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

1Paul appointed by the divine will to be an apostle of Jesus Christ, and Sosthenes our brother,

2to the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who being sanctified by Christ Jesus, are saints by that vocation, to all that any where invoke the name of Jesus Christ, who is both their Lord and ours.

3grace and peace be with you from God our father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

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

4I continually give thanks to God on your behalf, for the favour he has bestowed on you thro' Jesus Christ; 5in your being enriched by him in every gift, with all that light and knowledge, 6whereby the testimony we gave concerning Christ was confirmed among you. 7so that you will be deficient in no gift; during your expectation of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: 8and God will confirm you to the end, that ye may be unaccused in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9for he, who has called you to the communication of his son Jesus Christ our Lord, will make good his promise.

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

10Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to maintain all the same doctrine, to suffer no divisions among you; but to be perfectly united in the same mind, and in the same judgment. 11for I have been inform'd, my brethren, by some of Chloe's family, that there are contentions among you. 12I mean that one or other of you cries out "I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas, 13and I of Christ." is the school of Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were you baptized into the name of Paul? 14I thank God, I baptized none of you, except Crispus and Gaius: 15lest any should say, I had baptized into mine own name. 16true, I baptized the family of Stephanas: but I don't know that I baptized any other besides. 17for Christ did not send me to baptize: but to preach the gospel: tho' not with the preaching of the wise, lest the cross of Christ should have been hinder'd in its efficacy.

The Message of the Cross

18For tho' the doctrine of the cross seems folly to those that perish: yet we that are to be saved, do feel its energy is divine.

19for it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent."

20where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputant of this age? has not God prov'd the wisdom of this world to be downright folly. 21for whereas the world, with all their learning, did not distinguish the characters of his divine wisdom, in his works, it pleased God to save those who believe, by preaching, which they counted folly. 22while the Jews require signs, and the Greeks seek wisdom: 23we preach Christ crucified, an obstacle to the Jews indeed, and to the Gentiles foolishness: but to those who believe, 24both Jews and Gentiles, he is the Christ, the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

25for this divine doctrine, as foolish and weak as men may think it, far surpasses all their wisdom, and baffles all their power.

Wisdom from God

26for consider, brethren, that not many worldly wise, not many men of power, not many men of birth are among you that are called. 27but God hath chosen those who are foolish in the opinion of the world, to confound the wise; and the weak men of the world to confound the mighty: 28those who were looked upon by the world as vile, as despicable, as nothing, these has God chosen to reduce their sufficiency to nothing. 29that no man might glory before God; 30for from him it is that ye believe in Christ Jesus, whom God has made to us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: that, 31according as it is written, "he that glorieth, should glory in the Lord."