The Return to Nazareth

¹⁹ After Herod died, an angel^(A) of the Lord appeared in a dream^(B) to Joseph in Egypt ²⁰ and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.”^(C)

²¹ So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. ²² But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream,^(D) he withdrew to the district of Galilee,^{(E) 23} and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth.^(F) So was fulfilled^(G) what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene.^(H)

Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael

⁴³ The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip,^(A) he said to him, “Follow me.”^(B)

⁴⁴ Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida.^{(C) 45} Philip found Nathanael^(D) and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law,^(E) and about whom the prophets also wrote^(F)—Jesus of Nazareth,^(G) the son of Joseph.”^(H)

⁴⁶ “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?”^(I) Nathanael asked.

“Come and see,” said Philip.

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) 25} For the foolishness^(S) of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness^(T) of God is stronger than human strength.

²⁶ Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called.^(U) Not many of you were wise^(V) by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. ²⁷ But God chose^(W) the foolish^(X) things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. ²⁸ God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not^(Y)—to nullify the things that are, ²⁹ so that no one may boast before him.^{(Z) 30} It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus,^(AA) who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness,^(AB) holiness^(AC) and redemption.^{(AD) 31} Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”^[b](AE)