The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
New International Version NIV
15 otherwise someone might say that you were indeed immersed into my name.
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so no one can say that you were baptized in my name.
16 (Oh yes, I did also immerse Stephanas and his household; beyond that, I can't remember whether I immersed anyone else.)
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(Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.)
17 For the Messiah did not send me to immerse but to proclaim the Good News - and to do it without relying on "wisdom" that consists of mere rhetoric, so as not to rob the Messiah's execution-stake of its power.
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For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
18 For the message about the execution-stake is nonsense to those in the process of being destroyed, but to us in the process of being saved it is the power of God.
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For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
19 Indeed, the Tanakh says, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and frustrate the intelligence of the intelligent."
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For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”
20 Where does that leave the philosopher, the Torah-teacher, or any of today's thinkers? Hasn't God made this world's wisdom look pretty foolish?
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Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
21 For God's wisdom ordained that the world, using its own wisdom, would not come to know him. Therefore God decided to use the "nonsense" of what we proclaim as his means of saving those who come to trust in it.
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For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.
22 Precisely because Jews ask for signs and Greeks try to find wisdom,
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Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom,
23 we go on proclaiming a Messiah executed on a stake as a criminal! To Jews this is an obstacle, and to Greeks it is nonsense;
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but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,
24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, this same Messiah is God's power and God's wisdom!
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but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
25 For God's "nonsense" is wiser than humanity's "wisdom." And God's "weakness" is stronger than humanity's "strength."
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For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.