³⁹ Jesus said,^[a] “For judgment^(A) I have come into this world,^(B) so that the blind will see^(C) and those who see will become blind.”^(D)

⁴⁰ Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?”^(E)

⁴¹ Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.^(F)

⁵³ Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh^(A) of the Son of Man^(B) and drink his blood,^(C) you have no life in you. ⁵⁴ Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.^{(D) 55} For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. ⁵⁶ Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them.^{(E) 57} Just as the living Father sent me^(F) and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. ⁵⁸ This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”^(G)

²⁴ What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?^{(A) 25} Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!^(B)

So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law,^(C) but in my sinful nature^[a] a slave to the law of sin.^(D)

Christ Crucified Is God’s Power and Wisdom

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

²⁰ Where is the wise person?^(F) Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age?^(G) Has not God made foolish^(H) the wisdom of the world? ²¹ For since in the wisdom of God the world^(I) through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save^(J) those who believe.^{(K) 22} Jews demand signs^(L) and Greeks look for wisdom, ²³ but we preach Christ crucified:^(M) a stumbling block^(N) to Jews and foolishness^(O) to Gentiles, ²⁴ but to those whom God has called,^(P) both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God^(Q) and the wisdom of God.^(R)

⁷ Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,^(A)

⁸ and,

They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.^(E)