Greeting
1 Paul, Rom. 1:1called tobe an apostle of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 1:1through the will of God, and Acts 18:17Sosthenes our brother,
2 To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who (Acts 15:9)are sanctified in Christ Jesus, Rom. 1:7; Eph. 4:1; 1 Thess. 2:12called tobe saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 8:6)our Lord, (Rom. 3:22)both theirs and ours:
3 Rom. 1:7Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Spiritual Gifts at Corinth
4 Rom. 1:8I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, 5 that you were enriched in everything by Him (1 Cor. 12:8)in all utterance and all knowledge, 6 even as 2 Thess. 1:10; 1 Tim. 2:6; 2 Tim. 1:8; Rev. 1:2the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, 7 so that you come short in no gift, eagerly Luke 17:30; Rom. 8:19, 23; Phil. 3:20; Titus 2:13; (2 Pet. 3:12)waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 1 Thess. 3:13; 5:23who will also confirm you to the end, Phil. 1:6; Col. 1:22; 2:7thatyoumaybe blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 Deut. 7:9; Is. 49:7; 1 Cor. 10:13; 2 Cor. 1:18; 1 Thess. 5:24; 2 Thess. 3:3God is faithful, by whom you were called into (John 15:4)the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Sectarianism Is Sin
10 Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 Cor. 13:11; 1 Pet. 3:8that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11 For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are contentions among you. 12 Now I say this, that Matt. 3:8–10; 1 Cor. 3:4each of you says, "I am of Paul," or "I am of Acts 18:24; 1 Cor. 3:22Apollos," or "I am of John 1:42; 1 Cor. 3:22; 9:5; 15:5Cephas," or "I am of Christ." 13 2 Cor. 11:4Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
14 I thank God that I baptized John 4:2none of you except Acts 18:8Crispus and Rom. 16:23Gaius, 15 lest anyone should say that I had baptized in my own name. 16 Yes, I also baptized the household of 1 Cor. 16:15, 17Stephanas. Besides, I do not know whether I baptized any other. 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, (1 Cor. 2:1, 4, 13)not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.
Christ the Power and Wisdom of God
18 For the message of the cross is 1 Cor. 2:14foolishness to 2 Cor. 2:15those who are perishing, but to us (1 Cor. 15:2)who are being saved it is the Rom. 1:16; 1 Cor. 1:24power of God. 19 For it is written:
Is. 29:14"I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent."
20 Is. 19:12; 33:18Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Job 12:17; Matt. 13:22; 1 Cor. 2:6, 8; 3:18, 19Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For since, in the Dan. 2:20; (Rom. 11:33)wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For Matt. 12:38; Mark 8:11; John 2:18; 4:48Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, Is. 8:14; Luke 2:34; John 6:60; Gal. 5:11; (1 Pet. 2:8)to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks (1 Cor. 2:14)foolishness, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ (Rom. 1:4)the power of God and Col. 2:3the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
Glory Only in the Lord
26 For you see your calling, brethren, John 7:48that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, arecalled.27 But Ps. 8:2; Matt. 11:25God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence. 30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and Jer. 23:5; 33:16; (2 Cor. 5:21; Phil. 3:9)righteousness and sanctification and redemption— 31 that, as it is written, Jer. 9:23, 24; 2 Cor. 10:17"He who glories, let him glory in the Lord."