1 Corinthians 1

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, greets the Corinthian church, giving thanks for their spiritual enrichment and calling. He immediately addresses severe divisions within the congregation, where members align themselves with different leaders like Paul, Apollos, or Cephas, urging them to unity in Christ. Paul then contrasts worldly wisdom with the divine 'foolishness' of preaching Christ crucified, which is the true power and wisdom of God unto salvation.

Paul, called by God to be an apostle, opens his letter to the church at Corinth by giving thanks for the grace bestowed upon them, enriching them in all utterance and knowledge, and confirming the testimony of Christ among them. He assures them of God's faithfulness in calling them to fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ. However, Paul swiftly moves to address reports of contentions and divisions, pleading with them to be perfectly joined together in the same mind and judgment, rather than forming factions around human leaders. He emphasizes that Christ is not divided and that believers are baptized into Christ, not into any man. Paul clarifies that his mission is to preach the gospel, not with eloquent words, lest the power of the cross be diminished. He declares that the message of Christ crucified is foolishness to those who perish but the power and wisdom of God to those who are saved, demonstrating how God confounds worldly wisdom through seemingly weak means.

Paul, an apostle by God's will, and Sosthenes, address the church of God in Corinth, those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be saints. He extends grace and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, then offers continuous thanksgiving for the divine grace given to the Corinthians. He notes their enrichment in all utterance and knowledge, confirming the testimony of Christ within them, so they lack no spiritual gift while awaiting Christ's return. Paul affirms God's faithfulness in calling them into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ. Immediately, Paul earnestly beseeches them by the Lord Jesus Christ to speak the same thing and have no divisions, but rather to be perfectly united in mind and judgment, having heard from Chloe's household about their contentions. He identifies the factions, where some claim allegiance to Paul, others to Apollos, Cephas, or even Christ, challenging their logic by asking if Christ is divided or if Paul was crucified for them. Paul expresses gratitude for having baptized few of them, lest anyone claim he baptized in his own name, reiterating that his primary mission was to preach the gospel, not to baptize, and certainly not with persuasive human wisdom that would nullify the cross's power. He explains that the preaching of the cross is perceived as foolishness by the perishing but as the power of God by the saved. Paul cites scripture, stating God will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and questions the relevance of worldly wisdom. He asserts that since the world, by its own wisdom, failed to know God, it pleased God to save believers through the 'foolishness' of preaching. While Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, Paul preaches Christ crucified—a stumblingblock to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles—but to the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power and wisdom of God. He concludes that God's 'foolishness' is wiser than men, and His 'weakness' stronger, for God has chosen the foolish, weak, base, and despised things of the world to confound the wise and mighty, ensuring no human can boast in His presence. Thus, believers are in Christ Jesus, who is made unto them wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, so that all glory belongs to the Lord.