Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

¹⁸ For the preaching of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are saved it is the power of God. ¹⁹ For it is written: I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will cast away the understanding of the learned. ²⁰ Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the philosopher of this world? Has not God made the wisdom of this world foolishness?

²¹ For when the world through wisdom did not know God, in the wisdom of God, it pleased God to save those who believe through the foolishness of preaching. ²² For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom. ²³ But we preach Christ crucified: to the Jews an occasion of falling, and to the Greeks foolishness, ²⁴ but to those who are called, both of the Jews and the Greeks, we preach Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. ²⁵ For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

¹³ And the Jews’ Passover was near at hand. And Jesus went up to Jerusalem, ¹⁴ and found sitting in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money-changers. ¹⁵ And he made a scourge of small cords and drove them all out of the temple with the sheep and oxen, and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables, ¹⁶ and said to those who sold doves, Take these things away from here, and do not make my Father’s house a house of merchandise! ¹⁷ And his disciples remembered that it was written: The zeal of your house has consumed me.

¹⁸ Then the Jews said to him, What sign can you show to us, seeing that you do these things? ¹⁹ Jesus answered and said to them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will rear it up again.

²⁰ Then the Jews said, This temple was forty-six years in building, and will you rear it up in three days?

²¹ But he was speaking of the temple of his body. ²² As soon therefore as he was risen up again from death, his disciples remembered that he had said this. And they believed the scripture, and the words that Jesus had spoken.