1 Corinthians 1

1 Paul, [a] called apostle of Jesus Christ, by God's will, and Sosthenes the brother,

To the church of God in Corinth, to those who have been consecrated by union with Christ Jesus and called to become his people, and also to all, wherever they may be, who invoke the name of our Lord Jesus Christ – their Master and ours,

2 to the assembly of God which is in Corinth, to [those] sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints, with all that in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both theirs and ours:

from Paul, who has been called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and from Sosthenes, our fellow follower of the Lord.

3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and [the] Lord Jesus Christ.

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

4 I thank my God always about you, in respect of the grace of God given to you in Christ Jesus;

I always thank God for you. I thank him for the blessing bestowed on you in Christ Jesus.

5 that in everything ye have been enriched in him, in all word [of doctrine], and all knowledge,

For through union with him you were enriched in every way – in your power to preach, and in your knowledge of the truth;

6 (according as the testimony of the Christ has been confirmed in you, )

and so became yourselves a confirmation of my testimony to the Christ.

7 so that ye come short in no gift, awaiting the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ;

There is no gift in which you are deficient, while waiting for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.

8 who shall also confirm you to [the] end, unimpeachable in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

And God himself will strengthen you to the end, so that at the day of our Lord Jesus Christ you may be found blameless.

9 God [is] faithful, by whom ye have been called into [the] fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

God will not fail you, and it is he who called you into communion with his Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

10 Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all say the same thing, and that there be not among you divisions; but that ye be perfectly united in the same mind and in the same opinion.

But I appeal to you, my friends, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to agree in what you profess, and not to allow divisions to exist among you, but to be united – of one mind and of one opinion.

11 For it has been shewn to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of [the house of] Chloe, that there are strifes among you.

For I have been informed, my friends, by the members of Chloe’s household, that party feeling exists among you.

12 But I speak of this, that each of you says, I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas, and I of Christ.

I mean this: that every one of you says either “I follow Paul,” or “I Apollos,” or “I Cephas,” or “I Christ.”

13 Is the Christ divided? has Paul been crucified for you? or have ye been baptised unto the name of Paul?

You have torn the Christ in pieces! Was it Paul who was crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?

14 I thank God that I have baptised none of you, unless Crispus and Gaius,

I am thankful that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius,

15 that no one may say that I have baptised unto my own name.

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

16 Yes, I baptised also the house of Stephanas; for the rest I know not if I have baptised any other.

I baptized also the household of Stephanas. I do not know that I baptized anyone else.

17 For Christ has not sent me to baptise, but to preach glad tidings; not in wisdom of word, that the cross of the Christ may not be made vain.

My mission from Christ was not to baptize, but to tell the good news; not, however, in the language of philosophy, in case the cross of the Christ should be robbed of its meaning.

18 For the word of the cross is to them that perish foolishness, but to us that are saved it is God's power.

The message of the cross is indeed mere folly to those who are on the path to ruin, but to us who are on the path of salvation it is the power of God.

19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and set aside the understanding of the understanding ones.

For scripture says – “I will bring the philosophy of the philosophers to naught, and the shrewdness of the shrewd I will bring to nothing.”

20 Where [is the] wise? where scribe? where disputer of this world? has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? (aiōn g165)

Where is the philosopher? Where the teacher of the Law? Where the disputant of today? Has not God shown the world’s philosophy to be folly? (aiōn g165)

21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom has not known God, God has been pleased by the foolishness of the preaching to save those that believe.

For since the world, in God’s wisdom, did not by its philosophy learn to know God, God saw fit, by the “folly” of our proclamation, to save those who believe in Christ!

22 Since Jews indeed ask for signs, and Greeks seek wisdom;

While Jews ask for miraculous signs, and Greeks study philosophy,

23 but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews an offence, and to nations foolishness;

we are proclaiming Christ crucified! – to the Jews an obstacle, to the Gentiles mere folly,

24 but to those that [are] called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ God's power and God's wisdom.

but to those who have received the call, whether Jews or 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.

For God’s “folly” is wiser than people, and God’s “weakness” is stronger than people.

26 For consider your calling, brethren, that [there are] not many wise according to flesh, not many powerful, not many high-born.

Look at the facts of your call, friends. There are not many among you who are wise, as people reckon wisdom, not many who are influential, not many who are high-born;

27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world, that he may put to shame the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world, that he may put to shame the strong things;

but God chose what the world counts foolish to put its wise to shame, and God chose what the world counts weak to put its strong to shame,

28 and the ignoble things of the world, and the despised, has God chosen, [and] things that are not, that he may annul the things that are;

and God chose what the world counts poor and insignificant – things that to it are unreal – to bring its “realities” to nothing,

29 so that no flesh should boast before God.

so that in his presence no one should boast.

30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who has been made to us wisdom from God, and righteousness, and holiness, and redemption;

But you, by your union with Christ Jesus, belong to God; and Christ, by God’s will, became not only our wisdom, but also our righteousness, holiness, and deliverance,

31 that according as it is written, He that boasts, let him boast in [the] Lord.

so that – in the words of scripture – “Whoever boasts should boast of the Lord!”