1 Corinthians 1

1 This letter comes from Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ according to the will of God, and from Sosthenes, our brother.

Paul, a called apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and brother Sosthenes,

2 It is sent to the church of God in Corinth, those who are being made right in Christ Jesus, called to live holy lives—and to everyone who worships the Lord Jesus Christ everywhere, the Lord both of them and of us.

to the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints, along with all those everywhere who call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord —yes, theirs and yours:

3 May you have grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and Sovereign Jesus Christ.

4 I'm always thanking God for you because of the grace of God given to you in Christ Jesus.

Concerning you, I always thank my God because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus;

5 Through him you have been made rich in everything, in all that you say and every aspect of what you know.

for in Him you were enriched in every way, in all speech and all knowledge,

6 In fact the testimony of Christ was proved valid in your experience,

even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you,

7 so that you're not missing any spiritual gift as you wait for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

so that you lack no spiritual gift as you expectantly await the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ,

8 He will also keep you strong to the very end, so you will be kept right until the day of the Lord Jesus Christ.

who will also confirm you until the end, blameless in the Day of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

9 God is trustworthy who called you to share together in fellowship with his son Jesus Christ our Lord.

God is faithful, by whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

10 Brothers and sisters, I plead with you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that you all agree and that you're not divided. Instead develop a united attitude and purpose.

Now I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be restored to the same mind and to the same purpose.

11 For I have been told things about you, my brothers and sisters, by some of Chloe's people—that you are quarreling among yourselves.

You see, my brothers, it has been reported to me concerning you, by some from Chloe's household, that there are contentions among you.

12 Let me explain what I mean. You're all making different claims: “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Peter,” or “I follow Christ.”

What I mean is that you are individually saying: “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ!”

13 Is Christ divided? Did Paul die on a cross for you? Was it in the name of Paul that you were baptized?

Has Christ been divided? It was not Paul who was crucified for you, was it? You were not baptized into the name of Paul, were you?

14 I'm grateful to God that I didn't baptize any of you, except Crispus and Gaius,

I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius,

15 so nobody can claim they were baptized in my name.

lest anyone should say that I had baptized into my own name.

16 (Oh, and I also baptized the Stephanas family—I can't think of anyone else.)

O yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanus; besides them I do not remember if I baptized anyone else.

17 For Christ didn't send me out to baptize, but to spread the good news, and not with eloquent human wisdom, otherwise the cross of Christ would be made powerless.

Because Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the Gospel—not with eloquent ‘wisdom’, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of power.

18 For the message of the cross is nonsense to those who are lost, but it's the power of God to those of us who are saved.

The message of the cross, you see, is foolishness to those who are being wasted, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

19 As Scripture says, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will wipe out the cleverness of the clever.”

For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and confound the shrewdness of the intelligent.”

20 So how about the wise, the writers, and the philosophers of this age? Hasn't God turned the wisdom of this world into foolishness? (aiōn g165)

Where is the wise one? Where is the scholar? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? (aiōn g165)

21 Since God in his wisdom allowed the world in its wisdom not to know God, it was God's gracious plan that by the foolishness of the good news those who trusted in him would be saved.

For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through its ‘wisdom’ did not get to know God, it pleased God to save the believing ones through the ‘foolishness’ of what was preached—

22 The Jews ask for miraculous signs, and Greeks look for wisdom,

since Jews request a sign while Greeks seek after wisdom,

23 but our message is of Christ killed on a cross—offensive to the Jews, and foolishness to the foreigners.

but we proclaim a crucified Christ: an offense to Jews, foolishness to Greeks.

24 However, for those who are called by God, both Jews and foreigners, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.

Now to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God,

25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than we are; and the weakness of God is stronger than we are.

because the ‘foolishness’ of God is wiser than men, and the ‘weakness’ of God is stronger than men.

26 Brothers and sisters, remember your calling—and that this did not include many who are wise, humanly speaking; not many who are powerful; not many who are important.

Just look at your calling, brothers: not many are wise, not many are powerful, not many are of noble birth, by human standards;

27 Instead God chose the things the world considers foolish to humiliate those who think they are wise. He chose the things the world considers weak to humiliate those who think they are strong.

but God has chosen the foolish things of the world that He might put the wise to shame, and God has chosen the weak things of the world that He might put the strong things to shame;

28 He chose the things that are unimportant and despised by the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing the things that are,

and God has chosen the lowly things of the world and the despised things—even the ‘nothings’—that He might nullify the ‘somethings’;

29 so that nobody should boast in God's presence.

so that no flesh should boast in God's presence.

30 It's because of him that you live in Christ Jesus, who God made to be wisdom for us. He sets us right, keeps us right, and frees us.

It is from Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who was made to us wisdom from God—also righteousness and sanctification and redemption—

31 So as Scripture says, “Whoever wants to boast, let them boast in the Lord.”

so that, as it is written: “He who boasts, let him boast in the Lord.”