1 Corinthians

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

1This letter is from Paul. God wanted Paul to be an apostle of Jesus Christ. An apostle is someone Jesus sent out to tell people about him. Sosthenes, a fellow believer, sends this letter too.

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:

2This letter is for God's church in the city of Corinth. God has set you apart to belong to Jesus Christ. He called you to be his own holy people. This letter is also for everyone everywhere who prays to Jesus Christ. He is their Lord, and he is ours too.

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

3We pray that God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ will be kind to you. We pray they will give you peace.

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

4I always thank my God for you. He has been very kind to you through Jesus Christ.

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

5Because you belong to Jesus, God has made you rich in every way. You have much to say, and you know much.

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

6What we told you about Christ was shown to be true in your lives.

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

7So you are not missing any gift that God gives. You are waiting for our Lord Jesus Christ to come again.

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

8He will keep you strong all the way to the end. Then no one will be able to blame you on the day our Lord Jesus Christ comes.

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

9God always keeps his promises. He called you to belong with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

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.

10Now I beg you, my brothers and sisters. I ask this in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Please all say the same thing. Do not split into groups that fight. Be joined together, thinking and deciding the same way.

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.

11Some people from Chloe's house told me about you. They said you are arguing with each other.

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.

12Here is what I mean. One of you says, "I follow Paul." Another says, "I follow Apollos." Another says, "I follow Cephas." Another says, "I follow Christ."

NoteCephas is another name for Peter, one of Jesus' followers. Apollos was another teacher who told people about Jesus.

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

13Has Christ been cut into pieces? Was Paul the one who died on the cross for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul? To be baptized is to be washed in water to show you belong to Jesus.

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

14I thank God that I did not baptize any of you. I only baptized Crispus and Gaius.

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

15So no one can say that you were baptized in my name.

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

16Oh, I also baptized the family of Stephanas. I cannot remember baptizing anyone else.

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.

17Christ did not send me to baptize people. He sent me to tell the good news about Jesus. I do not use fancy, clever words. That would hide the real power of Christ's cross.

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

18Some people are heading for ruin. To them, the message of the cross sounds silly. But to us who are being saved, it is God's power.

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

19The Bible says, "I will wipe out the wisdom of the wise. I will turn the plans of clever people into nothing."

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?

20So where is the wise person now? Where is the scribe, the expert who studies God's law? Where is the person who argues about big ideas today? God has shown that the world's wisdom is foolish.

NoteA scribe was a man who copied out God's law by hand and studied it carefully. People asked scribes what the law meant.

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.

21God is wise in the way he set things up. He made it so the world could not find him by its own wisdom. Instead, God was glad to save people who believe. He saved them through a message that others call foolish.

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

22Jewish people ask for a miracle to prove it is true. Greek people go looking for wisdom.

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

23But we tell about Christ, who died on a cross. That message makes Jewish people trip and turn away. It sounds foolish to people who are not Jewish.

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

24But God has called some people to himself, both Jews and Greeks. To them, Christ is God's power and God's wisdom.

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

25What looks foolish about God is wiser than any person. What looks weak about God is stronger than any person.

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

26Brothers and sisters, think about when God called you. Not many of you were smart by the world's measure. Not many of you had power. Not many of you came from important families.

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;

27God picked what the world calls foolish, to shame the wise. God picked what the world calls weak, to shame the strong.

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:

28God picked the lowly things and the things people look down on. He even picked things the world counts as nothing. He did this to bring to nothing the things people think matter.

29That no flesh should glory in his presence.

29God did this so no one can brag in front of him.

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

30God is the reason you belong to Christ Jesus. Christ has become God's wisdom for us. He makes us right with God. He makes us God's own people. He sets us free.

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

31So it is just like the Bible says. "Anyone who brags should brag about the Lord."

NoteIn the old wording, this verse says "let him glory in the Lord." Back then, "glory" meant to boast or brag.