Beginning
1 Paul, a called Apostle of Jesus Christ, through the will of God, and brother Sosthenes,
2 to the Church of God, which is at Corinth; to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus (Saints by calling) with all that 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 thank my God always on your behalf for the grace of God which is given you in Jesus Christ.
5 That in all things you are made rich in Him in every expression and in all knowledge.
6 As the testimony of Jesus Christ has been confirmed in you.
7 So that you are not deficient in any gift, awaiting the unveiling of our Lord Jesus Christ,
8 Who shall also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 God is faithful; by Whom you are called to the fellowship of his son Jesus Christ our Lord.
10 Now I urge you, brothers, by the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak one thing, and that there be no dissensions among you. But be joined together in one mind, and in one judgment.
11 For it has been declared to me, my brothers, by those who are of the house of Chloe, that there is strife among you.
12 Now I say this: that each one of you says, “I am Paul’s”, and “I am Apollos’s”, and “I am Cephas’s” and “I am Christ’s”.
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, but rather Crispus and Gaius,
15 lest anyone should say that I had baptized into my own name.
16 Now I also baptized the household of Stephanas. But I do not know whether I baptized any other besides that.
17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the Gospel (not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect).
18 For the preaching of the cross is to those who perish, foolishness. But to us who are saved, it is the power of God.
19 For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will cast away the understanding of the prudent.”
20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this world? Has not God made the wisdom of this world foolishness?
21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world in its own wisdom did not know God, it pleased God, by the foolishness of preaching, to save those who believe;
22 seeing also that the Jews require a sign, and the Grecians seek after wisdom.
23 But we preach Christ crucified, indeed a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Grecians.
24 But to those who are called, both of the Jews and Grecians, we preach Christ: the power of God and the wisdom of God.
25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than man, and the weakness of God is stronger than man.
26 For brothers, you see your calling: how that not many are wise after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble.
27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. And God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the mighty things.
28 And vile things of the world, and things which are despised, God has chosen, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are.
29 That no flesh should boast in His presence.
30 But you are of Him in Christ Jesus, Who, out of God, is made wisdom and righteousness to us, and sanctification, and redemption.
31 That it may be as it is written, ‘The one who boasts, let him boast in the Lord’.
2 And I, brothers, when I came to you, came not with excellency of words, or of wisdom, showing to you the testimony of God.
2 For I determined not to know anything among you, except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.
3 And I was among you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.
4 Neither my word nor my preaching was in the enticing speech of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.
5 So that your faith would not be in the wisdom of man, but in the power of God.
6 Rather, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, which come to nothing,
7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, having been hidden, which God predetermined to our glory before the world,
8 and which none of the princes of this world have known. For had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory.
9 But as it is written, ‘The things which neither eye has seen, nor ear has heard, nor have come into man’s heart, are those which God has prepared for those who love Him.’
10 But God has revealed them to us by His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God.
11 For what man knows the things of a man, except the spirit of a man, which is in him? So also, no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.
12 Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit, Who is from God, that we might know the things that are given to us from God,
13 of which things we also speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teaches, but those which the Holy Ghost teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual things.
14 But the natural man does not perceive the things of the Spirit of God. For they are foolishness to him, nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
15 But he who is spiritual, discerns all things. Yet, he himself is judged by no one.
16 For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he might instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.
3 And I could not speak to you, brothers, as to spiritual men, but as to carnal, as to infants in Christ.
2 I gave you milk to drink, and not solid food. For you were not yet able to bear it, nor are you able even now.
3 For you are still fleshly, since there is among you envying and strife and divisions. Are you not still carnal, and walking as man?
4 For when one says, ‘I am Paul’s’, and another, ‘I am Apollos’s’, are you not carnal?
5 Who is Paul then? And who is Apollos, but the ministers, by whom you believed, and as the Lord gave to every man?
6 I have planted, Apollos watered. But God gave the increase.
7 So then, neither is he who plants anything, nor he who waters. But God gives the increase.
8 And he who plants, and he who waters, are one. And everyone shall receive his wages, according to his labor.
9 For we together are God’s laborers. You are God’s fellow workers, and God’s building.
10 According to the grace of God given to me, as a skillful master builder, I have laid the foundation. And another builds on that. But, let everyone take heed how he builds upon it.
11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid; which is Jesus Christ.
12 And if anyone builds gold, silver, precious stones, timber, hay, or stubble upon this foundation,
13 everyone’s work shall be made apparent. For the Day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by the fire. And the fire shall test everyone’s work, of what sort it is.
14 If anyone’s work that he has built upon abides, he shall receive wages.
15 If anyone’s work burns, he shall suffer loss. But he himself shall be saved, although still, as it were, by fire.
16 Do you not know that you are the Temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
17 If anyone destroys the Temple of God, God shall destroy him. For the Temple of God is holy, which you are.
18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this world, let him be a fool, that he may be wise.
19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, ‘He catches the wise in their own craftiness’.
20 And again, ‘The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are useless’.
21 Therefore, let no one boast in man. For all things are yours,
22 whether it be Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death - whether things present, or things to come - all are yours,
23 and you Christ’s, and Christ God’s.
4 Let a man so think of us, as servants of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.
2 And as for the rest, it is required of the stewards that everyone be found faithful.
3 As for me, however, it is my least concern to be examined by you, or by mankind. I do not even examine myself.
4 For though I am aware of nothing against myself, I am not thereby justified. But the One who judges me is the Lord.
5 Therefore, judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, Who will enlighten things that are hidden in darkness, and make manifest the counsels of the hearts. And then shall every man have praise of God.
6 Now these things, brothers, I have figuratively applied to my own self and Apollos, for your sakes, that you might learn by us; that no one presumes above that which is written, that no one is puffed up over another.
7 For who separates you? And what do you have, that you have not received? If you have received it, why do you boast as though you had not received it?
8 Now you are full. Now you are made rich. You reign as kings without us. And I would that you did reign, so that we also might reign with you.
9 For I think that God has set us forth, the last Apostles, as men appointed to death. For we are made a spectacle to the world, and to the angels, and to man.
10 We are fools for Christ’s sake; and you, wise in Christ. We are weak, and you strong. You honorable, and we despised.
11 Unto this hour, we both hunger and thirst, and are naked and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling place;
12 and labor, working with our own hands. We are reviled, and we bless. We are persecuted. We suffer it.
13 We are slandered, and we pray. We are made as the filth of the world, the scum of all things, unto this time.
14 I do not write these things to shame you. But as my beloved children, I admonish you.
15 For though you have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet not many fathers. For in Christ Jesus I have begotten you, through the Gospel.
16 Therefore, I encourage you, be followers of me.
17 For this cause have I sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord; who shall put you in remembrance of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church.
18 Now, some are puffed up, as though I would not come to you.
19 But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord wills, and I will know, not the words of those who are puffed up, but the power.
20 For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.
21 What is your will? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and in the spirit of meekness?
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