1 Corinthians 1-4

New American Standard Bible

Appeal to Unity

1 Paul, ^(A)called as an apostle of Jesus Christ ^[a]by ^(B)the will of God, and our ^(C)brother ^(D)Sosthenes,

²To ^(E)the church of God which is in ^(F)Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, ^[b]saints ^(G)by calling, with all who in every place ^(H)call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:

³^(I)Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

⁴^(J)I thank ^[c]my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, ⁵that in everything you were ^(K)enriched in Him, in all ^(L)speech and ^(M)all knowledge, ⁶just as ^(N)the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed ^[d]in you, ⁷so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you eagerly ^(O)await the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, ⁸^(P)who will also ^[e]confirm you to the end, blameless on ^(Q)the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹^(R)God is faithful, through whom you were ^(S)called into ^(T)fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

¹⁰Now ^(U)I urge you, ^(V)brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all ^[f]agree and that there be no ^[g]^(W)divisions among you, but that you be ^[h]made complete in ^(X)the same mind and in the same judgment. ¹¹For I have been informed concerning you, my brothers and sisters, by Chloe’s people, that there are quarrels among you. ¹²Now I mean this, that ^(Y)each one of you is saying, “I am ^[i]with Paul,” ^[j]or “I am ^[k]with ^(Z)Apollos,” ^[l]or “I am ^[m]with ^[n]^(AA)Cephas,” ^[o]or “I am ^[p]with Christ.” ¹³^[q]Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you ^(AB)baptized ^[r]in the name of Paul? ¹⁴I am thankful that I ^(AC)baptized none of you except ^(AD)Crispus and ^(AE)Gaius, ¹⁵so that no one would say you were baptized ^[s]in my name! ¹⁶But I did baptize the ^(AF)household of Stephanas also; beyond that, I do not know if I baptized anyone else. ¹⁷^(AG)For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, ^(AH)not with ^[t]cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made of no effect.

The Wisdom of God

¹⁸For the word of the cross is ^(AI)foolishness to ^(AJ)those who ^[u]are perishing, but to us who ^[v]are being saved it is ^(AK)the power of God. ¹⁹For it is written:

“^(AL)I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
And the understanding of those who have understanding, I will confound.”

²⁰^(AM)Where is the wise person? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of ^(AN)this age? Has God not ^(AO)made foolish the wisdom of ^(AP)the world? ²¹For since in the wisdom of God ^(AQ)the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, ^(AR)God ^[w]was pleased through the ^(AS)foolishness of the ^[x]message preached to ^(AT)save those who believe. ²²For indeed ^(AU)Jews ask for ^[y]signs and Greeks search for wisdom; ²³but we preach ^[z]^(AV)Christ crucified, ^(AW)to Jews a stumbling block, and to Gentiles ^(AX)foolishness, ²⁴but to those who are ^(AY)the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ ^(AZ)the power of God and ^(BA)the wisdom of God. ²⁵For the ^(BB)foolishness of God is wiser than mankind, and ^(BC)the weakness of God is stronger than mankind.

²⁶For ^[aa]consider your ^(BD)calling, brothers and sisters, that there were ^(BE)not many wise according to ^[ab]the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; ²⁷but ^(BF)God has chosen the foolish things of ^(BG)the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of ^(BH)the world to shame the things which are strong, ²⁸and the ^[ac]insignificant things of ^(BI)the world and the despised God has chosen, ^(BJ)the things that are not, so that He may ^(BK)nullify the things that are, ²⁹so that ^(BL)no ^[ad]human may boast before God. ³⁰But it is ^[ae]due to Him that you are in ^(BM)Christ Jesus, who became to us ^(BN)wisdom from God, ^[af]and ^(BO)righteousness and ^(BP)sanctification, and ^(BQ)redemption, ³¹so that, just as it is written: “^(BR)Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

Paul’s Reliance upon the Spirit

2 And when I came to you, brothers and sisters, I ^(BS)did not come as someone superior in ^[ag]speaking ability or ^[ah]wisdom, as I proclaimed to you ^(BT)the ^[ai]testimony of God. ²For I determined to know nothing among you except ^(BU)Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. ³I also was with you in ^(BV)weakness and ^(BW)fear, and in great trembling, ⁴and my ^[aj]message and my preaching were ^(BX)not in persuasive words of ^[ak]wisdom, but in demonstration of ^(BY)the Spirit and of power, ⁵so that your faith would not ^[al]rest on the ^[am]wisdom of mankind, but on ^(BZ)the power of God.

⁶Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are ^(CA)mature; a wisdom, however, not of ^(CB)this age nor of the rulers of ^(CC)this age, who are ^(CD)passing away; ⁷but we speak God’s wisdom in a ^(CE)mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ^(CF)predestined before the ^(CG)ages to our glory; ⁸the wisdom ^(CH)which none of the rulers of ^(CI)this age has understood; for if they had understood it, they would not have crucified ^(CJ)the Lord of glory; ⁹but just as it is written:

“^(CK)Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard,
And which have not entered the human heart,
All that God has prepared for those who love Him.”

¹⁰^[an]^(CL)For to us God revealed them ^(CM)through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the ^(CN)depths of God. ¹¹For who among people knows the thoughts of a person except the ^(CO)spirit of the person that is in him? So also the thoughts of God no one knows, except the Spirit of God. ¹²Now we ^(CP)have not received the spirit of ^(CQ)the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God. ¹³We also speak these things, ^(CR)not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, ^[ao]combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.

