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 his holy people, 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 my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge— 6God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. 7Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. 8He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
A Church Divided Over Leaders
10I appeal to you, brothers and sisters,1:10 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in verses 11 and 26; and in 2:1; 3:1; 4:6; 6:8; 7:24, 29; 10:1; 11:33; 12:1; 14:6, 20, 26, 39; 15:1, 6, 50, 58; 16:15, 20. in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. 11My brothers and sisters, 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 Cephas1:12 That is, Peter”; still another, “I follow Christ.”
13Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15so no one can say that you were baptized in 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 wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
Christ Crucified Is God’s Power and Wisdom
18For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19For it is written:
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”1:19 Isaiah 29:14
20Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21For 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. 22Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
26Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29so that no one may boast before him. 30It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”1:31 Jer. 9:24
Nkyia
1Saa krataa yi fi me, Paulo a ɛnam Onyankopɔn pɛ so nti, wɔafrɛ me sɛ menyɛ Kristo Yesu somafo no ne onua Sostene nkyɛn,
2Yɛde rekɔma Onyankopɔn asafo a ɛwɔ Korinto no ne wɔn a wɔafrɛ wɔn se wɔmmɛyɛ Onyankopɔn akyidifo kronkron no, ne wɔn a wɔwɔ baabiara a wɔbɔ yɛn Awurade Yesu Kristo din sɛ ɔyɛ wɔn ne yɛn Awurade no:
3Ɔdom ne asomdwoe a efi yɛn Agya Onyankopɔn ne yɛn Awurade Yesu Kristo nka mo.
Aseda
4Esiane adom a Onyankopɔn nam Kristo Yesu so dom mo no nti, daa meda Onyankopɔn ase ma mo. 5Ɛnam ne so ama moayɛ ma biribiara mu, ɔkasa ne adwene mu. 6Kristo ho asɛm atim wɔ mo mu. 7Esiane sɛ moretwɛn ama wɔada yɛn Awurade Yesu Kristo adi no nti munya nhyira biara bi. 8Ɔbɛhyɛ mo den akosi awiei sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a, da a Awurade Yesu Kristo bɛba no, wɔrennya mo ho mfomso biara. 9Onyankopɔn a wafrɛ mo aba ne Ba Yesu Kristo ayɔnkofa mu no yɛ ɔnokwafo.
Asafo No Mpaapaemu
10Anuanom, menam Awurade Yesu Kristo tumi so tu mo fo se asɛm biara a mobɛka no, monyɛ adwene na mo mu ampaapae. Munso adwene ne botae baako mu na ama moayɛ baako. 11Anuanom, nnipa bi a wofi Kloe fi apae mu aka akyerɛ me se, akasakasa wɔ mo asafo yi mu. 12Asɛm a mepɛ sɛ meka ne sɛ, wɔn mu biara ka asɛm a ɔpɛ. Oyi ka se, “Mewɔ Paulo afa” a, ɔfoforo se, “Mewɔ Apolo afa.” Obi sɔre na ose, “Mewɔ Petro afa” a, ɔbaako nso se, “Mewɔ Kristo afa.”
13Wɔakyekyɛ Kristo mu akuwakuw? Paulo na owui wɔ asennua no so maa mo ana? Wɔbɔɔ mo asu wɔ Paulo din mu ana? 14Meda Onyankopɔn ase sɛ mammɔ mo mu biara asu ka Krispo ne Gaio ho. 15Obiara rentumi nka se wɔbɔɔ mo asu sɛ mʼasuafo. 16Mekae sɛ mebɔɔ Stefana ne ne fifo asu. Na menkae sɛ mebɔɔ obi foforo asu bio. 17Kristo ansoma me se memmɛbɔ asu, na mmom ɔsomaa me se memmɛka asɛmpa a emfi nnipa nyansa mu, na obi annyina so amma Kristo wu a owui wɔ asennua no so no mu tumi anyɛ ɔkwa.
Kristo A Ɔyɛ Onyankopɔn Tumi
18Asɛnka a ɛkyerɛ Kristo asennuambɔ no yɛ nsɛm a aba nni mu ma wɔn a wɔreyera. Nanso yɛn a wɔregye yɛn nkwa no de, ɛyɛ Onyankopɔn tumi. 19Kyerɛwsɛm no ka se,
“Mɛsɛe anyansafo nyansa,
na mɛma nimdefo adenim ayɛ ɔkwa.”
20Enti onyansafo wɔ he? Onimdefo nso wɔ he? Wiase yi mu akyinnyegyefo wɔ he? Onyankopɔn akyerɛ sɛ wiase yi mu nyansa yɛ ohunu 21Enti Onyankopɔn nam ɔno ara ne nyansa so yɛɛ sɛ nnipa a wɔpɛ sɛ wɔfa wɔn ara wɔn nyansa so hu no no renhu no da. Na mmom Onyankopɔn yɛɛ nʼadwene sɛ wɔn a wogye asɛm a “aba nni mu” a yɛka no di no, obegye wɔn nkwa. 22Yudafo hwehwɛ sɛ wohu nsɛnkyerɛnne, na Helafo nso hwehwɛ nyansa. 23Nanso yɛn de, yɛka Kristo wu a owui wɔ asennua no so no ho asɛm. Saa asɛm no yɛ Yudafo abufuw na ɛyɛ asɛm a aba nni mu ma amanamanmufo; 24nanso Yudafo ne amanamanmufo a Onyankopɔn afrɛ wɔn no, Kristo yɛ Onyankopɔn tumi ne Onyankopɔn nyansa. 25Onyankopɔn asɛm a ɛyɛ sɛ aba nni mu no, aba wɔ mu sen nnipa nyansa, na saa ara nso na nea ɛyɛ sɛ ɛyɛ mmerɛw wɔ Onyankopɔn fam no yɛ den sen nnipa ahoɔden.
26Afei anuanom, monkae bere a Onyankopɔn frɛɛ mo no tebea a na mowɔ mu. Nnipa fam de, na mo mu bebree nyɛ anyansafo, na mo mu bebree nni tumi, na mo mu bebree nyɛ adehye nso. 27Nanso Onyankopɔn faa wiase yi mu nsɛm a aba nni mu no, nam so guu anyansafo anim ase. Onyankopɔn faa nneɛma a ɛyɛ mmerɛw wɔ wiase, nam so de guu ahoɔden anim ase. 28Ɔfaa nea wiase mmu na wɔmfa nyɛ hwee no de sɛee nea wiase susuw sɛ ɛho hia no. 29Eyi kyerɛ sɛ obi ntumi nhoahoa ne ho wɔ Onyankopɔn anim. 30Nanso Onyankopɔn aka mo abata Kristo Yesu ho na Onyankopɔn nam Kristo so ama yɛn nyansa; ɛnam ne so ma yɛateɛ wɔ Onyankopɔn anim. Yɛyɛ Onyankopɔn ahotefo a wama yɛade yɛn ho. 31Enti sɛnea Kyerɛwsɛm no ka no, “Obiara a ɔpɛ sɛ ɔhoahoa ne ho no, ɔnhoahoa ne ho wɔ nea Awurade ayɛ mu.”
