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¹ PAUL, called and sent by Jesus Messiah in the good pleasure of God; and Sosthenes, a brother;³ 3 Grace [fn] with you, and peace; from God our Father, and from our Lord Jesus Messiah. ⁴ I thank my God at all times on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given to you in Jesus Messiah;⁵ that in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all discourse, and in all knowledge;⁶ even as the testimony of Messiah was confirmed among you:⁷ so that ye are not inferior in any one of his gifts; but are waiting for the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Messiah:⁸ who will confirm you unto the end, so that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Messiah.⁹ God is faithful; by whom ye have been called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Messiah, our Lord.

¹⁰ And I beseech you, my Brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Messiah, that to you all there may be one language; and that there may be no divisions among you: but that ye may become perfectly of one mind, and of one way of thinking.¹¹ For concerning you, my Brethren, it hath been reported to me by the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.¹² And this I state: That one of you saith, I am of Paul; and another saith, I am of Apollos; and another saith, I am of Cephas; and another saith, I am of Messiah.¹³ Now was Messiah divided? Or was Paul crucified for you? Or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?

¹⁴ I thank my God that I baptized none of you, except Crispus and Gaius;¹⁵ lest any one should say, that I baptized in my own name.¹⁶ I moreover baptized the household of Stephanas: but further, I know not that I baptized any other.

¹⁷ For Messiah did not send me to baptize, but to preach; not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Messiah should be inefficient.¹⁸ For a discourse concerning the cross is, to them who perish, foolishness; but to us who live, it is the energy of God.¹⁹ For it is written: I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; and I will dissipate the intelligence of the sagacious.²⁰ Where is the wise? Or where is the scribe? Or where is the disputant of this world? Lo, hath not God showed, that the wisdom of this world is folly?²¹ For in the wisdom of God, because the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God, by the foolishness of preaching, to quicken them who believe.²² Because the Jews ask for signs, and the Gentiles demand wisdom.²³ 23 But we preach Messiah as crucified; [fn] a stumbling-block to the Jews, and foolishness to the Gentiles; ²⁴ but to them who are called, both Jews and Gentiles, Messiah is the energy of God, and the wisdom of God.²⁵ Because the foolishness of God, is wiser than men; and the feebleness of God, is stronger than men.²⁶ For look also at your calling, my Brethren; that not many among you are wise, according to the flesh; and not many among you are mighty, and not many among you are of high birth.²⁷ But God hath chosen the foolish ones of the world, to shame the wise; and he hath chosen the feeble ones of the world, to shame the mighty;²⁸ and he hath chosen those of humble birth in the world, and the despised, and them who are nothing, to bring to naught them who are something:²⁹ so that no flesh might, glory before him.³⁰ And ye, moreover, are of him in Jesus Messiah; who hath become to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption:³¹ according to that which is written: He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.