The Great Commission

¹⁶ The eleven disciples traveled to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had directed them.^{(A) 17} When they saw him, they worshiped,^[a] but some doubted. ¹⁸ Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.^{(B) 19} Go, therefore, and make disciples^(C) of^[b] all nations,^(D) baptizing^(E) them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember,^[c] I am with you always,^[d] to the end of the age.”^(F)

¹⁴ I thank God^[a][b] that I baptized none of you except Crispus^(A) and Gaius,^{(B) 15} so that no one can say you were baptized in my name. ¹⁶ I did, in fact, baptize the household^(C) of Stephanas;^(D) beyond that, I don’t recall if I baptized anyone else. ¹⁷ For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with eloquent wisdom, so that the cross^(E) of Christ will not be emptied of its effect.

Christ the Power and Wisdom of God

¹⁸ For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but it is the power of God to us who are being saved.^{(F) 19} For it is written,

²⁰ Where is the one who is wise? Where is the teacher of the law?^[d] Where is the debater of this age?^(H) Hasn’t God made the world’s wisdom foolish? ²¹ For since, in God’s wisdom, the world did not know God through wisdom, God was pleased to save those who believe through the foolishness of what is preached. ²² For the Jews ask for signs^(I) and the Greeks seek wisdom, ²³ but we preach Christ crucified,^(J) a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles.^{[e] 24} Yet to those who are called,^(K) both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God, ²⁵ because God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.