The Lord’s Anger Against Israel

The Parable of the Sower^(A)(B)(C)

13 That same day Jesus went out of the house^(D) and sat by the lake. ² Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat^(E) and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. ³ Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. ⁴ As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. ⁵ Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. ⁶ But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. ⁸ Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred,^(F) sixty or thirty times what was sown. ⁹ Whoever has ears, let them hear.”^(G)

¹⁰ The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”

¹¹ He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven^(H) has been given to you,^(I) but not to them. ¹² Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.^{(J) 13} This is why I speak to them in parables:

¹⁴ In them is fulfilled^(L) the prophecy of Isaiah:

¹⁶ But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.^{(N) 17} For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see^(O) but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

¹⁸ “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: ¹⁹ When anyone hears the message about the kingdom^(P) and does not understand it, the evil one^(Q) comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. ²⁰ The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. ²¹ But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.^{(R) 22} The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth^(S) choke the word, making it unfruitful. ²³ But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”^(T)

Repentance to Bring Blessing

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)

2 And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom^(L) as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.^{[b] 2} For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.^{(M) 3} I came to you^(N) in weakness^(O) with great fear and trembling.^{(P) 4} My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words,^(Q) but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,^{(R) 5} so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.^(S)

God’s Wisdom Revealed by the Spirit

⁶ We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature,^(T) but not the wisdom of this age^(U) or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.^{(V) 7} No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery^(W) that has been hidden^(X) and that God destined for our glory before time began. ⁸ None of the rulers of this age^(Y) understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.^{(Z) 9} However, as it is written:

¹⁰ these are the things God has revealed^(AB) to us by his Spirit.^(AC)

The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. ¹¹ For who knows a person’s thoughts^(AD) except their own spirit^(AE) within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. ¹² What we have received is not the spirit^(AF) of the world,^(AG) but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. ¹³ This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom^(AH) but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.^{[d] 14} The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God^(AI) but considers them foolishness,^(AJ) and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. ¹⁵ The person with the Spirit^(AK) makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, ¹⁶ for,

But we have the mind of Christ.^(AM)