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Christ Is Undivided

Paul, (A)called as an apostle of Jesus Christ [a]by (B)the will of God, and (C)Sosthenes our (D)brother,

To (E)the church of God which is at (F)Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, (G)called as [b]saints, with all who in every place (H)call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:

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

(J)I thank [c]my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, that in everything you were (K)enriched in Him, in all (L)word and (M)all knowledge, even as (N)the witness about Christ was confirmed [d]in you, so that you are not lacking in any gift, (O)eagerly awaiting the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, (P)who will also confirm you to the end, beyond reproach in (Q)the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. (R)God is faithful, through whom you were (S)called into (T)fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

10 Now (U)I exhort you, (V)brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all [e]agree and that there be no [f](W)divisions among you, but that you be [g]made complete in (X)the same mind and in the same judgment. 11 For I have been informed concerning you, my brothers, by Chloe’s people, that there are quarrels among you. 12 Now I mean this, that (Y)each one of you is saying, “I am of Paul,” and “I of (Z)Apollos,” and “I of (AA)Cephas,” and “I of Christ.” 13 [h]Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you (AB)baptized [i]in the name of Paul? 14 [j]I thank God that I (AC)baptized none of you except (AD)Crispus and (AE)Gaius, 15 so that no one would say you were baptized [k]in my name. 16 Now I did baptize also the (AF)household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any other. 17 (AG)For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to proclaim the gospel, (AH)not in wisdom of word, so that the cross of Christ will not be made empty.

Christ the Power and Wisdom of God

18 For the word of the cross is (AI)foolishness to (AJ)those who [l]are perishing, but to us who [m]are being saved, it is (AK)the power of God. 19 For it is written,

(AL)I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
And the cleverness of the clever I will set aside.”

20 (AM)Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of (AN)this age? Has not God (AO)made foolish the wisdom of (AP)the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, (AQ)the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, (AR)God was well-pleased, through the (AS)foolishness of the [n]message preached, to (AT)save those who believe. 22 For indeed (AU)Jews ask for [o]signs and Greeks search for wisdom, 23 but we preach [p](AV)Christ crucified, (AW)to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles (AX)foolishness, 24 but to those who are (AY)the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ (AZ)the power of God and (BA)the wisdom of God. 25 Because the (BB)foolishness of God is wiser than men, and (BC)the weakness of God is stronger than men.

26 For [q]consider your (BD)calling, brothers, that there were (BE)not many wise according to [r]the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble. 27 But (BF)God has chosen the foolish things of (BG)the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of (BH)the world to shame the things which are strong, 28 and the base things of (BI)the world and the despised God has chosen, (BJ)the things that are not, so that He may (BK)abolish the things that are, 29 so that (BL)no flesh may boast before God. 30 But by His doing you are in (BM)Christ Jesus, who became to us (BN)wisdom from God, [s]and (BO)righteousness and (BP)sanctification, and (BQ)redemption, 31 so that, just as it is written, “(BR)Let him who boasts, boast in the [t]Lord.”

Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 1:1 Lit through
  2. 1 Corinthians 1:2 Or holy ones
  3. 1 Corinthians 1:4 Two early mss omit my
  4. 1 Corinthians 1:6 Or among
  5. 1 Corinthians 1:10 Lit speak the same thing
  6. 1 Corinthians 1:10 Lit schisms
  7. 1 Corinthians 1:10 Or united
  8. 1 Corinthians 1:13 Or Christ has been divided! or Christ is divided!
  9. 1 Corinthians 1:13 Lit into
  10. 1 Corinthians 1:14 Two early mss I give thanks that
  11. 1 Corinthians 1:15 Lit into
  12. 1 Corinthians 1:18 Or perish
  13. 1 Corinthians 1:18 Or are saved
  14. 1 Corinthians 1:21 Lit preaching
  15. 1 Corinthians 1:22 Or attesting miracles
  16. 1 Corinthians 1:23 Messiah
  17. 1 Corinthians 1:26 Lit see
  18. 1 Corinthians 1:26 Human standards
  19. 1 Corinthians 1:30 Or both
  20. 1 Corinthians 1:31 In OT, Yahweh, cf. Jer 9:24

Greeting

From Paul, called by God’s will to be an apostle of Jesus Christ, and from Sosthenes our brother.

To God’s church that is in Corinth:

To those who have been made holy to God in Christ Jesus, who are called to be God’s people.

Together with all those who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place—he’s their Lord and ours!

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving for the Corinthians

I thank my God always for you, because of God’s grace that was given to you in Christ Jesus. That is, you were made rich through him in everything: in all your communication and every kind of knowledge, in the same way that the testimony about Christ was confirmed with you. The result is that you aren’t missing any spiritual gift while you wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will also confirm your testimony about Christ until the end so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, and you were called by him to partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Rival groups in Corinth

10 Now I encourage you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Agree with each other and don’t be divided into rival groups. Instead, be restored with the same mind and the same purpose. 11 My brothers and sisters, Chloe’s people gave me some information about you, that you’re fighting with each other. 12 What I mean is this: that each one of you says, “I belong to Paul,” “I belong to Apollos,” “I belong to Cephas,” “I belong to Christ.” 13 Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you, or were you baptized in Paul’s name? 14 Thank God that I didn’t baptize any of you, except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so that nobody can say that you were baptized in my name! 16 Oh, I baptized the house of Stephanas too. Otherwise, I don’t know if I baptized anyone else. 17 Christ didn’t send me to baptize but to preach the good news. And Christ didn’t send me to preach the good news with clever words so that Christ’s cross won’t be emptied of its meaning.

Human wisdom versus the cross

18 The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are being destroyed. But it is the power of God for those of us who are being saved. 19 It is written in scripture: I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will reject the intelligence of the intelligent.[a] 20 Where are the wise? Where are the legal experts? Where are today’s debaters? Hasn’t God made the wisdom of the world foolish? 21 In God’s wisdom, he determined that the world wouldn’t come to know him through its wisdom. Instead, God was pleased to save those who believe through the foolishness of preaching. 22 Jews ask for signs, and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, which is a scandal to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles. 24 But to those who are called—both Jews and Greeks—Christ is God’s power and God’s wisdom. 25 This is because the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

26 Look at your situation when you were called, brothers and sisters! By ordinary human standards not many were wise, not many were powerful, not many were from the upper class. 27 But God chose what the world considers foolish to shame the wise. God chose what the world considers weak to shame the strong. 28 And God chose what the world considers low-class and low-life—what is considered to be nothing—to reduce what is considered to be something to nothing. 29 So no human being can brag in God’s presence. 30 It is because of God that you are in Christ Jesus. He became wisdom from God for us. This means that he made us righteous and holy, and he delivered us. 31 This is consistent with what was written: The one who brags should brag in the Lord![b]