Greetings from Paul and Sosthenes
(Acts 18:1–11;2 Corinthians 1:1–2)
1Paul, calledto be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenesour brother, to the church of God which is in Corinth,
2even to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus,and calledto be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,who is both theirLord and ours;
3grace and peacebe to you from God our Father, andfrom our Lord Jesus Christ.
Thanksgiving
(Philippians 1:3–11;Colossians 1:3–14)
4I always give thanks unto my God, on your account, for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus; that ye are enriched by Him with everygift,5in all utterance and knowledge;6(even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed among you;)7so that ye are deficient in no gift, expecting the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ:8who will also confirm you unto the end,that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ;9for God is faithful by whom ye were called into the communion of his son Jesus Christ our Lord.
Unity in the Church
(Ephesians 4:1–16)
10Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye would all say alike, andthat there may be no schisms among you, butthat ye be perfectly united in the same mind and in the same judgement.11For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by some of Chloe'sfamily, that there are contentions among you.12I mean, that each of you saith,as if of different parties, I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, I of Cephas, and I of Christ.13Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized into the name of Paul?14I thank God that I baptized none of you, except Crispus and Gaius:15so that no one can say I baptized in my own name.16I also baptized indeed the family of Stephanas:but I know not whether I baptized any other.17For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not in fine speech, least the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.
The Message of the Cross
18For the doctrine of the cross is to them, that perish, foolishness: but to us, who are saved, it is the power of God.
19For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent."
20Whereis the wise? whereis the scribe? where is the disputant of the age? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?21For, since in the wisdom of God the world byit's wisdom knew not God, it pleased God bywhat they called the folly of preaching to save those that believe.22And whereas the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks look for wisdom, we preach Christ crucified;23to the Jews indeed a stumbling-block, and to the Greeks foolishness; but to them that are called,24both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
25Because the foolishness of God,as they call it, is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
Wisdom from God
26For ye seeby your calling, brethren, that not many wisemen according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many nobleare called:27but God hath chosenthings that are foolishin the eye of the world to putit's wise men to confusion; and God hath chosen the weakthings of the world to confound the mighty;28andthings in the opinion of the world ignoble, and despicable, andaccounted as nothing, hath God chosen, to abolishthings that arein esteem among men;29that no flesh may glory in his presence.30But ye are of Him in Christ Jesus, who from God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:31that, as it is written, He that glorieth may glory in the Lord.
