¹⁷ For Christ did not send me to baptize,^(A) but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom^(B) and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

Christ Crucified Is God’s Power and Wisdom

¹⁸ For the message of the cross is foolishness^(C) to those who are perishing,^(D) but to us who are being saved^(E) it is the power of God.^(F)

³ Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized^(A) into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴ We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death^(B) in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead^(C) through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.^(D)

⁵ For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.^{(E) 6} For we know that our old self^(F) was crucified with him^(G) so that the body ruled by sin^(H) might be done away with,^[a] that we should no longer be slaves to sin^(I)— ⁷ because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.^(J)

²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ^(A) and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.^(B) The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God,^(C) who loved me^(D) and gave himself for me.^(E)

²⁴ Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh^(A) with its passions and desires.^(B)

¹⁴ May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,^(A) through which^[a] the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.^(B)

²² You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off^(A) your old self,^(B) which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;^{(C) 23} to be made new in the attitude of your minds;^{(D) 24} and to put on^(E) the new self,^(F) created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.^(G)

¹¹ In him you were also circumcised^(A) with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh^[a](B) was put off when you were circumcised by^[b] Christ, ¹² having been buried with him in baptism,^(C) in which you were also raised with him^(D) through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.^(E)

¹³ When you were dead in your sins^(F) and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you^[c] alive^(G) with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,^{(H) 14} having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness,^(I) which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.^{(J) 15} And having disarmed the powers and authorities,^(K) he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them^(L) by the cross.^[d]

³ For you died,^(A) and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

⁹ Do not lie to each other,^(A) since you have taken off your old self^(B) with its practices ¹⁰ and have put on the new self,^(C) which is being renewed^(D) in knowledge in the image of its Creator.^(E)