1 Corinthians 4:6

Then David the king went in, and sat before Yahweh; and he said, “Who am I, Lord Yahweh, and what is my house, that you have brought me this far?

therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men will perish, and the understanding of their prudent men will be hidden.”

Don’t be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God.

And above all things be earnest in your love among yourselves, for love covers a multitude of sins.

He takes the wise in their own craftiness; the counsel of the cunning is carried headlong.

Yahweh, what is man, that you care for him? Or the son of man, that you think of him?

What is man, that you should magnify him, that you should set your mind on him,

Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all wrongs.

I marvel that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ to a different “good news”,

Put on therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, humility, and perseverance;

However, that knowledge isn’t in all men. But some, with consciousness of the idol until now, eat as of a thing sacrificed to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and fill up on my part that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the assembly,

The wise men are disappointed. They are dismayed and trapped. Behold, they have rejected Yahweh’s word. What kind of wisdom is in them?

He who didn’t spare his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how would he not also with him freely give us all things?

Let the wicked fall together into their own nets while I pass by.

“I, even I, am he who comforts you. Who are you, that you are afraid of man who shall die, and of the son of man who will be made as grass?

But let him who glories glory in this, that he has understanding, and knows me, that I am Yahweh who exercises loving kindness, justice, and righteousness in the earth, for I delight in these things,” says Yahweh.

Yahweh says: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man, relies on strength of flesh, and whose heart departs from Yahweh.

He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him, and said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is by interpretation, Peter).

We speak wisdom, however, among those who are full grown, yet a wisdom not of this world nor of the rulers of this world who are coming to nothing.

Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that no idol is anything in the world, and that there is no other God but one.

Don’t be deceived! “Evil companionships corrupt good morals.”

For we are not commending ourselves to you again, but speak as giving you occasion of boasting on our behalf, that you may have something to answer those who boast in appearance, and not in heart.

throwing down imaginations and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,

A little yeast grows through the whole lump.

We exhort you, brothers: Admonish the disorderly; encourage the faint-hearted; support the weak; be patient toward all.

But may the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.

Beloved, if God loved us in this way, we also ought to love one another.

who frustrates the signs of the liars, and makes diviners mad; who turns wise men backward, and makes their knowledge foolish;

Jesus said, “Most certainly I tell you, there is no one who has left house, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or land, for my sake, and for the sake of the Good News,

Don’t judge according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment.”

Now a certain Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by race, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus. He was mighty in the Scriptures.

We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose.

I tell the truth in Christ. I am not lying, my conscience testifying with me in the Holy Spirit

Don’t let him who eats despise him who doesn’t eat. Don’t let him who doesn’t eat judge him who eats, for God has accepted him.

bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.

If any man thinks himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him recognize the things which I write to you, that they are the commandment of the Lord.

you also helping together on our behalf by your supplication; that, for the gift given to us by means of many, thanks may be given by many persons on your behalf.

Are we beginning again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as do some, letters of commendation to you or from you?

But “he who boasts, let him boast in the Lord.”

For it isn’t he who commends himself who is approved, but whom the Lord commends.

Are they servants of Christ? (I speak as one beside himself.) I am more so: in labors more abundantly, in prisons more abundantly, in stripes above measure, and in deaths often.

And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you.

Be careful that you don’t let anyone rob you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the elements of the world, and not after Christ.

These things indeed appear like wisdom in self-imposed worship, humility, and severity to the body; but aren’t of any value against the indulgence of the flesh.

But now you glory in your boasting. All such boasting is evil.

Yahweh God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

But Yahweh said to Samuel, “Don’t look on his face, or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for I don’t see as man sees. For man looks at the outward appearance, but Yahweh looks at the heart.”

He lays up sound wisdom for the upright. He is a shield to those who walk in integrity,

He who covers an offense promotes love; but he who repeats a matter separates best friends.

Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.

and you will swear, ‘As Yahweh lives,’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness. The nations will bless themselves in him, and they will glory in him.”

It is like yeast, which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened.”

Now I tell you, withdraw from these men, and leave them alone. For if this counsel or this work is of men, it will be overthrown.

that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality, from which if you keep yourselves, it will be well with you. Farewell.”

For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not toward God.

I myself am also persuaded about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish others.

Now I mean this, that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” “I follow Apollos,” “I follow Cephas,” and, “I follow Christ.”

Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized into the name of Paul?

and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.

Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Haven’t I seen Jesus Christ, our Lord? Aren’t you my work in the Lord?

For though I was free from all, I brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more.

Love is patient and is kind. Love doesn’t envy. Love doesn’t brag, is not proud,

Now concerning Apollos, the brother, I strongly urged him to come to you with the brothers; and it was not at all his desire to come now; but he will come when he has an opportunity.

But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer.

in pureness, in knowledge, in perseverance, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in sincere love,

I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness, but indeed you do bear with me.

I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more abundantly, am I loved the less?

So then, my beloved, even as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

Therefore, holy brothers, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession: Jesus,

looking carefully lest there be any man who falls short of the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and many be defiled by it,

But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to throw a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.

But I have this against you, that you tolerate your woman, Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. She teaches and seduces my servants to commit sexual immorality, and to eat things sacrificed to idols.

He who overcomes, I will give him these things. I will be his God, and he will be my son.

You are arrogant, and didn’t mourn instead, that he who had done this deed might be removed from among you.

Now concerning things sacrificed to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.

For if he who comes preaches another Jesus, whom we didn’t preach, or if you receive a different spirit, which you didn’t receive, or a different “good news”, which you didn’t accept, you put up with that well enough.

Therefore I endure all things for the chosen ones’ sake, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.

He went in to Hagar, and she conceived. When she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.

what is man, that you think of him? What is the son of man, that you care for him?

Don’t put your trust in princes, in a son of man in whom there is no help.

Stop trusting in man, whose breath is in his nostrils; for of what account is he?

For I say through the grace that was given me, to every man who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think reasonably, as God has apportioned to each person a measure of faith.

For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise. I will bring the discernment of the discerning to nothing.”

that, as it is written, “He who boasts, let him boast in the Lord.”

For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” aren’t you fleshly?

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He has taken the wise in their craftiness.”

Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours,

Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole lump?

Now I do this for the sake of the Good News, that I may be a joint partaker of it.

For all things are for your sakes, that the grace, being multiplied through the many, may cause the thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.

Do you look at things only as they appear in front of your face? If anyone trusts in himself that he is Christ’s, let him consider this again with himself, that even as he is Christ’s, so we also are Christ’s.

For we are not bold to number or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves. But they themselves, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are without understanding.

not boasting beyond proper limits in other men’s labors, but having hope that as your faith grows, we will be abundantly enlarged by you in our sphere of influence,

For if I would desire to boast, I will not be foolish; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, so that no man may think more of me than that which he sees in me or hears from me.

Again, do you think that we are excusing ourselves to you? In the sight of God we speak in Christ. But all things, beloved, are for your edifying.

Let no one rob you of your prize by self-abasement and worshiping of the angels, dwelling in the things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,

and that our Good News came to you not in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and with much assurance. You know what kind of men we showed ourselves to be among you for your sake.

This is a symbol of baptism, which now saves you—not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,