Those who desire to make a good showing in the flesh try to compel you to be circumcised, simply so that they will not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.

To

‘Behold, you scoffers, and marvel, and

perish;

For I am accomplishing a work in your days,
A work which you will never believe, though someone should describe it to you.’”

For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing;

And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,

and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.

Foolishness

For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.

But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, “He is the one who catches the wise in their craftiness”;

And also some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him. Some were saying, “What would this idle babbler wish to say?” Others, “He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities,”—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection.

Unto

but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.

The Lord will stretch forth Your strong scepter from Zion, saying,
“Rule in the midst of Your enemies.”

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.

for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.