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you abaptized 2in the name of Paul?

14 1I thank God that I abaptized none of you except aCrispus and bGaius,

15 so that no one would say you were baptized 1in my name.

16 Now I did baptize also the ahousehold of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any other.

17 aFor Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, bnot in 1cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void.

The Wisdom of God

18 For the word of the cross is afoolishness to bthose who 1are perishing, but to us who 2are being saved it is cthe power of God.

19 For it is written,

“aI will destroy the wisdom of the wise,

And the cleverness of the clever I will set aside.”

20 aWhere is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of bthis age? Has not God cmade foolish the wisdom of dthe world?

21 For since in the wisdom of God athe world through its wisdom did not come to know God, bGod was well-pleased through the cfoolishness of the 1message preached to dsave those who believe.

22 For indeed aJews ask for 1signs and Greeks search for wisdom;

23 but we preach 1aChrist crucified, bto Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles cfoolishness,

24 but to those who are athe called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ bthe power of God and cthe wisdom of God.

25 Because the afoolishness of God is wiser than men, and bthe weakness of God is stronger than men.