1 Corinthians 1:17

New King James Version

¹⁷For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, ^(A)not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.

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1 Corinthians 1:17

New American Standard Bible

¹⁷^(A)For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, ^(B)not with ^[a]cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made of no effect.

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Footnotes

1 Corinthians 1:17 I.e., persuasive rhetoric

1 Corinthians 1:17

Amplified Bible

¹⁷For Christ did not send me [as an apostle] to baptize, but [commissioned and empowered me] to preach the good news [of salvation]—not with clever and eloquent speech [as an orator], so that the cross of Christ would not be ^[a]made ineffective [deprived of its saving power].

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Footnotes

1 Corinthians 1:17 Paul may be referring to the danger that convincing people to become Christians by the use of clever rhetoric would result in false conversions (cf 2:5).

1 Corinthians 1:17

New International Version

¹⁷For Christ did not send me to baptize,^(A) but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom^(B) and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

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