Thematic Bible
Thematic Bible
Boasting » Spiritual
If some of the branches have been broken off, and you who were only a wild olive shoot have been grafted in, in place of them, and made to share the richness of the olive's root, you must not look down upon the branches. If you do, remember that you do not support the root; the root supports you. "But," you will say, "branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in!" read more.
That is true; but it was for their want of faith that they were broken off, and it is through your faith that you stand where you do. You ought not to feel proud; you ought to be afraid, for if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you.
That is true; but it was for their want of faith that they were broken off, and it is through your faith that you stand where you do. You ought not to feel proud; you ought to be afraid, for if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you.
For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the good news??ut not with fine language, or the cross of Christ might seem an empty thing. For to those who are on the way to destruction, the story of the cross is nonsense, but to us who are to be saved, it means all the power of God. For the Scripture says, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And I will thwart the shrewdness of the shrewd!" read more.
Where now is your philosopher? Your scribe? Your reasoner of today? Has not God made a fool of the world's wisdom? For since in God's providence the world with all its wisdom did not come to know God, God chose, through the folly of the gospel message, to save those who had faith in him. For Jews insist upon miracles, and Greeks demand philosophy, but we proclaim a Christ who was crucified??n idea that is revolting to Jews and absurd to the heathen, but to those whom God has called, whether they are Jews or Greeks, a Christ who is God's power and God's wisdom. For God's folly is beyond the wisdom of men, and God's weakness is beyond their strength. For consider, brothers, what happened when God called you. Not many of you were what men call wise, not many of you were influential, not many were of high birth. But it was what the world calls foolish that God chose to put the wise to shame with, and it was what the world calls weak that God chose to shame its strength with, and it was what the world calls low and insignificant and unreal that God chose to nullify its realities, so that in his presence no human being might have anything to boast of. But you are his children, through your union with Christ Jesus, whom God has made our wisdom??ur uprightness and consecration and redemption, so that, as the Scripture says, "Let him who would boast, boast of the Lord!"
Where now is your philosopher? Your scribe? Your reasoner of today? Has not God made a fool of the world's wisdom? For since in God's providence the world with all its wisdom did not come to know God, God chose, through the folly of the gospel message, to save those who had faith in him. For Jews insist upon miracles, and Greeks demand philosophy, but we proclaim a Christ who was crucified??n idea that is revolting to Jews and absurd to the heathen, but to those whom God has called, whether they are Jews or Greeks, a Christ who is God's power and God's wisdom. For God's folly is beyond the wisdom of men, and God's weakness is beyond their strength. For consider, brothers, what happened when God called you. Not many of you were what men call wise, not many of you were influential, not many were of high birth. But it was what the world calls foolish that God chose to put the wise to shame with, and it was what the world calls weak that God chose to shame its strength with, and it was what the world calls low and insignificant and unreal that God chose to nullify its realities, so that in his presence no human being might have anything to boast of. But you are his children, through your union with Christ Jesus, whom God has made our wisdom??ur uprightness and consecration and redemption, so that, as the Scripture says, "Let him who would boast, boast of the Lord!"
Now, brothers, for your benefit I have applied all this only to Apollos and myself, by using us as illustrations to teach you the old lesson, "Never go beyond the letter," and to keep any of you from boasting of one teacher at the expense of another. For who sees anything special in you? And what have you got that you have not been given? But if it has been given you, why do you boast as though it had not been?
I do not indeed venture to class or compare myself with certain individuals who approve of themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they do not show good sense. But my boasting will not be extravagant, nor exceed the limits God has allowed me, which reach all the way to you. It is no strain for me to do this, as it might be for people who had never got so far, for I was the first to come all the way to you with the good news of the Christ. read more.
I do not indulge in extravagant boasts over work done by others, but I do hope that as your faith increases, my influence may be immensely enlarged through you, and I may preach the gospel in the lands beyond you without having to boast over work already done in another's field. But let the man who boasts, boast about the Lord. For it is not the man who approves of himself who is really approved; it is the man of whom the Lord approves.
I do not indulge in extravagant boasts over work done by others, but I do hope that as your faith increases, my influence may be immensely enlarged through you, and I may preach the gospel in the lands beyond you without having to boast over work already done in another's field. But let the man who boasts, boast about the Lord. For it is not the man who approves of himself who is really approved; it is the man of whom the Lord approves.
For it is by his mercy that you have been saved through faith. It is not by your own action, it is the gift of God. It has not been earned, so that no one can boast of it.