1 Corinthians 1 (English Standard Version)

1 Corinthians 1

Greeting

 ¹Paul,^(A) called^(B) by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes,

 ²To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those^(C) sanctified in Christ Jesus,^(D) called to be saints together with all those who in every place^(E) call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:

 ^3(F) Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving

 ⁴I^(G) give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, ⁵that in every way^(H) you were enriched in him in all^(I) speech and all knowledge— ⁶even as^(J) the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— ⁷so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you^(K) wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, ^8(L) who will sustain you to the end,^(M) guiltless^(N) in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. ^9(O) God is faithful, by whom you were called into the^(P) fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Divisions in the Church

 ¹⁰I appeal to you, brothers,^[a] by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no^(Q) divisions among you, but that you be united^(R) in the same mind and the same judgment. ¹¹For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is^(S) quarreling among you, my brothers. ¹²What I mean is that^(T) each one of you says, "I follow Paul," or "I follow^(U) Apollos," or "I follow^(V) Cephas," or "I follow Christ." ^13(W) Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you^(X) baptized in the name of Paul? ¹⁴I thank God that I baptized none of you except^(Y) Crispus and^(Z) Gaius, ¹⁵so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name. ¹⁶(I did baptize also^(AA) the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) ¹⁷For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and^(AB) not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

Christ the Wisdom and Power of God

 ¹⁸For the word of the cross is^(AC) folly to^(AD) those who are perishing, but to us^(AE) who are being saved it is^(AF) the power of God. ¹⁹For it is written,

   ^(AG) "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
   and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart."

 ^20(AH) Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age?^(AI) Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? ²¹For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. ²²For^(AJ) Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, ²³but we preach Christ^(AK) crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, ²⁴but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ^(AL) the power of God and^(AM) the wisdom of God. ²⁵For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

 ²⁶For consider your calling, brothers:^(AN) not many of you were wise according to worldly standards,^[b] not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. ²⁷But^(AO) God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise;^(AP) God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; ²⁸God chose what is low and despised in the world, even^(AQ) things that are not, to^(AR) bring to nothing things that are, ²⁹so^(AS) that no human being^[c] might boast in the presence of God. ³⁰And because of him^[d] you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us^(AT) wisdom from God,^(AU) righteousness and^(AV) sanctification and^(AW) redemption, ³¹so that, as it is written,^(AX) "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."