Proclaiming Christ Crucified

2 When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the testimony^[a] of God to you with superior speech or wisdom.^(A)

¹⁷ For Christ did not send me to baptize but to proclaim the gospel—and not with eloquent wisdom, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its power.^(A)

¹³ And we speak of these things in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual things to those who are spiritual.^[a](A)

⁴ My speech and my proclamation were made not with persuasive words of wisdom^[a] but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power,^(A)

² who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.^(A)

⁶ Even if I am untrained in speech, I certainly am not with respect to knowledge; certainly in every way and in all things we have made this evident to you.^(A)

⁶ just as the testimony of^[a] Christ has been strengthened among you^(A)—

¹⁸ For such people do not serve our Lord Christ but their own appetites,^[a] and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the simple-minded.^(A)

⁶ Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy.”^{(A) 7} But the Lord said to me,

¹⁰ But Moses said to the Lord, “O my Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor even now that you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.”^(A)