PAUL, a called apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and
Sosthenes a brother, (2)to the church of God which is at Corinth,
sanctified in Christ Jesus, to the called saints, with all those who
invoke the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place, both their's
and our's: (3)grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and
our Lord Jesus Christ. (4)I give thanks to my God always on your
behalf, for the grace of God which hath been given you in Christ Jesus;
(5)that in every thing ye have been enriched by him, in all utterance,
and all knowledge; (6)thus the testimony of Jesus hath been confirmed
among you: (7)so that ye have not been deficient in any gift; waiting
for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ: (8)who shall confirm you
to the end blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. (9)Faithful
is God, by whom ye have been called into communion with his Son Jesus
Christ our Lord.
(10)Now I conjure you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no schisms among
you; but that ye be perfectly united together in the same mind and the
same sentiment. (11)For I have been informed concerning you, my
brethren, by those of the family of Chloe, that there are contentions
among you. (12)Now this I observe, that one and another of you saith, I
am indeed of Paul; but I of Apollos; but I of Cephas; but I am of
Christ. (13)Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye
baptised into the name of Paul?
(14)I thank God that I baptised none of you, except Crispus and Gaius;
(15)that no man might say, I baptised into my own name. (16)And I also
baptised the household of Stephanus: besides these, I know not if I
baptised any other person. (17)For Christ sent me not to baptise, but
to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of discourse, lest the cross of
Christ should be slighted. (18)For the discourse, _the subject of which
is_ the cross, is indeed to those who perish, folly; but to us who are
saved it is the power of God. (19)For it is written, "I will destroy
the wisdom of the wise, and the understanding of the intelligent will I
make useless[87]." (20)Where is the sophist? where is the scribe? where
is the inquisitive searcher after this world's wisdom? hath not God
turned into folly the wisdom of this world? (21)for since in the wisdom
of God the world by its wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the
foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. (22)For the Jews
demand a miracle, and the Greeks seek wisdom: (23)but we preach Christ
crucified, to the Jews indeed an offence, and to the Greeks folly;
(24)but to those who are called, whether Jews or Greeks, Christ the
power of God, and the wisdom of God. (25)For this foolishness of God is
wiser than men; and this weakness of God is stronger than men. (26)For
ye see your calling, brethren, that not many fleshly wise, not many men
in power, not many men of high birth, are called: (27)but the foolish
things of this world hath God elected, that he might confound the wise;
and the feeble things of the world hath God elected, that he might
confound the mighty; (28)and the ignoble things of the world, and the
despicable, hath God elected, and the things that are not, to bring to
nought the things which are, (29)that no flesh should glory in his
presence. (30)But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who hath been made to
us of God wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and
redemption: (31)that, as it is written, "He that glorieth, let him
glory in the Lord[88]."