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1 Corinthians 1
New Living Translation

Greetings from Paul

1 This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Sosthenes.

2 I am writing to God’s church in Corinth,[a] to you who have been called by God to be his own holy people. He made you holy by means of Christ Jesus,[b] just as he did for all people everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.

3 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

Paul Gives Thanks to God

4 I always thank my God for you and for the gracious gifts he has given you, now that you belong to Christ Jesus. 5 Through him, God has enriched your church in every way—with all of your eloquent words and all of your knowledge. 6 This confirms that what I told you about Christ is true. 7 Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. 8 He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be free from all blame on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns. 9 God will do this, for he is faithful to do what he says, and he has invited you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Divisions in the Church

10 I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters,[c] by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose. 11 For some members of Chloe’s household have told me about your quarrels, my dear brothers and sisters. 12 Some of you are saying, “I am a follower of Paul.” Others are saying, “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Peter,[d]” or “I follow only Christ.”

13 Has Christ been divided into factions? Was I, Paul, crucified for you? Were any of you baptized in the name of Paul? Of course not! 14 I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 for now no one can say they were baptized in my name. 16 (Oh yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas, but I don’t remember baptizing anyone else.) 17 For Christ didn’t send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News—and not with clever speech, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power.

The Wisdom of God

18 The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. 19 As the Scriptures say,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise
    and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.”[e]

20 So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. 21 Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. 22 It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom. 23 So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense.

24 But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles,[f] Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.

26 Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy[g] when God called you. 27 Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. 28 God chose things despised by the world,[h] things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. 29 As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.

30 God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin. 31 Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.”[i]

Footnotes

  1. 1:2a Corinth was the capital city of Achaia, the southern region of the Greek peninsula.
  2. 1:2b Or because you belong to Christ Jesus.
  3. 1:10 Greek brothers; also in 1:11, 26.
  4. 1:12 Greek Cephas.
  5. 1:19 Isa 29:14.
  6. 1:24 Greek and Greeks.
  7. 1:26 Or high born.
  8. 1:28 Or God chose those who are low born.
  9. 1:31 Jer 9:24.
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1 Corinthians 1
New King James Version

Greeting

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

2 To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who (D)are [a]sanctified in Christ Jesus, (E)called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ (F)our Lord, (G)both theirs and ours:

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

Spiritual Gifts at Corinth

4 (I)I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, 5 that you were enriched in everything by Him (J)in all [b]utterance and all knowledge, 6 even as (K)the testimony of Christ was confirmed [c]in you, 7 so that you come short in no gift, eagerly (L)waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 (M)who will also confirm you to the end, (N)that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 (O)God is faithful, by whom you were called into (P)the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Sectarianism Is Sin

10 Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, (Q)that you all [d]speak the same thing, and that there be no [e]divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11 For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are [f]contentions among you. 12 Now I say this, that (R)each of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of (S)Apollos,” or “I am of (T)Cephas,” or “I am of Christ.” 13 (U)Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?

14 I thank God that I baptized (V)none of you except (W)Crispus and (X)Gaius, 15 lest anyone should say that I had baptized in my own name. 16 Yes, I also baptized the household of (Y)Stephanas. Besides, I do not know whether I baptized any other. 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, (Z)not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.

Christ the Power and Wisdom of God(AA)

18 For the [g]message of the cross is (AB)foolishness to (AC)those who are perishing, but to us (AD)who are being saved it is the (AE)power of God. 19 For it is written:

(AF)“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”

20 (AG)Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the [h]disputer of this age? (AH)Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For since, in the (AI)wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For (AJ)Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, (AK)to the Jews a [i]stumbling block and to the [j]Greeks (AL)foolishness, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ (AM)the power of God and (AN)the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

Glory Only in the Lord

26 For [k]you see your calling, brethren, (AO)that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many [l]noble, are called. 27 But (AP)God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the [m]base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence. 30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and (AQ)righteousness and sanctification and redemption— 31 that, as it is written, (AR)“He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.”

Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 1:2 set apart
  2. 1 Corinthians 1:5 speech
  3. 1 Corinthians 1:6 Or among
  4. 1 Corinthians 1:10 Have a uniform testimony
  5. 1 Corinthians 1:10 schisms or dissensions
  6. 1 Corinthians 1:11 quarrels
  7. 1 Corinthians 1:18 Lit. word
  8. 1 Corinthians 1:20 debater
  9. 1 Corinthians 1:23 Gr. skandalon, offense
  10. 1 Corinthians 1:23 NU Gentiles
  11. 1 Corinthians 1:26 consider
  12. 1 Corinthians 1:26 well-born
  13. 1 Corinthians 1:28 insignificant or lowly
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1 Corinthians 1
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 the church of God at Corinth,(E) to those sanctified(F) in Christ Jesus, 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 the grace of God given to you in Christ Jesus, 5 that you were enriched in him(K) in every way, 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 and sisters, 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 and sisters, by members of Chloe’s people, that there is rivalry(U) among you. 12 What I am saying is this: One of you says, “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,”(V) or “I belong to Cephas,”(W) or “I belong to Christ.”(X) 13 Is Christ divided?(Y) Was Paul 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 recall if I baptized anyone else. 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with eloquent wisdom, so that the cross(AD) of Christ will not be emptied of its effect.

Christ the Power and Wisdom of God

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

I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and I will set aside the intelligence of the intelligent.[c](AF)

20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the teacher of the law?[d] 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 what is 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 the power of God and the wisdom of God, 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 and sisters, consider your calling: Not many were 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] may boast in his presence.(AN) 30 It is from him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became wisdom from God for us—our righteousness,(AO) sanctification,(AP) and redemption(AQ)— 31 in order that, as it is written:(AR) Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.[h](AS)

Footnotes

  1. 1:14 Other mss omit God
  2. 1:14 Or I am thankful
  3. 1:19 Is 29:14
  4. 1:20 Or scholar
  5. 1:23 Other mss read Greeks
  6. 1:26 Lit wise according to the flesh
  7. 1:29 Lit that not all flesh
  8. 1:31 Jr 9:24
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1 Corinthians 1
New International Version

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

2 To the church of God(D) in Corinth,(E) to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called(F) to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name(G) of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours:

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

Thanksgiving

4 I always thank my God for you(I) because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5 For in him you have been enriched(J) in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge(K)— 6 God thus confirming our testimony(L) about Christ among you. 7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift(M) as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.(N) 8 He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless(O) on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.(P) 9 God is faithful,(Q) who has called you(R) into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.(S)

A Church Divided Over Leaders

10 I appeal to you, brothers and sisters,[a](T) 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,(U) but that you be perfectly united(V) in mind and thought. 11 My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household(W) have informed me that there are quarrels among you. 12 What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”;(X) another, “I follow Apollos”;(Y) another, “I follow Cephas[b]”;(Z) still another, “I follow Christ.”

13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul?(AA) 14 I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus(AB) and Gaius,(AC) 15 so no one can say that you were baptized in my name. 16 (Yes, I also baptized the household(AD) of Stephanas;(AE) beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.) 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize,(AF) but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom(AG) 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(AH) to those who are perishing,(AI) but to us who are being saved(AJ) it is the power of God.(AK) 19 For it is written:

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
    the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”[c](AL)

20 Where is the wise person?(AM) Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age?(AN) Has not God made foolish(AO) the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world(AP) through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save(AQ) those who believe.(AR) 22 Jews demand signs(AS) and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified:(AT) a stumbling block(AU) to Jews and foolishness(AV) to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called,(AW) both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God(AX) and the wisdom of God.(AY) 25 For the foolishness(AZ) of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness(BA) of God is stronger than human strength.

26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called.(BB) Not many of you were wise(BC) by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose(BD) the foolish(BE) 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(BF)—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him.(BG) 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus,(BH) who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness,(BI) holiness(BJ) and redemption.(BK) 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”[d](BL)

Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 1:10 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in verses 11 and 26; and in 2:1; 3:1; 4:6; 6:8; 7:24, 29; 10:1; 11:33; 12:1; 14:6, 20, 26, 39; 15:1, 6, 50, 58; 16:15, 20.
  2. 1 Corinthians 1:12 That is, Peter
  3. 1 Corinthians 1:19 Isaiah 29:14
  4. 1 Corinthians 1:31 Jer. 9:24
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1 Corinthians 1
The Voice

1 Paul, called out by God’s will to be an emissary[a] for Jesus the Anointed, along with brother Sosthenes, 2 to God’s church gathering in the city of Corinth. As people who are united with Jesus, the Anointed One, you have been set apart for service. You are all called into community to live as saints with all who invoke the name of our Lord Jesus, the Anointed

3 I pray that God our Father and the Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, will shower you with grace and peace.

4 I am continuously thanking my God for you when I think about the grace God has offered you in Jesus the Anointed. 5 In this grace, God is enriching every aspect of your lives by gifting you with the right words to say and everything you need to know. 6 In this way, your life story confirms the life story of the Anointed One, 7 so you are not ill-equipped or slighted on any necessary gifts as you patiently anticipate the day when our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, is revealed. 8 Until that final day, He will preserve you; and on that day, He will consider you faultless. 9 Count on this: God is faithful and in His faithfulness called you out into an intimate relationship with His Son, our Lord Jesus the Anointed.

