First Letter from Small Man to the Sacred Family in Village of Pleasure 1
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GREETINGS
1From Small Man (Paul), called to be a message bearer for Creator Sets Free (Jesus) the Chosen One, and from Safe and Strong (Sosthenes), our spiritual brother.
2To the members of Creator’s sacred family who gather in Village of Pleasure (Corinth).
I write to you, the ones who have been made holy in harmony with the Chosen One, Creator Sets Free (Jesus), who have been chosen to walk the road of life with him in a sacred manner. I also write this to all people everywhere who call out to and put their trust in Creator Sets Free (Jesus) our Honored Chief and all that his name represents. He is their Honored Chief and ours.
WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT
3Great kindness and peace to you from our Father the Great Spirit and from our Honored Chief Creator Sets Free (Jesus), the Chosen One. 4I am always giving thanks to Creator for you, for the gift of his great kindness given to you in Creator Sets Free (Jesus), the Chosen One. 5He has blessed you with the right words to speak and a deep understanding of all things. 6So we can now be sure that your lives are telling the true story of the Chosen One. 7This shows that you have all the spiritual gifts you need as you wait with pounding hearts for the great revealing of our Honored Chief Creator Sets Free (Jesus), the Chosen One.
8He will keep your feet on solid ground and guide you to the end of the trail so that you will have a good reputation when the day comes for our Honored Chief Creator Sets Free (Jesus) the Chosen One to be revealed. 9Creator can be fully trusted for these things, for he is the one who chose you to walk side by side with Creator Sets Free (Jesus), who is the Chosen One and our Honored Chief.
FIRM WORDS OF CORRECTION
10My sacred family members, I come to you representing our Honored Chief Creator Sets Free (Jesus), the Chosen One. I am speaking to you from my heart with firm words. To keep the family from splitting into opposing groups, you must seek harmony with each other and speak with one voice. In this way, you will be joined together with one mind and purpose.
11My sacred family members, some who gather at the house of Tender Grass (Chloe) have made it clear to me that there is much conflict among you. 12It was told to me that one says, “I follow Small Man (Paul).” Another says, “I follow He Tears Down (Apollos).” Another says, “I follow Stands on the Rock (Cephas).”#1:12 Cephas is Aramaic for Peter. And someone else says, “I follow the Chosen One.”
13Has the Chosen One been broken into pieces? Was Small Man (Paul) killed on a cross for you? Did you participate in the purification ceremony#1:13, 14, 15, 16, 17 Baptism under the name of Small Man (Paul)? 14I thank the Great Spirit that I performed the purification ceremony for only Curly Hair (Crispus), Glad Heart (Gaius), and no one else, 15so no one can say their purification ceremony was done in my name.
16I also remember that I performed the purification ceremony for Headdress of Many Feathers (Stephanas) and his family, but I do not remember performing the ceremony for anyone else. 17For the Chosen One did not send me to perform the purification ceremony. He sent me to tell the good story, not with the wisdom found in high-sounding words, because that kind of wisdom empties the cross of the Chosen One of its power.
THE WISDOM OF THE GREAT SPIRIT
18The message of the cross seems foolish to the ones who are walking a path to a bad end. But for us who are being set free and made whole, the message itself is the power of the Great Spirit.
19For it has been written in the Sacred Teachings, “I will tear down the wisdom of the ones who see themselves as wise and undo the understanding of those who think they know all things.”#1:19 Isaiah 29:14
20So then, where are the ones who think they are wise? Where is the scroll keeper who explains the meaning of our tribal law? Where is the trained speaker of this present world? Has not the Great Spirit made the ones who are trusting in the wisdom of this world look foolish? 21In his great wisdom Creator knew that the world through its wisdom would not come to know him. So his heart was glad to rescue and set free the ones who trust in the “foolishness” of the good story we tell.
22The people of the tribes of Wrestles with Creator (Israel) require powerful signs. The Wisdom Seekers (Greeks) search for wisdom. 23But we tell the good story about the Chosen One, who died on a tree-pole—the cross. This message puts a stumbling stone in the path of our Tribal People and is nothing but foolishness to the Outside Nations. 24But to the ones who have been called out from among our Tribal People and the Wisdom Seekers (Greeks), the Chosen One is the power and wisdom of the Great Spirit. 25Creator’s foolishness is wiser than the wisest of human beings, and his weakness is more powerful than the strongest of all.
WHO CREATOR CHOOSES
26My sacred family members, take a look at your own calling. In the eyes of the world, there are not many wise or powerful or of noble birth among you. 27For the Great Spirit has chosen the foolish to shame the wise and the weak to shame the strong. 28He has chosen the ones the world looks down on, those who seem to have nothing to offer, to bring to nothing the ones the world looks up to. 29In this way, no one will be able to boast when they stand before the Great Spirit.
30It is the Great Spirit himself who has brought you into harmony with the Chosen One, Creator Sets Free (Jesus). The Chosen One has become Creator’s wisdom for us. He put us in good standing and made us holy, by paying the highest price to set us free.
31This brings full meaning to the Sacred Teachings that say, “Let the one who boasts boast in what the Great Spirit has done.”#1:31 Jeremiah 9:24
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1 Corinthians 1
1
1 #
Rom 1.1; Acts 18.17. Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes,
2 #
Acts 18.1. To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:
3 #
Rom 1.7. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 #
Rom 1.8. I give thanks to God#1.4 Other ancient authorities read my God always for you because of the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, 5that in every way you were enriched in him with all speech and all knowledge— 6even as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you— 7so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ; 8#1 Cor 5.5; 2 Cor 1.14. who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9#Rom 8.28; 1 Jn 1.3. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
10I appeal to you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no dissensions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. 11For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brethren. 12#1 Cor 3.4; Acts 18.24; 1 Cor 3.22; Jn 1.42; 1 Cor 9.5; 15.5. What I mean is that each one of you says, “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,” or “I belong to Cephas,” or “I belong to Christ.” 13#Mt 28.19; Acts 2.38. Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14#Acts 18.8; Rom 16.23. I am thankful#1.14 Other ancient authorities read I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius; 15lest any one should say that you were baptized in my name. 16#1 Cor 16.15. (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any one else.) 17#Jn 4.2; Acts 10.48; 1 Cor 2.1,4,13. For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
18For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19#Is 29.14. For it is written,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the cleverness of the clever I will thwart.”
20Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22#Mt 12.38. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23#1 Cor 2.2; Gal 3.1; 5.11. but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 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.
26For consider your call, brethren; not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth; 27#Jas 2.5. but God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong, 28#Rom 4.17. God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29#Eph 2.9. so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30#1 Cor 4.15; Rom 8.1; 2 Cor 5.21; 1 Cor 6.11; 1 Thess 5.23; Eph 1.7,14; Col 1.14; Rom 3.24. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom, our righteousness and sanctification and redemption; 31#Jer 9.24; 2 Cor 10.17. therefore, as it is written, “Let him who boasts, boast of the Lord.”
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Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America