1 Corinthians 1

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

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 Assembly of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called holy ones, with all those calling on the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place—both 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 Brother.

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 concerning you for the grace of God that was given to you in Christ Jesus,

I always thank God about you for the blessing bestowed upon you in Christ Jesus.

5 that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all discourse and 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 according as the testimony of the Christ was confirmed in you,

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

7 so that you are not behind in any gift, waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ,

And thus there is no gift in which you are deficient, while waiting for the Appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.

8 who also will confirm you to the end—unblamable 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 faithful [is] God, through whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son Jesus 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 And I call on you, brothers, through the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that the same thing you may all say, and there may not be divisions among you, and you may be perfected in the same mind, and in the same judgment,

But I appeal to you, Brothers, 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 was signified to me concerning you, my brothers, by those of Chloe, that contentions are among you;

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

12 and I say this, that each one of you 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 Kephas,’ or ‘I Christ.’

13 Has the Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you immersed into the name of Paul?

You have rent the Christ in pieces! Was it Paul who was crucified for you? or were you baptized into the Faith of Paul?

14 I give thanks to God that I immersed no one of you, except Crispus and Gaius—

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

15 that no one may say that to my own name I immersed;

so that no one can say that you were baptized into my Faith.

16 and I also immersed Stephanas’ household—further, I have not known if I immersed any other.

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

17 For Christ did not send me to immerse, but to proclaim good news, not in wisdom of discourse, that the Cross of the Christ may not be made of no effect;

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

18 for the word of the Cross to those indeed perishing is foolishness, and to us—those being saved—it is the power of God,

The Message of the Cross is indeed mere folly to those who are in the path to Ruin, but to us who are in the path of Salvation it is the very power of God.

19 for it has been written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the intelligence of the intelligent I will bring to nothing”;

For Scripture says — ‘I will bring the philosophy of the philosophers to nought, and the shrewdness of the shrewd I will make of no account.’

20 where [is] the wise? Where the scribe? Where a disputer of this age? Did God not make foolish the wisdom of this world? (aiōn g165)

Where is the Philosopher? where the Teacher of the Law? where the Disputant of to-day? Has not God shown the world’s philosophy to be folly? (aiōn g165)

21 For seeing in the wisdom of God the world through the wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the preaching to save those believing.

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 also Jews ask a sign, and Greeks seek wisdom,

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

23 also we preach Christ crucified, to Jews, indeed, a stumbling-block, and to Greeks foolishness,

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

24 and to those 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 men, and God’s ‘weakness’ is stronger than men.

26 for see your calling, brothers, that not many [are] wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble;

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

27 but God chose the foolish things of the world that He may put the wise to shame; and God chose the weak things of the world that He may put the strong to shame;

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

28 and God chose the base things of the world, and the things despised, and the things that are not, that He may make useless the things 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 may glory before Him;

so that in his presence no human being should boast.

30 but out of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us from God wisdom, righteousness also, 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 has been written: “He who is glorying—let him glory in the LORD.”

so that — in the words of Scripture — ‘Let him who boasts make his boast of the Lord!’