A Church Divided Over Leaders

¹⁰ I appeal to you, brothers and sisters,^[a](A) in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you,^(B) but that you be perfectly united^(C) in mind and thought. ¹¹ My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household^(D) have informed me that there are quarrels among you. ¹² What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”;^(E) another, “I follow Apollos”;^(F) another, “I follow Cephas^[b]”;^(G) still another, “I follow Christ.”

¹³ Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul?^{(H) 14} I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus^(I) and Gaius,^{(J) 15} so no one can say that you were baptized in my name. ¹⁶ (Yes, I also baptized the household^(K) of Stephanas;^(L) beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.) ¹⁷ For Christ did not send me to baptize,^(M) but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom^(N) and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

Christ Crucified Is God’s Power and Wisdom

¹⁸ For the message of the cross is foolishness^(O) to those who are perishing,^(P) but to us who are being saved^(Q) it is the power of God.^{(R) 19} For it is written:

²⁰ Where is the wise person?^(T) Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age?^(U) Has not God made foolish^(V) the wisdom of the world? ²¹ For since in the wisdom of God the world^(W) through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save^(X) those who believe.^{(Y) 22} Jews demand signs^(Z) and Greeks look for wisdom, ²³ but we preach Christ crucified:^(AA) a stumbling block^(AB) to Jews and foolishness^(AC) to Gentiles, ²⁴ but to those whom God has called,^(AD) both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God^(AE) and the wisdom of God.^{(AF) 25} For the foolishness^(AG) of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness^(AH) of God is stronger than human strength.

²⁶ Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called.^(AI) Not many of you were wise^(AJ) by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. ²⁷ But God chose^(AK) the foolish^(AL) things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. ²⁸ God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not^(AM)—to nullify the things that are, ²⁹ so that no one may boast before him.^{(AN) 30} It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus,^(AO) who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness,^(AP) holiness^(AQ) and redemption.^{(AR) 31} Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”^[d](AS)

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

God’s Wisdom Revealed by the Spirit

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

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

The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. ¹¹ For who knows a person’s thoughts^(BL) except their own spirit^(BM) 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^(BN) of the world,^(BO) 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^(BP) but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.^{[g] 14} The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God^(BQ) but considers them foolishness,^(BR) and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. ¹⁵ The person with the Spirit^(BS) 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.^(BU)

The Church and Its Leaders

3 Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit^(BV) but as people who are still worldly^(BW)—mere infants^(BX) in Christ. ² I gave you milk, not solid food,^(BY) for you were not yet ready for it.^(BZ) Indeed, you are still not ready. ³ You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling^(CA) 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,”^(CB) are you not mere human beings?

⁵ What, after all, is Apollos?^(CC) And what is Paul? Only servants,^(CD) through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. ⁶ I planted the seed,^(CE) 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.^{(CF) 9} For we are co-workers in God’s service;^(CG) you are God’s field,^(CH) God’s building.^(CI)

¹⁰ By the grace God has given me,^(CJ) I laid a foundation^(CK) 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.^{(CL) 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,^(CM) because the Day^(CN) will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work.^{(CO) 14} If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward.^{(CP) 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.^(CQ)

¹⁶ Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple^(CR) and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?^{(CS) 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^(CT) by the standards of this age,^(CU) you should become “fools” so that you may become wise. ¹⁹ For the wisdom of this world is foolishness^(CV) in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness”^[i];^{(CW) 20} and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.”^{[j](CX) 21} So then, no more boasting about human leaders!^(CY) All things are yours,^{(CZ) 22} whether Paul or Apollos^(DA) or Cephas^[k](DB) or the world or life or death or the present or the future^(DC)—all are yours, ²³ and you are of Christ,^(DD) and Christ is of God.

The Nature of True Apostleship

4 This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants^(DE) of Christ and as those entrusted^(DF) with the mysteries^(DG) 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^(DH) is clear, but that does not make me innocent.^(DI) It is the Lord who judges me.^{(DJ) 5} Therefore judge nothing^(DK) before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes.^(DL) He will bring to light^(DM) what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.^(DN)

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.”^(DO) Then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of one of us over against the other.^{(DP) 7} For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive?^(DQ) 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!^(DR) 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^(DS) in the arena. We have been made a spectacle^(DT) to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings. ¹⁰ We are fools for Christ,^(DU) but you are so wise in Christ!^(DV) We are weak, but you are strong!^(DW) 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.^{(DX) 12} We work hard with our own hands.^(DY) When we are cursed, we bless;^(DZ) when we are persecuted,^(EA) we endure it; ¹³ when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage^(EB) of the world—right up to this moment.

Paul’s Appeal and Warning

¹⁴ I am writing this not to shame you^(EC) but to warn you as my dear children.^{(ED) 15} Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father^(EE) through the gospel.^{(EF) 16} Therefore I urge you to imitate me.^{(EG) 17} For this reason I have sent to you^(EH) Timothy,^(EI) my son^(EJ) 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.^(EK)

¹⁸ Some of you have become arrogant,^(EL) as if I were not coming to you.^{(EM) 19} But I will come to you very soon,^(EN) if the Lord is willing,^(EO) 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^(EP) talk but of power.^{(EQ) 21} What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline,^(ER) or shall I come in love and with a gentle spirit?

Dealing With a Case of Incest

5 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that even pagans do not tolerate: A man is sleeping with his father’s wife.^{(ES) 2} And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have gone into mourning^(ET) and have put out of your fellowship^(EU) the man who has been doing this? ³ For my part, even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit.^(EV) As one who is present with you in this way, I have already passed judgment in the name of our Lord Jesus^(EW) on the one who has been doing this. ⁴ So when you are assembled and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, ⁵ hand this man over^(EX) to Satan^(EY) for the destruction of the flesh,^[l][m] so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord.^(EZ)

⁶ Your boasting is not good.^(FA) Don’t you know that a little yeast^(FB) leavens the whole batch of dough?^{(FC) 7} Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.^{(FD) 8} Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread^(FE) of sincerity and truth.

⁹ I wrote to you in my letter not to associate^(FF) with sexually immoral people— ¹⁰ not at all meaning the people of this world^(FG) who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. ¹¹ But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister^[n](FH) but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater^(FI) or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.^(FJ)

¹² What business is it of mine to judge those outside^(FK) the church? Are you not to judge those inside?^{(FL) 13} God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.”^[o](FM)

Lawsuits Among Believers

6 If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord’s people?^{(FN) 2} Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world?^(FO) And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? ³ Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! ⁴ Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, do you ask for a ruling from those whose way of life is scorned in the church? ⁵ I say this to shame you.^(FP) Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers?^{(FQ) 6} But instead, one brother^(FR) takes another to court—and this in front of unbelievers!^(FS)

⁷ The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?^{(FT) 8} Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters.^{(FU) 9} Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God?^(FV) Do not be deceived:^(FW) Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers^(FX) nor men who have sex with men^{[p](FY) 10} nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers^(FZ) will inherit the kingdom of God. ¹¹ And that is what some of you were.^(GA) But you were washed,^(GB) you were sanctified,^(GC) you were justified^(GD) in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.