1 Paul, a called Apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, and Sosthenes, the brother,
2 to the congregation of God which is in Corinth, sanctified by Christ Jesus, called saints; with all, in every place, who invoke the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:
3 favor and peace be with you from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I give thanks to my God always in respect of you; on account of the favor of God, which was given to you through Jesus Christ;
5 that you were enriched with every gift, by him; even with all speech, and all knowledge,
6 just as the testimony of Christ was confirmed among you:
7 so that you come behind in no gift, waiting for the full manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ;
8 who will confirm you till the end, without accusation in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 God is faithful, by whom you have been called into the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
10 Now, brethren, I beseech you by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no schisms among you; but that you be perfectly united in the same mind, and in the same judgment.
11 For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by some of the family of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.
12 And I mention this, that each of you says, I, indeed, am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas, and I of Christ.
13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? or were you immersed into the name of Paul?
14 I give thanks to God that I immersed none of you except Crispus and Gaius;
15 lest any one should say that I immersed into my own name.
16 And I immersed also the family of Stephanus: besides, I know not whether I immersed any other.
17 For Christ did not send me to immerse, but to proclaim the glad tidings; not, however, with wisdom of speech, that the cross of Christ might not be deprived of its efficacy.
18 For this doctrine (the doctrine of the cross) is, indeed, foolishness to the destroyed; but to us, who are saved, it is the power of God.
19 «Therefore, it is written,» 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will set aside the knowledge of the prudent.'
20 Where is the wise man? where the scribe? where the disputers of this world? Has not God shown the wisdom of this world to be folly?
21 For, when, in the wisdom of God, the world, through wisdom, knew not God, it pleased God, through the foolishness of this proclamation, to save them who believe.
22 And though the Jews demand a sign, and the Greeks seek wisdom;
23 yet we proclaim a crucified Christ: to the Jews, indeed, a stumbling block, and to the Greeks foolishness:
24 but to them who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God.
25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
26 For you see the calling of you, brethren, that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble;
27 but God has chosen the foolish of the world to put the wise to shame; and the weak God has chosen to put the strong to shame;
28 the ignoble of the world, and the despised, God has chosen; nay, those that are nothing, to reduce to nothing those that are;
29 that not flesh might boast in his presence.
30 Of him, therefore, you are in Christ Jesus, who is become to us wisdom from God, justification, also, and sanctification, and redemption.
31 «So that, as it is written,» 'Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.'