1 1Greetings from Paul. I was chosen to be an apostlea of Christ Jesus. God chose me because that is what he wanted. Greetings also from Sosthenes, our brother in Christ.2To God's churchb in Corinth, you who have been made holyc because you belong to Christ Jesus. You were chosen to be God's holy peopled together with all people everywhere who trust in the Lorde Jesus Christ - their Lord and ours. 3Gracef and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 11My brothers and sisters, some members of Chloe's family told me that there are arguments among you. 12This is what I mean: One of you says, "I follow Paul," and someone else says, "I follow Apollos." Another says, "I follow Peterg," and someone else says, "I follow Christ." 13Christ cannot be divided into different groups. It wasn't Paul who died on the cross for you, was it? Were you baptizedh in Paul's name? 14I am thankful that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius. 15I am thankful because now no one can say that you were baptized in my name. 16(I also baptized the family of Stephanas, but I don't remember that I myself baptized any others.) 17Christ did not give me the work of baptizing people. He gave me the work of telling the Good Newsi. But he sent me to tell the Good Newsi without using clever speech, which would take away the power that is in the crossj of Christ.
22The Jews ask for miraculous signso, and the Greeksp want wisdom. 23But this is the message we tell everyone: Christ was killed on a cross. This message is a problem for Jews, and to other people it is nonsense. 24But Christ is God's power and wisdom to the people God has chosen, both Jews and Greeks. 25Even the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom. Even the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. 26Brothers and sisters, God chose you to be his. Think about that! Not many of you were wise in the way the world judges wisdom. Not many of you had great influence, and not many of you came from important families. 27But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise. He chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28And God chose what the world thinks is not important - what the world hates and thinks is nothing. He chose these to destroy what the world thinks is important. 29God did this so that no one can stand before him and boast about anything. 30It is God who has made you part of Christ Jesus. And Christ has become for us wisdom from God. He is the reason we are right with God and pure enough to be in his presence. Christ is the one who set us free from sin. 31So, as the Scriptures say, "Whoever boasts should boast only about the Lord."q aapostle A follower of Jesus chosen to represent him in a special way. During his earthly ministry, Jesus named twelve men as apostles. They had the specific responsibility and authority to represent him and proclaim his message throughout the world. Later, he appeared to Paul and gave him a similar commission, especially to non-Jewish people. Barnabas, Paul’s missionary companion, and James, the brother of Jesus, are also called apostles, as well as several others in the New Testament. Some of these occurrences of the word, however, have the more general sense of “messenger” or “representative.” bchurch Literally, “assembly” or “community,” the people who have been brought together as God’s family through their common faith in Jesus Christ. The word often refers to a group of believers who meet together or who live in the same area, but it is also used to mean the worldwide community of all believers in Christ. choly When referring to people or things, holy means set apart or chosen for a special use; especially, belonging to God or used only for him. It can also mean pure or perfect, worthy of God and fit for his service. When God is called holy, in addition to the idea of pure and perfect, it often means he is completely separate or different from and above everything else that exists. In the New Testament God’s people are holy because they have been made perfect and pure through Christ and, with the help of the Holy Spirit, keep themselves away from sin and live only for God. dholy people Literally, “saints” or “holy ones,” a term used in the New Testament to describe followers of Jesus Christ as God’s special people. They are holy because they have been made pure through Christ and belong only to God. See “holy.” e1:2 who trust in the Lord Literally, “who call on the name of the Lord,” meaning to show faith in him by worshiping or praying to him for help. fgrace The love and kindness that God shows in his complete willingness to give people favors he does not owe them and blessings they don’t deserve. gPeter Where this is marked, the Greek text has “Cephas,” the Aramaic name for Peter, one of Jesus’ twelve apostles. Both names mean “rock.” hbaptize To perform the act of baptism. See “baptism.” iGood News In the Gospels this is usually the news about the coming of God’s kingdom (see above) or its representative Jesus the Messiah. In other places it is, more specifically, the news or message of God’s grace - that he has made a way through Jesus Christ for people to be made right with him and enjoy his blessings now and forever. j1:17 cross Paul uses the cross as a picture of the Good News, the story of Christ’s death to pay for people’s sins. The cross (Christ’s death) was God’s way to save people. kScripture Part of the Scriptures or “Holy Writings” - the Old Testament. lIsaiah 29:14 mphilosopher A person who spends much time studying, thinking, talking, or writing about different ideas and trying to gain wisdom. nmessage See “Good News.” omiraculous sign An amazing act that demonstrates the power of God. pGreek A non-Jewish person anywhere throughout the first century world who was influenced by Greek language and culture. q1:31 Quote from Jer. 9:24. |