New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
1 Corinthians 1
1
I, Paul, am writing this letter. I have been chosen to be an apostle of Christ Jesus just as God planned. Our brother Sosthenes joins me in writing.
Reference
Parallel theme
Acts 18:17
Acts 22:21
Ephesians 4:11
References Christ
1 Timothy 2:7
References Jesus
Romans 1:1
Ephesians 1:1
2 Corinthians 1:1
Colossians 1:1
1 Timothy 1:1
Galatians 1:1
2
We are sending this letter to you, the members of God's church in Corinth. You have been made holy because you belong to Christ Jesus. God has chosen you to be his holy people. He has done the same for all those everywhere who pray to our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is their Lord and ours.
Reference
Holy
Romans 1:7
Acts 26:18
1 Thessalonians 4:7
Parallel theme
Acts 9:14
References Jesus
1 Corinthians 1:30
2 Corinthians 4:5
4
I always thank God for you. I thank him because of the grace he has given to you who belong to Christ Jesus.
Reference
Grace
1 Timothy 1:14
Acts 11:23
1 Corinthians 1:3
Parallel theme
John 14:26
John 15:26
John 14:16
John 10:30
References God
Romans 6:17
References Jesus
Romans 1:8
5
You have been blessed in every way because of him. All your teaching of the truth is better. Your understanding of it is more complete.
Reference
6
Our witness about Christ has been proved to be true in you.
Reference
Parallel theme
1 Timothy 2:6
2 Corinthians 12:12
References Christ
Romans 15:19
Witness
2 Timothy 1:8
Revelation 1:2
Revelation 12:17
Revelation 19:10
Acts 20:24
7
There is no gift of the Holy Spirit that you don't have. You are full of hope as you wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to come again.
Reference
Parallel theme
2 Peter 3:12
Luke 17:30
Romans 8:19
1 John 3:2
References Christ
Hebrews 9:28
1 Peter 4:13
References Jesus
Philippians 3:20
Titus 2:13
Jude 1:21
8
God will keep you strong to the very end. Then you will be without blame on the day our Lord Jesus Christ returns.
Reference
Parallel theme
Colossians 1:22
Ephesians 5:27
2 Peter 3:14
References Christ
Philippians 1:10
References Jesus
1 Thessalonians 3:13
Philippians 1:6
Romans 16:25
1 Peter 5:10
References Lord
2 Thessalonians 3:3
Psalm 37:28
9
God is faithful. He has chosen you to share life with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Reference
Faith
2 Thessalonians 3:3
Deuteronomy 7:9
Hebrews 10:23
1 Corinthians 10:13
Isaiah 49:7
Revelation 19:11
References God
Deuteronomy 32:4
Romans 8:28
References Jesus
1 John 1:3
References Lord
Psalm 100:5
10
Brothers and sisters, I ask all of you to agree with one another. I make my appeal in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Then you won't take sides. You will be in complete agreement in all that you think.
Reference
Parallel theme
1 Corinthians 12:25
Romans 12:16
2 Corinthians 13:11
Psalm 133:1
1 Corinthians 11:18
1 Corinthians 4:16
Romans 16:17
Acts 4:32
References Christ
Philippians 1:27
2 Corinthians 5:20
11
My brothers and sisters, some people who live in Chloe's house have told me you are arguing with each other.
Reference
People
12
Here is what I mean. One of you says, "I follow Paul." Another says, "I follow Apollos." Another says, "I follow Peter." And still another says, "I follow Christ."
Reference
Parallel theme
John 1:42
1 Corinthians 4:6
1 Corinthians 7:29
1 Corinthians 9:5
1 Corinthians 15:5
1 Corinthians 15:50
1 Corinthians 16:12
2 Corinthians 9:6
Galatians 2:9
References Christ
Galatians 3:17
13
Does Christ take sides? Did Paul die on the cross for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul?
Reference
Baptism
Ephesians 4:5
Acts 2:38
Acts 10:48
Acts 19:5
1 Corinthians 10:2
Parallel theme
2 Corinthians 11:4
Matthew 28:19
References Christ
Galatians 1:7
15
No one can say that you were baptized in my name.
16
It's true that I also baptized those who live in the house of Stephanas. Besides that, I don't remember if I baptized anyone else.
Reference
People
17
Christ did not send me to baptize. He sent me to preach the good news. He commanded me not to use the kind of wisdom that people commonly use. That would take all the power away from the cross of Christ.
Reference
Baptism
John 4:2
Acts 10:48
Creation
2 Peter 1:16
2 Corinthians 11:6
Parallel theme
1 Corinthians 2:1
2 Corinthians 10:10
Word
1 Corinthians 2:13
2 Corinthians 4:2
18
The message of the cross seems foolish to those who are lost and dying. But it is God's power to us who are being saved.
