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,

² To ^(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, ⁵ that in everything you were ^(K)enriched in Him, in all ^(L)speech and ^(M)all knowledge, ⁶ just as ^(N)the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed ^[d]in you, ⁷ so 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.

¹⁰ Now ^(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. ¹¹ For I have been informed concerning you, my brothers and sisters, by Chloe’s people, that there are quarrels among you. ¹² Now 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? ¹⁴ I am thankful that I ^(AC)baptized none of you except ^(AD)Crispus and ^(AE)Gaius, ¹⁵ so that no one would say you were baptized ^[s]in my name! ¹⁶ But 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

¹⁸ For 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. ¹⁹ For it is written:

^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? ²¹ For 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. ²² For indeed ^(AU)Jews ask for ^[y]signs and Greeks search for wisdom; ²³ but we preach ^[z](AV)Christ crucified, ^(AW)to Jews a stumbling block, and to Gentiles ^(AX)foolishness, ²⁴ but to those who are ^(AY)the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ ^(AZ)the power of God and ^(BA)the wisdom of God. ²⁵ For the ^(BB)foolishness of God is wiser than mankind, and ^(BC)the weakness of God is stronger than mankind.

²⁶ For ^[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; ²⁷ but ^(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, ²⁸ and 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, ²⁹ so that ^(BL)no ^[ad]human may boast before God. ³⁰ But 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, ³¹ so 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 ^(A)did not come as someone superior in ^[a]speaking ability or ^[b]wisdom, as I proclaimed to you ^(B)the ^[c]testimony of God. ² For I determined to know nothing among you except ^(C)Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. ³ I also was with you in ^(D)weakness and ^(E)fear, and in great trembling, ⁴ and my ^[d]message and my preaching were ^(F)not in persuasive words of ^[e]wisdom, but in demonstration of ^(G)the Spirit and of power, ⁵ so that your faith would not ^[f]rest on the ^[g]wisdom of mankind, but on ^(H)the power of God.

⁶ Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are ^(I)mature; a wisdom, however, not of ^(J)this age nor of the rulers of ^(K)this age, who are ^(L)passing away; ⁷ but we speak God’s wisdom in a ^(M)mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ^(N)predestined before the ^(O)ages to our glory; ⁸ the wisdom ^(P)which none of the rulers of ^(Q)this age has understood; for if they had understood it, they would not have crucified ^(R)the Lord of glory; ⁹ but just as it is written:

^10 [h](T)For to us God revealed them ^(U)through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the ^(V)depths of God. ¹¹ For who among people knows the thoughts of a person except the ^(W)spirit of the person that is in him? So also the thoughts of God no one knows, except the Spirit of God. ¹² Now we ^(X)have not received the spirit of ^(Y)the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God. ¹³ We also speak these things, ^(Z)not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, ^[i]combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.

¹⁴ But ^[j]a ^(AA)natural person ^(AB)does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are ^(AC)foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. ¹⁵ But the one who is ^(AD)spiritual discerns all things, yet he himself is ^[k]discerned by no one. ¹⁶ For ^(AE)who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But ^(AF)we have the mind of Christ.

Foundations for Living

3 And I, brothers and sisters, could not speak to you as ^(A)spiritual people, but only as ^(B)fleshly, as to ^(C)infants in Christ. ² I gave you ^(D)milk to drink, not solid food; for you ^(E)were not yet able to consume it. But even now you are not yet able, ³ for you are still fleshly. For since there is ^(F)jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking ^(G)like ordinary people? ⁴ For when ^(H)one person says, “I am ^[a]with Paul,” and another, “I am ^[b]with Apollos,” are you not ordinary ^(I)people?

⁵ What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? ^(J)Servants through whom you believed, even ^(K)as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. ^6 (L)I planted, ^(M)Apollos watered, but ^(N)God was causing the growth. ⁷ So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. ⁸ Now the one who plants and the one who waters are one; but each will ^(O)receive his own ^[c]reward according to his own labor. ⁹ For we are God’s ^(P)fellow workers; you are God’s ^[d](Q)field, God’s ^(R)building.

¹⁰ According to ^(S)the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder ^(T)I laid a foundation, and ^(U)another is building on it. But each person must be careful how he builds on it. ¹¹ For no one can lay a ^(V)foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹² Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, ^13 (W)each one’s work will become evident; for ^(X)the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test ^[e]the quality of each one’s work. ¹⁴ If anyone’s work which he has built on it remains, he will ^(Y)receive a reward. ¹⁵ If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet only ^(Z)so as through fire.

^16 (AA)Do you not know that ^(AB)you are a ^[f]temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? ¹⁷ If anyone destroys the ^[g]temple of God, God will destroy ^[h]that person; for the ^[i]temple of God is holy, ^[j]and that is what you are.

^18 (AC)Take care that no one deceives himself. ^(AD)If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in ^(AE)this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise. ¹⁹ For ^(AF)the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the sight of God. For it is written: “He is ^(AG)the one who catches the wise by their craftiness”; ²⁰ and again, “^(AH)The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are useless.” ²¹ So then, ^(AI)no one is to be boasting in people. For ^(AJ)all things belong to you, ^22 (AK)whether Paul or Apollos or ^[k]Cephas, or the world or ^(AL)life or death, or things present or things to come; all things belong to you, ²³ and ^(AM)you belong to Christ, and ^(AN)Christ belongs to God.

Servants of Christ

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

⁶ Now 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 ^(J)what is written, so that no one of you will ^(K)become ^[e]arrogant ^(L)in behalf of one against the other. ⁷ For who considers you as superior? ^(M)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?

⁸ You are ^(N)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! ⁹ For I think, God has exhibited us, the apostles, last of all as men ^(O)condemned to death, because we ^(P)have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to mankind. ¹⁰ We are ^(Q)fools on account of Christ, but ^(R)you are prudent in Christ! ^(S)We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are without honor! ¹¹ Up to this present hour we are both ^(T)hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed and roughly treated and homeless; ¹² and we labor, ^(U)working with our own hands; when we are ^(V)verbally abused, we bless; when we are ^(W)persecuted, we endure it; ¹³ when we are slandered, we ^[f]reply as friends; we have ^(X)become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now.

¹⁴ I do not write these things to ^(Y)shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved ^(Z)children. ¹⁵ For if you were to have countless ^(AA)tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in ^(AB)Christ Jesus I ^(AC)became your father through the ^(AD)gospel. ¹⁶ Therefore I urge you, be ^(AE)imitators of me. ¹⁷ For this reason I ^(AF)have sent to you ^(AG)Timothy, who is my ^(AH)beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, ^(AI)just as I teach everywhere in every church. ¹⁸ Now some have become ^[g](AJ)arrogant, as though I were not ^(AK)coming to you. ¹⁹ But I ^(AL)will come to you soon, ^(AM)if the Lord wills, and I shall find out, not the ^[h]words of those who are ^(AN)arrogant, but their power. ²⁰ For the kingdom of God is ^(AO)not in ^[i]words, but in power. ²¹ What do you desire? ^(AP)That I come to you with a rod, or with love and a spirit of gentleness?