1 Corinthians 1
1
Greeting
1Paul, #See Rom. 1:1 called #2 Cor. 1:1; Eph. 1:1; Col. 1:1; 2 Tim. 1:1by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes,
2To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those #ch. 6:11; [ver. 30]; See John 17:19 sanctified in Christ Jesus, #See Rom. 1:7 called to be saints together with all those who in every place #See Acts 9:14call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:
3 # [See ver. 2 above] Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thanksgiving
4I #See Rom. 1:8give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, 5that in every way #2 Cor. 9:11; [2 Cor. 6:10] you were enriched in him in all #2 Cor. 8:7; [ch. 12:8]; See Rom. 15:14; 1 John 2:20speech and all knowledge— 6even as #2 Tim. 1:8; [2 Thess. 1:10; 1 Tim. 2:6; Rev. 1:2]the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— 7so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you #Rom. 8:19; Phil. 3:20; Heb. 9:28; See Luke 17:30; 2 Pet. 3:12wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8#[Phil. 1:6; 1 Thess. 3:13] who will sustain you to the end, #Col. 1:22 guiltless #ch. 5:5; 2 Cor. 1:14; Phil. 2:16; [Luke 17:24]in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9#ch. 10:13; Deut. 7:9; Isa. 49:7; 2 Cor. 1:18 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the #1 John 1:3fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Divisions in the Church
10I appeal to you, brothers,#1:10 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters; also verses 11, 26 by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no #ch. 11:18 divisions among you, but that you be united #[Phil. 1:27]in the same mind and the same judgment. 11For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is #ch. 3:3quarreling among you, my brothers. 12What I mean is that #ch. 3:4; [Matt. 23:9, 10] each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow #See Acts 18:24 Apollos,” or “I follow #See John 1:42Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” 13#[ch. 12:5; 2 Cor. 11:4; Eph. 4:5] Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you #See Acts 8:16baptized in the name of Paul? 14I thank God that I baptized none of you except #Acts 18:8 Crispus and #See Rom. 16:23Gaius, 15so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name. 16(I did baptize also #ch. 16:15, 17the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) 17For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and #ch. 2:1, 4, 13; [2 Cor. 10:10; 11:6; 2 Pet. 1:16]not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
Christ the Wisdom and Power of God
18For the word of the cross is #ver. 21, 23, 25; ch. 2:14 folly to #2 Cor. 2:15; 4:3; 2 Thess. 2:10 those who are perishing, but to us #ch. 15:2; [Acts 2:47] who are being saved it is #Rom. 1:16; [ver. 24]the power of God. 19For it is written,
# Cited from Isa. 29:14; [Job 5:12, 13; Jer. 8:9; Matt. 11:25] “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”
20 #
Isa. 19:12 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? #ch. 2:6; 3:19; Isa. 44:25; Rom. 1:22; [ver. 26]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#1:21 Or the folly of preaching to save those who believe. 22For #See Matt. 12:38Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23but we preach Christ #Gal. 5:11; See 1 Pet. 2:8crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ #[ver. 18] the power of God and #ver. 30; Col. 2:3; [Luke 11:49]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 calling, brothers: #ch. 2:8; John 7:48; [ver. 20]; See Matt. 11:25not many of you were wise according to worldly standards,#1:26 Greek according to the flesh not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27But #James 2:5 God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; #Ps. 8:2God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28God chose what is low and despised in the world, even #Rom. 4:17 things that are not, to #ch. 2:6; [Job 34:19, 24]bring to nothing things that are, 29so #Eph. 2:9; [Judg. 7:2]that no human being#1:29 Greek no flesh might boast in the presence of God. 30And because of him#1:30 Greek And from him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us #[ver. 24] wisdom from God, #Jer. 23:5, 6; 33:16; 2 Cor. 5:21; Phil. 3:9 righteousness and #[ver. 2] sanctification and #Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14; [Rom. 3:24]redemption, 31so that, as it is written, #2 Cor. 10:17; [Jer. 9:23, 24]“Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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1 Corinthians 1
1
1Greetings from Paul. I was chosen to be an apostle of Christ Jesus. God chose me because that is what he wanted. Greetings also from Sosthenes, our brother in Christ.
2To God’s church in Corinth, you who have been made holy because you belong to Christ Jesus. You were chosen to be God’s holy people together with all people everywhere who trust in the Lord#1:2 who trust in the Lord Literally, “who call on the name of the Lord,” meaning to show faith in him by worshiping or praying to him for help. Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours.
3Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul Gives Thanks to God
4I always thank my God for you because of the grace that he has given you through Christ Jesus. 5In him you have been blessed in every way. You have been blessed in all your speaking and all your knowledge. 6This proves that what we told you about Christ is true. 7Now you have every gift from God while you wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to come again. 8He will keep you strong until the end so that on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ comes, you will be free from all blame. 9God is faithful. He is the one who has chosen you to share life with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Stop Arguing With Each Other
10Brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, I beg all of you to agree with each other. You should not be divided into different groups. Be completely joined together again with the same kind of thinking and the same purpose.
11My brothers and sisters, some members of Chloe’s family told me that there are arguments among you. 12This is what I mean: One of you says, “I follow Paul,” and someone else says, “I follow Apollos.” Another says, “I follow Peter,”#1:12 Peter Literally, “Cephas,” the Aramaic name for Peter, one of Jesus’ twelve apostles. Both names mean “rock.” Also in 3:22; 9:6; 15:5. and someone else says, “I follow Christ.” 13Christ cannot be divided into different groups. It wasn’t Paul who died on the cross for you, was it? Were you baptized in Paul’s name? 14I am thankful that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius. 15I am thankful because now no one can say that you were baptized in my name. 16(I also baptized the family of Stephanas, but I don’t remember that I myself baptized any others.) 17Christ did not give me the work of baptizing people. He gave me the work of telling the Good News. But he sent me to tell the Good News without using clever speech, which would take away the power that is in the cross#1:17 cross Paul uses the cross as a picture of the Good News, the story of Christ’s death to pay for people’s sins. The cross (Christ’s death) was God’s way to save people. of Christ.
God’s Power and Wisdom in Christ Jesus
18The teaching about the cross seems foolish to those who are lost. But to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19As the Scriptures say,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise.
I will confuse the understanding of the intelligent.” Isaiah 29:14
20So what does this say about the philosopher, the law expert, or anyone in this world who is skilled in making clever arguments? God has made the wisdom of the world look foolish. 21This is what God in his wisdom decided: Since the world did not find him through its own wisdom, he used the message that sounds foolish to save those who believe it.
22The Jews ask for miraculous signs, and the Greeks want wisdom. 23But this is the message we tell everyone: Christ was killed on a cross. This message is a problem for Jews, and to other people it is nonsense. 24But Christ is God’s power and wisdom to the people God has chosen, both Jews and Greeks. 25Even the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom. Even the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
26Brothers and sisters, God chose you to be his. Think about that! Not many of you were wise in the way the world judges wisdom. Not many of you had great influence, and not many of you came from important families. 27But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise. He chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28And God chose what the world thinks is not important—what the world hates and thinks is nothing. He chose these to destroy what the world thinks is important. 29God did this so that no one can stand before him and boast about anything. 30It is God who has made you part of Christ Jesus. And Christ has become for us wisdom from God. He is the reason we are right with God and pure enough to be in his presence. Christ is the one who set us free from sin. 31So, as the Scriptures say, “Whoever boasts should boast only about the Lord.”#Quote from Jer. 9:24.
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