1 Corinthians (excerpts)
Chapter 1
17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel--not with clever words, so that the cross of Christ will not be emptied of its effect.
18 For to those who are perishing the message of the cross is foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is God's power.
19 For it is written: I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will set aside the understanding of the experts.
20 Where is the philosopher? Where is the scholar? Where is the debater of this age? Hasn't God made the world's wisdom foolish?
21 For since, in God's wisdom, the world did not know God through wisdom, God was pleased to save those who believe through the foolishness of the message preached.
22 For the Jews ask for signs and the Greeks seek wisdom,
23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles.
24 Yet to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is God's power and God's wisdom,
25 because God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength.
26 Brothers, consider your calling: not many are wise from a human perspective, not many powerful, not many of noble birth.
27 Instead, God has chosen the world's foolish things to shame the wise, and God has chosen the world's weak things to shame the strong.
28 God has chosen the world's insignificant and despised things--the things viewed as nothing--so He might bring to nothing the things that are viewed as something,
29 so that no one can boast in His presence.
30 But from Him you are in Christ Jesus, who for us became wisdom from God, as well as righteousness, sanctification, and redemption,
31 in order that, as it is written: The one who boasts must boast in the Lord.
Chapter 2:
1 When I came to you, brothers, announcing the testimony of God to you, I did not come with brilliance of speech or wisdom.
2 For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
3 And I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.
4 My speech and my proclamation were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and power,
5 so that your faith might not be based on men's wisdom but on God's power.
Chapter 4:
3 It is of little importance that I should be evaluated by you or by a human court. In fact, I don't even evaluate myself.
4 For I am not conscious of anything against myself, but I am not justified by this. The One who evaluates me is the Lord.
5 Therefore don't judge anything prematurely, before the Lord comes, who will both bring to light what is hidden in darkness and reveal the intentions of the hearts. And then praise will come to each one from God.
7 For who makes you so superior? What do you have that you didn't receive? If, in fact, you did receive it, why do you boast as if you hadn't received it?
8 Already you are full! Already you are rich! You have begun to reign as kings without us--and I wish you did reign, so that we also could reign with you!
9 For I think God has displayed us, the apostles, in last place, like men condemned to die: we have become a spectacle to the world and to angels and to men.
10 We are fools for Christ, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored! 11 Up to the present hour we are both hungry and thirsty; we are poorly clothed, roughly treated, homeless; 12 we labor, working with our own hands. When we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; 13 when we are slandered, we entreat. We are, even now, like the world's garbage, like the filth of all things.
