New Living Translation

King James Bible

1This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Sosthenes.

1Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,

2I am writing to God’s church in Corinth, to you who have been called by God to be his own holy people. He made you holy by means of Christ Jesus, just as he did for all people everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.

2Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:

3May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. Paul Gives Thanks to God

3Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

4I always thank my God for you and for the gracious gifts he has given you, now that you belong to Christ Jesus.

4I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;

5Through him, God has enriched your church in every way—with all of your eloquent words and all of your knowledge.

5That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;

6This confirms that what I told you about Christ is true.

6Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:

7Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.

7So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:

8He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be free from all blame on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns.

8Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

9God will do this, for he is faithful to do what he says, and he has invited you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Divisions in the Church

9God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

10I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.

10Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

11For some members of Chloe’s household have told me about your quarrels, my dear brothers and sisters.

11For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.

12Some of you are saying, “I am a follower of Paul.” Others are saying, “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Peter, ” or “I follow only Christ.”

12Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.

13Has Christ been divided into factions? Was I, Paul, crucified for you? Were any of you baptized in the name of Paul? Of course not!

13Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?

14I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius,

14I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius;

15for now no one can say they were baptized in my name.

15Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name.

16(Oh yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas, but I don’t remember baptizing anyone else.)

16And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other.

17For Christ didn’t send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News—and not with clever speech, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power. The Wisdom of God

17For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

18The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.

18For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

19As the Scriptures say, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.”

19For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

20So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish.

20Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

21Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe.

21For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

22It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom.

22For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

23So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense.

23But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

24But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.

24But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

25This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.

25Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

26Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you.

26For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

27Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful.

27But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

28God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important.

28And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

29As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.

29That no flesh should glory in his presence.

30God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin.

30But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

31Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the LORD.”

31That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.