10 My brothers and sisters, I urge you by the name of our Lord Jesus, the Anointed, to come together in agreement. Do not allow anything or anyone to create division among you. Instead, be restored, completely fastened together with one mind and shared judgment. 11 I have heard troubling reports from Chloe’s people that you, my siblings, are consumed by fighting and petty disagreements. 12 What I have heard is that each of you is taking sides, saying, “I am with Paul,” or “I am with Apollos,” or “I am with Cephas,” or “I am with the Anointed One.” 13 Has the Anointed One been split up into many small pieces? Do you think Paul was crucified for you? Were you ceremonially washed through baptism[b] into the name of Paul? Absolutely not!

Paul knows that if the work of Jesus’ gospel degenerates into a cult of personality, it will hardly resemble true Christianity. If the focus is on Paul, Cephas, Apollos, or any famous religious leader, then that distracts from the person and central message of Jesus. Any cult of personality is intoxicating, and it is often easier to claim to follow a person who can be seen and touched. But Christianity is founded upon the belief that Jesus is the head of the church and that all of His followers serve His will as a part of the royal priesthood.

14 Now I am thankful that I baptized[c] only Crispus and Gaius, 15 so none of you can falsely declare you were baptized in my name. 16 Now wait, as I think about it, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; if there are others in your community whom I baptized, I cannot recall at this moment. 17 The mission given to me by the Anointed One is not about baptism, but about preaching good news. The point is not to impress others by spinning an eloquent, intellectual argument; that type of rhetorical showboating would only nullify the cross of the Anointed.

18 For people who are stumbling toward ruin, the message of the cross is nothing but a tall tale for fools by a fool. But for those of us who are already experiencing the reality of being rescued and made right, it is nothing short of God’s power. 19 This is why the Scripture says:

I will put an end to the wisdom of the so-called wise,
    and I will invalidate the insight of your so-called experts.[d]

20 So now, where is the philosopher? Where is the scholar? Where is the skilled debater, the best of your time? Step up, if you dare. Hasn’t God made fools out of those who count on the wisdom of this rebellious, broken world? 21 For in God’s deep wisdom, He made it so that the world could not even begin to comprehend Him through its own style of wisdom; in fact, God took immense pleasure in rescuing people of faith through the foolishness of the message we preach. 22 It seems the Jews are always asking for signs and the Greeks are always on the prowl for wisdom. 23 But we tell a different story. We proclaim a crucified Jesus, God’s Anointed. For Jews this is scandalous, for outsiders[e] this is moronic, 24 but for those of us living out God’s call—regardless of our Jewish or Greek heritage—we know the Anointed embodies God’s dynamic power and God’s deep wisdom. 25 You can count on this: God’s foolishness will always be wiser than mere human wisdom, and God’s weakness will always be stronger than mere human strength.

The cross challenges human values because no one expects to find freedom through capital punishment. Unlike most of the thousands who faced crucifixion before and after Jesus, He was clearly not a criminal. God uses this contradiction to reveal His power and wisdom: Jesus has offered Himself to death and has been raised to life to bring liberation to others. Those who truly follow this crucified king do not seek power and authority through the normal patterns of the world; they offer themselves in loving sacrifice for others. That is where God’s transforming power is truly revealed in the church.

26 Look carefully at your call, brothers and sisters. By human standards, not many of you are deemed to be wise. Not many are considered powerful. Not many of you come from royalty, right? 27 But celebrate this: God selected the world’s foolish to bring shame upon those who think they are wise; likewise, He selected the world’s weak to bring disgrace upon those who think they are strong. 28 God selected the common and the castoff, whatever lacks status, so He could invalidate the claims of those who think those things are significant. 29 So it makes no sense for any person to boast in God’s presence. 30 Instead, credit God with your new situation: you are united with Jesus the Anointed. He is God’s wisdom for us and more. He is our righteousness and holiness and redemption. 31 As the Scripture says: “If someone wants to boast, he should boast in the Lord.”[f]

Footnotes

  1. 1:1 Literally, apostle
  2. 1:13 Literally, immersed, in a rite of initiation and purification
  3. 1:14 Literally, immersed, in a rite of initiation and purification
  4. 1:19 Isaiah 29:14
  5. 1:23 Literally, Gentiles
  6. 1:31 Jeremiah 9:23–24
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