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

1Paul, called to be an Apostle of Iesus Christ thorow ye will of God, and brother Sosthenes,

2vnto the congregacion off God which is at Corinthum, to them that are sanctified in Christ Iesus, sayntes by callinge, with all them that call vpon the name of oure LORDE Iesus Christ, in euery place both off theirs and oures.

3Grace be with you and peace from God oure father, and from the LORDE Iesus Christ.

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

4I thake my God allwayes on youre behalfe, for the fauoure of God which is geue you in Iesus Christ, 5that in all poyntes ye are made ryche by him, in euery worde, and in all maner of knowlege 6(eue as ye preachinge of Christ is confirmed in you) 7so that ye wante nothinge in eny gifte, and wayte but for the appearinge of oure LORDE Iesus Christ: 8which shal strength you also vnto ye ende, that ye maye be blamelesse in the daye of oure LORDE Iesus Christ. 9For God is faithfull, by who ye are called vnto the fellishippe of his sonne Iesus Christ oure LORDE.

Unity in the Church
(Psalm 133:1–3; Ephesians 4:1–16)

10But I beseke you brethre thorow the name of oure LORDE Iesus Christ, that ye all speake one thinge, and let there be no discension amonge you, but that ye be perfecte in one meanynge. 11For it is shewed me (my brethren) of you, by them which are of ye housholde of Cloes, that there is stryfe amonge you. I speake of that, 12which euery one of you sayeth: I holde of Paul. Another, I holde of Apollo. The thirde, I holde of Cephas. The fourth, I holde off Christ. 13Is Christ then deuyded in partes? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were ye baptysed in ye name of Paul? 14I thanke God that I haue baptised none of you, but Crispus and Gaius: 15lest eny shulde saye, yt I in myne awne name had baptised. 16I baptysed also ye housholde of Stephana. Farthermore knowe I not, whether I baptysed eny other. 17For Christ sent me not to baptyse, but to preach the Gospell, not with wyssdome of wordes, lest ye crosse of Christ shulde haue bene made of none effecte.

The Message of the Cross

18For the worde of ye crosse is foolishnesse to the that perishe but vnto vs which are saued, it is the power of God.

19For it is wrytte: I wyl destroye the wyssdome of the wyse, & wil cast away the vnderstondinge of ye prudet.

20Where are the wyse? Where are ye scrybes? where are ye disputers of this worlde? 21Hath not God made the wyssdome of this worlde foolishnesse? For in so moch as the worlde by the wyssdome therof knewe not God in his wyssdome, it pleased God thorow foolish preachinge to saue them yt beleue. 22For the Iewes requyre tokens, and the Grekes axe after wyssdome. 23But we preach Christ the crucified: to the Iewes an occasion off fallinge, and vnto the Grekes foolishnes. 24But vnto them that are called (both Iewes and Grekes) we preach Christ the power of God and the wyssdome off God.

25For the foolishnes of God is wyser then men: and the weaknes of God is stroger the men.

Wisdom from God

26Brethren loke on youre callinge, how that not many wyseme after the flesh, not many mightie, not many of hye degre are called: 27but that foolish is before the worlde, hath God chosen, that he mighte cofounde the wyse: And that weake is before ye worlde, hath God chosen, yt he mighte confounde the mightye. 28And the vyle and despysed before the worlde hath God chosen, yee and that which is nothinge, that he mighte destroye that which is oughte, 29that no flesh shulde reioyse in his presence. 30Of the same are ye also in Christ Iesu, which of God is made vnto vs wyssdome and righteousnes, and sanctifienge and redepcion, 31that, acordinge as it is wrytten: He that reioyseth, shulde reioyse in the LORDE.