¹⁶ For God so loved^(A) the world that he gave^(B) his one and only Son,^(C) that whoever believes^(D) in him shall not perish but have eternal life.^{(E) 17} For God did not send his Son into the world^(F) to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.^(G)

² For I can testify about them that they are zealous^(A) for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. ³ Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.^{(B) 4} Christ is the culmination of the law^(C) so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.^(D)

2 And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom^(A) as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.^{[a] 2} For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.^{(B) 3} I came to you^(C) in weakness^(D) with great fear and trembling.^{(E) 4} My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words,^(F) but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,^{(G) 5} so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.^(H)

God’s Wisdom Revealed by the Spirit

⁶ We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature,^(I) but not the wisdom of this age^(J) or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.^{(K) 7} No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery^(L) that has been hidden^(M) and that God destined for our glory before time began. ⁸ None of the rulers of this age^(N) understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.^{(O) 9} However, as it is written:

¹⁰ these are the things God has revealed^(Q) to us by his Spirit.^(R)

The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. ¹¹ For who knows a person’s thoughts^(S) except their own spirit^(T) within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. ¹² What we have received is not the spirit^(U) of the world,^(V) but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. ¹³ This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom^(W) but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.^{[c] 14} The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God^(X) but considers them foolishness,^(Y) and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. ¹⁵ The person with the Spirit^(Z) makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, ¹⁶ for,

But we have the mind of Christ.^(AB)

The Church and Its Leaders

3 Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit^(AC) but as people who are still worldly^(AD)—mere infants^(AE) in Christ. ² I gave you milk, not solid food,^(AF) for you were not yet ready for it.^(AG) Indeed, you are still not ready. ³ You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling^(AH) among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? ⁴ For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,”^(AI) are you not mere human beings?

⁵ What, after all, is Apollos?^(AJ) And what is Paul? Only servants,^(AK) through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. ⁶ I planted the seed,^(AL) Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. ⁷ So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. ⁸ The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor.^{(AM) 9} For we are co-workers in God’s service;^(AN) you are God’s field,^(AO) God’s building.^(AP)

¹⁰ By the grace God has given me,^(AQ) I laid a foundation^(AR) as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. ¹¹ For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.^{(AS) 12} If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, ¹³ their work will be shown for what it is,^(AT) because the Day^(AU) will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work.^{(AV) 14} If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward.^{(AW) 15} If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.^(AX)

¹⁶ Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple^(AY) and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?^{(AZ) 17} If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.

¹⁸ Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise^(BA) by the standards of this age,^(BB) you should become “fools” so that you may become wise. ¹⁹ For the wisdom of this world is foolishness^(BC) in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness”^[e];^{(BD) 20} and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.”^{[f](BE) 21} So then, no more boasting about human leaders!^(BF) All things are yours,^{(BG) 22} whether Paul or Apollos^(BH) or Cephas^[g](BI) or the world or life or death or the present or the future^(BJ)—all are yours, ²³ and you are of Christ,^(BK) and Christ is of God.

The Nature of True Apostleship

4 This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants^(BL) of Christ and as those entrusted^(BM) with the mysteries^(BN) God has revealed. ² Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. ³ I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. ⁴ My conscience^(BO) is clear, but that does not make me innocent.^(BP) It is the Lord who judges me.^{(BQ) 5} Therefore judge nothing^(BR) before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes.^(BS) He will bring to light^(BT) what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.^(BU)

⁶ Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written.”^(BV) Then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of one of us over against the other.^{(BW) 7} For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive?^(BX) And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?

⁸ Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich!^(BY) You have begun to reign—and that without us! How I wish that you really had begun to reign so that we also might reign with you! ⁹ For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die^(BZ) in the arena. We have been made a spectacle^(CA) to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings. ¹⁰ We are fools for Christ,^(CB) but you are so wise in Christ!^(CC) We are weak, but you are strong!^(CD) You are honored, we are dishonored! ¹¹ To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless.^{(CE) 12} We work hard with our own hands.^(CF) When we are cursed, we bless;^(CG) when we are persecuted,^(CH) we endure it; ¹³ when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage^(CI) of the world—right up to this moment.

Paul’s Appeal and Warning

¹⁴ I am writing this not to shame you^(CJ) but to warn you as my dear children.^{(CK) 15} Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father^(CL) through the gospel.^{(CM) 16} Therefore I urge you to imitate me.^{(CN) 17} For this reason I have sent to you^(CO) Timothy,^(CP) my son^(CQ) whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.^(CR)

¹⁸ Some of you have become arrogant,^(CS) as if I were not coming to you.^{(CT) 19} But I will come to you very soon,^(CU) if the Lord is willing,^(CV) and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. ²⁰ For the kingdom of God is not a matter of^(CW) talk but of power.^{(CX) 21} What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline,^(CY) or shall I come in love and with a gentle spirit?

¹⁰ This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us^(A) and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.^(B)