¹⁴But ^[ap]a ^(CS)natural person ^(CT)does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are ^(CU)foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. ¹⁵But the one who is ^(CV)spiritual discerns all things, yet he himself is ^[aq]discerned by no one. ¹⁶For ^(CW)who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But ^(CX)we have the mind of Christ.

Foundations for Living

3 And I, brothers and sisters, could not speak to you as ^(CY)spiritual people, but only as ^(CZ)fleshly, as to ^(DA)infants in Christ. ²I gave you ^(DB)milk to drink, not solid food; for you ^(DC)were not yet able to consume it. But even now you are not yet able, ³for you are still fleshly. For since there is ^(DD)jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking ^(DE)like ordinary people? ⁴For when ^(DF)one person says, “I am ^[ar]with Paul,” and another, “I am ^[as]with Apollos,” are you not ordinary ^(DG)people?

⁵What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? ^(DH)Servants through whom you believed, even ^(DI)as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. ⁶^(DJ)I planted, ^(DK)Apollos watered, but ^(DL)God was causing the growth. ⁷So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. ⁸Now the one who plants and the one who waters are one; but each will ^(DM)receive his own ^[at]reward according to his own labor. ⁹For we are God’s ^(DN)fellow workers; you are God’s ^[au]^(DO)field, God’s ^(DP)building.

¹⁰According to ^(DQ)the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder ^(DR)I laid a foundation, and ^(DS)another is building on it. But each person must be careful how he builds on it. ¹¹For no one can lay a ^(DT)foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹²Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, ¹³^(DU)each one’s work will become evident; for ^(DV)the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test ^[av]the quality of each one’s work. ¹⁴If anyone’s work which he has built on it remains, he will ^(DW)receive a reward. ¹⁵If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet only ^(DX)so as through fire.

¹⁶^(DY)Do you not know that ^(DZ)you are a ^[aw]temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? ¹⁷If anyone destroys the ^[ax]temple of God, God will destroy ^[ay]that person; for the ^[az]temple of God is holy, ^[ba]and that is what you are.

¹⁸^(EA)Take care that no one deceives himself. ^(EB)If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in ^(EC)this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise. ¹⁹For ^(ED)the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the sight of God. For it is written: “He is ^(EE)the one who catches the wise by their craftiness”; ²⁰and again, “^(EF)The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are useless.” ²¹So then, ^(EG)no one is to be boasting in people. For ^(EH)all things belong to you, ²²^(EI)whether Paul or Apollos or ^[bb]Cephas, or the world or ^(EJ)life or death, or things present or things to come; all things belong to you, ²³and ^(EK)you belong to Christ, and ^(EL)Christ belongs to God.

Servants of Christ

4 This is the way any person is to regard us: as ^(EM)servants of Christ and ^(EN)stewards of ^(EO)the mysteries of God. ²In this case, moreover, it is required ^[bc]of stewards that one be found trustworthy. ³But to me it is an insignificant matter that I would be examined by you, or by any human ^[bd]court; in fact, I do not even examine myself. ⁴For I ^(EP)am not aware of anything against myself; however I am not ^(EQ)vindicated by this, but the one who examines me is the Lord. ⁵Therefore ^(ER)do not go on ^[be]passing judgment before ^[bf]the time, but wait ^(ES)until the Lord comes, who will both ^(ET)bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of human hearts; and then ^(EU)praise will come to each person from God.

⁶Now these things, brothers and sisters, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos on your account, so that in us you may learn not to exceed ^(EV)what is written, so that no one of you will ^(EW)become ^[bg]arrogant ^(EX)in behalf of one against the other. ⁷For who considers you as superior? ^(EY)What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?

⁸You are ^(EZ)already filled, you have already become rich, you have become kings without us; and indeed, I wish that you had become kings so that we also might reign with you! ⁹For I think, God has exhibited us, the apostles, last of all as men ^(FA)condemned to death, because we ^(FB)have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to mankind. ¹⁰We are ^(FC)fools on account of Christ, but ^(FD)you are prudent in Christ! ^(FE)We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are without honor! ¹¹Up to this present hour we are both ^(FF)hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed and roughly treated and homeless; ¹²and we labor, ^(FG)working with our own hands; when we are ^(FH)verbally abused, we bless; when we are ^(FI)persecuted, we endure it; ¹³when we are slandered, we ^[bh]reply as friends; we have ^(FJ)become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now.

¹⁴I do not write these things to ^(FK)shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved ^(FL)children. ¹⁵For if you were to have countless ^(FM)tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in ^(FN)Christ Jesus I ^(FO)became your father through the ^(FP)gospel. ¹⁶Therefore I urge you, be ^(FQ)imitators of me. ¹⁷For this reason I ^(FR)have sent to you ^(FS)Timothy, who is my ^(FT)beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, ^(FU)just as I teach everywhere in every church. ¹⁸Now some have become ^[bi]^(FV)arrogant, as though I were not ^(FW)coming to you. ¹⁹But I ^(FX)will come to you soon, ^(FY)if the Lord wills, and I shall find out, not the ^[bj]words of those who are ^(FZ)arrogant, but their power. ²⁰For the kingdom of God is ^(GA)not in ^[bk]words, but in power. ²¹What do you desire? ^(GB)That I come to you with a rod, or with love and a spirit of gentleness?