Book of Common Prayer
20 Where is the wise person? Where is the educated person? Where is the debater of this present age? Don’t you see that God has turned the world’s wisdom into folly? 21 This is how it’s happened: in God’s wisdom, the world didn’t know God through wisdom, so it gave God pleasure, through the folly of our proclamation, to save those who believe. 22 Jews look for signs, you see, and Greeks search for wisdom; 23 but we announce the crucified Messiah, a scandal to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike, the Messiah—God’s power and God’s wisdom. 25 God’s folly is wiser than humans, you see, and God’s weakness is stronger than humans.
Boasting in the Lord
26 Think back to your own call, my brothers and sisters. Not many of you were wise in human terms. Not many of you were powerful. Not many were nobly born. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose the insignificant and despised things of the world—yes, even things that don’t exist!—to abolish the power of the things that do exist, 29 so that no creature could boast in God’s presence. 30 Who and what you now are is a gift from God in Messiah Jesus, who has become for us God’s wisdom—and righteousness, sanctification and redemption as well; 31 so that, as the Bible puts it, “Anyone who boasts should boast in the Lord.”
The calling of the disciples
14 After John’s arrest, Jesus came into Galilee, announcing God’s good news.
15 “The time is fulfilled!” he said; “God’s kingdom is arriving! Turn back, and believe the good news!”
16 As he went along beside the sea of Galilee he saw Simon and his brother Andrew. They were fishermen, and were casting nets into the sea.
17 “Follow me!” said Jesus to them. “I’ll have you fishing for people!”
18 Straight away they left their nets and followed him. 19 He went on a bit, and saw James, Zebedee’s son, and John his brother. They were in the boat mending their nets, 20 and he called them then and there. They left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went off after him.
Exorcism and healings
21 They went to Capernaum. At once, on the sabbath, Jesus went into the synagogue and taught. 22 They were astonished at his teaching. He wasn’t like the legal teachers; he said things on his own authority.
23 All at once, in their synagogue, there was a man with an unclean spirit.
24 “What business have you got with us, Jesus of Nazareth?” he yelled. “Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: you’re God’s Holy One!”
25 “Be quiet!” ordered Jesus. “And come out of him!”
26 The unclean spirit convulsed the man, gave a great shout, and came out of him. 27 Everyone was astonished.
“What’s this?” they started to say to each other. “New teaching—with real authority! He even tells the unclean spirits what to do, and they do it!”
28 Word about Jesus spread at once, all over the surrounding district of Galilee.
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.