1 Corinthians 1

1 Paul called to be an Apostle of Iesus Christ, through the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,

To the church of God in Corinth, to those who have been consecrated by union with Christ Jesus and called to become his people, and also to all, wherever they may be, who invoke the name of our Lord Jesus Christ – their Master and ours,

2 Vnto the Church of God, which is at Corinthus, to them that are sanctified in Christ Iesus, Saintes by calling, with all that call on the Name of our Lord Iesus Christ in euery place, both their Lord, and ours:

from Paul, who has been called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and from Sosthenes, our fellow follower of the Lord.

3 Grace be with you, and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Iesus Christ.

May God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ bless you and give you peace.

4 I thanke my God alwayes on your behalfe for the grace of God, which is giuen you in Iesus Christ,

I always thank God for you. I thank him for the blessing bestowed on you in Christ Jesus.

5 That in all things ye are made rich in him, in all kinde of speach, and in all knowledge:

For through union with him you were enriched in every way – in your power to preach, and in your knowledge of the truth;

6 As the testimonie of Iesus Christ hath bene confirmed in you:

and so became yourselves a confirmation of my testimony to the Christ.

7 So that ye are not destitute of any gift: wayting for the appearing of our Lord Iesus Christ.

There is no gift in which you are deficient, while waiting for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.

8 Who shall also confirme you vnto the ende, that ye may be blamelesse, in the day of our Lord Iesus Christ.

And God himself will strengthen you to the end, so that at the day of our Lord Jesus Christ you may be found blameless.

9 God is faithfull, by whom ye are called vnto the fellowship of his Sonne Iesus Christ our Lord.

God will not fail you, and it is he who called you into communion with his Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

10 Nowe I beseeche you, brethren, by the Name of our Lord Iesus Christ, that ye all speake one thing, and that there be no dissensions among you: but be ye knit together in one mind, and in one iudgement.

But I appeal to you, my friends, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to agree in what you profess, and not to allow divisions to exist among you, but to be united – of one mind and of one opinion.

11 For it hath bene declared vnto me, my brethren, of you by them that are of the house of Cloe, that there are contentions among you.

For I have been informed, my friends, by the members of Chloe’s household, that party feeling exists among you.

12 Nowe this I say, that euery one of you saith, I am Pauls, and I am Apollos, and I am Cephas, and I am Christs.

I mean this: that every one of you says either “I follow Paul,” or “I Apollos,” or “I Cephas,” or “I Christ.”

13 Is Christ deuided? was Paul crucified for you? either were ye baptized into the name of Paul?

You have torn the Christ in pieces! Was it Paul who was crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?

14 I thanke God, that I baptized none of you, but Crispus, and Gaius,

I am thankful that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius,

15 Lest any should say, that I had baptized into mine owne name.

so that no one can say that you were baptized in my name.

16 I baptized also the houshold of Stephanas: furthermore knowe I not, whether I baptized any other.

I baptized also the household of Stephanas. I do not know that I baptized anyone else.

17 For CHRIST sent me not to baptize, but to preache the Gospel, not with wisdome of wordes, lest the crosse of Christ should be made of none effect.

My mission from Christ was not to baptize, but to tell the good news; not, however, in the language of philosophy, in case the cross of the Christ should be robbed of its meaning.

18 For that preaching of the crosse is to them that perish, foolishnesse: but vnto vs, which are saued, it is the power of God.

The message of the cross is indeed mere folly to those who are on the path to ruin, but to us who are on the path of salvation it is the power of God.

19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisedome of the wise, and will cast away the vnderstanding of the prudent.

For scripture says – “I will bring the philosophy of the philosophers to naught, and the shrewdness of the shrewd I will bring to nothing.”

20 Where is the wise? where is the Scribe? where is the disputer of this worlde? hath not God made the wisedome of this worlde foolishnesse? (aiōn g165)

Where is the philosopher? Where the teacher of the Law? Where the disputant of today? Has not God shown the world’s philosophy to be folly? (aiōn g165)

21 For seeing the worlde by wisedome knewe not God in the wisedome of GOD, it pleased God by the foolishnesse of preaching to saue them that beleeue:

For since the world, in God’s wisdom, did not by its philosophy learn to know God, God saw fit, by the “folly” of our proclamation, to save those who believe in Christ!

22 Seeing also that the Iewes require a signe, and the Grecians seeke after wisdome.

While Jews ask for miraculous signs, and Greeks study philosophy,

23 But wee preach Christ crucified: vnto the Iewes, euen a stumbling blocke, and vnto the Grecians, foolishnesse:

we are proclaiming Christ crucified! – to the Jews an obstacle, to the Gentiles mere folly,

24 But vnto them which are called, both of the Iewes and Grecians, we preach Christ, the power of God, and the wisedome of God.

but to those who have received the call, whether Jews or Greeks, Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God!

25 For the foolishnesse of God is wiser then men, and the weakenesse of God is stronger then men.

For God’s “folly” is wiser than people, and God’s “weakness” is stronger than people.

26 For brethren, you see your calling, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called.

Look at the facts of your call, friends. There are not many among you who are wise, as people reckon wisdom, not many who are influential, not many who are high-born;

27 But God hath chosen the foolish thinges of the world to confound the wise, and God hath chosen the weake thinges of the worlde, to confound the mightie things,

but God chose what the world counts foolish to put its wise to shame, and God chose what the world counts weak to put its strong to shame,

28 And vile things of the worlde and thinges which are despised, hath God chosen, and thinges which are not, to bring to nought thinges that are,

and God chose what the world counts poor and insignificant – things that to it are unreal – to bring its “realities” to nothing,

29 That no flesh shoulde reioyce in his presence.

so that in his presence no one should boast.

30 But ye are of him in Christ Iesus, who of God is made vnto vs wisedome and righteousnesse, and sanctification, and redemption,

But you, by your union with Christ Jesus, belong to God; and Christ, by God’s will, became not only our wisdom, but also our righteousness, holiness, and deliverance,

31 That, according as it is written, Hee that reioyceth, let him reioyce in the Lord.

so that – in the words of scripture – “Whoever boasts should boast of the Lord!”