Greetings from Paul and Sosthenes
(Acts 18:1–11; 2 Corinthians 1:1–2)

1PAUL, a called apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes a brother,

2to the church of God which is at Corinth, sanctified in Christ Jesus, to the called saints, with all those who invoke the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place, both their?s and our?s:

3grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving
(Philippians 1:3–11; Colossians 1:3–14)

4I give thanks to my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which hath been given you in Christ Jesus; 5that in every thing ye have been enriched by him, in all utterance, and all knowledge; 6thus the testimony of Jesus hath been confirmed among you: 7so that ye have not been deficient in any gift; waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ: 8who shall confirm you to the end blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9Faithful is God, by whom ye have been called into communion with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

Unity in the Church
(Ephesians 4:1–16)

10Now I conjure you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no schisms among you; but that ye be perfectly united together in the same mind and the same sentiment. 11For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by those of the family of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. 12Now this I observe, that one and another of you saith, I am indeed of Paul; but I of Apollos; but I of Cephas; but I am of Christ. 13Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptised into the name of Paul? 14I thank God that I baptised none of you, except Crispus and Gaius; 15that no man might say, I baptised into my own name. 16And I also baptised the household of Stephanus: besides these, I know not if I baptised any other person. 17For Christ sent me not to baptise, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of discourse, lest the cross of Christ should be slighted.

The Message of the Cross

18For the discourse, the subject of which is the cross, is indeed to those who perish, folly; but to us who are saved it is the power of God.

19For it is written, ?I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the understanding of the intelligent will I make useless.?

20Where is the sophist? where is the scribe? where is the inquisitive searcher after this world?s wisdom? hath not God turned into folly the wisdom of this world? 21for since in the wisdom of God the world by its wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. 22For the Jews demand a miracle, and the Greeks seek wisdom: 23but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews indeed an offence, and to the Greeks folly; 24but to those who are called, whether Jews or Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

25For this foolishness of God is wiser than men; and this weakness of God is stronger than men.

Wisdom from God

26For ye see your calling, brethren, that not many fleshly wise, not many men in power, not many men of high birth, are called: 27but the foolish things of this world hath God elected, that he might confound the wise; and the feeble things of the world hath God elected, that he might confound the mighty; 28and the ignoble things of the world, and the despicable, hath God elected, and the things that are not, to bring to nought the things which are, 29that no flesh should glory in his presence. 30But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who hath been made to us of God wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: 31that, as it is written, ?He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.?