1 Corinthians 1
GOD’S WORD Translation
Greeting
1 From Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and from Sosthenes, our brother in the Christian faith.
2 To God’s church that was made holy by Christ Jesus and called to be God’s holy people in the city of Corinth and to people everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Good will [a] and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ are yours!
4 I always thank God for you because Christ Jesus has shown you God’s good will. 5 Through Christ Jesus you have become rich in every way—in speech and knowledge of every kind. 6 Our message about Christ has been verified among you. 7 Therefore, you don’t lack any gift as you wait eagerly for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. 8 He will continue to give you strength until the end so that no one can accuse you of anything on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God faithfully keeps his promises. He called you to be partners with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
God’s Wisdom Is Better Than the World’s Wisdom
10 Brothers and sisters, I encourage all of you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to agree with each other and not to split into opposing groups. I want you to be united in your understanding and opinions. 11 Brothers and sisters, some people from Chloe’s family have made it clear to me that you are quarreling among yourselves. 12 This is what I mean: Each of you is saying, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” [b] or “I follow Christ.” 13 Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in Paul’s name? 14 I thank God that [c] I didn’t baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius 15 so that no one can say you were baptized in my name. 16 I also baptized Stephanas and his family. Beyond that, I’m not sure whether I baptized anyone else. 17 Christ didn’t send me to baptize. Instead, he sent me to spread the Good News. I didn’t use intellectual arguments. That would have made the cross of Christ lose its meaning.
18 The message about the cross is nonsense to those who are being destroyed, but it is God’s power to us who are being saved. 19 Scripture says,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise.
I will reject the intelligence of intelligent people.”
20 Where is the wise person? Where is the scholar? Where is the persuasive speaker of our time? Hasn’t God turned the wisdom of the world into nonsense? 21 The world with its wisdom was unable to recognize God in terms of his own wisdom. So God decided to use the nonsense of the Good News we speak to save those who believe. 22 Jews ask for miraculous signs, and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but our message is that Christ was crucified. This offends Jewish people and makes no sense to people who are not Jewish. 24 But to those Jews and Greeks who are called, he is Christ, God’s power and God’s wisdom. 25 God’s nonsense is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.
26 Brothers and sisters, consider what you were when God called you to be Christians. Not many of you were wise from a human point of view. You were not in powerful positions or in the upper social classes. 27 But God chose what the world considers nonsense to put wise people to shame. God chose what the world considers weak to put what is strong to shame. 28 God chose what the world considers ordinary and what it despises—what it considers to be nothing—in order to destroy what it considers to be something. 29 As a result, no one can brag in God’s presence. 30 You are partners with Christ Jesus because of God. Jesus has become our wisdom sent from God, our approval, our holiness, and our ransom from sin. 31 As Scripture says, “Whoever brags must brag about what the Lord has done.”
1 Corinthians 1
The Voice
1 Paul, called out by God’s will to be an emissary[a] for Jesus the Anointed, along with brother Sosthenes, 2 to God’s church gathering in the city of Corinth. As people who are united with Jesus, the Anointed One, you have been set apart for service. You are all called into community to live as saints with all who invoke the name of our Lord Jesus, the Anointed
3 I pray that God our Father and the Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, will shower you with grace and peace.
4 I am continuously thanking my God for you when I think about the grace God has offered you in Jesus the Anointed. 5 In this grace, God is enriching every aspect of your lives by gifting you with the right words to say and everything you need to know. 6 In this way, your life story confirms the life story of the Anointed One, 7 so you are not ill-equipped or slighted on any necessary gifts as you patiently anticipate the day when our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, is revealed. 8 Until that final day, He will preserve you; and on that day, He will consider you faultless. 9 Count on this: God is faithful and in His faithfulness called you out into an intimate relationship with His Son, our Lord Jesus the Anointed.
10 My brothers and sisters, I urge you by the name of our Lord Jesus, the Anointed, to come together in agreement. Do not allow anything or anyone to create division among you. Instead, be restored, completely fastened together with one mind and shared judgment. 11 I have heard troubling reports from Chloe’s people that you, my siblings, are consumed by fighting and petty disagreements. 12 What I have heard is that each of you is taking sides, saying, “I am with Paul,” or “I am with Apollos,” or “I am with Cephas,” or “I am with the Anointed One.” 13 Has the Anointed One been split up into many small pieces? Do you think Paul was crucified for you? Were you ceremonially washed through baptism[b] into the name of Paul? Absolutely not!
