Inspire: 1 Corinthians through 2 Thessalonians - Flipbook - Page 8
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church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose. 11 For some
members of Chloe’s household have told me about your quarrels, my dear
brothers and sisters. 12 Some of you are saying, “I am a follower of Paul.” Others
are saying, “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Peter,” or “I follow only Christ.”
13 Has Christ been divided into factions? Was I, Paul, crucified for you?
Were any of you baptized in the name of Paul? Of course not! 14 I thank God
that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 for now no one
can say they were baptized in my name. 16 (Oh yes, I also baptized the house
hold of Stephanas, but I don’t remember baptizing anyone else.) 17 For Christ
didn’t send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News—and not with clever
speech, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power.
The Wisdom of God
18 The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction!
But we who are
being saved
know it is the very
power of God.
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As the Scriptures say,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise
and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.”
So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s
brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish.
21 Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him
through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who
believe. 22 It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is fool
ish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom. 23 So when we preach that Christ
was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense.
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But to those called by
God to salvation,
both Jews and Gentiles,
Christ is the power of God
and the wisdom of God.
This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s
weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.
26 Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the
world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. 27 Instead, God
chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think
they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who
are powerful. 28 God chose things despised by the world, things counted as
nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers
important. 29 As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.
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