CHAPTER I.
SALUTATION, EXHORTATION TO UNITY, THE MYSTERY OF THE GOSPEL, ETC.
1 1:1PAUL, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes the brother, 1:2to the church of God which is at Corinth, to the sanctified in Jesus Christ, called to be saints, with all that call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place, both theirs and ours. 1:3Grace and peace be to you from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 1:4I thank my God always for you, for the grace of God given you in Christ Jesus, 1:5that in every thing you are enriched in him, in all speech and all knowledge, 1:6as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, 1:7so that you are behind in no gift, waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, 1:8who also will confirm you to the end, without blame, in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1:9God is faithful by whom you are called into the society of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
3 1:10I exhort you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfected in the same mind and the same will. 1:11For I have been informed of you, my brothers, by the family of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. 1:12I mean this; that each one of you says I indeed am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas, and I of Christ. 1:13Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 1:14I thank God I baptized none of you, except Crispus and Gaius; 1:15that no one may say that I baptized in my name. 1:16And I also baptized the family of Stephanus; besides I do not know that I baptized any other. 1:17For Christ sent me not to baptize but to preach the good news, not with a wisdom of speech lest the cross of Christ should be without effect. 1:18For the word of the cross is to the lost foolishness, but to the saved the power of God. 1:19For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the intelligent. 1:20Where is the wise? where the scribe? where the disputer of this life? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 1:21For since, in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God, God was pleased by the foolishness of preaching to save those that believe; 1:22and since the Jews seek signs, and the Greeks seek wisdom, 1:23we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews indeed an offense, and to the gentiles foolishness, 1:24but to the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and wisdom of God; 1:25for the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 1:26For you see your calling, brothers, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble [are called]; 1:27but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and the weak things of the world has God chosen to put to shame the mighty, 1:28and the ignoble things of the world and things that are despised has God chosen, and things that are not, to destroy things that are, 1:29that no flesh may glory in the sight of God. 1:30But you are of him in Christ Jesus, who has become to us wisdom from God, and righteousness, and sanctification and redemption, 1:31that as it is written, He that glories, let him glory in the Lord.
4 2:1And when I came to you, brothers, I came not with excellency of speech, or wisdom, declaring to you the mystery of God. 2:2For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 2:3And I was with you in weakness, and with fear and with much trembling, 2:4and my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the spirit and power, 2:5that your faith might not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
5 2:6But we speak wisdom among the perfect, but not the wisdom of this life, nor of the rulers of this life, who are destroyed; 2:7but we speak a wisdom of God hid in mystery, which God appointed from eternity for our glory, 2:8which none of the rulers of this life knew, for if they had known they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; 2:9but as it is written, An eye has not seen, an ear has not heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those that love him; 2:10but God has revealed them to us by his Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. 2:11For who knows the [things] of man, except the spirit of man which is in him? So also no one knows the [things] of God except the Spirit of God. 2:12And we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that we may know the things given us by God, 2:13which we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 2:14But the natural man receives not the [things] of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot know them, for they are spiritually discerned. 2:15But the spiritual man discerns all things, and is himself perceived by no one. 2:16For who has known the mind of the Lord, who shall instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
6 3:1And I, brothers, was not able to speak to you as spiritual, but as carnal, as babes in Christ. 3:2I have fed you milk, not solid food; for you were not yet able; but you are not able even now; 3:3for you are yet carnal. For when there is envy and strife among you are you not carnal and walk as men? 3:4For when one says, I am of Paul, and another, I, of Apollos, are you not men? 3:5Who then is Apollos? and who is Paul? but ministers by whom you believed, and to each as the Lord gave. 3:6I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused [the seed] to grow; 3:7so neither is he that plants any thing, nor he that waters, but God that causes it to grow. 3:8He that plants and he that waters are one; and each shall receive his reward according to his labor. 3:9For we are God's co-laborers; you are God's field, God's building.
7 3:10According to the grace of God given me as a wise architect I have laid a foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one see how he builds on it. 3:11For no one can lay another foundation besides that laid, which is Christ Jesus. 3:12And if any man builds on this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones, wood, grass, reeds, 3:13each one's work shall be manifest; for the day shall show it, because it shall be revealed by fire, and the same fire shall try every man's work what it is. 3:14If any one's work continues which he has built, he shall receive a reward; 3:15if any one's work is consumed, he shall suffer loss, and he shall be saved, but so as by fire.
8 3:16Know you not that you are a temple of God and the Spirit of God dwells in you? 3:17If any one destroys the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God which you are is holy. 3:18Let no one deceive himself; if any one seems to be wise among you in this life, let him be a fool, that he may be wise. 3:19For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written; He takes the wise in their craftiness. 3:20And again; The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise that they are vain. 3:21Let no one therefore glory in men; for all things are yours, 3:22whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come, all are yours, 3:23and you Christ's, and Christ God's.
9 4:1Let a man so regard us as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 4:2But, moreover, it is required of stewards that one should be found faithful. 4:3But it is of little account to me that I should be judged by you or by man's day [judgment]; but I judge not myself; 4:4for I am not conscious to myself [of wrong], but I am not on this account justified; but he that judges me is the Lord. 4:5Judge nothing therefore before the time, till the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden deeds of darkness, and make known the purposes of the hearts; and then shall each one have praise from God.
10 4:6I have applied these things figuratively, brothers, to myself and Apollos on your account, that you may learn by us not to [go beyond] what is written, that you may not be puffed up for one against another. 4:7For who made you to differ? And what have you that you did not receive? And if you received, why do you boast as one that receives not? 4:8You are already full, you are already enriched; you have reigned without us; and I would that you did reign, that we also might reign with you. 4:9For I think that God has shown us the apostles last, as devoted to death, for we have been made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and men. 4:10For we are foolish for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; and you are glorious, but we are infamous. 4:11Even to this hour we suffer hunger and thirst and nakedness, and are beaten, and are unsettled, 4:12and labor, working with our hands; being reviled we bless, being persecuted we endure, 4:13being defamed we entreat; we are made like the offscouring of the world and the vilest of all things, even till now.
11 4:14I write these things not to shame you, but as my beloved children, I admonish you. 4:15For if you have ten thousand teachers in Christ still you have not many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you by the gospel. 4:16I exhort you therefore, be followers of me. 4:17For this reason I sent you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere, in every church. 4:18Some are puffed up as though I would not come to you; 4:19but I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know not the word of those who are puffed up but the power; 4:20for the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. 4:21What do you wish? shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of meekness?