For to Us a Child Is Born

9 ^[a] But there will be no ^(A)gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he ^(B)brought into contempt the land of ^(C)Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he ^(D)has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.^[b]

⁶ even as ^(A)the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— ⁷ so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you ^(B)wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, ^8 (C)who will sustain you to the end, ^(D)guiltless ^(E)in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. ^9 (F)God is faithful, by whom you were called into the ^(G)fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Divisions in the Church

¹⁰ I appeal to you, brothers,^[a] by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no ^(H)divisions among you, but that you be united ^(I)in the same mind and the same judgment. ¹¹ For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is ^(J)quarreling among you, my brothers. ¹² What I mean is that ^(K)each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow ^(L)Apollos,” or “I follow ^(M)Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” ^13 (N)Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you ^(O)baptized in the name of Paul? ¹⁴ I thank God that I baptized none of you except ^(P)Crispus and ^(Q)Gaius, ¹⁵ so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name. ¹⁶ (I did baptize also ^(R)the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) ¹⁷ For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and ^(S)not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

Christ the Wisdom and Power of God

¹⁸ For the word of the cross is ^(T)folly to ^(U)those who are perishing, but to us ^(V)who are being saved it is ^(W)the power of God.