Greetings from Paul and Sosthenes (Acts 18:1–11; 2 Corinthians 1:1–2)
1 CPDV Paul, called as an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God; and Sosthenes, a brother: BSB BSB: Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,
2 CPDV to the Church of God which is at Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints with all who are invoking the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place of theirs and of ours. BSB BSB: To 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:
3 CPDV Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. BSB BSB: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thanksgiving (Philippians 1:3–11; Colossians 1:3–14)
4 CPDV I give thanks to my God continuously for you because of the grace of God that has been given to you in Christ Jesus. BSB BSB: I always thank my God for you because of the grace He has given you in Christ Jesus.
5 CPDV By that grace, in all things, you have become wealthy in him, in every word and in all knowledge. BSB BSB: For in Him you have been enriched in every way, in all speech and all knowledge,
6 CPDV And so, the testimony of Christ has been strengthened in you. BSB BSB: because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you.
7 CPDV In this way, nothing is lacking to you in any grace, as you await the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. BSB BSB: Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly await the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
8 CPDV And he, too, will strengthen you, even until the end, without guilt, until the day of the advent of our Lord Jesus Christ. BSB BSB: He will sustain you to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 CPDV God is faithful. Through him, you have been called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. BSB BSB: God, who has called you into fellowship with His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.
Unity in the Church (Psalm 133:1–3; Ephesians 4:1–16)
10 CPDV And so, I beg you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that every one of you speak in the same way, and that there be no schisms among you. So may you become perfect, with the same mind and with the same judgment. BSB BSB: I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree together, so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be united in mind and conviction. 11 CPDV For it has been indicated to me, about you, my brothers, by those who are with Chloes, that there are contentions among you. BSB BSB: My brothers, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you.
12 CPDV Now I say this because each of you is saying: “Certainly, I am of Paul;” “But I am of Apollo;” “Truly, I am of Cephas;” as well as: “I am of Christ.” BSB BSB: What I mean is this: Individuals among you are saying, “I follow Paul,” “I follow Apollos,” “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.”
13 CPDV Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? BSB BSB: Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?
14 CPDV I give thanks to God that I have baptized none of you, except Crispus and Gaius, BSB BSB: I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius,
15 CPDV lest anyone say that you have been baptized in my name. BSB BSB: so no one can say that you were baptized into my name.
16 CPDV And I also baptized the household of Stephanus. Other than these, I do not recall if I baptized any others. BSB BSB: Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that I do not remember if I baptized anyone else.
17 CPDV For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to evangelize: not through the wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ become empty. BSB BSB: For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with words of wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
The Message of the Cross 19 CPDV For it has been written: “I will perish the wisdom of the wise, and I will reject the discernment of the prudent.” BSB BSB: For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”
21 CPDV For the world did not know God through wisdom, and so, in the wisdom of God, it pleased God to accomplish the salvation of believers, through the foolishness of our preaching. BSB BSB: For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know Him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.
22 CPDV For the Jews ask for signs, and the Greeks seek wisdom. BSB BSB: Jews demand signs and Greeks search for wisdom,
24 CPDV But to those who have been called, Jews as well as Greeks, the Christ is the virtue of God and the wisdom of God. BSB BSB: but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
25 CPDV For what is foolishness to God is considered wise by men, and that which is weakness to God is considered strong by men. BSB BSB: For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.
Wisdom from God 26 CPDV So take care of your vocation, brothers. For not many are wise according to the flesh, not many are powerful, not many are noble. BSB BSB: Brothers, consider the time of your calling: Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were powerful; not many were of noble birth.
27 CPDV But God has chosen the foolish of the world, so that he may confound the wise. And God has chosen the weak of the world, so that he may confound the strong. BSB BSB: But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.
28 CPDV And God has chosen the ignoble and contemptible of the world, those who are nothing, so that he may reduce to nothing those who are something. BSB BSB: He chose the lowly and despised things of the world, and the things that are not, to nullify the things that are,
29 CPDV So then, nothing that is of the flesh should glory in his sight. BSB BSB: so that no one may boast in His presence.
30 CPDV But you are of him in Christ Jesus, who was made by God to be our wisdom and justice and sanctification and redemption. BSB BSB: It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God: our righteousness, holiness, and redemption.
31 CPDV And so, in the same way, it was written: “Whoever glories, should glory in the Lord.” BSB BSB: Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.