Greeting

1Paul,a called as an apostleb of Christ Jesus by God’s will,c and Sosthenes our brother:d

2To the church of God at Corinth,a to those sanctifiedb in Christ Jesus, calledc as saints, with all those in every place who call on the named of Jesus Christ our Lord — both their Lord and ours.

3Grace to you and peace from God our Fathera and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving

4I always thanka my God for you because of the grace of God given to you in Christ Jesus, 5that you were enriched in hima in every way, in all speech and all knowledge.b 6In this way, the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you,a 7so that you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly waita for the revelationb of our Lord Jesus Christ. 8He will also strengthen you to the end,a so that you will be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.b 9God is faithful;a you were called by himb into fellowship with his Son,c Jesus Christ our Lord.

Divisions at Corinth

10Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree in what you say, that there be no divisions among you, and that you be united with the same understanding and the same conviction. 11For it has been reported to me about you, my brothers and sisters, by members of Chloe’s people, that there is rivalrya among you. 12What I am saying is this: One of you says, “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,”a or “I belong to Cephas,”b or “I belong to Christ.”c 13Is Christ divided?a Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in Paul’s name? 14I thank Goda B that I baptized none of you except Crispusa and Gaius,b 15so that no one can say you were baptized in my name. 16I did, in fact, baptize the householda of Stephanas;b beyond that, I don’t recall if I baptized anyone else. 17For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel — not with eloquent wisdom, so that the crossa of Christ will not be emptied of its effect.

Christ the Power and Wisdom of God

18For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but it is the power of God to us who are being saved.a 19For it is written,

I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,

and I will set aside the intelligence of the intelligent.a b

20Where is the one who is wise? Where is the teacher of the law?A Where is the debater of this age?a Hasn’t God made the world’s wisdom foolish? 21For since, in God’s wisdom, the world did not know God through wisdom, God was pleased to save those who believe through the foolishness of what is preached. 22For the Jews ask for signsa and the Greeks seek wisdom, 23but we preach Christ crucified,a a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles.A 24Yet to those who are called,a both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God, 25because God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.

Boasting Only in the Lord

26Brothers and sisters, consider your calling: Not many were wise from a human perspective,A not many powerful,a not many of noble birth. 27Instead, God has chosena what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong. 28God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the worlda — what is viewed as nothing — to bring to nothing what is viewed as something, 29so that no oneA may boast in his presence.a 30It is from him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became wisdom from God for us — our righteousness,a sanctification,b and redemptionc —  31in order that, as it is written:a Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.b c