Part 39 (1/2)

(24)The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. (25)Now to him who is able to establish you, according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept in silence during eternal ages (26)but now made manifest, and through the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal G.o.d, made known to all nations for obedience to the faith, (27)to G.o.d only wise, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen.

THE FIRST LETTER OF PAUL TO THE CORINTHIANS.

I.

PAUL, a called apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of G.o.d, and Sosthenes the brother, (2)to the church of G.o.d which is at Corinth, those 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: (3)Grace to you, and peace, from G.o.d our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

(4)I thank my G.o.d always on your behalf, for the grace of G.o.d which was given you in Christ Jesus; (5)that in everything ye were made rich in him, in all utterance and all knowledge; (6)according as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you; (7)so that ye are behind in no gift, waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ; (8)who will also confirm you unto the end, unaccused in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. (9)G.o.d is faithful, by whom ye were called into the fellows.h.i.+p of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

(10)But 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 made complete in the same mind, and in the same judgment. (11)For it was made known to me concerning you, my brethren; by those of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.

(12)And I mean this, that each of you says, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. (13)Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were ye immersed in the name of Paul? (14)I thank G.o.d that I immersed none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; (15)that no one may say that I immersed in my own name. (16)And I immersed also the household of Stephanas; besides, I know not whether I immersed any other.

(17)For Christ did not send me to immerse, but to preach the glad tidings; not with wisdom of speech, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect. (18)For the preaching of the cross is to those who perish, foolishness; but to us who are saved, it is the power of G.o.d.

(19)For it is written:

I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And will bring to nothing the prudence of the prudent.

(20)Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Did not G.o.d make foolish the wisdom of the world? (21)For since, in the wisdom of G.o.d, the world through its wisdom knew not G.o.d, G.o.d was pleased through the foolishness of preaching to save those who believe; (22)since Jews require signs, and Greeks seek after wisdom, (23)but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling-block, and to Gentiles foolishness, (24)but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of G.o.d, and the wisdom of G.o.d.

(25)Because the foolishness of G.o.d is wiser than men; and the weakness of G.o.d is stronger than men.

(26)For see your calling, brethren, that not many are wise after the flesh, not many mighty, not many n.o.ble; (27)but G.o.d chose the foolish things of the world, that he might put to shame the wise; and G.o.d chose the weak things of the world, that he might put to shame the things which are strong; (28)and the base things of the world, and the things which are despised, did G.o.d choose, and the things which are not, that he might bring to naught things that are; (29)that no flesh should glory before G.o.d. (30)But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who from G.o.d was made wisdom to us, both righteousness and sanctification, and redemption; (31)that, according as it is written: He that glories, let him glory in the Lord.

II.

I ALSO, when I came to you, brethren, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring to you the testimony of G.o.d. (2)For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. (3)And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. (4)And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of man's wisdom, but with demonstration of the Spirit and of power; (5)that your faith might not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of G.o.d.

(6)But we speak wisdom among those who are perfect; but a wisdom not of this world, nor of the rulers of this world, who come to naught.

(7)But we speak G.o.d's wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which G.o.d predestined before the worlds unto our glory; (8)which no one of the rulers of this world has known; for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; (9)but (as it is written) things which eye saw not, nor ear heard, and which entered not into the heart of man, which G.o.d prepared for those who love him; (10)but to us G.o.d revealed them by his Spirit, for the Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of G.o.d. (11)For who among men knows the things of a man, save the spirit of the man, which is in him? So also the things of G.o.d no one knows, but the Spirit of G.o.d. (12)And we received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of G.o.d; that we might know the things that were freely given to us by G.o.d. (13)Which things also we speak, not in words taught by man's wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit; comparing spiritual things with spiritual[2:13].

(14)But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of G.o.d, for they are foolishness to him; and he can not know them, because they are spiritually judged. (15)But he that is spiritual judges all things; but he himself is judged by no one. (16)For who knew the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

III.

I ALSO, brethren, was not able to speak to you as spiritual, but as carnal, as babes in Christ. (2)I fed you with milk, and not with meat; for ye were not yet able to bear it; nay, nor even now are ye able.

(3)For ye are yet carnal; for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and do ye not walk as men?

(4)For when one says, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? (5)Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to each one? (6)I planted, Apollos watered; but G.o.d gave the increase. (7)So then neither is he that plants anything, nor he that waters; but G.o.d that gives the increase. (8)And he that plants and he that waters are one; and each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.

(9)For we are G.o.d's fellow-laborers; ye are G.o.d's field, G.o.d's building. (10)According to the grace of G.o.d which was given to me, as a wise master-builder I laid a foundation, and another builds thereon.

But let each one take heed how he builds thereon. (11)For other foundation can no one lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. (12)And if any one builds on this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; (13)the work of each one will be made manifest; for the day will show it, because it is revealed in fire, and the fire itself will prove of what sort is each one's work.

(14)If any one's work which he built thereon remains, he will receive reward. (15)If any one's work shall be burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved; yet so as through fire.