Greeting
1 Paul,calledtobean apostle of Jesus Christthrough the will of God, andSosthenesourbrother,
2 To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those whoare sanctified in Christ Jesus,calledtobesaints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christour Lord,both theirs and ours:
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Spiritual Gifts at Corinth
4 I 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 Himin all utterance and all knowledge,
6 even asthe testimony of Christ was confirmed in you,
7 so that you come short in no gift, eagerlywaiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
8 who will also confirm you to the end,thatyoumaybeblameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 Godisfaithful, by whom you were called intothe fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Sectarianism Is Sin
10 Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,that you all speak the same thing, andthatthere be no divisions among you, butthatyou 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’shousehold,that there are contentions among you.
12 Now I say this, thateach of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am ofApollos,” or “I am ofCephas,” or “I am of Christ.”
13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
14 I thank God that I baptizednone of you exceptCrispus andGaius,
15 lest anyone should say that I had baptized in my own name.
16 Yes, I also baptized the household ofStephanas. Besides, I do not know whether I baptized any other.
17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel,not 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 message of the cross isfoolishness tothose who are perishing, but to uswho are being saved it is thepower of God.
19 For it is written:
# “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”
20 Whereisthe wise? Whereisthe scribe? Whereisthe disputer of this age?Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
21 For since, in thewisdom 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 ForJews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom;
23 but we preach Christ crucified,to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeksfoolishness,
24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christthe power of God andthe 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 you see your calling, brethren,that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble,arecalled.
27 ButGod 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 base 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—andrighteousness and sanctification and redemption—
31 that, as it is written,“He who glories, let him glory in theLord.”