Greeting
PAUL, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother;
2 To the congregation of God which is in Corinth, made holy in Christ Jesus, called to be holy people; together with all that call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord in every place; both their Lord and ours.
3 Grace to you, and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 ¶ I thank my God always concerning you, because of the grace of God which is given to you by Jesus Christ;
5 That, in everything you are made rich in Him: in all speech and all knowledge:
6 Just as the testimony of Christ was proven true in you;
7 So that none of you are lacking in gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
8 Who also establishes you in faith until the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Strife Among You
10 ¶ Now I beseech you brothers, for the sake of the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak in like manner, and that there be no divisions among you; but that you be complete, with the same mind and with the same purpose.
11 For it has been made known to me, through the household of Chloe, of you my brothers: that there is strife among you.
12 Now I say this: that every one of you who says, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I 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 baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius;
15 Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name.
16 And I baptized the household of Stephanas also: besides this, I know not whether I baptized anyone else.
Preaching the Cross
17 ¶ For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to proclaim the gospel: not with wise words, lest the cross of Christ be made powerless:
18 For the message of the cross is to those that are perishing, foolishness; but to us which are saved, it is the power of God.
19 For it is written: I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the intellectual.
20 ¶ Where are the wise? Where is the scribe (scholar)? Where is the debater of this age? Has God not made foolish the wisdom of this world?
21 For since (by the wisdom of God), the world through its wisdom knew not God; it pleased God, by the foolishness of what was preached to save those that believe.
22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom;
23 But we proclaim Christ crucified: to the Jews a stumblingblock, and to the Greeks foolishness;
24 But to those which are called, both Jews and Greeks: Christ is God’s power and God’s wisdom.
25 Because the foolishness of God, is wiser than the wisdom of men; and the weakness of God, is stronger than the strength of men.
That No Flesh Boast in His Presence
26 ¶ For consider your calling brothers, that not many were wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble.
27 Rather, God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world to humiliate the mighty;
28 And the insignificant of the world, and the despised God has chosen; and the things which are not, to bring to nought the things that are:
29 In order that no flesh may boast in His presence.
30 ¶ But because of Him, you are in Christ Jesus; who, become to us the wisdom from God, and righteousness, and holiness, and redemption;
31 That, just as it is written: He that boasts, let him boast in the Lord.