< 1 Corinthians 1 >
1 Paul, called an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and 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 to the church of God being in Corinth, to the sanctified in Christ Jesus, to the called saints, along with all who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place, theirs 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 to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
May God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ bless you and give you peace.
4 I give thanks to my God always in your behalf, for the grace of God given unto you in Christ Jesus;
I always thank God for you. I thank him for the blessing bestowed on you in Christ Jesus.
5 because in everything you are enriched in him, in all speech 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 testimony of Christ is confirmed in you;
and so became yourselves a confirmation of my testimony to the Christ.
7 so that you are deficient in no spiritual gift; awaiting the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ;
There is no gift in which you are deficient, while waiting for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.
8 who will also establish you unblamable unto the end in the day of our Lord Jesus 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 faithful, through whom you have been called unto the fellowship of His Son our Lord Jesus Christ.
God will not fail you, and it is he who called you into communion with his Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
10 But I exhort you, brethren, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you may all speak the same things, and that there may be no schisms among you; but you may be perfected in the same mind and in the same disposition.
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 has been revealed to me concerning you, my brethren, by those who are of the house of Chloe, 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 And I say this, that each one says, I indeed am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.
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 divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
You have torn the Christ in pieces! Was it Paul who was crucified for you? Or were you baptised in the name of Paul?
14 I thank God that I baptized none of you, except Crispus and Gaius;
I am thankful that I did not baptise any of you except Crispus and Gaius,
15 in order that no one may say that you are baptized in my name.
so that no one can say that you were baptised in my name.
16 But I baptized also the family of Stephanas: besides, I know not if I baptized any other.
I baptised also the household of Stephanas. I do not know that I baptised anyone else.
17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with the wisdom of speech, in order that the cross of Christ may not be made of none effect.
My mission from Christ was not to baptise, 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 the word of the cross is foolishness indeed to those who are lost; but to those who are saved 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 has been written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nought the understanding of the intelligent.
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 man? where is the scribe? where is the investigator of this age? has not God rendered the wisdom of the world foolishness? (aiōn )
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 )
21 For since in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, God was pleased through the foolishness of preaching to save those who believe.
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 Since indeed the Jews ask for miracles, and the Greeks seek after wisdom;
While Jews ask for miraculous signs, and Greeks study philosophy,
23 but we preach Christ having been crucified, to the Jews indeed a stumbling block, and to the Gentiles foolishness;
we are proclaiming Christ crucified! – to the Jews an obstacle, to the Gentiles mere folly,
24 but to you who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom 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 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
For God’s “folly” is wiser than people, and God’s “weakness” is stronger than people.
26 For you see your calling, brethren, that there are not many wise according to the flesh, not many influential, not many high-born:
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 has chosen the foolish things of the world, that he may confound the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world, that he may confound the strong;
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 God has chosen the base-born of the world, and those of no reputation, the things which are not, that He may set at nought the things which are,
and God chose what the world counts poor and insignificant – things that to it are unreal – to bring its “realities” to nothing,
29 in order that no flesh can boast in the sight of God.
so that in his presence no one should boast.
30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God was made unto us wisdom, and righteousness 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 in order that, as it has been written, Let him that glorieth glory in the Lord.
so that – in the words of scripture – “Whoever boasts should boast of the Lord!”