1 Corinthians 1
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Greeting
1 Paul,(A) called as an apostle(B) of Christ Jesus by God’s will,(C) and Sosthenes our brother:(D)
2 To God’s church at Corinth,(E) to those who are sanctified(F) in Christ Jesus and called(G) as saints, with all those in every place who call on the name(H) of Jesus Christ our Lord—both their Lord and ours.
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father(I) and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thanksgiving
4 I always thank(J) my God for you because of God’s grace given to you in Christ Jesus, 5 that by Him you were enriched(K) in everything—in all speech and all knowledge.(L) 6 In this way, the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you,(M) 7 so that you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait(N) for the revelation(O) of our Lord Jesus Christ. 8 He will also strengthen you to the end,(P) so that you will be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.(Q) 9 God is faithful;(R) you were called by Him(S) into fellowship with His Son,(T) Jesus Christ our Lord.
Divisions at Corinth
10 Now I urge you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree in what you say, that there be no divisions among you, and that you be united with the same understanding and the same conviction. 11 For it has been reported to me about you, my brothers, by members of Chloe’s household, that there is rivalry(U) among you. 12 What I am saying is this: Each of you says, “I’m with Paul,” or “I’m with Apollos,”(V) or “I’m with Cephas,”(W) or “I’m with Christ.”(X) 13 Is Christ divided?(Y) Was it Paul who was crucified for you? Or were you baptized in Paul’s name? 14 I thank God[a][b] that I baptized none of you except Crispus(Z) and Gaius,(AA) 15 so that no one can say you were baptized in my name. 16 I did, in fact, baptize the household(AB) of Stephanas;(AC) beyond that, I don’t know if I baptized anyone else. 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to evangelize—not with clever words, so that the cross(AD) of Christ will not be emptied of its effect.
Christ the Power and Wisdom of God
18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but it is God’s power to us who are being saved.(AE) 19 For it is written:
20 Where is the philosopher?[d] Where is the scholar? Where is the debater of this age?(AG) Hasn’t God made the world’s wisdom foolish? 21 For since, in God’s wisdom, the world did not know God through wisdom, God was pleased to save those who believe through the foolishness of the message preached. 22 For the Jews ask for signs(AH) and the Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified,(AI) a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles.[e] 24 Yet to those who are called,(AJ) both Jews and Greeks, Christ is God’s power and God’s wisdom, 25 because God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.
Boasting Only in the Lord
26 Brothers, consider your calling: Not many are wise from a human perspective,[f] not many powerful,(AK) not many of noble birth. 27 Instead, God has chosen(AL) what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong. 28 God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the world(AM)—what is viewed as nothing—to bring to nothing what is viewed as something, 29 so that no one[g] can boast in His presence.(AN) 30 But it is from Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became God-given wisdom for us—our righteousness,(AO) sanctification,(AP) and redemption,(AQ) 31 in order that, as it is written:(AR) The one who boasts must boast in the Lord.(AS)[h]
Footnotes
- 1 Corinthians 1:14 Other mss omit God
- 1 Corinthians 1:14 Or I am thankful
- 1 Corinthians 1:19 Is 29:14
- 1 Corinthians 1:20 Or wise
- 1 Corinthians 1:23 Other mss read Greeks
- 1 Corinthians 1:26 Lit wise according to the flesh
- 1 Corinthians 1:29 Lit that not all flesh
- 1 Corinthians 1:31 Jr 9:24
1 Corinthians 1
Disciples’ Literal New Testament
1 Paul[a], a called apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, 2 to the church of God being in Corinth, to ones having been sanctified[b] in Christ Jesus, called saints[c], with all the ones calling-upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place, their Lord and ours: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I am giving-thanks to my God always for you for the grace of God having been given to you in Christ Jesus, 5 because you were enriched in everything in[d] Him— in all speech[e] and all knowledge, 6 even as the testimony of [f] Christ was confirmed[g] in[h] you— 7 so that you are not lacking in any gift while eagerly-awaiting the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 Who also will confirm you until the end so as to be blameless[i] on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, through Whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Brothers, Be of One Mind; Stop Dividing Over Your Leaders
10 Now I exhort you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all be speaking the same thing, and that there not be divisions among you, but that you be made-complete[j] in the same mind[k] and in the same purpose[l]. 11 For it was made-clear to me concerning you, my brothers, by the ones[m] of Chloe, that there are quarrels among you. 12 Now I mean this: that each of you is saying “I am of Paul”, and “I of Apollos”, and “I of Cephas”, and “I of Christ”.
