New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,
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Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the purpose of God, and Sosthenes the brother,
2 To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:
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To the church of God which is in Corinth, to those who have been made holy in Christ Jesus, saints by the selection of God, with all those who in every place give honour to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus,
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I give praise to my God for you at all times, because of the grace of God which has been given to you in Christ Jesus;
5 for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind—
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So that in him you have wealth in all things, in word and in knowledge of every sort;
6 just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you—
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Even as the witness of the Christ has been made certain among you:
7 so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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So that having every grace you are living in the hope of the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ;
8 He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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Who will give you strength to the end, to be free from all sin in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
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God is true, through whom you have been given a part with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
10 Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose.
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Now I make request to you, my brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you will all say the same thing, and that there may be no divisions among you, so that you may be in complete agreement, in the same mind and in the same opinion.
11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there are quarrels among you, my brothers and sisters.
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Because it has come to my knowledge, through those of the house of Chloe, that there are divisions among you, my brothers.
12 What I mean is that 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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That is, that some of you say, I am of Paul; some say, I am of Apollos; some say, I am of Cephas; and some say, I am Christ's.
13 Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
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Is there a division in Christ? was Paul nailed to the cross for you? or were you given baptism in the name of Paul?
14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius,
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I give praise to God that not one of you had baptism from me, but Crispus and Gaius;
15 so that no one can say that you were baptized in my name.
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So that no one may be able to say that you had baptism in my name.
16 (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.)
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And I gave baptism to the house of Stephanas; but I am not certain that any others had baptism from me.
17 For Christ did not send me to baptize but to proclaim the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its power.
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For Christ sent me, not to give baptism, but to be a preacher of the good news: not with wise words, for fear that the cross of Christ might be made of no value.
18 For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
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For the word of the cross seems foolish to those who are on the way to destruction; but to us who are on the way to salvation it is the power of God.
19 For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart."
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As it says in the holy Writings, I will put an end to the wisdom of the wise, and will put on one side the designs of those who have knowledge.
20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
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Where is the wise? where is he who has knowledge of the law? where is the man of this world who has a love of discussion? has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe.
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For because, by the purpose of God, the world, with all its wisdom, had not the knowledge of God, it was God's pleasure, by so foolish a thing as preaching, to give salvation to those who had faith in him.
22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom,
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Seeing that the Jews make request for signs, and the Greeks are looking for knowledge:
23 but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,
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But we give the good news of Christ on the cross, a hard thing to the Jews, and a foolish thing to the Gentiles;
24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
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But to those of God's selection, Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power and the wisdom of God.
25 For God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength.
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Because what seems foolish in God is wiser than men; and what seems feeble in God is stronger than men.
26 Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.
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For you see God's design for you, my brothers, that he has not taken a great number of the wise after the flesh, not the strong, not the noble:
27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;
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But God made selection of the foolish things of this world so that he might put the wise to shame; and the feeble things that he might put to shame the strong;
28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are,
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And the low things of the world, and the things without honour, did God make selection of, yes, even the things which are not, so that he might make as nothing the things which are:
29 so that no one might boast in the presence of God.
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So that no flesh might have glory before God.
30 He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption,
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But God has given you a place in Christ Jesus, through whom God has given us wisdom and righteousness and salvation, and made us holy:
31 in order that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."
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So that, as it is said in the holy Writings, Whoever has a desire for glory, let his glory be in the Lord.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.