Proclaiming Christ Crucified

2 And I, when I came to you, brothers,^{[a] (A)}did not come proclaiming to you ^(B)the testimony^[b] of God with lofty speech or wisdom. ² For I decided to know nothing among you except ^(C)Jesus Christ and him crucified. ³ And ^(D)I was with you ^(E)in weakness and in fear and much trembling, ⁴ and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of ^(F)the Spirit and of power, ⁵ so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men^[c] but ^(G)in the power of God.

Wisdom from the Spirit

⁶ Yet among ^(H)the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not ^(I)a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, ^(J)who are doomed to pass away. ⁷ But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, ^(K)which God decreed before the ages for our glory. ⁸ None of ^(L)the rulers of this age understood this, for ^(M)if they had, they would not have crucified ^(N)the Lord of glory. ⁹ But, as it is written,

¹⁰ these things ^(R)God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even ^(S)the depths of God. ¹¹ For who knows a person's thoughts ^(T)except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. ¹² Now ^(U)we have received not ^(V)the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. ¹³ And we impart this ^(W)in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, ^(X)interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.^[d]

¹⁴ The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are ^(Y)folly to him, and ^(Z)he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. ¹⁵ The ^(AA)spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. ^16 (AB)“For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But ^(AC)we have the mind of Christ.

¹⁵ and how ^(A)from childhood you have been acquainted with ^(B)the sacred writings, ^(C)which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. ^16 (D)All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ that ^(E)the man of God^[a] may be complete, ^(F)equipped ^(G)for every good work.

^5 (A)If any of you lacks wisdom, ^(B)let him ask God, ^(C)who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. ⁶ But ^(D)let him ask in faith, ^(E)with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like ^(F)a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷ For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; ^8 (G)he is a double-minded man, ^(H)unstable in all his ways.

Wisdom from Above

¹³ Who is wise and understanding among you? ^(A)By his good conduct let him show his works ^(B)in the meekness of wisdom. ¹⁴ But if you have bitter ^(C)jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. ¹⁵ This is not ^(D)the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, ^(E)demonic. ¹⁶ For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. ¹⁷ But ^(F)the wisdom from above is first pure, then ^(G)peaceable, gentle, open to reason, ^(H)full of mercy and good fruits, ^(I)impartial and ^(J)sincere. ¹⁸ And ^(K)a harvest of righteousness ^(L)is sown in peace by those who make peace.

³¹ Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, ^(A)“Rabbi, eat.” ³² But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” ³³ So the disciples said to one another, ^(B)“Has anyone brought him something to eat?” ³⁴ Jesus said to them, ^(C)“My food is ^(D)to do the will of him who sent me and ^(E)to accomplish his work.

^48 (A)I am the bread of life. ^49 (B)Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and ^(C)they died. ^50 (D)This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it ^(E)and not die. ⁵¹ I am the living bread ^(F)that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give ^(G)for the life of the world is ^(H)my flesh.”

Divisions in the Church

3 But I, brothers,^[a] could not address you as ^(A)spiritual people, but as ^(B)people of the flesh, as ^(C)infants in Christ. ^2 (D)I fed you with milk, not solid food, for ^(E)you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, ³ for you are still of the flesh. For while there is ^(F)jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?

A Living Stone and a Holy People

2 ^(A)So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. ^2 (B)Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual ^(C)milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— ³ if indeed you have ^(D)tasted that the Lord is good.