Has Christ Been Divided? Were You Baptized Into Paul? Thankfully, I Did Not Baptize You!
13 Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14 I give-thanks to God that I baptized none of you, except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name! 16 Now I baptized also the household of Stephanas. As to the rest, I do not know if I baptized any other.
For I Was Not Sent To Baptize, But To Announce The Gospel Without Wisdom of Speech
17 For Christ did not send me forth to be baptizing, but to be announcing-the-good-news— not in wisdom of speech, in order that the cross of Christ may not be made-empty[n].
For God Intends The Gospel To Be Both Foolishness And Powerful
18 For the speech[o] of the cross is foolishness to the ones perishing, but is the power of God to us being saved. 19 For it has been written [in Isa 29:14]: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise ones, and I will set-aside the intelligence[p] of the intelligent ones”. 20 Where is the wise one? Where is the scribe[q]? Where is the debater of this age? Did not God make-foolish the wisdom of the world?
For God Saves Those Who Believe The “Foolishness” of Christ Crucified
21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom did not know[r] God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of [s] the proclamation to save the ones believing. 22 Because indeed Jews are asking-for signs and Greeks are seeking wisdom, 23 but we are proclaiming Christ crucified[t]— to Jews, an offense; and to Gentiles, foolishness; 24 but to the called ones themselves, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolish thing[u] of God is wiser than humans, and the weak thing of God is stronger than humans.
God Chose To Save The Foolish And Weak To Shame Human Self-Effort
26 For look-at[v] your calling, brothers— that there are not many wise according-to[w] the flesh, not many powerful, not many well-born[x]. 27 But God chose[y] the foolish things of the world in order that He might be putting the wise ones to shame. And God chose the weak things of the world in order that He might be putting the strong things to shame. 28 And God chose the low-born[z] things of the world, and the things having been treated-with-contempt[aa]— the things not being[ab], in order that He might bring-to-nothing the things being, 29 so that no flesh may boast in the sight of God. 30 But by Him you are in Christ Jesus, Who became wisdom to us from God— both righteousness and holiness[ac], and redemption— 31 in order that just as it has been written [in Jer 9:24], “Let the one boasting be boasting in the Lord”.
Footnotes
- 1 Corinthians 1:1 On when this book was written, see Act 19:10. Paul was in Ephesus, 1 Cor 16:8.
- 1 Corinthians 1:2 Or, set apart (to God), made holy.
- 1 Corinthians 1:2 Or, holy ones.
- 1 Corinthians 1:5 Or, in union with, by.
- 1 Corinthians 1:5 Or, word, doctrine, speaking.
- 1 Corinthians 1:6 That is, about.
- 1 Corinthians 1:6 Or, established.
- 1 Corinthians 1:6 Or, among.
- 1 Corinthians 1:8 Or, unaccused.
- 1 Corinthians 1:10 Or, put-in-order.
- 1 Corinthians 1:10 Or, understanding.
- 1 Corinthians 1:10 Or, intention, judgment.
- 1 Corinthians 1:11 That is, servants or family members of her household.
- 1 Corinthians 1:17 Or, made of no effect.
- 1 Corinthians 1:18 Or, message, word. That is, the content of our speech about the cross.
- 1 Corinthians 1:19 Or, understanding, cleverness.
- 1 Corinthians 1:20 That is, religious scholar.
- 1 Corinthians 1:21 Or, come-to-know.
- 1 Corinthians 1:21 That is, characterizing, belonging to.
- 1 Corinthians 1:23 Or, a crucified Messiah.
- 1 Corinthians 1:25 That is, this foolish proclamation.
- 1 Corinthians 1:26 Or, you see.
- 1 Corinthians 1:26 Or, with respect to, in relation to.
- 1 Corinthians 1:26 That is, not many are nobles.
- 1 Corinthians 1:27 Or, called-out, selected.
- 1 Corinthians 1:28 Or, base, not-noble, not-well-born.
- 1 Corinthians 1:28 Or, despised.
- 1 Corinthians 1:28 That is, being anything in the eyes of the world.
- 1 Corinthians 1:30 Or, sanctification.
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Disciples' Literal New Testament: Serving Modern Disciples by More Fully Reflecting the Writing Style of the Ancient Disciples, Copyright © 2011 Michael J. Magill. All Rights Reserved. Published by Reyma Publishing
