Greetings from Paul

(2 Corinthians 1:1-2)

1Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,

2unto the church of God which is at Corinth, even them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be'saints, with all that call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place, their Lord and ours:

3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving

(Philippians 1:3-11; Colossians 1:3-14; 2 Thessalonians 1:3-4)

4I thank my God always concerning you, for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus; 5that in everything ye were enriched in him, in all utterance and all knowledge; 6even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: 7so that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ; 8who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye be unreproveable in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9God is faithful, through whom ye were called into the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

Unity in the Church

(Psalm 133:1-3; Ephesians 4:1-16)

10Now I beseech you, brethren, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfected together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11For it hath been signified unto me concerning you, my brethren, by them that are of the household of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. 12Now this I mean, that each one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos: and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. 13Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized into the name of Paul? 14I thank God that I baptized none of you, save Crispus and Gaius; 15lest any man should say that ye were baptized into my name. 16And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other. 17For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not in wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made void.

Christ the Wisdom and Power of God

18For the word of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us who are saved it is the power of God.

19For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And the discernment of the discerning will I bring to nought.

20Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21For seeing that in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom knew not God, it was God's good pleasure through the foolishness of the preaching to save them that believe. 22Seeing that Jews ask for signs, and Greeks seek after wisdom: 23but we preach Christ crucified, unto Jews a stumblingblock, and unto Gentiles foolishness; 24but unto them that are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

The Foolish to Shame the Wise

25Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

26For behold your calling, brethren, that not many wise after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called : 27but God chose the foolish things of the world, that he might put to shame them that are wise; and God chose the weak things of the world, that he might put to shame the things that are strong; 28and the base things of the world, and the things that are despised, did God choose, yea and the things that are not, that he might bring to nought the things that are: 29that no flesh should glory before God. 30But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who was made unto us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption: 31that, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.