1 Corinthians 1
1Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
and our brother Sosthenes,
2To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus
and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name
of our Lord Jesus Christ--their Lord and ours:
3Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus
Christ.
Thanksgiving
4I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ
Jesus. 5For in him you have been enriched in every way--in all your
speaking and in all your knowledge-- 6because our testimony about
Christ was confirmed in you. 7Therefore you do not lack any spiritual
gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. 8He
will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our
Lord Jesus Christ. 9God, who has called you into fellowship with his
Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.
Divisions in the Church
10I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among
you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. 11My
brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels
among you. 12What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow
Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow
Cephas "; still another,
"I follow Christ."
13Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized
into the name of Paul? 14I
am thankful that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15so
no one can say that you were baptized into my name. 16(Yes, I also
baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don't remember if I baptized
anyone else.) 17For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach
the gospel--not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied
of its power.