1 From Paul, a called apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,
2 to the church of God which is at Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all those who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place of both theirs and ours,
3 grace to you, and peace from God our father and Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I thank my God always on your behalf for the grace of God which has been given to you in Christ Jesus,
5 because you have been enriched in him in everything, in all speech and in all knowledge,
6 in accordance with the fact that the testimony of Christ has been confirmed in you,
7 so that you are not lacking in any gracious gift, as you await the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
8 who will also secure you up to the end, irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 God, by whom you were called into fellowship with his son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.
10 And I exhort you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak with one voice, and that there should not be any divisions among you, and that you should be equipped with the same mind and with the same purpose.
11 For concerning you, my brothers, it has been shown to me by those of Chloe's household that there are controversies among you.
12 Now I say this, that each of you is saying, “I am of the school of Paul,” and, “I of Apollo,” and, “I of Cephas,” and, “I of Christ.”
13 Is Christ divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in Paul's name?
14 I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius,
15 so that no-one should say that I baptized in my own name.
16 But I also baptized the household of Stephanas. Other than that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.
17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in linguistic wisdom, so that the cross of Christ should not be made void.
The Gospel Is not Man's Wisdom
18 For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are on the road to perdition, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God.
19 For it stands written, “I will demolish the wisdom of the wise, and dismiss the intelligence of the intellectuals.”
20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God rendered the wisdom of this world foolish?
21 For since the world, in the wisdom of God, did not know God through its wisdom, it pleased God to save those who believe through the foolishness of the proclamation of the gospel.
22 Indeed so, seeing that the Jews ask for a sign, and the Greeks seek wisdom,
23 while we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews, and foolishness to the Greeks,
24 but to those themselves who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God,
25 because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
26 For you see your calling, brothers, and that not many who are wise according to the flesh, that not many who are powerful, that not many who are of noble birth are called,
27 but God has chosen the foolish things of the world, in order that he might put the wise to shame, and God has chosen the weak things of the world, in order that he might put the strong things to shame,
28 and God has chosen the ignoble things of the world, and the despised things, and the non-existent things, in order to nullify the existing things,
29 in order that no flesh should boast in God's presence.
30 But by virtue of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became our wisdom from God, both righteousness and holiness, and redemption,
31 in order that, as it stands written, “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”