1
1Sha’ul, a called emissary of יהושע Messiah by the desire of Elohim, and brother Sosthenes,
2to the assembly of Elohim which is at Corinth, to those who are set-apart in Messiah יהושע, called set-apart ones, with all those calling on the Name of יהושע Messiah our Master in every place, theirs and ours:
3Favour to you and peace from Elohim our Father and the Master יהושע Messiah.
4I thank my Elohim always concerning you for the favour of Elohim which was given to you by Messiah יהושע,
5that in Him you were enriched in all – in every word and all knowledge –
6as the witness of Messiah was confirmed in you,
7so that you are not lacking in any gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Master יהושע Messiah,
8who shall also confirm you to the end, unreprovable in the day of our Master יהושע Messiah.
9Elohim is trustworthy, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, יהושע Messiah our Master.
10And I appeal to you, brothers, by the Name of our Master יהושע Messiah, that you all agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be knit together in the same mind and in the same opinion.
11For I have been informed concerning you, my brothers, by those of the house of Chloe, that there are strifes among you.
12What I mean is this, that each one of you says, “I am of Sha’ul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Kĕpha,” or “I am of Messiah.”
13Has the Messiah been divided? Was Sha’ul impaled for you? Or were you immersed in the name of Sha’ul?
14I thank Elohim that I immersed not one of you except Crispus and Gaios,
15that no one should say that I immersed into my own name.
16Now I did also immerse the household of Stephanas. For the rest, I do not know whether I immersed anyone else.
17For Messiah did not send me to immerse, but to bring the Good News, not with wisdom of words, that the stake of Messiah should not be nullified.
18For the word of the stake is indeed foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of Elohim.
19For it has been written, “I shall destroy the wisdom of the wise, and set aside the learning of the learned ones.”# Isa. 29:14#See Mat. 11:25; Rom. 1:22
20Where is the wise? Where is the scholar? Where is the debater of this age? Has not Elohim made foolish the wisdom of this world?
21For since, in the wisdom of Elohim, the world through wisdom did not know Elohim, it pleased Elohim through the foolishness of preaching to save those who believe.
22And since Yehuḏim ask a sign, and Greeks seek wisdom,
23yet we proclaim Messiah impaled, to the Yehuḏim a stumbling-block and to the Greeks foolishness,
24but to those who are called – both Yehuḏim and Greeks – Messiah the power of Elohim and the wisdom of Elohim.
25For the foolishness of Elohim is wiser than men, and the weakness of Elohim is stronger than men.
26For look at your calling, brothers, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble.
27But Elohim has chosen the foolish matters of the world to put to shame the wise, and Elohim has chosen the weak of the world to put to shame the strong.
28And Elohim has chosen the low-born of the world and the despised, and the ones that are not, that He might bring to naught the ones that are,
29so that no flesh should boast in His presence.
30And of Him you are in Messiah יהושע, who became for us wisdom from Elohim, righteousness also, and set-apartness and redemption,
31that, as it has been written, “He who boasts, let him boast in יהוה.”# Jer. 9:23, 24