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Paul, ^(a)called as an apostle of Jesus Christ ^[a]by ^(b)the will of God, and ^(c)Sosthenes our ^(d)brother,

To ^(e)the church of God which is at ^(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:

⁽ⁱ⁾Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

^(j)I thank ^[c]my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus,

that in everything you were ^(k)enriched in Him, in all ^(l)speech and ^(m)all knowledge,

even as ⁽ⁿ⁾the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed ^[d]in you,

so that you are not lacking in any gift, ^(o)awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ,

^(p)who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in ^(q)the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

^(r)God is faithful, through whom you were ^(s)called into ^(t)fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Now ^(u)I exhort you, ^(v)brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all ^[e]agree and that there be no ^[f](w)divisions among you, but that you be ^[g]made complete in ^(x)the same mind and in the same judgment.

For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe's people, that there are quarrels among you.

Now I mean this, that ^(y)each one of you is saying, "I am of Paul," and "I of ^(z)Apollos," and "I of ^(aa)Cephas," and "I of Christ."

^[h]Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you ^(ab)baptized ^[i]in the name of Paul?

^[j]I thank God that I ^(ac)baptized none of you except ^(ad)Crispus and ^(ae)Gaius,

so that no one would say you were baptized ^[k]in my name.

Now I did baptize also the ^(af)household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any other.

^(ag)For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, ^(ah)not in ^[l]cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void.

For the word of the cross is ^(ai)foolishness to ^(aj)those who ^[m]are perishing, but to us who ^[n]are being saved it is ^(ak)the power of God.

For it is written, "^(al)I will destroy the wisdom of the wise , And the cleverness of the clever I will set aside ."

^(am)Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of ^(an)this age? Has not God ^(ao)made foolish the wisdom of ^(ap)the world?

For since in the wisdom of God ^(aq)the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, ^(ar)God was well-pleased through the ^(as)foolishness of the ^[o]message preached to ^(at)save those who believe.

For indeed ^(au)Jews ask for ^[p]signs and Greeks search for wisdom;

but we preach ^[q](av)Christ crucified, ^(aw)to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles ^(ax)foolishness,

but to those who are ^(ay)the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ ^(az)the power of God and ^(ba)the wisdom of God.

Because the ^(bb)foolishness of God is wiser than men, and ^(bc)the weakness of God is stronger than men.

For ^[r]consider your ^(bd)calling, brethren, that there were ^(be)not many wise according to ^[s]the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble;

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,

and the base 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,

so that ^(bl)no ^[t]man may boast before God.

But ^[u]by His doing you are in ^(bm)Christ Jesus, who became to us ^(bn)wisdom from God, ^[v]and ^(bo)righteousness and ^(bp)sanctification, and ^(bq)redemption,

so that, just as it is written, "^(br) Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord ."

And when I came to you, brethren, I ^(a)did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you ^(b)the ^[a]testimony of God.

For I determined to know nothing among you except ^(c)Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.

I was with you in ^(d)weakness and in ^(e)fear and in much trembling,

and my ^[b]message and my preaching were ^(f)not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of ^(g)the Spirit and of power,

so that your faith would not ^[c]rest on the wisdom of men, but on ^(h)the power of God.

Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are ⁽ⁱ⁾mature; a wisdom, however, not of ^(j)this age nor of the rulers of ^(k)this age, who are ^(l)passing away;

but we speak God's wisdom in a ^(m)mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ⁽ⁿ⁾predestined before the ^(o)ages to our glory;

the wisdom ^(p)which none of the rulers of ^(q)this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified ^(r)the Lord of glory;

but just as it is written, "^(s) Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard , And which have not entered the heart of man , All that God has prepared for those who love Him ."

^[d](t)For to us God revealed them ^(u)through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the ^(v)depths of God.

For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the ^(w)spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.

Now we ^(x)have received, not the spirit of ^(y)the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God,

which things we also speak, ^(z)not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, ^[e]combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.

But ^[f]a ^(aa)natural man ^(ab)does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are ^(ac)foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually ^[g]appraised.

But he who is ^(ad)spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one.

For ^(ae) who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him ? But ^(af)we have the mind of Christ.

And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to ^(a)spiritual men, but as to ^(b)men of flesh, as to ^(c)infants in Christ.

I gave you ^(d)milk to drink, not solid food; for you ^(e)were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able,

for you are still fleshly. For since there is ^(f)jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking ^[a](g)like mere men?

For when ^(h)one says, "I am of Paul," and another, "I am of Apollos," are you not mere ⁽ⁱ⁾men?

What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? ^(j)Servants through whom you believed, even ^(k)as the Lord gave opportunity to each one.

^(l)I planted, ^(m)Apollos watered, but ⁽ⁿ⁾God was causing the growth.

So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth.

Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will ^(o)receive his own ^[b]reward according to his own labor.

For we are God's ^(p)fellow workers; you are God's ^[c](q)field, God's ^(r)building.

According to ^(s)the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder ^(t)I laid a foundation, and ^(u)another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it.

For no man can lay a ^(v)foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, ^[d]precious stones, wood, hay, straw,

^(w)each man's work will become evident; for ^(x)the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test ^[e]the quality of each man's work.

If any man's work which he has built on it remains, he will ^(y)receive a reward.

If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet ^(z)so as through fire.

^(aa)Do you not know that ^(ab)you are a ^[f]temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

If any man destroys the ^[g]temple of God, God will destroy him, for the ^[h]temple of God is holy, and ^[i]that is what you are.

^(ac)Let no man deceive himself. ^(ad)If any man among you thinks that he is wise in ^(ae)this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise.

For ^(af)the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, "He is ^(ag) the one who catches the wise in their craftiness ";

and again, "^(ah) The Lord knows the reasonings of the wise, that they are useless ."

So then ^(ai)let no one boast in men. For ^(aj)all things belong to you,

^(ak)whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or ^(al)life or death or things present or things to come; all things belong to you,

and ^(am)you belong to Christ; and ^(an)Christ belongs to God.

Let a man regard us in this manner, as ^(a)servants of Christ and ^(b)stewards of ^(c)the mysteries of God.

In this case, moreover, it is required ^[a]of stewards that one be found trustworthy.

But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human ^[b]court; in fact, I do not even examine myself.

For I ^(d)am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this ^(e)acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord.

Therefore ^(f)do not go on ^[c]passing judgment before ^[d]the time, but wait ^(g)until the Lord comes who will both ^(h)bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men's hearts; and then each man's ⁽ⁱ⁾praise will come to him from God.

Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us you may learn not to exceed ^(j)what is written, so that no one of you will ^(k)become ^[e]arrogant ^(l)in behalf of one against the other.

For who regards you as superior? ^(m)What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?

You are ⁽ⁿ⁾already filled, you have already become rich, you have become kings without us; and indeed, I wish that you had become kings so that we also might reign with you.

For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men ^(o)condemned to death; because we ^(p)have become a spectacle to the world, ^[f]both to angels and to men.

We are ^(q)fools for Christ's sake, but ^(r)you are prudent in Christ; ^(s)we are weak, but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we are without honor.

To this present hour we are both ^(t)hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless;

and we toil, ^(u)working with our own hands; when we are ^(v)reviled, we bless; when we are ^(w)persecuted, we endure;

when we are slandered, we try to ^[g]conciliate; we have ^(x)become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now.