1 Corinthians 1:10–31

A Church Divided Over Leaders

¹⁰I appeal to you, brothers and sisters,^at in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you,^u but that you be perfectly united^v in mind and thought. ¹¹My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household^w have informed me that there are quarrels among you. ¹²What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”;^x another, “I follow Apollos”;^y another, “I follow Cephas^b”;^z still another, “I follow Christ.”

¹³Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul?^{a 14}I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus^b and Gaius,^{c 15}so no one can say that you were baptized in my name. ¹⁶(Yes, I also baptized the household^d of Stephanas;^e beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.) ¹⁷For Christ did not send me to baptize,^f but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom^g and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

Christ Crucified Is God’s Power and Wisdom

¹⁸For the message of the cross is foolishness^h to those who are perishing,ⁱ but to us who are being saved^j it is the power of God.^{k 19}For it is written:

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;

the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”^cl

²⁰Where is the wise person?^m Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age?ⁿ Has not God made foolish^o the wisdom of the world? ²¹For since in the wisdom of God the world^p through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save^q those who believe.^{r 22}Jews demand signs^s and Greeks look for wisdom, ²³but we preach Christ crucified:^t a stumbling block^u to Jews and foolishness^v to Gentiles, ²⁴but to those whom God has called,^w both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God^x and the wisdom of God.^{y 25}For the foolishness^z of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness^a of God is stronger than human strength.

²⁶Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called.^b Not many of you were wise^c by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. ²⁷But God chose^d the foolish^e things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. ²⁸God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not^f—to nullify the things that are, ²⁹so that no one may boast before him.^{g 30}It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus,^h who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness,ⁱ holiness^j and redemption.^{k 31}Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”^dl