This letter is from Saul (Paul), who, by the
Will of Elohei, was called as an apostle of Yeshua Ha'Mashiach, and also from
Sosthenes, a brother. It is written to the Church of Elohei at Corinth. That is,
it is to you who have been made holy through Yeshua Ha’Mashiach, and who have
thus been called to be Saints, and it is meant for everyone anywhere who calls
on the Name of Adonai Yeshua Ha’Mashiach, Who is their Lord as well as ours.
Grace and peace be to you from Elohim our Father and Adonai Yeshua Ha’Mashiach!
I always thank Elohim on your account because
of His grace to you in Yeshua Ha’Mashiach. You have been enriched in everything
through Him, in fullness of knowledge and power of expression. This shows that
my witness of Mashiach among you has been confirmed in your lives. And so now
you are not lacking any spiritual gift while you wait for the return of Adonai
Yeshua Ha’Mashiach. He will see to it that you will be able to hold out to the
end, and be blameless on the Day of Adonai Yeshua Ha’Mashiach. Yes, Elohim, Who
has called you into fellowship with His Son, Yeshua Ha’Mashiach, our Lord, is
faithful.
Brethren, I beg of you to come to an
understanding on every issue, and that you do not split up into factions. You
should then have complete agreement, having the same purpose and the same
judgement. But it has been reported to me, my brethren, by members of Chloe’s
household, that there is much quarreling among you. And each one belongs to a
faction, and says, “I am for Saul”; or “I am for Apollos”; or “I am for Cephas”;
or “I am for Mashiach”. Was Mashiach divided? Was Saul crucified for you? Or
were you baptized in Saul’s name?
I am thankful to Elohei that I did not
baptize any one of you except Crispus and Gaius, so no one can say that you
were baptized in my name. I did baptize also the members of Stephana’s family,
but beyond that I cannot recall that I baptized anyone else among you. The reason
is that Mashiach did not send me to baptize, but to preach the Gospel; and to
do so without a show of learning and oratory, else the cross of Mashiach might
be robbed of its meaning and power.
Those on the way to destruction regard the
story of the cross as pure nonsense, whereas those of us who are on the way to
salvation regard it as the power of Elohei.
For Scripture says, “I will destroy the
wisdom of the wise and reject the learning of the learned.” Where is your scholar?
Where is your scribe, learned in the Law? Where is your man today who can
dispute and debate? Has not Elohei shown that the wisdom of this world is utter
folly? How so? The world by all its learning never came to know Elohei, but
Elohim in His wisdom was pleased to save by the “foolishness of preaching” all
those who believe.
We know that the Jews demand signs, and the
Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Mashiach crucified, which is a stumbling
block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles (Greeks). But to those who
have been called, both Jew and Greek alike, Mashiach is the power and wisdom of
Elohei. So Elohim’s “foolishness” is wiser than man’s wisdom, and Elohim’s “weakness”
is stronger than man’s strength.
Now consider, brethren, how it was when Adonai
Yeshua called you. Not many of you were wise in a worldly sense. Not many of you
wielded power. Not many of you were of noble birth. Indeed not, for Elohim
chose rather what the world considers foolish so that he might put the wise to
shame. And Elohim chose what the world considers weak, so as to put the strong
to shame. And Elohim chose people of humble birth and despised of men, even things
that were not, so as to bring nothing things that are. Therefore, no human
being can boast of anything in Elohim’s presence.
You are now His Children through Mashiach
Yeshua. Elohim made Him to be our wisdom and our justification – our sanctification,
and our salvation. Therefore, as Scripture says, “If a man would boast, let him
boast in Adonai Yeshua Ha’Mashiach.”