Paul knows that if the work of Jesus’ gospel degenerates into a cult of personality, it will hardly resemble true Christianity. If the focus is on Paul, Cephas, Apollos, or any famous religious leader, then that distracts from the person and central message of Jesus. Any cult of personality is intoxicating, and it is often easier to claim to follow a person who can be seen and touched. But Christianity is founded upon the belief that Jesus is the head of the church and that all of His followers serve His will as a part of the royal priesthood.
14 Now I am thankful that I baptized[c] only Crispus and Gaius, 15 so none of you can falsely declare you were baptized in my name. 16 Now wait, as I think about it, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; if there are others in your community whom I baptized, I cannot recall at this moment. 17 The mission given to me by the Anointed One is not about baptism, but about preaching good news. The point is not to impress others by spinning an eloquent, intellectual argument; that type of rhetorical showboating would only nullify the cross of the Anointed.
18 For people who are stumbling toward ruin, the message of the cross is nothing but a tall tale for fools by a fool. But for those of us who are already experiencing the reality of being rescued and made right, it is nothing short of God’s power. 19 This is why the Scripture says:
I will put an end to the wisdom of the so-called wise,
and I will invalidate the insight of your so-called experts.[d]
20 So now, where is the philosopher? Where is the scholar? Where is the skilled debater, the best of your time? Step up, if you dare. Hasn’t God made fools out of those who count on the wisdom of this rebellious, broken world? 21 For in God’s deep wisdom, He made it so that the world could not even begin to comprehend Him through its own style of wisdom; in fact, God took immense pleasure in rescuing people of faith through the foolishness of the message we preach. 22 It seems the Jews are always asking for signs and the Greeks are always on the prowl for wisdom. 23 But we tell a different story. We proclaim a crucified Jesus, God’s Anointed. For Jews this is scandalous, for outsiders[e] this is moronic, 24 but for those of us living out God’s call—regardless of our Jewish or Greek heritage—we know the Anointed embodies God’s dynamic power and God’s deep wisdom. 25 You can count on this: God’s foolishness will always be wiser than mere human wisdom, and God’s weakness will always be stronger than mere human strength.
The cross challenges human values because no one expects to find freedom through capital punishment. Unlike most of the thousands who faced crucifixion before and after Jesus, He was clearly not a criminal. God uses this contradiction to reveal His power and wisdom: Jesus has offered Himself to death and has been raised to life to bring liberation to others. Those who truly follow this crucified king do not seek power and authority through the normal patterns of the world; they offer themselves in loving sacrifice for others. That is where God’s transforming power is truly revealed in the church.
26 Look carefully at your call, brothers and sisters. By human standards, not many of you are deemed to be wise. Not many are considered powerful. Not many of you come from royalty, right? 27 But celebrate this: God selected the world’s foolish to bring shame upon those who think they are wise; likewise, He selected the world’s weak to bring disgrace upon those who think they are strong. 28 God selected the common and the castoff, whatever lacks status, so He could invalidate the claims of those who think those things are significant. 29 So it makes no sense for any person to boast in God’s presence. 30 Instead, credit God with your new situation: you are united with Jesus the Anointed. He is God’s wisdom for us and more. He is our righteousness and holiness and redemption. 31 As the Scripture says: “If someone wants to boast, he should boast in the Lord.”[f]
Footnotes
- 1:1 Literally, apostle
- 1:13 Literally, immersed, in a rite of initiation and purification
- 1:14 Literally, immersed, in a rite of initiation and purification
- 1:19 Isaiah 29:14
- 1:23 Literally, Gentiles
- 1:31 Jeremiah 9:23–24
1 Corinthians 1
New American Standard Bible
Appeal to Unity
1 Paul, (A)called as an apostle of Jesus Christ [a]by (B)the will of God, and our (C)brother (D)Sosthenes,
2 To (E)the church of God which is in (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 just as (N)the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed [d]in you, 7 so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you eagerly (O)await the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 (P)who will also [e]confirm you to the end, blameless on (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 urge you, (V)brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all [f]agree and that there be no [g](W)divisions among you, but that you be [h]made complete in (X)the same mind and in the same judgment. 11 For I have been informed concerning you, my brothers and sisters, 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 [i]with Paul,” [j]or “I am [k]with (Z)Apollos,” [l]or “I am [m]with [n](AA)Cephas,” [o]or “I am [p]with Christ.” 13 [q]Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you (AB)baptized [r]in the name of Paul? 14 I am thankful that I (AC)baptized none of you except (AD)Crispus and (AE)Gaius, 15 so that no one would say you were baptized [s]in my name! 16 But I did baptize the (AF)household of Stephanas also; beyond that, I do not know if I baptized anyone else. 17 (AG)For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, (AH)not with [t]cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made of no effect.
