³⁸ And ^(A)the one who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.

²⁷ Whoever does not ^(A)carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.

³³ So then, none of you can be My disciple who ^(A)does not ^[a]give up all his own possessions.

²³ And He was saying to them all, “^(A)If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me.

The Wisdom of God

¹⁸ For the word of the cross is ^(A)foolishness to ^(B)those who ^[a]are perishing, but to us who ^[b]are being saved it is ^(C)the power of God.

Discipleship Is Costly

²⁴ Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, ^(A)take up his cross, and follow Me. ²⁵ For ^(B)whoever wants to save his ^[a]life will lose it; but whoever loses his ^[b]life for My sake will find it.

²⁴ Now those who ^[a]belong to ^(A)Christ Jesus ^(B)crucified the flesh with its passions and ^(C)desires.

²⁰ I have been ^(A)crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but ^(B)Christ lives in me; and ^[a]the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in ^(C)the Son of God, who ^(D)loved me and ^(E)gave Himself up for me.

^10 (A)always carrying around in the body the dying of Jesus, so that ^(B)the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. ¹¹ For we who live are constantly being handed over to death because of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our mortal flesh.