²³ And he came and dwelt in a city called ^(A)Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled ^(B)which was spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”

The Chosen Stone and His Chosen People^(A)

⁴ Coming to Him as to a living stone, ^(B)rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, ⁵ you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶ Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture,

⁷ Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who ^[a]are disobedient,

⁸ and

^(F)They stumble, being disobedient to the word, ^(G)to which they also were appointed.

⁹ But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of ^(H)darkness into His marvelous light; ^10 (I)who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

Present Condition of Israel

³⁰ What shall we say then? ^(A)That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, ^(B)even the righteousness of faith; ³¹ but Israel, ^(C)pursuing the law of righteousness, ^(D)has not attained to the law ^[a]of righteousness. ³² Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, ^[b]by the works of the law. For ^(E)they stumbled at that stumbling stone. ³³ As it is written:

Christ the Power and Wisdom of God^(A)

¹⁸ For the ^[a]message of the cross is ^(B)foolishness to ^(C)those who are perishing, but to us ^(D)who are being saved it is the ^(E)power of God. ¹⁹ For it is written:

^20 (G)Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the ^[b]disputer of this age? ^(H)Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? ²¹ For since, in the ^(I)wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. ²² For ^(J)Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; ²³ but we preach Christ crucified, ^(K)to the Jews a ^[c]stumbling block and to the ^[d]Greeks ^(L)foolishness, ²⁴ but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ ^(M)the power of God and ^(N)the wisdom of God.