Beginning

Christ Is Undivided

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

² 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:

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

^4 (J)I thank ^[c]my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, ⁵ that in everything you were ^(K)enriched in Him, in all ^(L)word and ^(M)all knowledge, ⁶ even as ^(N)the witness about Christ was confirmed ^[d]in you, ⁷ so that you are not lacking in any gift, ^(O)eagerly awaiting the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, ^8 (P)who will also confirm you to the end, beyond reproach in ^(Q)the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. ^9 (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,

^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.”

Paul’s Reliance upon the Spirit

2 And when I came to you, brothers, I ^(BS)did not come with superiority of word or of wisdom, proclaiming to you ^(BT)the ^[u]witness of God. ² For I determined to know nothing among you except ^(BU)Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. ³ And I was with you in ^(BV)weakness and in ^(BW)fear and in much trembling, ⁴ and my word and my preaching were ^(BX)not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of ^(BY)the Spirit and of power, ⁵ so that your faith would not be in the wisdom of men, but in ^(BZ)the power of God.

⁶ Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are ^(CA)mature, a wisdom, however, not of ^(CB)this age nor of the rulers of ^(CC)this age, who are ^(CD)being abolished. ⁷ But we speak God’s wisdom in a ^(CE)mystery, the wisdom which has been hidden, which God ^(CF)predestined before the ^(CG)ages to our glory, ^8 (CH)which none of the rulers of ^(CI)this age has understood; for if they had understood it, they would not have crucified ^(CJ)the Lord of glory. ⁹ But just as it is written,

^10 [v](CL)But to us God revealed them ^(CM)through the Spirit, for the Spirit searches all things, even the ^(CN)depths of God. ¹¹ For who among men knows the depths of a man except the ^(CO)spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the depths of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. ¹² Now we ^(CP)have received, not the spirit of ^(CQ)the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the depths graciously given to us by God, ¹³ of which depths we also speak, ^(CR)not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, ^[w]combining spiritual depths with spiritual words.

¹⁴ But ^[x]a ^(CS)natural man ^(CT)does not accept the depths of the Spirit of God, for they are ^(CU)foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because ^(CV)they are spiritually examined. ¹⁵ But he who is ^(CW)spiritual examines all things, yet he himself is examined by no one. ¹⁶ For ^(CX)who has known the mind of the ^[y]Lord, that he will direct Him? But ^(CY)we have the mind of Christ.

Jesus Christ, Our Foundation

3 And I, brothers, was not able to speak to you as to ^(CZ)spiritual men, but as to ^(DA)fleshly men, as to ^(DB)infants in Christ. ² I gave you ^(DC)milk to drink, not solid food, for you ^(DD)were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are still not able, ³ for you are still fleshly. For since there is ^(DE)jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking ^[z](DF)like mere men? ⁴ For when ^(DG)one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not mere ^(DH)men?

⁵ What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? ^(DI)Servants through whom you believed, even ^(DJ)as the Lord gave to each one. ^6 (DK)I planted, ^(DL)Apollos watered, but ^(DM)God was causing the growth. ⁷ So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. ⁸ Now he who plants and he who waters are one, but each will ^(DN)receive his own ^[aa]reward according to his own labor. ⁹ For we are God’s ^(DO)fellow workers; you are God’s ^[ab](DP)field, God’s ^(DQ)building.

¹⁰ According to ^(DR)the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder ^(DS)I laid a foundation, and ^(DT)another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. ¹¹ For no one can lay a ^(DU)foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹² Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, ^[ac]precious stones, wood, hay, straw, ^13 (DV)each man’s work will become evident, for ^(DW)the day will indicate it because it is revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test ^[ad]the quality of each man’s work. ¹⁴ If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will ^(DX)receive a reward. ¹⁵ If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, yet ^(DY)so as through fire.

^16 (DZ)Do you not know that ^(EA)you are a ^[ae]sanctuary of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? ¹⁷ If any man destroys the ^[af]sanctuary of God, God will destroy him, for the ^[ag]sanctuary of God is holy, and ^[ah]that is what you are.

^18 (EB)Let no man deceive himself. ^(EC)If any man among you thinks that he is wise in ^(ED)this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise. ¹⁹ For ^(EE)the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, “He is ^(EF)the one who catches the wise in their craftiness”; ²⁰ and again, “^(EG)The Lord knows the reasonings of the wise, that they are useless.” ²¹ So then ^(EH)let no one boast in men. For ^(EI)all things belong to you, ^22 (EJ)whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or ^(EK)life or death or things present or things to come; all things belong to you, ²³ and ^(EL)you belong to Christ, and ^(EM)Christ belongs to God.

Servants of Christ

4 Let a man consider us in this manner, as ^(EN)servants of Christ and ^(EO)stewards of ^(EP)the mysteries of God. ² In this case, moreover, it is required ^[ai]of stewards that one be found faithful. ³ But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human ^[aj]court. In fact, I do not even examine myself. ⁴ For I ^(EQ)am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this ^(ER)acquitted. But the one who examines me is the Lord. ⁵ Therefore ^(ES)do not go on ^[ak]passing judgment before ^[al]the time, but wait ^(ET)until the Lord comes who will both ^(EU)bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and make manifest the motives of hearts. And then each one’s ^(EV)praise will come to him from God.

⁶ Now these things, brothers, I have applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us you may learn not to go beyond ^(EW)what is written, so that no one of you will ^(EX)become puffed up ^(EY)on behalf of one against the other. ⁷ For who regards you as superior? ^(EZ)What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?

⁸ You are ^(FA)already filled, you have already become rich, you have ruled without us—and how I wish that you had ruled indeed so that we also might rule with you. ⁹ For, I think that God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men ^(FB)condemned to death, because we ^(FC)have become a spectacle to the world, and to angels, and to men. ¹⁰ We are ^(FD)fools for the sake of Christ, but ^(FE)you are prudent in Christ! ^(FF)We are weak, but you are strong! You are glorious, but we are without honor! ¹¹ To this present hour we ^(FG)hunger and thirst, and are poorly clothed, and roughly treated, and homeless; ¹² and we labor, ^(FH)working with our own hands; when we are ^(FI)reviled, we bless; when we are ^(FJ)persecuted, we endure; ¹³ when we are slandered, we try to plead; we have ^(FK)become as the scum of the world, the grime of all things, even until now.

¹⁴ I do not write these things to ^(FL)shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved ^(FM)children. ¹⁵ For if you were to have countless ^(FN)tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in ^(FO)Christ Jesus I ^(FP)became your father through the ^(FQ)gospel. ¹⁶ Therefore I exhort you, be ^(FR)imitators of me. ¹⁷ For this reason I ^(FS)have sent to you ^(FT)Timothy, who is my ^(FU)beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and who will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, ^(FV)just as I teach everywhere in every church. ¹⁸ Now some have become ^(FW)puffed up, as though I were not ^(FX)coming to you. ¹⁹ But I ^(FY)will come to you soon, ^(FZ)if the Lord wills, and I shall know, not the ^[am]words of those who are ^(GA)puffed up but their power. ²⁰ For the kingdom of God does ^(GB)not consist in ^[an]words but in power. ²¹ What do you desire? ^(GC)Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love and a spirit of gentleness?