The Wisdom of God
18 For the word of the cross is (AI)foolishness to (AJ)those who [u]are perishing, but to us who [v]are being saved it is (AK)the power of God. 19 For it is written:
“(AL)I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
And the understanding of those who have understanding, I will confound.”
20 (AM)Where is the wise person? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of (AN)this age? Has God not (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 [w]was pleased through the (AS)foolishness of the [x]message preached to (AT)save those who believe. 22 For indeed (AU)Jews ask for [y]signs and Greeks search for wisdom; 23 but we preach [z](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 For the (BB)foolishness of God is wiser than mankind, and (BC)the weakness of God is stronger than mankind.
26 For [aa]consider your (BD)calling, brothers and sisters, that there were (BE)not many wise according to [ab]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 [ac]insignificant 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 [ad]human may boast before God. 30 But it is [ae]due to Him that you are in (BM)Christ Jesus, who became to us (BN)wisdom from God, [af]and (BO)righteousness and (BP)sanctification, and (BQ)redemption, 31 so that, just as it is written: “(BR)Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
Footnotes
- 1 Corinthians 1:1 Lit through
- 1 Corinthians 1:2 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
- 1 Corinthians 1:4 Two early mss do not contain my
- 1 Corinthians 1:6 Or among
- 1 Corinthians 1:8 Or strengthen
- 1 Corinthians 1:10 Lit say the same thing
- 1 Corinthians 1:10 Lit schisms
- 1 Corinthians 1:10 Or united
- 1 Corinthians 1:12 Lit of
- 1 Corinthians 1:12 Lit and
- 1 Corinthians 1:12 Lit of
- 1 Corinthians 1:12 Lit and
- 1 Corinthians 1:12 Lit of
- 1 Corinthians 1:12 Peter’s Aramaic name
- 1 Corinthians 1:12 Lit and
- 1 Corinthians 1:12 Lit of
- 1 Corinthians 1:13 Or Christ has been divided! or Christ is divided!
- 1 Corinthians 1:13 Lit into
- 1 Corinthians 1:15 Lit into
- 1 Corinthians 1:17 I.e., persuasive rhetoric
- 1 Corinthians 1:18 Or perish
- 1 Corinthians 1:18 Or are saved
- 1 Corinthians 1:21 Or resolved
- 1 Corinthians 1:21 Lit preaching
- 1 Corinthians 1:22 Or confirming miracles
- 1 Corinthians 1:23 I.e., the Messiah
- 1 Corinthians 1:26 Lit see
- 1 Corinthians 1:26 I.e., human standards
- 1 Corinthians 1:28 Or lowly
- 1 Corinthians 1:29 Lit flesh
- 1 Corinthians 1:30 Lit from Him
- 1 Corinthians 1:30 Or both
1 Corintios 1
Nueva Biblia de las Américas
Saludo
1 Pablo, llamado a ser apóstol de Jesucristo(A) por la voluntad de Dios(B), y Sóstenes(C), nuestro hermano(D), 2 a la iglesia de Dios(E) que está en Corinto(F), a los que han sido santificados en Cristo Jesús, llamados a ser santos(G), con todos los que en cualquier parte invocan el nombre de nuestro Señor Jesucristo(H), Señor de ellos y nuestro: 3 Gracia y paz a ustedes de parte de Dios nuestro Padre y del Señor Jesucristo(I).
Acción de gracias
4 Siempre doy gracias a mi Dios por ustedes(J), por la gracia de Dios que les fue dada en Cristo Jesús. 5 Porque en todo ustedes fueron enriquecidos en Él(K), en toda palabra y en todo conocimiento(L), 6 así como el testimonio acerca de Cristo[a](M) fue confirmado en[b] ustedes; 7 de manera que nada les falta en ningún don, esperando ansiosamente la revelación de nuestro Señor Jesucristo(N). 8 Él también los confirmará hasta el fin, para que sean irreprensibles(O) en el día de nuestro Señor Jesucristo(P). 9 Fiel es Dios(Q), por medio de quien fueron llamados(R) a la comunión con Su Hijo Jesucristo(S), nuestro Señor.
