Nov 30 - 1 Corinthians 1-4
1 Corinthians
1Paul, called as an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God; and Sosthenes, a brother2to the Church of God which is at Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints with all who are invoking the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place of theirs and of ours3Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ4I give thanks to my God continuously for you because of the grace of God that has been given to you in Christ Jesus5By that grace, in all things, you have become wealthy in him, in every word and in all knowledge6And so, the testimony of Christ has been strengthened in you7In this way, nothing is lacking to you in any grace, as you await the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ8And he, too, will strengthen you, even until the end, without guilt, until the day of the advent of our Lord Jesus Christ9God is faithful. Through him, you have been called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord10And so, I beg you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that every one of you speak in the same way, and that there be no schisms among you. So may you become perfect, with the same mind and with the same judgment11For it has been indicated to me, about you, my brothers, by those who are with Chloes, that there are contentions among you12Now I say this because each of you is saying: "Certainly, I am of Paul;" "But I am of Apollo;" "Truly, I am of Cephas;" as well as: "I am of Christ.13Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul14I give thanks to God that I have baptized none of you, except Crispus and Gaius15lest anyone say that you have been baptized in my name16And I also baptized the household of Stephanus. Other than these, I do not recall if I baptized any others17For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to evangelize: not through the wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ become empty18For the Word of the Cross is certainly foolishness to those who are perishing. But to those who have been saved, that is, to us, it is the power of God19For it has been written: "I will perish the wisdom of the wise, and I will reject the discernment of the prudent.20Where are the wise? Where are the scribes? Where are the truth-seekers of this age? Has not God made the wisdom of this world into foolishness21For the world did not know God through wisdom, and so, in the wisdom of God, it pleased God to accomplish the salvation of believers, through the foolishness of our preaching22For the Jews ask for signs, and the Greeks seek wisdom23But we are preaching Christ crucified. Certainly, to the Jews, this is a scandal, and to the Gentiles, this is foolishness24But to those who have been called, Jews as well as Greeks, the Christ is the virtue of God and the wisdom of God25For what is foolishness to God is considered wise by men, and that which is weakness to God is considered strong by men26So take care of your vocation, brothers. For not many are wise according to the flesh, not many are powerful, not many are noble27But God has chosen the foolish of the world, so that he may confound the wise. And God has chosen the weak of the world, so that he may confound the strong28And God has chosen the ignoble and contemptible of the world, those who are nothing, so that he may reduce to nothing those who are something29So then, nothing that is of the flesh should glory in his sight30But you are of him in Christ Jesus, who was made by God to be our wisdom and justice and sanctification and redemption31And so, in the same way, it was written: "Whoever glories, should glory in the Lord.
1And so, brothers, when I came to you, announcing to you the testimony of Christ, I did not bring exalted words or lofty wisdom2For I did not judge myself to know anything among you, except Jesus Christ, and him crucified3And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and with much trembling4And my words and preaching were not the persuasive words of human wisdom, but were a manifestation of the Spirit and of virtue5so that your faith would not be based on the wisdom of men, but on the virtue of God6Now, we do speak wisdom among the perfect, yet truly, this is not the wisdom of this age, nor that of the leaders of this age, which shall be reduced to nothing7Instead, we speak of the wisdom of God in a mystery which has been hidden, which God predestined before this age for our glory8something that none of the leaders of this world have known. For if they had known it, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory9But this is just as it has been written: "The eye has not seen, and the ear has not heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man, what things God has prepared for those who love him.10But God has revealed these things to us through his Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God11And who can know the things that are of a man, except the spirit which is within that man? So also, no one knows the things which are of God, except the Spirit of God12But we have not received the spirit of this world, but the Spirit who is of God, so that we may understand the things that have been given to us by God13And we are also speaking of these things, not in the learned words of human wisdom, but in the doctrine of the Spirit, bringing spiritual things together with spiritual things14But the animal nature of man does not perceive these things that are of the Spirit of God. For it is foolishness to him, and he is not able to understand it, because it must be examined spiritually15But the spiritual nature of man judges all things, and he himself may be judged by no man16For who has known the mind of the Lord, so that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ
