The First Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians

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- Chapter 1 -

(Acts 18:1–11; 2 Corinthians 1:1–2)

Paul, called as an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God; and Sosthenes, a brother:

to the Church of God which is at Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints with all who are invoking the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place of theirs and of ours.

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

Thanksgiving

(Philippians 1:3–11; Colossians 1:3–14)

I give thanks to my God continuously for you because of the grace of God that has been given to you in Christ Jesus.

By that grace, in all things, you have become wealthy in him, in every word and in all knowledge.

And so, the testimony of Christ has been strengthened in you.

In this way, nothing is lacking to you in any grace, as you await the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

And he, too, will strengthen you, even until the end, without guilt, until the day of the advent of our Lord Jesus Christ.

God is faithful. Through him, you have been called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Unity in the Church

(Psalm 133:1–3; Ephesians 4:1–16)

And so, I beg you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that every one of you speak in the same way, and that there be no schisms among you. So may you become perfect, with the same mind and with the same judgment.

For it has been indicated to me, about you, my brothers, by those who are with Chloes, that there are contentions among you.

Now I say this because each of you is saying: “Certainly, I am of Paul;” “But I am of Apollo;” “Truly, I am of Cephas;” as well as: “I am of Christ.”

Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?

I give thanks to God that I have baptized none of you, except Crispus and Gaius,

lest anyone say that you have been baptized in my name.

And I also baptized the household of Stephanus. Other than these, I do not recall if I baptized any others.

For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to evangelize: not through the wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ become empty.

The Message of the Cross

For the Word of the Cross is certainly foolishness to those who are perishing. But to those who have been saved, that is, to us, it is the power of God.

For it has been written: “I will perish the wisdom of the wise, and I will reject the discernment of the prudent.”

Where are the wise? Where are the scribes? Where are the truth-seekers of this age? Has not God made the wisdom of this world into foolishness?(a)

For the world did not know God through wisdom, and so, in the wisdom of God, it pleased God to accomplish the salvation of believers, through the foolishness of our preaching.

For the Jews ask for signs, and the Greeks seek wisdom.

But we are preaching Christ crucified. Certainly, to the Jews, this is a scandal, and to the Gentiles, this is foolishness.

But to those who have been called, Jews as well as Greeks, the Christ is the virtue of God and the wisdom of God.

For what is foolishness to God is considered wise by men, and that which is weakness to God is considered strong by men.(b)

Wisdom from God

So take care of your vocation, brothers. For not many are wise according to the flesh, not many are powerful, not many are noble.

But God has chosen the foolish of the world, so that he may confound the wise. And God has chosen the weak of the world, so that he may confound the strong.

And God has chosen the ignoble and contemptible of the world, those who are nothing, so that he may reduce to nothing those who are something.

So then, nothing that is of the flesh should glory in his sight.

But you are of him in Christ Jesus, who was made by God to be our wisdom and justice and sanctification and redemption.

And so, in the same way, it was written: “Whoever glories, should glory in the Lord.”

Footnotes

(a)1:20 The word ‘conquisitor’ refers to those who search for something, and the prefix ‘con’ intensifies the meaning of the word, making it an intense search, and the context of the verse makes it a search for wisdom and truth. Hence the translation: truth-seekers.(Conte)

(b)1:25 The foolishness, etc:That is to say, what appears foolish to the world in the ways of God, is indeed most wise; and what appears weak is indeed above all the strength and comprehension of man.(Challoner)

(Acts 18:1–11; 2 Corinthians 1:1–2)

Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ

(a)

through the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,

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:

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

Thanksgiving

(Philippians 1:3–11; Colossians 1:3–14)

I always thank my God concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus,

that in everything you were enriched in him, in all speech and all knowledge—

even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you—

so that you come behind in no gift, waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ,

who will also confirm you until the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

God is faithful, through whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Unity in the Church

(Psalm 133:1–3; Ephesians 4:1–16)

Now I beg you, brothers,(b) 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.

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.

Now I mean this, that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” “I follow Apollos,” “I follow Cephas,” and, “I follow Christ.”

Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized into the name of Paul?

I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius,

so that no one should say that I had baptized you into my own name.

(I also baptized the household of Stephanas; besides them, I don’t know whether I baptized any other.)

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.

The Message of the Cross

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.

For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise. I will bring the discernment of the discerning to nothing.”(c)

Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Hasn’t God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

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.

For Jews ask for signs, Greeks seek after wisdom,

but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Greeks,

but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God;

because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

Wisdom from God

For you see your calling, brothers, that not many are wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, and not many noble;

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.

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,

that no flesh should boast before God.

Because of him, you are in Christ Jesus, who was made to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption,

that, as it is written, “He who boasts, let him boast in the Lord.”(d)

Footnotes

(a)1:1 “Christ” means “Anointed One”.

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

(d)1:31 ℘ Jeremiah 9:24