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1 Corinthians 1:17-18
New King James Version
1 Corinthians 1:17-18
New King James Version
17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, (A)not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.
Christ the Power and Wisdom of God(B)
18 For the [a]message of the cross is (C)foolishness to (D)those who are perishing, but to us (E)who are being saved it is the (F)power of God.
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- 1 Corinthians 1:18 Lit. word
1 Corinthians 1:17-18
New American Standard Bible
1 Corinthians 1:17-18
New American Standard Bible
17 (A)For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, (B)not with [a]cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made of no effect.
The Wisdom of God
18 For the word of the cross is (C)foolishness to (D)those who [b]are perishing, but to us who [c]are being saved it is (E)the power of God.
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- 1 Corinthians 1:17 I.e., persuasive rhetoric
- 1 Corinthians 1:18 Or perish
- 1 Corinthians 1:18 Or are saved
1 Corinthians 1:17-18
Amplified Bible
1 Corinthians 1:17-18
Amplified Bible
17 For Christ did not send me [as an apostle] to baptize, but [commissioned and empowered me] to preach the good news [of salvation]—not with clever and eloquent speech [as an orator], so that the cross of Christ would not be [a]made ineffective [deprived of its saving power].
The Wisdom of God
18 For the message of the cross is foolishness [absurd and illogical] to those who are perishing and spiritually dead [because they reject it], but to us who are being saved [by God’s grace] it is [the manifestation of] the power of God.
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- 1 Corinthians 1:17 Paul may be referring to the danger that convincing people to become Christians by the use of clever rhetoric would result in false conversions (cf 2:5).
1 Corinthians 1:17-18
New International Version
1 Corinthians 1:17-18
New International Version
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)
1 Corinthians 1:17-18
King James Version
1 Corinthians 1:17-18
King James Version
17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.
18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
Read full chapter
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Amplified Bible (AMP)
Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.