2 And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom^(A) as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.^{[a] 2} For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.^{(B) 3} I came to you^(C) in weakness^(D) with great fear and trembling.^(E)

²⁴ Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.^{(A) 25} For whoever wants to save their life^[a] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.^{(B) 26} What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? ²⁷ For the Son of Man^(C) is going to come^(D) in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.^(E)

²⁸ “Come to me,^(A) all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.^{(B) 29} Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,^(C) for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.^{(D) 30} For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”^(E)

⁷ But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss^(A) for the sake of Christ. ⁸ What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing^(B) Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ^{(C) 9} and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law,^(D) but that which is through faith in^[a] Christ—the righteousness^(E) that comes from God on the basis of faith.^{(F) 10} I want to know^(G) Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings,^(H) becoming like him in his death,^{(I) 11} and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection^(J) from the dead.