1 Corinthians 1-4

New American Standard Bible 1995

Appeal to Unity

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

² To ^(E)the church of God which is at ^(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 even as ^(N)the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed ^[d]in you, ⁷ so that you are not lacking in any gift, ^(O)awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, ^8 (P)who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in ^(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 exhort you, ^(V)brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all ^[e]agree and that there be no ^[f](W)divisions among you, but that you be ^[g]made complete in ^(X)the same mind and in the same judgment. ¹¹ For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, 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 of Paul,” and “I of ^(Z)Apollos,” and “I of ^(AA)Cephas,” and “I of Christ.” ^13 [h]Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you ^(AB)baptized ^[i]in the name of Paul? ^14 [j]I thank God that I ^(AC)baptized none of you except ^(AD)Crispus and ^(AE)Gaius, ¹⁵ so that no one would say you were baptized ^[k]in my name. ¹⁶ Now I did baptize also the ^(AF)household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any other. ^17 (AG)For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, ^(AH)not in ^[l]cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void.

The Wisdom of God

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

^20 (AM)Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of ^(AN)this age? Has not God ^(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 was well-pleased through the ^(AS)foolishness of the ^[o]message preached to ^(AT)save those who believe. ²² For indeed ^(AU)Jews ask for ^[p]signs and Greeks search for wisdom; ²³ but we preach ^[q](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 Because the ^(BB)foolishness of God is wiser than men, and ^(BC)the weakness of God is stronger than men.

²⁶ For ^[r]consider your ^(BD)calling, brethren, that there were ^(BE)not many wise according to ^[s]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 base 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 ^[t]man may boast before God. ³⁰ But ^[u]by His doing you are in ^(BM)Christ Jesus, who became to us ^(BN)wisdom from God, ^[v]and ^(BO)righteousness and ^(BP)sanctification, and ^(BQ)redemption, ³¹ so that, just as it is written, “^(BR)Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

Paul’s Reliance upon the Spirit

2 And when I came to you, brethren, I ^(BS)did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you ^(BT)the ^[w]testimony of God. ² For I determined to know nothing among you except ^(BU)Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. ³ I was with you in ^(BV)weakness and in ^(BW)fear and in much trembling, ⁴ and my ^[x]message and my preaching were ^(BX)not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of ^(BY)the Spirit and of power, ⁵ so that your faith would not ^[y]rest on the wisdom of men, but on ^(BZ)the power of God.

⁶ Yet 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; ⁷ but we speak God’s wisdom in a ^(CE)mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ^(CF)predestined before the ^(CG)ages to our glory; ⁸ the 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; ⁹ but just as it is written,

^10 [z](CL)For to us God revealed them ^(CM)through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the ^(CN)depths of God. ¹¹ For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the ^(CO)spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. ¹² Now we ^(CP)have received, not 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, ¹³ which things we also speak, ^(CR)not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, ^[aa]combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.

¹⁴ But ^[ab]a ^(CS)natural man ^(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 ^[ac]appraised. ¹⁵ But he who is ^(CV)spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. ¹⁶ For ^(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, brethren, could not speak to you as to ^(CY)spiritual men, but as to ^(CZ)men of flesh, as to ^(DA)infants in Christ. ² I gave you ^(DB)milk to drink, not solid food; for you ^(DC)were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, ³ for you are still fleshly. For since there is ^(DD)jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking ^[ad](DE)like mere men? ⁴ For when ^(DF)one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not mere ^(DG)men?

⁵ What 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. ⁷ So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. ⁸ Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will ^(DM)receive his own ^[ae]reward according to his own labor. ⁹ For we are God’s ^(DN)fellow workers; you are God’s ^[af](DO)field, God’s ^(DP)building.

¹⁰ According 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 man must be careful how he builds on it. ¹¹ For no man can lay a ^(DT)foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹² Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, ^[ag]precious stones, wood, hay, straw, ^13 (DU)each man’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 ^[ah]the quality of each man’s work. ¹⁴ If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will ^(DW)receive a reward. ¹⁵ If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet ^(DX)so as through fire.

^16 (DY)Do you not know that ^(DZ)you are a ^[ai]temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? ¹⁷ If any man destroys the ^[aj]temple of God, God will destroy him, for the ^[ak]temple of God is holy, and ^[al]that is what you are.

^18 (EA)Let no man deceive himself. ^(EB)If any man among you thinks that he is wise in ^(EC)this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise. ¹⁹ For ^(ED)the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, “He is ^(EE)the one who catches the wise in their craftiness”; ²⁰ and again, “^(EF)The Lord knows the reasonings of the wise, that they are useless.” ²¹ So then ^(EG)let no one boast in men. For ^(EH)all things belong to you, ^22 (EI)whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or ^(EJ)life or death or things present or things to come; all things belong to you, ²³ and ^(EK)you belong to Christ; and ^(EL)Christ belongs to God.

Servants of Christ

4 Let a man regard us in this manner, as ^(EM)servants of Christ and ^(EN)stewards of ^(EO)the mysteries of God. ² In this case, moreover, it is required ^[am]of stewards that one be found trustworthy. ³ But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human ^[an]court; in fact, I do not even examine myself. ⁴ For I ^(EP)am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this ^(EQ)acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord. ⁵ Therefore ^(ER)do not go on ^[ao]passing judgment before ^[ap]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 men’s hearts; and then each man’s ^(EU)praise will come to him from God.

⁶ Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us you may learn not to exceed ^(EV)what is written, so that no one of you will ^(EW)become ^[aq]arrogant ^(EX)in behalf of one against the other. ⁷ For who regards 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?

⁸ You 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. ⁹ For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men ^(FA)condemned to death; because we ^(FB)have become a spectacle to the world, ^[ar]both to angels and to men. ¹⁰ We are ^(FC)fools for Christ’s sake, but ^(FD)you are prudent in Christ; ^(FE)we are weak, but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we are without honor. ¹¹ To this present hour we are both ^(FF)hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless; ¹² and we toil, ^(FG)working with our own hands; when we are ^(FH)reviled, we bless; when we are ^(FI)persecuted, we endure; ¹³ when we are slandered, we try to ^[as]conciliate; we have ^(FJ)become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now.

¹⁴ I do not write these things to ^(FK)shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved ^(FL)children. ¹⁵ For 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. ¹⁶ Therefore I exhort you, be ^(FQ)imitators of me. ¹⁷ For 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. ¹⁸ Now some have become ^[at](FV)arrogant, as though I were not ^(FW)coming to you. ¹⁹ But I ^(FX)will come to you soon, ^(FY)if the Lord wills, and I shall find out, not the ^[au]words of those who are ^(FZ)arrogant but their power. ²⁰ For the kingdom of God does ^(GA)not consist in ^[av]words but in power. ²¹ What do you desire? ^(GB)Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love and a spirit of gentleness?