Sectarianism is Sin

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.

Glory Only in the Lord

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.”

Christ Crucified

2 And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the 1testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you aexcept Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 3 bI was with you cin weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching dwere not with persuasive words of 2human wisdom, ebut in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the fpower of God.

Spiritual Wisdom

6 However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God 3ordained before the ages for our glory, 8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for ghad they known, they would not have hcrucified the Lord of glory.

9 But as it is written:

i“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,

Nor have entered into the heart of man

The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

10 But jGod has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the kspirit of the man which is in him? lEven so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but mthe Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.

13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the 4Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 nBut the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one.