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From Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from Sosthenes, our brother,

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to the church of God in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be saints, together with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.

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Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

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I always give thanks to my God for you because of the grace of God that was given to you in Christ Jesus.

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For in him you have been enriched in every way: in all speech and all knowledge,

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just as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you.

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So that you are not lacking in any gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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God, who called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.

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But I urge you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.

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For it has been reported to me about you, my brothers and sisters, by those from Chloe’s household, that there are quarrels among you.

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What I mean is this: each of you says, “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,” or “I belong to Cephas,” or “I belong to Christ.”

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Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?

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I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius,

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so that no one can say that you were baptized in my name.

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I also baptized the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.

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For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel; and not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

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For the message of the cross is indeed foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

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For it is written:

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will bring to nothing.”

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Where is the wise person? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made the wisdom of this world foolish?

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For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through its wisdom, it pleased God to save those who believe through the foolishness of the proclamation of the gospel.

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For Jews demand signs, and Greeks seek wisdom,

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but we proclaim Christ crucified: to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Gentiles foolishness,

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but to those who are called, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.

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For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

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Just consider, brothers, your calling: not many were wise according to human standards, not many were influential, not many were of noble birth.

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But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God chose what is weak in the world to shame what is strong,

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and God chose what is low and despised in the world, even what is nothing, to bring to nothing what is something,

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so that no human being might boast before God.

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But because of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God. He is our righteousness and sanctification and redemption.

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Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

📖 1 Corinthians 1 – Unity in Christ, Not in Human Beings

🧾 Summary of Contents

1 Corinthians 1 is the introduction to Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth. Paul greets them with love, expresses his thanks for God’s gifts in their lives, then immediately rebukes the divisions among them. He reminds them that the gospel is not for self-exaltation, and that God’s wisdom is different from the wisdom of the world.

✨ Explanation by Section

1. Greeting and Thanksgiving (verses 1–9)

“You have been enriched in every way… so that you are not lacking in any gift.” (verses 5–7)

• Paul greets the church and states that they have been called to be holy in Christ.
• He gives thanks because they have received spiritual gifts.

💡 Lesson: Every believer is equipped by God to live in Christ and await His coming.

2. Rebuke for Division in the Church (verses 10–17)

“Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you?” (verse 13)

• The Corinthian church was divided: some claimed to follow Paul, Apollos, Cephas, or Christ.
• Paul affirms that only Christ was crucified, and baptism is not a tool for creating factions.

💡 Lesson: The church is not about human leaders, but about Christ as the only Head.

3. God’s Wisdom and the Cross (verses 18–31)

“For the message of the cross is indeed foolishness to those who are perishing…” (verse 18)

• To the world, the cross is foolishness, but to believers, it is the power of God.
• God chose what is weak, lowly, and foolish in the world to shame the strong.
• No one can boast — it is all because of God’s grace.

💡 Lesson: God’s wisdom surpasses worldly logic. We are saved not because of intelligence, but because of His love.

📘 Main Teaching of 1 Corinthians 1

1. The church must be united in Christ, not divided by figures or pastors.
2. The gospel of the cross is the power of God even though the world considers it foolish.
3. God calls ordinary people to fulfill His will, so that no one may boast.
4. All grace and gifts come from God, not from human merit.

✨ Spiritual Meaning of 1 Corinthians 1

This chapter challenges us to:

• Set aside spiritual pride and return to the centrality of Christ.
• Realize that the unity of the body of Christ is far more important than loyalty to any particular figure.
• Value the work of the cross as the center of faith, not rhetoric or human cleverness.