Book of Common Prayer

It is not eloquence and glorious painted words of worldly wisdom that can edify and convert souls to Christ, but the plain words of the scripture. For they tell of him and his cross.

2 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not in gloriousness of words or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. ² Nor did I show myself to know anything among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. ³ And I was among you in weakness and in fear, and in much trembling. ⁴ And my words and my preaching were not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power, ⁵ so that your faith would not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

⁶ That which we speak of is wisdom among those who are sound: not the wisdom of this world, nor of the rulers of this world (who come to nothing), ⁷ but we speak the wisdom of God, which is in secret and lies hid, which God ordained before the world for our glory. ⁸ Which wisdom none of the rulers of this world knew, for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory. ⁹ But as it is written: The eye has not seen and the ear has not heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things that God has prepared for those who love him.

¹⁰ But God has revealed them to us by his Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yea, the bottom of God’s secrets. ¹¹ For what man knows the things of a man, except the spirit of a man which is within him? In the same way, the things of God are known by no man, but by the Spirit of God. ¹² And we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which comes of God, in order to know the things that are given to us by God – ¹³ which things also we speak, not in the wise words of man’s wisdom, but with the wise words of the Holy Spirit, making spiritual comparisons of spiritual things.

²¹ He who has my commandments and keeps them, that is he who loves me. And he who loves me shall be loved by my Father, and I will love him and will show my own self to him.

²² Judas said to him (not Judas Iscariot), Lord, what is the reason that you will show yourself to us, and not to the world?

²³ Jesus answered and said to him, If a person loves me and will keep my sayings, my Father also will love him, and we will come to him and will dwell with him. ²⁴ He who does not love me does not keep my sayings. And the words that you hear are not mine, but the Father’s who sent me.

²⁵ This I have spoken to you being yet present with you. ²⁶ But the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit (whom my Father will send in my name), he will teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have told you.

²⁷ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, and do not fear. ²⁸ You have heard how I said to you, I am going away and coming again to you. If you loved me, you would indeed rejoice because I said I am going to the Father. For the Father is greater than I. ²⁹ And now I have told you before it comes, so that when it has come to pass, you may believe.