Προς Κορινθιους Α΄ 1

1 παυλος κλητος αποστολος ιησου χριστου δια θεληματος θεου και σωσθενης ο αδελφος

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 τη εκκλησια του θεου τη ουση εν κορινθω ηγιασμενοις εν χριστω ιησου κλητοις αγιοις συν πασιν τοις επικαλουμενοις το ονομα του κυριου ημων ιησου χριστου εν παντι τοπω αυτων τε και ημων

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 χαρις υμιν και ειρηνη απο θεου πατρος ημων και κυριου ιησου χριστου

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

4 ευχαριστω τω θεω μου παντοτε περι υμων επι τη χαριτι του θεου τη δοθειση υμιν εν χριστω ιησου

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

5 οτι εν παντι επλουτισθητε εν αυτω εν παντι λογω και παση γνωσει

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

6 καθως το μαρτυριον του χριστου εβεβαιωθη εν υμιν

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

7 ωστε υμας μη υστερεισθαι εν μηδενι χαρισματι απεκδεχομενους την αποκαλυψιν του κυριου ημων ιησου χριστου

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

8 ος και βεβαιωσει υμας εως τελους ανεγκλητους εν τη ημερα του κυριου ημων ιησου χριστου

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 πιστος ο θεος δι ου εκληθητε εις κοινωνιαν του υιου αυτου ιησου χριστου του κυριου ημων

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

10 παρακαλω δε υμας αδελφοι δια του ονοματος του κυριου ημων ιησου χριστου ινα το αυτο λεγητε παντες και μη η εν υμιν σχισματα ητε δε κατηρτισμενοι εν τω αυτω νοι και εν τη αυτη γνωμη

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 εδηλωθη γαρ μοι περι υμων αδελφοι μου υπο των χλοης οτι εριδες εν υμιν εισιν

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

12 λεγω δε τουτο οτι εκαστος υμων λεγει εγω μεν ειμι παυλου εγω δε απολλω εγω δε κηφα εγω δε χριστου

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

13 μεμερισται ο χριστος μη παυλος εσταυρωθη υπερ υμων η εις το ονομα παυλου εβαπτισθητε

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 ευχαριστω τω θεω οτι ουδενα υμων εβαπτισα ει μη κρισπον και γαιον

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

15 ινα μη τις ειπη οτι εις το εμον ονομα εβαπτισα

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

16 εβαπτισα δε και τον στεφανα οικον λοιπον ουκ οιδα ει τινα αλλον εβαπτισα

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

17 ου γαρ απεστειλεν με χριστος βαπτιζειν αλλ ευαγγελιζεσθαι ουκ εν σοφια λογου ινα μη κενωθη ο σταυρος του χριστου

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 ο λογος γαρ ο του σταυρου τοις μεν απολλυμενοις μωρια εστιν τοις δε σωζομενοις ημιν δυναμις θεου εστιν

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 γεγραπται γαρ απολω την σοφιαν των σοφων και την συνεσιν των συνετων αθετησω

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 που σοφος που γραμματευς που συζητητης του αιωνος τουτου ουχι εμωρανεν ο θεος την σοφιαν του κοσμου τουτου (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 επειδη γαρ εν τη σοφια του θεου ουκ εγνω ο κοσμος δια της σοφιας τον θεον ευδοκησεν ο θεος δια της μωριας του κηρυγματος σωσαι τους πιστευοντας

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 επειδη και ιουδαιοι σημειον αιτουσιν και ελληνες σοφιαν ζητουσιν

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

23 ημεις δε κηρυσσομεν χριστον εσταυρωμενον ιουδαιοις μεν σκανδαλον ελλησιν δε μωριαν

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

24 αυτοις δε τοις κλητοις ιουδαιοις τε και ελλησιν χριστον θεου δυναμιν και θεου σοφιαν

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

25 οτι το μωρον του θεου σοφωτερον των ανθρωπων εστιν και το ασθενες του θεου ισχυροτερον των ανθρωπων εστιν

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

26 βλεπετε γαρ την κλησιν υμων αδελφοι οτι ου πολλοι σοφοι κατα σαρκα ου πολλοι δυνατοι ου πολλοι ευγενεις

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 αλλα τα μωρα του κοσμου εξελεξατο ο θεος ινα τους σοφους καταισχυνη και τα ασθενη του κοσμου εξελεξατο ο θεος ινα καταισχυνη τα ισχυρα

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 και τα αγενη του κοσμου και τα εξουθενημενα εξελεξατο ο θεος και τα μη οντα ινα τα οντα καταργηση

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

29 οπως μη καυχησηται πασα σαρξ ενωπιον του θεου

so that in his presence no one should boast.

30 εξ αυτου δε υμεις εστε εν χριστω ιησου ος εγενηθη ημιν σοφια απο θεου δικαιοσυνη τε και αγιασμος και απολυτρωσις

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 ινα καθως γεγραπται ο καυχωμενος εν κυριω καυχασθω

so that – in the words of scripture – ‘Whoever boasts should boast of the Lord!’