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1 Corinthians 1
World English Bible

1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, 2 to the assembly of God which is at Corinth—those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints, with all who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place, both theirs and ours: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

4 I always thank my God concerning you, for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus; 5 that in everything you were enriched in him, in all speech and all knowledge; 6 even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: 7 so that you come behind in no gift; waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ; 8 who will also confirm you until the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, through whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

10 Now I beg you, brothers,[a] through the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfected together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11 For it has been reported to me concerning you, my brothers, by those who are from Chloe’s household, that there are contentions among you. 12 Now I mean this, that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” “I follow Apollos,” “I follow Cephas,” and, “I follow Christ.” 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized into the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I baptized none of you, except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so that no one should say that I had baptized you into my own name. 16 (I also baptized the household of Stephanas; besides them, I don’t know whether I baptized any other.) 17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Good News—not in wisdom of words, so that the cross of Christ wouldn’t be made void. 18 For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are dying, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise.
    I will bring the discernment of the discerning to nothing.”Isaiah 29:14

20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the lawyer of this world? Hasn’t God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For seeing that in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom didn’t know God, it was God’s good pleasure through the foolishness of the preaching to save those who believe. 22 For Jews ask for signs, Greeks seek after wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews, and foolishness to Greeks, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God; 25 because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

26 For you see your calling, brothers, that not many are wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, and not many noble; 27 but God chose the foolish things of the world that he might put to shame those who are wise. God chose the weak things of the world that he might put to shame the things that are strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of the world, and the things that are despised, and the things that don’t exist, that he might bring to nothing the things that exist, 29 that no flesh should boast before God. 30 Because of him, you are in Christ Jesus, who was made to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption: 31 that, as it is written, “He who boasts, let him boast in the Lord.”Jeremiah 9:24

Footnotes

  1. 1:10 The word for “brothers” here and where context allows may also be correctly translated “brothers and sisters” or “siblings.”
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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
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