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23 And he added, “God blesses those who do not fall away because of me.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. 7:23 Or who are not offended by me.

23 Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”

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14     He will keep you safe.
But to Israel and Judah
    he will be a stone that makes people stumble,
    a rock that makes them fall.
And for the people of Jerusalem
    he will be a trap and a snare.
15 Many will stumble and fall,
    never to rise again.
    They will be snared and captured.”

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14 He will be a holy place;(A)
    for both Israel and Judah he will be
a stone(B) that causes people to stumble(C)
    and a rock that makes them fall.(D)
And for the people of Jerusalem he will be
    a trap and a snare.(E)
15 Many of them will stumble;(F)
    they will fall and be broken,
    they will be snared and captured.”

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Yes, you who trust him recognize the honor God has given him.[a] But for those who reject him,

“The stone that the builders rejected
    has now become the cornerstone.”[b]

And,

“He is the stone that makes people stumble,
    the rock that makes them fall.”[c]

They stumble because they do not obey God’s word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them.

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Footnotes

  1. 2:7a Or Yes, for you who believe, there is honor.
  2. 2:7b Ps 118:22.
  3. 2:8 Isa 8:14.

Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,(A)

“The stone the builders rejected(B)
    has become the cornerstone,”[a](C)

and,

“A stone that causes people to stumble
    and a rock that makes them fall.”[b](D)

They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.(E)

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Peter 2:7 Psalm 118:22
  2. 1 Peter 2:8 Isaiah 8:14

14 But people who aren’t spiritual[a] can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means.

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Footnotes

  1. 2:14 Or who don’t have the Spirit; or who have only physical life.

14 The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God(A) but considers them foolishness,(B) and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.

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21 Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. 22 It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom. 23 So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense.

24 But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles,[a] Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.

26 Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy[b] when God called you. 27 Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. 28 God chose things despised by the world,[c] things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important.

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Footnotes

  1. 1:24 Greek and Greeks.
  2. 1:26 Or high born.
  3. 1:28 Or God chose those who are low born.

21 For since in the wisdom of God the world(A) through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save(B) those who believe.(C) 22 Jews demand signs(D) and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified:(E) a stumbling block(F) to Jews and foolishness(G) to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called,(H) both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God(I) and the wisdom of God.(J) 25 For the foolishness(K) of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness(L) of God is stronger than human strength.

26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called.(M) Not many of you were wise(N) by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose(O) the foolish(P) 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(Q)—to nullify the things that are,

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32 Why not? Because they were trying to get right with God by keeping the law[a] instead of by trusting in him. They stumbled over the great rock in their path. 33 God warned them of this in the Scriptures when he said,

“I am placing a stone in Jerusalem[b] that makes people stumble,
    a rock that makes them fall.
But anyone who trusts in him
    will never be disgraced.”[c]

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Footnotes

  1. 9:32 Greek by works.
  2. 9:33a Greek in Zion.
  3. 9:33b Isa 8:14; 28:16 (Greek version).

32 Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone.(A) 33 As it is written:

“See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble
    and a rock that makes them fall,
    and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame.”[a](B)

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Footnotes

  1. Romans 9:33 Isaiah 8:14; 28:16

Many Disciples Desert Jesus

60 Many of his disciples said, “This is very hard to understand. How can anyone accept it?”

61 Jesus was aware that his disciples were complaining, so he said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 Then what will you think if you see the Son of Man ascend to heaven again? 63 The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But some of you do not believe me.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning which ones didn’t believe, and he knew who would betray him.) 65 Then he said, “That is why I said that people can’t come to me unless the Father gives them to me.”

66 At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him.

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Many Disciples Desert Jesus

60 On hearing it, many of his disciples(A) said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”(B)

61 Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you?(C) 62 Then what if you see the Son of Man(D) ascend to where he was before!(E) 63 The Spirit gives life;(F) the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit[a] and life. 64 Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known(G) from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him.(H) 65 He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.”(I)

66 From this time many of his disciples(J) turned back and no longer followed him.

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Footnotes

  1. John 6:63 Or are Spirit; or are spirit

34 Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby’s mother, “This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, and many others to rise. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him.

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34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother:(A) “This child is destined to cause the falling(B) and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against,

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57 And they were deeply offended and refused to believe in him.

Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his own family.” 58 And so he did only a few miracles there because of their unbelief.

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57 And they took offense(A) at him.

But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home.”(B)

58 And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

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And he added, “God blesses those who do not fall away because of me.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. 11:6 Or who are not offended by me.

Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”(A)

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