Reference
Parallel theme
2 Corinthians 4:3
1 Thessalonians 1:5
Acts 13:41
References God
1 Corinthians 2:14
1 Corinthians 3:19
Hebrews 4:12
Salvation
Romans 1:16
2 Thessalonians 2:10
1 Corinthians 1:21
1 Corinthians 2:2
19
It is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of those who are wise. I will do away with the cleverness of those who think they are so smart." --(Isaiah 29:14)
Reference
20
Where is the wise person? Where is the educated person? Where are the great thinkers of this world? Hasn't God made the wisdom of the world foolish?
Reference
Parallel theme
Romans 1:22
Job 12:17
1 Corinthians 1:19
Isaiah 33:18
Isaiah 44:25
Job 12:24
References God
1 Corinthians 3:19
21
God wisely planned that the world would not know him through its own wisdom. It pleased God to use the foolish things we preach to save those who believe.
Reference
Parallel theme
Luke 10:21
Matthew 11:25
References God
Ephesians 3:10
1 Corinthians 1:24
Daniel 2:20
Romans 1:28
Romans 11:33
23
But we preach about Christ and his death on the cross. That is very hard for Jews to accept. And everyone else thinks it's foolish.
Reference
Cross
1 Corinthians 2:2
Galatians 5:11
1 Corinthians 1:18
Galatians 6:14
Parallel theme
1 Corinthians 2:14
1 Peter 2:8
Luke 2:34
Matthew 11:6
Matthew 13:57
References Christ
Ephesians 3:8
24
But there are those God has chosen, both Jews and others. To them Christ is God's power and God's wisdom.
Reference
Parallel theme
Colossians 2:3
Romans 9:24
Luke 7:35
References Christ
1 Corinthians 1:30
Romans 1:16
1 Corinthians 1:9
1 Corinthians 1:2
References God
1 Corinthians 1:18
Romans 1:4
Luke 11:49
25
The foolish things of God are wiser than human wisdom. The weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
Reference
26
Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when God chose you. Not many of you were considered wise by human standards. Not many of you were powerful. Not many of you belonged to important families.
Reference
27
But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise. He chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.
Reference
Parallel theme
Matthew 11:25
Psalm 8:2
Isaiah 29:14
Luke 21:15
Matthew 21:16
2 Corinthians 10:10
Zephaniah 3:12
References God
James 2:5
1 Corinthians 1:20
2 Corinthians 4:7
28
God chose the things of this world that are common and looked down on. He chose what is not considered to be important to do away with what is considered to be important.
Reference
30
Because of what God has done, you belong to Christ Jesus. He has become God's wisdom for us. He makes us right with God. He makes us holy and sets us free.
Reference
Creation
Ephesians 2:10
Parallel theme
Proverbs 2:6
Redemption
Ephesians 1:7
Colossians 1:14
References Jesus
Romans 8:1
1 Corinthians 1:2
John 14:6
Righteousness
Philippians 3:9
1 Corinthians 6:11
Jeremiah 33:16
Summary of 1 Corinthians 1
1 Corinthians 1 addresses a church that has received God's grace and many spiritual gifts but has become divided by pride, loyalty to different teachers, and an unhealthy desire for human wisdom, so Paul reminds the Corinthians that their identity must be centered on Christ rather than on the reputation, speaking ability, education, or personality of any Christian leader.
Paul explains that the cross of Christ overturns normal human ideas about wisdom and power, because what the world considers foolish and weak becomes the very means through which God reveals His saving power, leaving no room for people to boast about their intelligence, social position, wealth, or religious achievements.
The chapter therefore calls the Corinthians away from competition, pride, and human status and back toward the simple truth that Christ alone is their foundation, because God deliberately chooses people and methods that the world may consider unimpressive so that salvation will clearly be recognized as His work rather than a human achievement.
Historical Context
Paul wrote 1 Corinthians around AD 53–55, most likely while he was staying in Ephesus during his third missionary journey, several years after he had established the church in Corinth.
Corinth was an important city in the Roman province of Achaia, located on the narrow land bridge connecting northern and southern Greece, which gave it major importance for trade, travel, business, and communication.
The city had a diverse population that included Roman citizens, Greeks, Jews, freed people, slaves, merchants, craftsmen, sailors, and travelers, creating a Christian community with very different cultural and social backgrounds.
Paul had established the church in Corinth around AD 50–51, and after leaving the city he remained connected with the believers through letters and fellow workers.
One of the major problems was that Christians had begun forming groups around different leaders, with some saying they followed Paul, others Apollos, others Cephas, and others claiming a special connection to Christ.
Apollos was known as a strong teacher and speaker, while Cephas was the Aramaic name for Peter, one of the leading apostles, and Paul himself had founded the Corinthian church, so each name could easily become associated with a particular group.
The problem was not that these Christian leaders were necessarily teaching different Gospels, but that the Corinthians were turning their teachers into symbols of personal status and group loyalty.
This behavior fit the culture of Corinth because the wider Greek and Roman world placed great value on public speaking, education, philosophy, social connections, reputation, wealth, and honor.
A person who could speak impressively in public could gain followers and social respect, while educated philosophers and teachers often competed for students and recognition.
Paul deliberately challenges this way of thinking by placing the cross of Christ at the center of his message.