Exhortación a la unidad
10 Les ruego, hermanos(T), por el nombre de nuestro Señor Jesucristo, que todos se pongan de acuerdo[c], y que no haya divisiones[d](U) entre ustedes, sino que estén enteramente unidos en un mismo sentir(V) y en un mismo parecer. 11 Porque he sido informado acerca de ustedes, hermanos míos, por los de Cloé, que hay discusiones entre ustedes. 12 Me refiero a que cada uno de ustedes dice: «Yo soy de Pablo», otro: «yo de Apolos(W)», otro: «yo de Cefas(X)», y otro: «yo de Cristo». 13 ¿Está dividido Cristo?[e] ¿Acaso fue Pablo crucificado por ustedes? ¿O fueron bautizados(Y) en el nombre de Pablo?
14 Doy gracias a Dios[f] que no bauticé a ninguno de ustedes(Z), excepto a Crispo(AA) y a Gayo(AB), 15 para que nadie diga que fueron bautizados en mi nombre. 16 También bauticé a los de la casa de Estéfanas(AC); por lo demás, no sé si bauticé a algún otro. 17 Pues Cristo no me envió a bautizar(AD), sino a predicar el evangelio, no con palabras elocuentes[g](AE), para que no se haga vana la cruz de Cristo.
Cristo, poder de Dios
18 Porque la palabra de la cruz es necedad(AF) para los que se pierden(AG), pero para nosotros los salvos es poder de Dios(AH). 19 Porque está escrito:
«Destruiré la sabiduría de los sabios,
Y el entendimiento de los inteligentes desecharé(AI)».
20 ¿Dónde está el sabio(AJ)? ¿Dónde está el escriba? ¿Dónde está el que sabe discutir en este siglo[h]? ¿No ha hecho Dios que la sabiduría de este mundo sea necedad(AK)? 21 Pues ya que en la sabiduría de Dios, el mundo no conoció a Dios(AL) por medio de su propia sabiduría, agradó a Dios(AM) mediante la necedad(AN) de la predicación salvar a los que creen(AO). 22 Porque en verdad los judíos piden señales[i](AP) y los griegos buscan sabiduría; 23 pero nosotros predicamos a Cristo crucificado(AQ), piedra de tropiezo para los judíos(AR), y necedad(AS) para los gentiles. 24 Sin embargo, para los llamados(AT), tanto judíos como griegos, Cristo es poder de Dios(AU) y sabiduría de Dios(AV). 25 Porque la necedad de Dios(AW) es más sabia que los hombres, y la debilidad de Dios(AX) es más fuerte que los hombres.
Cristo, sabiduría de Dios
26 Pues consideren[j], hermanos, su llamamiento(AY). No hubo muchos sabios conforme a la carne[k](AZ), ni muchos poderosos, ni muchos nobles. 27 Sino que Dios ha escogido(BA) lo necio del mundo(BB) para avergonzar a los sabios; y Dios ha escogido lo débil del mundo para avergonzar a lo que es fuerte. 28 También Dios ha escogido lo vil y despreciado del mundo(BC): lo que no es(BD), para anular lo que es(BE), 29 para que nadie[l] se jacte(BF) delante de Dios.
30 Pero por obra Suya[m] están ustedes en Cristo Jesús(BG), el cual se hizo para nosotros sabiduría de Dios(BH), y justificación(BI), santificación(BJ) y redención(BK), 31 para que, tal como está escrito: «El que se gloría, que se gloríe en el Señor(BL)».
Footnotes
- 1 Corintios 1:6 I.e. el Mesías.
- 1 Corintios 1:6 O entre.
- 1 Corintios 1:10 Lit. que hablen lo mismo.
- 1 Corintios 1:10 Lit. cismas.
- 1 Corintios 1:13 O ¡Cristo ha sido dividido! o, ¡Cristo está dividido!
- 1 Corintios 1:14 Algunos mss. antiguos no incluyen: a Dios.
- 1 Corintios 1:17 Lit. sabias.
- 1 Corintios 1:20 O mundo.
- 1 Corintios 1:22 O milagros.
- 1 Corintios 1:26 Lit. vean.
- 1 Corintios 1:26 O normas humanas.
- 1 Corintios 1:29 Lit. ninguna carne.
- 1 Corintios 1:30 Lit. Mas de Él.
Copyright © 1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God’s Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Nueva Biblia de las Américas™ NBLA™ Copyright © 2005 por The Lockman Foundation