But ¹  those tenants ²  seized his slave, ³  beat him, ⁴  and sent him away empty-handed. ⁵ 

And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is futile and your faith is empty.

by holding on to ¹  the word of life so that on the day of Christ I will have a reason to boast that I did not run in vain nor labor in vain.

he has filled the hungry with good things, ¹  and has sent the rich away empty. ² 

So ¹  he sent another slave. They beat this one too, treated him outrageously, and sent him away empty-handed. ² 

Now because we are fellow workers, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain. ¹ 

For you yourselves know, brothers and sisters, ¹  about our coming to you – it has not proven to be purposeless. ² 

But would you like evidence, ¹  you empty fellow, ²  that faith without works is useless? ³ 

When harvest time came, he sent a slave ¹  to the tenants so that they would give ²  him his portion of the crop. ³  However, the tenants beat his slave ⁴  and sent him away empty-handed.

who said by the Holy Spirit through ¹  your servant David our forefather, ²  ‘Why do the nations ³  rage, ⁴  and the peoples plot foolish ⁵  things?

Let nobody deceive you with empty words, for because of these things God’s wrath comes on the sons of disobedience. ¹ 

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me has not been in vain. In fact, I worked harder than all of them – yet not I, but the grace of God with me.

So then, dear brothers and sisters, ¹  be firm. Do not be moved! Always be outstanding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

I went there ¹  because of ²  a revelation and presented ³  to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did so ⁴  only in a private meeting with the influential people, ⁵  to make sure that I was not running – or had not run ⁶  – in vain.

Be careful not to allow anyone to captivate you ¹  through an empty, deceitful philosophy ²  that is according to human traditions and the elemental spirits ³  of the world, and not according to Christ.

So ¹  when I could bear it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter somehow tempted you and our toil had proven useless.