1 Corinthians 1

1 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,

Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, to the church of God which is in Corinth,

2 from Paul, who has been called to be an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and from Sosthenes, our Brother.

even to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, and called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is both their Lord and ours;

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

grace and peace be to you from God our Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ.

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

I always give thanks unto my God, on your account, for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus; that ye are enriched by Him with every gift,

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

in all utterance and knowledge;

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

(even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed among you; )

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

so that ye are deficient in no gift, expecting the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ:

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

who will also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ;

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

for God is faithful by whom ye were called into the communion of his son Jesus Christ our Lord.

10 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.

Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye would all say alike, and that there may be no schisms among you, but that ye be perfectly united in the same mind and in the same judgement.

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

For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by some of Chloe's family, that there are contentions among you.

12 I mean this: that every one of you says either ‘I follow Paul,’ or ‘I Apollos,’ or ‘I Kephas,’ or ‘I Christ.’

I mean, that each of you saith, as if of different parties, I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, I of Cephas, and I of Christ.

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

Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized into the name of Paul?

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

I thank God that I baptized none of you, except Crispus and Gaius:

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

so that no one can say I baptized in my own name.

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

I also baptized indeed the family of Stephanas: but I know not whether I baptized any other.

17 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.

For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not in fine speech, least the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.

18 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.

For the doctrine of the cross is to them, that perish, foolishness: but to us, who are saved, it is the power of God.

19 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.’

For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent."

20 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)

Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputant of the age? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? (aiōn g165)

21 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!

For, since in the wisdom of God the world by it's wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by what they called the folly of preaching to save those that believe.

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

And whereas the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks look for wisdom, we preach Christ crucified;

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

to the Jews indeed a stumbling-block, and to the Greeks foolishness; but to them that are called,

24 but to those who have received the Call, whether Jews or Greeks, Christ, the Power of God and the Wisdom of God!

both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

25 For God’s ‘folly’ is wiser than men, and God’s ‘weakness’ is stronger than men.

Because the foolishness of God, as they call it, is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

26 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;

For ye see by your calling, brethren, that not many wise men according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called:

27 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,

but God hath chosen things that are foolish in the eye of the world to put it's wise men to confusion; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the mighty;

28 and God chose what the world counts poor and insignificant — things that to it are unreal — to bring its ‘realities’ to nothing,

and things in the opinion of the world ignoble, and despicable, and accounted as nothing, hath God chosen, to abolish things that are in esteem among men;

29 so that in his presence no human being should boast.

that no flesh may glory in his presence.

30 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,

But ye are of Him in Christ Jesus, who from God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

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

that, as it is written, He that glorieth may glory in the Lord.