Greetings from Paul and Sosthenes
(Acts 18:1–11; 2 Corinthians 1:1–2)

1PAUL, a called apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, and Sosthenes my brother,

2to the church of God which is in Corinth, to the sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints, with all that in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:

3grace be to you, and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

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

4I thank my God always on your account, for the grace of God which is given to you in Christ Jesus; 5that you are enriched by him in every thing, in all speech, and in all knowledge, 6even as the testimony concerning the Christ was confirmed among you, 7so that you are deficient in no gift, while waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. 8He also will establish you even to the end, and make you blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9God is faithful, by whom you have been called into the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

Unity in the Church
(Ephesians 4:1–16)

10Now, I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no schisms among you, but that you be perfectly united in the same mind, and in the same judgment. 11For it has been made known to me concerning you, my brethren, by the family of Cloe, that there are contentions among you. 12I mean this: that each one of you says, I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas, and I of Christ. 13Is the Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? or were you immersed into the name of Paul? 14I thank God that I immersed none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; 15that no one may say that I immersed into my own name. 16I did, in deed, immerse the household of Stephanus; besides, I know not whether I immersed any other. 17For Christ sent me not to immerse, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of speech, lest the cross of the Christ should be deprived of its power.

The Message of the Cross

18For the preaching of the cross is to those who perish, foolishness; but to us who are saved, it is the power of God.

19For it is written: I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; and I will set aside the understanding of the prudent.

20Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21For, since in the wisdom of God, the world, by its wisdom, knew not God, it has pleased God, through the foolishness of what is preached, to save those who believe. 22For the Jews ask for a sign, and the Greeks seek for wisdom; 23but we preach Christ crucified; to the Jews, indeed, a stumbling-block, and to the Greeks, foolishness: 24but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

25For the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

Wisdom from God

26For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise men according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble call you; 27but God has chosen the foolish things of the world, that he may bring to shame the wise; and the weak things of the world has God chosen, that he may put to shame the strong; 28and the ignoble things of the world, and the things that are despised, has God chosen, and the things that are not, that he might bring to nought things that are; 29that no flesh should glory in his presence. 30But of him are you in Christ Jesus, who has become to us, from God, wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption; 31that, as it is written: He that glories, let him glory in the Lord.