For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with words of wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
Parallel translations
- WEB For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Good News — not in wisdom of words, so that the cross of Christ wouldn’t be made void.
- KJV For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.
- NKJV For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.
- NASB For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made of no effect.
- NLT For Christ didn’t send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News—and not with clever speech, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Paul's primary commission was to preach the gospel, not to baptize, and to do so plainly so the cross would not be emptied of power. The message of the cross, not eloquent rhetoric, is central.
Overview
Paul clarifies that his calling centered on proclaiming the Good News, with baptism being secondary, not unimportant. He deliberately avoided 'wisdom of words,' the polished rhetoric prized in Corinth, lest human eloquence overshadow the cross. This launches the letter's great theme: the crucified Christ, not human cleverness, is the power of salvation.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- 1 Cor 2:1When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.
- 1 Cor 2:13And this is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.
- 2 Pet 1:16For we did not follow cleverly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.
- 1 Cor 2:4–5My message and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,
- 2 Cor 10:10For some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but his physical presence is unimpressive, and his speaking is of no account.”
- 2 Cor 4:2Instead, we have renounced secret and shameful ways. We do not practice deceit, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by open proclamation of the truth, we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.
- John 4:2(although it was not Jesus who baptized, but His disciples),
- 2 Cor 11:6Although I am not a polished speaker, I am certainly not lacking in knowledge. We have made this clear to you in every way possible.
- 2 Cor 10:3–4For though we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh.
- Acts 26:17–18I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them
- Acts 10:48So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay for a few days.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Christ crucified is the wisdom and power of God; he is our Passover sacrificed for us, the firstfruits of resurrection, the foundation on which everything is built.
How 1 Corinthians 1:17 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.