Paul Writes to the Corinthians
Paul addresses divisions, disorder, and moral confusion in a struggling young church—and gives the church its greatest chapter on love.
1 1Paul, called as an apostle of Christ Jesus by our Father's will, and Sosthenes our brother, 2to the church of our Father in Corinth: those made holy in Christ Jesus, called to be holy, with all everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ — their Lord and ours. 3Grace to you and peace from our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thankful for Our Father's Grace
4I always thank my Father for you, because of the grace our Father gave you in Christ Jesus, 5for in him you were enriched in every way, in all speech and all knowledge, 6even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you, 7so that you lack no gift while eagerly waiting for our Lord Jesus Christ's revealing, 8who will also keep you steady to the end, blameless on our Lord Jesus Christ's day. 9Our Father is faithful, the one through whom you were called into deep communion with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
The Family Must Be United
10Brothers and sisters, I urge you, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: all agree; let no divisions split you, but be united in one mind and one purpose. 11For Chloe's people have informed me, my brothers and sisters, that there is quarreling among you. 12So: each of you says, "I'm with Paul," "I'm with Apollos," "I'm with Cephas," "I'm with Christ." 13Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14I thank our Father that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15so that no one can say you were baptized in my name. 16I also baptized Stephanas's household; beyond that, I don't know if I baptized anyone else. 17Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the good news — not with words of human wisdom, so the cross of Christ is not emptied of its power.
The Power of the Cross
18The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us being saved it is our Father's power.
19For it is written: I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and set aside the discerning's insight.
20Where is the wise one? Where is the scholar? Where is this age's debater? Has not our Father made the world's wisdom foolish? 21For since, in our Father's wisdom, the world did not know him through its own wisdom, he was pleased to save believers through the foolishness of what we preach. 22For Jews ask for signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23but we proclaim Christ crucified — a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24but to those called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of our Father and the wisdom of our Father. 25For the foolishness of our Father is wiser than men, and the weakness of our Father, stronger than men.
26Consider your calling, brothers and sisters: not many wise by human standards, not many powerful, not many nobly born. 27But our Father chose the world's foolish to shame the wise, and our Father chose the world's weak to shame the strong, 28and the world's lowly, despised things our Father chose — things that are not — to nullify things that are, 29so that no one may boast before our Father. 30From him you are in Christ Jesus, who became our wisdom from our Father — our righteousness and holiness and redemption, a a v30 In Christ, the Father gives us everything we need — Christ himself becomes our wisdom, our right standing, our holiness, and our freedom. The gift is a Person. 31so that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."
