1 Corinthians 1-2

New International Version

1 Paul, called to be an apostle^(A) of Christ Jesus by the will of God,^(B) and our brother Sosthenes,^(C)

² To the church of God^(D) in Corinth,^(E) to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called^(F) to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name^(G) of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours:

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

Thanksgiving

⁴ I always thank my God for you^(I) because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. ⁵ For in him you have been enriched^(J) in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge^(K)— ⁶ God thus confirming our testimony^(L) about Christ among you. ⁷ Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift^(M) as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.^{(N) 8} He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless^(O) on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.^{(P) 9} God is faithful,^(Q) who has called you^(R) into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.^(S)

A Church Divided Over Leaders

¹⁰ I appeal to you, brothers and sisters,^[a](T) 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,^(U) but that you be perfectly united^(V) in mind and thought. ¹¹ My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household^(W) have informed me that there are quarrels among you. ¹² What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”;^(X) another, “I follow Apollos”;^(Y) another, “I follow Cephas^[b]”;^(Z) still another, “I follow Christ.”

¹³ Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul?^{(AA) 14} I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus^(AB) and Gaius,^{(AC) 15} so no one can say that you were baptized in my name. ¹⁶ (Yes, I also baptized the household^(AD) of Stephanas;^(AE) beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.) ¹⁷ For Christ did not send me to baptize,^(AF) but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom^(AG) 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^(AH) to those who are perishing,^(AI) but to us who are being saved^(AJ) it is the power of God.^{(AK) 19} For it is written:

²⁰ Where is the wise person?^(AM) Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age?^(AN) Has not God made foolish^(AO) the wisdom of the world? ²¹ For since in the wisdom of God the world^(AP) through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save^(AQ) those who believe.^{(AR) 22} Jews demand signs^(AS) and Greeks look for wisdom, ²³ but we preach Christ crucified:^(AT) a stumbling block^(AU) to Jews and foolishness^(AV) to Gentiles, ²⁴ but to those whom God has called,^(AW) both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God^(AX) and the wisdom of God.^{(AY) 25} For the foolishness^(AZ) of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness^(BA) of God is stronger than human strength.

²⁶ Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called.^(BB) Not many of you were wise^(BC) by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. ²⁷ But God chose^(BD) the foolish^(BE) 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^(BF)—to nullify the things that are, ²⁹ so that no one may boast before him.^{(BG) 30} It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus,^(BH) who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness,^(BI) holiness^(BJ) and redemption.^{(BK) 31} Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”^[d](BL)

2 And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom^(BM) 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.^{(BN) 3} I came to you^(BO) in weakness^(BP) with great fear and trembling.^{(BQ) 4} My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words,^(BR) but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,^{(BS) 5} so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.^(BT)

God’s Wisdom Revealed by the Spirit

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

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

The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. ¹¹ For who knows a person’s thoughts^(CE) except their own spirit^(CF) 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^(CG) of the world,^(CH) 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^(CI) 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^(CJ) but considers them foolishness,^(CK) and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. ¹⁵ The person with the Spirit^(CL) 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.^(CN)