1 Corinthians 1:1-3:4

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)

²To 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:

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

Thanksgiving

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

A Church Divided Over Leaders

¹⁰I 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. ¹¹My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household^(W) have informed me that there are quarrels among you. ¹²What 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.”

¹³Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul?^(AA) ¹⁴I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus^(AB) and Gaius,^(AC) ¹⁵so 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.) ¹⁷For 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

¹⁸For 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) ¹⁹For it is written:

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

²⁰Where 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? ²¹For 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) ²²Jews demand signs^(AS) and Greeks look for wisdom, ²³but we preach Christ crucified:^(AT) a stumbling block^(AU) to Jews and foolishness^(AV) to Gentiles, ²⁴but to those whom God has called,^(AW) both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God^(AX) and the wisdom of God.^(AY) ²⁵For the foolishness^(AZ) of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness^(BA) of God is stronger than human strength.

²⁶Brothers 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. ²⁷But 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. ²⁸God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not^(BF)—to nullify the things that are, ²⁹so that no one may boast before him.^(BG) ³⁰It 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) ³¹Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”^[d]^(BL)

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

God’s Wisdom Revealed by the Spirit

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

“What no eye has seen,
what no ear has heard,
and what no human mind has conceived”^[f]—
the things God has prepared for those who love him—^(CB)

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

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

“Who has known the mind of the Lord
so as to instruct him?”^[h]^(CM)

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

The Church and Its Leaders

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

Footnotes

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.
1 Corinthians 1:12 That is, Peter
1 Corinthians 1:19 Isaiah 29:14
1 Corinthians 1:31 Jer. 9:24
1 Corinthians 2:1 Some manuscripts proclaimed to you God’s mystery
1 Corinthians 2:9 Isaiah 64:4
1 Corinthians 2:13 Or Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual
1 Corinthians 2:16 Isaiah 40:13

Psalm 50

New International Version

Psalm 50

A psalm of Asaph.

¹The Mighty One, God, the Lord,^(A)
    speaks and summons the earth
    from the rising of the sun to where it sets.^(B)
²From Zion,^(C) perfect in beauty,^(D)
    God shines forth.^(E)
³Our God comes^(F)
    and will not be silent;^(G)
a fire devours^(H) before him,^(I)
    and around him a tempest^(J) rages.
⁴He summons the heavens above,
    and the earth,^(K) that he may judge his people:^(L)
⁵“Gather to me this consecrated people,^(M)
    who made a covenant^(N) with me by sacrifice.”
⁶And the heavens proclaim^(O) his righteousness,
    for he is a God of justice.^[a]^[b]^(P)

⁷“Listen, my people, and I will speak;
    I will testify^(Q) against you, Israel:
    I am God, your God.^(R)
⁸I bring no charges^(S) against you concerning your sacrifices
    or concerning your burnt offerings,^(T) which are ever before me.
⁹I have no need of a bull^(U) from your stall
    or of goats^(V) from your pens,^(W)
¹⁰for every animal of the forest^(X) is mine,
    and the cattle on a thousand hills.^(Y)
¹¹I know every bird^(Z) in the mountains,
    and the insects in the fields^(AA) are mine.
¹²If I were hungry I would not tell you,
    for the world^(AB) is mine, and all that is in it.^(AC)
¹³Do I eat the flesh of bulls
    or drink the blood of goats?

¹⁴“Sacrifice thank offerings^(AD) to God,
fulfill your vows^(AE) to the Most High,^(AF)
¹⁵and call^(AG) on me in the day of trouble;^(AH)
I will deliver^(AI) you, and you will honor^(AJ) me.”

¹⁶But to the wicked person, God says:

“What right have you to recite my laws
    or take my covenant^(AK) on your lips?^(AL)
¹⁷You hate^(AM) my instruction
    and cast my words behind^(AN) you.
¹⁸When you see a thief, you join^(AO) with him;
    you throw in your lot with adulterers.^(AP)
¹⁹You use your mouth for evil
    and harness your tongue to deceit.^(AQ)
²⁰You sit and testify against your brother^(AR)
    and slander your own mother’s son.
²¹When you did these things and I kept silent,^(AS)
    you thought I was exactly^[c] like you.
But I now arraign^(AT) you
    and set my accusations^(AU) before you.

²²“Consider this, you who forget God,^(AV)
or I will tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you:^(AW)
²³Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor me,
and to the blameless^[d] I will show my salvation.^(AX)”

Footnotes

Psalm 50:6 With a different word division of the Hebrew; Masoretic Text for God himself is judge
Psalm 50:6 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
Psalm 50:21 Or thought the ‘I am’ was
Psalm 50:23 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; the meaning of the Masoretic Text for this phrase is uncertain.