1 Corinthians 1:10-3:23

New International Version

A Church Divided Over Leaders

¹⁰ I appeal to you, brothers and sisters,^[a](A) in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you,^(B) but that you be perfectly united^(C) in mind and thought. ¹¹ My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household^(D) have informed me that there are quarrels among you. ¹² What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”;^(E) another, “I follow Apollos”;^(F) another, “I follow Cephas^[b]”;^(G) still another, “I follow Christ.”

¹³ Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul?^{(H) 14} I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus^(I) and Gaius,^{(J) 15} so no one can say that you were baptized in my name. ¹⁶ (Yes, I also baptized the household^(K) of Stephanas;^(L) beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.) ¹⁷ For Christ did not send me to baptize,^(M) but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom^(N) and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

Christ Crucified Is God’s Power and Wisdom

¹⁸ For the message of the cross is foolishness^(O) to those who are perishing,^(P) but to us who are being saved^(Q) it is the power of God.^{(R) 19} For it is written:

²⁰ Where is the wise person?^(T) Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age?^(U) Has not God made foolish^(V) the wisdom of the world? ²¹ For since in the wisdom of God the world^(W) through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save^(X) those who believe.^{(Y) 22} Jews demand signs^(Z) and Greeks look for wisdom, ²³ but we preach Christ crucified:^(AA) a stumbling block^(AB) to Jews and foolishness^(AC) to Gentiles, ²⁴ but to those whom God has called,^(AD) both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God^(AE) and the wisdom of God.^{(AF) 25} For the foolishness^(AG) of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness^(AH) of God is stronger than human strength.

²⁶ Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called.^(AI) Not many of you were wise^(AJ) by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. ²⁷ But God chose^(AK) the foolish^(AL) things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. ²⁸ God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not^(AM)—to nullify the things that are, ²⁹ so that no one may boast before him.^{(AN) 30} It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus,^(AO) who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness,^(AP) holiness^(AQ) and redemption.^{(AR) 31} Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”^[d](AS)

2 And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom^(AT) as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.^{[e] 2} For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.^{(AU) 3} I came to you^(AV) in weakness^(AW) with great fear and trembling.^{(AX) 4} My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words,^(AY) but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,^{(AZ) 5} so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.^(BA)

God’s Wisdom Revealed by the Spirit

⁶ We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature,^(BB) but not the wisdom of this age^(BC) or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.^{(BD) 7} No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery^(BE) that has been hidden^(BF) and that God destined for our glory before time began. ⁸ None of the rulers of this age^(BG) understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.^{(BH) 9} However, as it is written:

¹⁰ these are the things God has revealed^(BJ) to us by his Spirit.^(BK)

The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. ¹¹ For who knows a person’s thoughts^(BL) except their own spirit^(BM) within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. ¹² What we have received is not the spirit^(BN) of the world,^(BO) but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. ¹³ This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom^(BP) but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.^{[g] 14} The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God^(BQ) but considers them foolishness,^(BR) and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. ¹⁵ The person with the Spirit^(BS) makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, ¹⁶ for,

But we have the mind of Christ.^(BU)

The Church and Its Leaders

3 Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit^(BV) but as people who are still worldly^(BW)—mere infants^(BX) in Christ. ² I gave you milk, not solid food,^(BY) for you were not yet ready for it.^(BZ) Indeed, you are still not ready. ³ You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling^(CA) among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? ⁴ For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,”^(CB) are you not mere human beings?

⁵ What, after all, is Apollos?^(CC) And what is Paul? Only servants,^(CD) through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. ⁶ I planted the seed,^(CE) Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. ⁷ So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. ⁸ The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor.^{(CF) 9} For we are co-workers in God’s service;^(CG) you are God’s field,^(CH) God’s building.^(CI)

¹⁰ By the grace God has given me,^(CJ) I laid a foundation^(CK) as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. ¹¹ For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.^{(CL) 12} If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, ¹³ their work will be shown for what it is,^(CM) because the Day^(CN) will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work.^{(CO) 14} If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward.^{(CP) 15} If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.^(CQ)

¹⁶ Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple^(CR) and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?^{(CS) 17} If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.

¹⁸ Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise^(CT) by the standards of this age,^(CU) you should become “fools” so that you may become wise. ¹⁹ For the wisdom of this world is foolishness^(CV) in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness”^[i];^{(CW) 20} and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.”^{[j](CX) 21} So then, no more boasting about human leaders!^(CY) All things are yours,^{(CZ) 22} whether Paul or Apollos^(DA) or Cephas^[k](DB) or the world or life or death or the present or the future^(DC)—all are yours, ²³ and you are of Christ,^(DD) and Christ is of God.