Open English Translation 1COR Chapter 1

4 I always thank my God for you because of his grace that he’s given you in Messiah Yeshua—5 thanking him that through him, you’ve all been enriched in every way: in all speech and in all knowledge 6 as our testimony about the messiah[fn] was confirmed in you all 7 so that you all aren’t missing out on any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our master Yeshua Messiah to be revealed. 8 He will sustain you to the end, so that you all will be blameless at the return of our master Yeshua Messiah. 9 The God who called you into fellowship with his son Yeshua Messiah, our master, is faithful.

10 Now brothers and sisters, I appeal to you in the name of our master Yeshua Messiah, that you all agree together so that there’ll be no divisions among you, but rather that you’ll be united in your thinking and in your purpose, 11 because, my brothers and sisters, it’s been made clear to me by some from Chloe’s household, that you are quarrelling among yourselves. 12 What I am talking about is how many of you are claiming that you belong to Paul’s group, for example, or that you belong to Apollos’ group, or that you belong to Cephas’ group, or that you belong to Messiah’s group.[ref] 13 Has the messiah been divided? Was it Paul who was executed for you? Or were you immersed in water in the Paul’s name?

14 I thank God that I didn’t immerse any of you other than Crispus and Gaius,[ref] 15 so that no one can say that I had immersed you into my own name. 16 (Oh yes, I also immersed Stephanas and his household, but I don’t think I immersed anyone else.)[ref] 17 Because Messiah didn’t send me to immerse people in water, but to preach the good message—but not with words of wisdom just in case the messiah’s execution on the stake gets deprived of importance.

18 Because the account about the execution on a stake seems just stupid to non-believers, but on the contrary to us being saved, it’s God’s power, 19 because it was written:[ref]

‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,

and I will nullify the understanding of the intelligent.’

20 Where is the wise person? Where is the scholar? Where is the debater of this age? Hasn’t God turned the wisdom of the world into foolishness?[ref]

21 Because since the world, in God’s wisdom, didn’t know about God through their wisdom, God was pleased to save those who believe through the ‘foolish’ message that was preached. 22 Jews ask for miraculous signs and Greeks search for wisdom, 23 but we preach about how Messiah was executed—something the Jews can’t logic out, and which the Greeks see as total foolishness. 24 Yet to those who God calls, whether Jews or Greeks, Messiah is both God’s power and his wisdom, 25 because God’s foolishness is better than humankind’s wisdom, and God’s weakness is greater than humankind’s strength.

26 So brothers and sisters, think about how God called you. Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, and not many were of noble birth, 27 but God chose the foolish things of the world to shame those considered to be wise, and he chose the weak things of the world to shame those considered to be strong. 28 He chose the lowly and despised things of the world, and the things that are not, to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no human can boast to God. 30 But because of him, you are in Messiah Yeshua, who was made to become wisdom from God for us, and to become righteousness, and also sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as per the scriptures: ‘Let anyone who boasts, boast about the master.’[ref]