1 Corinthians 1

1 Paul, called [to be] an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes [our] brother,

This letter comes from Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ according to the will of God, and from Sosthenes, our brother.

2 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called [to be] saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:

It is sent to the church of God in Corinth, those who are being made right in Christ Jesus, called to live holy lives—and to everyone who worships the Lord Jesus Christ everywhere, the Lord both of them and of us.

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

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

4 I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;

I'm always thanking God for you because of the grace of God given to you in Christ Jesus.

5 That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and [in] all knowledge;

Through him you have been made rich in everything, in all that you say and every aspect of what you know.

6 Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:

In fact the testimony of Christ was proved valid in your experience,

7 So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:

so that you're not missing any spiritual gift as you wait for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

8 Who shall also confirm you unto the end, [that ye may be] blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

He will also keep you strong to the very end, so you will be kept right until the day of the Lord Jesus Christ.

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

God is trustworthy who called you to share together in fellowship with his son Jesus Christ our Lord.

10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and [that] there be no divisions among you; but [that] ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

Brothers and sisters, I plead with you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that you all agree and that you're not divided. Instead develop a united attitude and purpose.

11 For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them [which are of the house] of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.

For I have been told things about you, my brothers and sisters, by some of Chloe's people—that you are quarreling among yourselves.

12 Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.

Let me explain what I mean. You're all making different claims: “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Peter,” or “I follow Christ.”

13 Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?

Is Christ divided? Did Paul die on a cross for you? Was it in the name of Paul that you were baptized?

14 I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius;

I'm grateful to God that I didn't baptize any of you, except Crispus and Gaius,

15 Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name.

so nobody can claim they were baptized in my name.

16 And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other.

(Oh, and I also baptized the Stephanas family—I can't think of anyone else.)

17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

For Christ didn't send me out to baptize, but to spread the good news, and not with eloquent human wisdom, otherwise the cross of Christ would be made powerless.

18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

For the message of the cross is nonsense to those who are lost, but it's the power of God to those of us who are saved.

19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

As Scripture says, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will wipe out the cleverness of the clever.”

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

So how about the wise, the writers, and the philosophers of this age? Hasn't God turned the wisdom of this world into foolishness? (aiōn g165)

21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

Since God in his wisdom allowed the world in its wisdom not to know God, it was God's gracious plan that by the foolishness of the good news those who trusted in him would be saved.

22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

The Jews ask for miraculous signs, and Greeks look for wisdom,

23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

but our message is of Christ killed on a cross—offensive to the Jews, and foolishness to the foreigners.

24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

However, for those who are called by God, both Jews and foreigners, Christ is 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 the foolishness of God is wiser than we are; and the weakness of God is stronger than we are.

26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, [are called]:

Brothers and sisters, remember your calling—and that this did not include many who are wise, humanly speaking; not many who are powerful; not many who are important.

27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

Instead God chose the things the world considers foolish to humiliate those who think they are wise. He chose the things the world considers weak to humiliate those who think they are strong.

28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, [yea], and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

He chose the things that are unimportant and despised by the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing the things that are,

29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.

so that nobody should boast in God's presence.

30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

It's because of him that you live in Christ Jesus, who God made to be wisdom for us. He sets us right, keeps us right, and frees us.

31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

So as Scripture says, “Whoever wants to boast, let them boast in the Lord.”