1And so, brothers, I was not able to speak to you as if to those who are spiritual, but rather as if to those who are carnal. For you are like infants in Christ2I gave you milk to drink, not solid food. For you were not yet able. And indeed, even now, you are not able; for you are still carnal3And since there is still envy and contention among you, are you not carnal, and are you not walking according to man4For if one says, "Certainly, I am of Paul," while another says, "I am of Apollo," are you not men? But what is Apollo, and what is Paul5We are only the ministers of him in whom you have believed, just as the Lord has granted to each of you6I planted, Apollo watered, but God provided the growth7And so, neither he who plants, nor he who waters, is anything, but only God, who provides the growth8Now he who plants, and he who waters, are one. But each shall receive his proper reward, according to his labors9For we are God’s assistants. You are God’s cultivation; you are God’s construction10According to the grace of God, which has been given to me, I have laid the foundation like a wise architect. But another builds upon it. So then, let each one be careful how he builds upon it11For no one is able to lay any other foundation, in place of that which has been laid, which is Christ Jesus12But if anyone builds upon this foundation, whether gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or stubble13each one’s work shall be made manifest. For the day of the Lord shall declare it, because it will be revealed by fire. And this fire will test each one’s work, as to what kind it is14If anyone’s work, which he has built upon it, remains, then he will receive a reward15If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer its loss, but he himself will still be saved, but only as through fire16Do you not know that you are the Temple of God, and that the Spirit of God lives within you17But if anyone violates the Temple of God, God will destroy him. For the Temple of God is holy, and you are that Temple18Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become foolish, so that he may be truly wise19For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. And so it has been written: "I will catch the wise in their own astuteness.20And again: "The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.21And so, let no one glory in men22For all is yours: whether Paul, or Apollo, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or the present, or the future. Yes, all is yours23But you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s
1Accordingly, let man consider us to be ministers of Christ and attendants of the mysteries of God2Here and now, it is required of attendants that each one be found to be faithful3But as for me, it is such a small thing to be judged by you, or by the age of mankind. And neither do I judge myself4For I have nothing on my conscience. But I am not justified by this. For the Lord is the One who judges me5And so, do not choose to judge before the time, until the Lord returns. He will illuminate the hidden things of the darkness, and he will make manifest the decisions of hearts. And then each one shall have praise from God6And so, brothers, I have presented these things in myself and in Apollo, for your sakes, so that you may learn, through us, that no one should be inflated against one person and for another, not beyond what has been written7For what distinguishes you from another? And what do you have that you have not received? But if you have received it, why do you glory, as if you had not received it8So, now you have been filled, and now you have been made wealthy, as if to reign without us? But I wish that you would reign, so that we, too, might reign with you9For I think that God has presented us as the last Apostles, as those destined for death. For we have been made into a spectacle for the world, and for Angels, and for men10So we are fools because of Christ, but you are discerning in Christ? We are weak, but you are strong? You are noble, but we are ignoble11Even to this very hour, we hunger and thirst, and we are naked and repeatedly beaten, and we are unsteady12And we labor, working with our own hands. We are slandered, and so we bless. We suffer and endure persecution13We are cursed, and so we pray. We have become like the refuse of this world, like the reside of everything, even until now14I am not writing these things in order to confound you, but in order to admonish you, as my dearest sons15For you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, but not so many fathers. For in Christ Jesus, through the Gospel, I have begotten you16Therefore, I beg you, be imitators of me, just as I am of Christ17For this reason, I have sent you Timothy, who is my dearest son, and who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my ways, which are in Christ Jesus, just as I teach everywhere, in every church18Certain persons have become inflated in thinking that I would not return to you19But I will return to you soon, if the Lord is willing. And I will consider, not the words of those who are inflated, but the virtue20For the kingdom of God is not in words, but in virtue21What would you prefer? Should I return to you with a rod, or with charity and a spirit of meekness