1Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes, (羅1:1; 林后1:1; 弗1:1; 西1:1; 提后1:1)2To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: (约17:19; 徒9:14; 羅1:7; 林前1:30; 林前6:11)3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (林前1:2)
Thanksgiving
4I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, (羅1:8)5that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— (羅15:14; 林前12:8; 林后6:10; 林后8:7; 林后9:11; 约一2:20)6even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— (帖后1:10; 提前2:6; 提后1:8; 启1:2)7so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, (路17:30; 羅8:19; 腓3:20; 來9:28; 彼后3:12)8who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. (路17:24; 林前5:5; 林后1:14; 腓1:6; 腓2:16; 西1:22; 帖前3:13)9God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. (申7:9; 赛49:7; 林前10:13; 林后1:18; 约一1:3)
Divisions in the Church
10I appeal to you, brothers,[1] by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. (林前11:18; 腓1:27)11For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. (林前3:3)12What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” (太23:9; 约1:42; 徒18:24; 林前3:4)13Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? (徒8:16; 林前12:5; 林后11:4; 弗4:5)14I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, (徒18:8; 羅16:23)15so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name.16(I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) (林前16:15; 林前16:17)17For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. (林前2:1; 林前2:4; 林前2:13; 林后10:10; 林后11:6; 彼后1:16)
Christ the Wisdom and Power of God
18For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (徒2:47; 羅1:16; 林前1:21; 林前1:23; 林前1:24; 林前1:25; 林前2:14; 林前15:2; 林后2:15; 林后4:3; 帖后2:10)19For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” (伯5:12; 赛29:14; 耶8:9; 太11:25)20Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? (赛19:12; 赛44:25; 羅1:22; 林前1:26; 林前2:6; 林前3:19)21For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach[2] to save those who believe.22For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, (太12:38)23but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, (加5:11; 彼前2:8)24but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. (路11:49; 林前1:18; 林前1:30; 西2:3)25For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.26For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards,[3] not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. (太11:25; 约7:48; 林前1:20; 林前2:8)27But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; (诗8:2; 雅2:5)28God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, (伯34:19; 伯34:24; 羅4:17; 林前2:6)29so that no human being[4] might boast in the presence of God. (士7:2; 弗2:9)30And because of him[5] you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, (耶23:5; 耶33:16; 羅3:24; 林前1:2; 林前1:24; 林后5:21; 弗1:7; 腓3:9; 西1:14)31so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” (耶9:23; 林后10:17)