Crucifixion was one of the most shameful forms of execution in the Roman world, and it was normally connected with slaves, criminals, rebels, and people considered threats to Roman authority.
For Christians to proclaim that a crucified man was God's Messiah and Lord would therefore sound strange and even foolish to many people in the surrounding culture.
Paul's argument is that this apparent weakness is actually God's power, because salvation does not depend on the things that normally make people impressive in the eyes of society.
The Corinthian believers themselves provide evidence for Paul's point, because many of them were apparently not members of the highest levels of Roman society.
Paul reminds them that they were not generally chosen because they were powerful, wealthy, highly educated, or socially important, but because God called them through Christ.
This teaching directly attacks the ancient world's strong concern with status and honor, while also warning Christians against bringing those same values into the church.
The central message of 1 Corinthians 1 is that Christ must be at the center of the church, because Christian identity cannot be built around human leaders, personal status, intelligence, wealth, or public reputation.
Paul strongly challenges division because Christians belong to one Lord, and no human teacher should become more important than the Christ who died for them.
The chapter also teaches that God's wisdom often looks very different from human wisdom, because the cross appeared weak and shameful to the ancient world but became the central demonstration of God's saving power.
Paul therefore warns Christians not to measure themselves by the standards of society, because God often chooses people and methods that the world considers weak or unimportant in order to show that salvation comes from Him rather than from human achievement.
The final lesson is that Christians have no reason to boast about themselves, because Christ is their wisdom, righteousness, holiness, and redemption, and therefore the proper focus of Christian pride is not what people have accomplished but what God has accomplished through Jesus Christ.
Paul explains that the cross of Christ overturns normal human ideas about wisdom and power, because what the world considers foolish and weak becomes the very means through which God reveals His saving power, leaving no room for people to boast about their intelligence, social position, wealth, or religious achievements.
The chapter therefore calls the Corinthians away from competition, pride, and human status and back toward the simple truth that Christ alone is their foundation, because God deliberately chooses people and methods that the world may consider unimpressive so that salvation will clearly be recognized as His work rather than a human achievement.
Historical Context
Paul wrote 1 Corinthians around AD 53–55, most likely while he was staying in Ephesus during his third missionary journey, several years after he had established the church in Corinth.
Corinth was an important city in the Roman province of Achaia, located on the narrow land bridge connecting northern and southern Greece, which gave it major importance for trade, travel, business, and communication.
The city had a diverse population that included Roman citizens, Greeks, Jews, freed people, slaves, merchants, craftsmen, sailors, and travelers, creating a Christian community with very different cultural and social backgrounds.
Paul had established the church in Corinth around AD 50–51, and after leaving the city he remained connected with the believers through letters and fellow workers.
One of the major problems was that Christians had begun forming groups around different leaders, with some saying they followed Paul, others Apollos, others Cephas, and others claiming a special connection to Christ.
Apollos was known as a strong teacher and speaker, while Cephas was the Aramaic name for Peter, one of the leading apostles, and Paul himself had founded the Corinthian church, so each name could easily become associated with a particular group.
The problem was not that these Christian leaders were necessarily teaching different Gospels, but that the Corinthians were turning their teachers into symbols of personal status and group loyalty.
This behavior fit the culture of Corinth because the wider Greek and Roman world placed great value on public speaking, education, philosophy, social connections, reputation, wealth, and honor.
A person who could speak impressively in public could gain followers and social respect, while educated philosophers and teachers often competed for students and recognition.
Paul deliberately challenges this way of thinking by placing the cross of Christ at the center of his message.
Crucifixion was one of the most shameful forms of execution in the Roman world, and it was normally connected with slaves, criminals, rebels, and people considered threats to Roman authority.
For Christians to proclaim that a crucified man was God's Messiah and Lord would therefore sound strange and even foolish to many people in the surrounding culture.
Paul's argument is that this apparent weakness is actually God's power, because salvation does not depend on the things that normally make people impressive in the eyes of society.
The Corinthian believers themselves provide evidence for Paul's point, because many of them were apparently not members of the highest levels of Roman society.
Paul reminds them that they were not generally chosen because they were powerful, wealthy, highly educated, or socially important, but because God called them through Christ.
This teaching directly attacks the ancient world's strong concern with status and honor, while also warning Christians against bringing those same values into the church.
The central message of 1 Corinthians 1 is that Christ must be at the center of the church, because Christian identity cannot be built around human leaders, personal status, intelligence, wealth, or public reputation.
Paul strongly challenges division because Christians belong to one Lord, and no human teacher should become more important than the Christ who died for them.
The chapter also teaches that God's wisdom often looks very different from human wisdom, because the cross appeared weak and shameful to the ancient world but became the central demonstration of God's saving power.
Paul therefore warns Christians not to measure themselves by the standards of society, because God often chooses people and methods that the world considers weak or unimportant in order to show that salvation comes from Him rather than from human achievement.
The final lesson is that Christians have no reason to boast about themselves, because Christ is their wisdom, righteousness, holiness, and redemption, and therefore the proper focus of Christian pride is not what people have accomplished but what God has accomplished through Jesus Christ.