¹⁶ When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees^(A) saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”^(B)

¹⁷ On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”^(C)

²⁶ Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called.^(A) Not many of you were wise^(B) by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. ²⁷ But God chose^(C) the foolish^(D) 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^(E)—to nullify the things that are, ²⁹ so that no one may boast before him.^{(F) 30} It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus,^(G) who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness,^(H) holiness^(I) and redemption.^{(J) 31} Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”^[a](K)