(Acts 18:1–11; 2 Corinthians 1:1–2)
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Paul, a called apostle of Jesus Christ, through the will of God, and Sosthenes the brother,
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to the Assembly of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called holy ones, with all those calling on the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place—both theirs and ours:
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Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!
Thanksgiving
(Philippians 1:3–11; Colossians 1:3–14)
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I give thanks to my God always concerning you for the grace of God that was given to you in Christ Jesus,
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that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all discourse and all knowledge,
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according as the testimony of the Christ was confirmed in you,
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so that you are not behind in any gift, waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
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who also will confirm you to the end—unblamable in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ;
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faithful [is] God, through whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
Unity in the Church
(Psalm 133:1–3; Ephesians 4:1–16)
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And I call on you, brothers, through the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that the same thing you may all say, and there may not be divisions among you, and you may be perfected in the same mind, and in the same judgment,
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for it was signified to me concerning you, my brothers, by those of Chloe, that contentions are among you;
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and I say this, that each one of you says, “I, indeed, am of Paul,” and “I of Apollos,” and “I of Cephas,” and “I of Christ.”
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Has the Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you immersed into the name of Paul?
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I give thanks to God that I immersed no one of you, except Crispus and Gaius—
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that no one may say that to my own name I immersed;
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and I also immersed Stephanas’ household—further, I have not known if I immersed any other.
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For Christ did not send me to immerse, but to proclaim good news, not in wisdom of discourse, that the Cross of the Christ may not be made of no effect;
The Message of the Cross
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for the word of the Cross to those indeed perishing is foolishness, and to us—those being saved—it is the power of God,
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for it has been written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the intelligence of the intelligent I will bring to nothing”;
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where [is] the wise? Where the scribe? Where a disputer of this age? Did God not make foolish the wisdom of this world?
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For seeing in the wisdom of God the world through the wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the preaching to save those believing.
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Since also Jews ask a sign, and Greeks seek wisdom,
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also we preach Christ crucified, to Jews, indeed, a stumbling-block, and to Greeks foolishness,
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and to those called—both Jews and Greeks—Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God,
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because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men;
Wisdom from God
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for see your calling, brothers, that not many [are] wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble;
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but God chose the foolish things of the world that He may put the wise to shame; and God chose the weak things of the world that He may put the strong to shame;
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and God chose the base things of the world, and the things despised, and the things that are not, that He may make useless the things that are—
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that no flesh may glory before Him;
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but out of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us from God wisdom, righteousness also, and sanctification, and redemption,
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that, according as it has been written: “He who is glorying—let him glory in the LORD.”
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