Greeting
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To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those 3sanctified in Christ Jesus, 4called to be saints together with all those who in every place 5call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:
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6Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thanksgiving
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I 7give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus,
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even as 10the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you--
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so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you 11wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ,
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15God is faithful, by whom you were called into the 16fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Divisions in the Church
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I appeal to you, brothers,a by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no 17divisions among you, but that you be united 18in the same mind and the same judgment.
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For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is 19quarreling among you, my brothers.
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What I mean is that 20each one of you says, "I follow Paul," or "I follow 21Apollos," or "I follow 22Cephas," or "I follow Christ."
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so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name.
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(I did baptize also 27the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.)
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For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and 28not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
Christ the Wisdom and Power of God
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For the word of the cross is 29folly to 30those who are perishing, but to us 31who are being saved it is 32the power of God.
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For it is written, 33"I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart."
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34Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? 35Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
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For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.
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For 36Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom,
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but we preach Christ 37crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles,
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but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ 38the power of God and 39the wisdom of God.
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For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
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For consider your calling, brothers: 40not many of you were wise according to worldly standards,b not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.
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But 41God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; 42God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;
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God chose what is low and despised in the world, even 43things that are not, to 44bring to nothing things that are,
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And because of himd you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us 46wisdom from God, 47righteousness and 48sanctification and 49redemption,
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so that, as it is written, 50"Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
(English Standard Version - The Holy Bible Online)