New Living Translation

New American Standard Bible

Greetings from Paul

This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Sosthenes.

1

Appeal to Unity

Paul, called as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,

2

I am writing to God’s church in Corinth,a to you who have been called by God to be his own holy people. He made you holy by means of Christ Jesus,b just as he did for all people everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.

2

To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:

3

May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

3

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

4

Paul Gives Thanks to God

I always thank my God for you and for the gracious gifts he has given you, now that you belong to Christ Jesus.

4

I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus,

5

Through him, God has enriched your church in every way — with all of your eloquent words and all of your knowledge.

5

that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge,

6

This confirms that what I told you about Christ is true.

6

even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you,

7

Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.

7

so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ,

8

He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be free from all blame on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns.

8

who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

9

God will do this, for he is faithful to do what he says, and he has invited you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

9

God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

10

Divisions in the Church

I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters,c by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.

10

Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.

11

For some members of Chloe’s household have told me about your quarrels, my dear brothers and sisters.

11

For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe’s people, that there are quarrels among you.

12

Some of you are saying, “I am a follower of Paul.” Others are saying, “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Peter,d” or “I follow only Christ.”

12

Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, “I am of Paul,” and “I of Apollos,” and “I of Cephas,” and “I of Christ.”

13

Has Christ been divided into factions? Was I, Paul, crucified for you? Were any of you baptized in the name of Paul? Of course not!

13

Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?

14

I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius,

14

I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius,

15

for now no one can say they were baptized in my name.

15

so that no one would say you were baptized in my name.

16

(Oh yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas, but I don’t remember baptizing anyone else.)

16

Now I did baptize also the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any other.

17

For Christ didn’t send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News — and not with clever speech, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power.

17

For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void.

18

The Wisdom of God

The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.

18

The Wisdom of God

For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

19

As the Scriptures say,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise
and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.”e

19

For it is written,
“I WILL DESTROY THE WISDOM OF THE WISE,
AND THE CLEVERNESS OF THE CLEVER I WILL SET ASIDE.”

20

So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish.

20

Where 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?

21

Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe.

21

For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.

22

It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom.

22

For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom;

23

So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense.

23

but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness,

24

But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles,f Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.

24

but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

25

This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.

25

Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

26

Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthyg when God called you.

26

For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble;

27

Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful.

27

but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong,

28

God chose things despised by the world,h things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important.

28

and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are,

29

As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.

29

so that no man may boast before God.

30

God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin.

30

But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption,

31

Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the LORD.”i

31

so that, just as it is written, “LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.”

Parallel

New Living Translation

New American Standard Bible

1 Corinthians 1

1 Corinthians 1