1 Corinthians 1:28

1:28 God chose ¹  what is low and despised in the world, what is regarded as nothing, to set aside what is regarded as something,

1 Corinthians 2:1

2:1 When I came ²  to you, brothers and sisters, ³  I did not come with superior eloquence or wisdom as I proclaimed the testimony ⁴  of God.

1 Corinthians 2:4

2:4 My conversation and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

1 Corinthians 4:13

4:13 when people lie about us, we answer in a friendly manner. We are the world’s dirt and scum, even now.

1 Corinthians 13:1

The Way of Love

13:1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but I do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

1 Corinthians 14:9

14:9 It is the same for you. If you do not speak clearly with your tongue, how will anyone know what is being said? For you will be speaking into the air.

1 Corinthians 14:19

14:19 but in the church I want to speak five words with my mind to instruct others, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue.

1 Corinthians 14:27

14:27 If someone speaks in a tongue, it should be two, or at the most three, one after the other, and someone must interpret.

[1:28]  ¹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[2:1]  ² tn Grk “and I, when I came.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, κἀγώ (kagw) has not been translated here.

[2:1]  ³ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:10.

[2:1]  ⁴ tc ‡ A few important mss (Ì^46vid א* A C pc as well as some versions and fathers) read μυστήριον (musthrion, “mystery”) instead of μαρτύριον (marturion, “testimony”). But the latter has wider ms support (א² B D F G Ψ 33 1739 1881 Ï and some versions), though not quite as impressive. μαρτύριον may have been changed by scribes in anticipation of Paul’s words in 2:7, or conversely, μυστήριον may have been changed to conform to 1:6. Transcriptionally, since “the mystery of God/Christ” is a well-worn expression in the corpus Paulinum (1 Cor 2:7; 4:1; Eph 3:4; Col 2:2; 4:3), while “testimony of Christ” occurs in Paul only once (1 Cor 1:6, though “testimony of the Lord” appears in 2 Tim 1:8), and “testimony of God” never, it is likely that scribes changed the text to the more usual expression. A decision is difficult in this instance, but a slight preference should be given to μαρτύριον.