Passage Resources Hebrew/Greek Your Content
Previous Next
Add parallel Print Page Options Listen to 1 Corinthians 1
Close CSB

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
Close ISV

1 Corinthians 1
International Standard Version

Paul Greets the Church in Corinth

1 From:[a] Paul, called to be an apostle of the Messiah[b] Jesus[c] by the will of God, and from our brother Sosthenes.

2 To: God’s church in Corinth, to those who have been sanctified by the Messiah[d] Jesus and called to be holy,[e] together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah[f]—their Lord[g] and ours.

3 May grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus, the Messiah,[h] be yours!

You are Rich

4 I always thank my[i] God for you because of the grace of God given you by the Messiah[j] Jesus. 5 For by him you have become rich in every way—in speech and knowledge of every kind— 6 while our testimony about the Messiah[k] has been confirmed among you. 7 Therefore, you don’t lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus the Messiah[l] to be revealed. 8 He will keep you strong until the end, so that you will be blameless on the Day of our Lord Jesus the Messiah.[m] 9 Faithful is the God by whom you were called into fellowship with his Son Jesus the Messiah,[n] our Lord.

Divisions in the Church

10 Brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus the Messiah,[o] I urge all of you to be in agreement[p] and not to have divisions among you, so that you may be perfectly united in your understanding and opinions. 11 My brothers, some members of Chloe’s family have made it clear to me that there are quarrels among you. 12 This is what I mean: Each of you is saying, “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,” or “I belong to Cephas,”[q] or “I belong to the Messiah.”[r]

13 Is the Messiah[s] divided? Paul wasn’t crucified for you, was he? You weren’t baptized in Paul’s name, were you? 14 I thank God[t] that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so that no one can say that you were baptized in my name. 16 (Oh yes, I also baptized the family of Stephanas. Beyond that, I’m not sure whether I baptized anyone else.) 17 For the Messiah[u] did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, not with eloquent wisdom, so the cross of the Messiah[v] won’t be emptied of its power.

The Messiah is God’s Power and Wisdom

18 For the message about the cross is nonsense to those who are being destroyed, but it is God’s power to us who are being saved. 19 For it is written,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
    and the intelligence of the intelligent I will reject.”[w]

20 Where is the wise person? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? God has turned the wisdom of the world into nonsense, hasn’t he? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom did not know God,[x] God was pleased to save those who believe through the nonsense of our preaching. 22 Jews ask for signs, and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach the Messiah[y] crucified. He is a stumbling block to Jews and nonsense to gentiles, 24 but to those who are called,[z] both Jews and Greeks, the Messiah[aa] is God’s power and God’s wisdom. 25 For God’s nonsense is wiser than human wisdom,[ab] and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.[ac]

26 Brothers, think about your own calling. Not many of you were wise by human standards,[ad] not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is nonsense in the world to make the wise feel ashamed. God chose what is weak in the world to make the strong feel ashamed. 28 And God chose what is insignificant in the world, what is despised, what is nothing, in order to destroy what is something, 29 so that no one[ae] may boast in God’s presence. 30 It is because of God[af] that you are in union with the Messiah[ag] Jesus, who for us has become wisdom from God, as well as our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written, “The person who boasts must boast in the Lord.”[ah]

Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 1:1 The Gk. lacks From
  2. 1 Corinthians 1:1 Or Christ
  3. 1 Corinthians 1:1 Other mss. read Jesus the Messiah
  4. 1 Corinthians 1:2 Or Christ
  5. 1 Corinthians 1:2 Or to be saints
  6. 1 Corinthians 1:2 Or Christ
  7. 1 Corinthians 1:2 Lit. theirs
  8. 1 Corinthians 1:3 Or Christ
  9. 1 Corinthians 1:4 Other mss. lack my
  10. 1 Corinthians 1:4 Or Christ
  11. 1 Corinthians 1:6 Or Christ
  12. 1 Corinthians 1:7 Or Christ
  13. 1 Corinthians 1:8 Or Christ
  14. 1 Corinthians 1:9 Or Christ
  15. 1 Corinthians 1:10 Or Christ
  16. 1 Corinthians 1:10 Lit. to say the same thing
  17. 1 Corinthians 1:12 I.e. Peter
  18. 1 Corinthians 1:12 Or Christ
  19. 1 Corinthians 1:13 Or Christ
  20. 1 Corinthians 1:14 Other mss. read I thank my God; still other mss. read I am thankful
  21. 1 Corinthians 1:17 Or Christ
  22. 1 Corinthians 1:17 Or Christ
  23. 1 Corinthians 1:19 Isa 29:14
  24. 1 Corinthians 1:21 The Gk. lacks God
  25. 1 Corinthians 1:23 Or Christ
  26. 1 Corinthians 1:24 Or chosen
  27. 1 Corinthians 1:24 Or Christ
  28. 1 Corinthians 1:25 Lit. than men
  29. 1 Corinthians 1:25 Lit. than men
  30. 1 Corinthians 1:26 Lit. according to the flesh
  31. 1 Corinthians 1:29 Lit. flesh
  32. 1 Corinthians 1:30 Lit. him
  33. 1 Corinthians 1:30 Or Christ
  34. 1 Corinthians 1:31 Jer 9:24; MT source citation reads Lord
Next
Romans 16
1 Corinthians 2
Next
dropdown
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

International Standard Version (ISV)

Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.

ISV Bible