Wisdom 3:17
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
17 For should they attain long life, they will be held in no esteem,
and dishonored will their old age be in the end;
1 Kings 11:4
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
4 When Solomon was old his wives had turned his heart to follow other gods, and his heart was not entirely with the Lord, his God, as the heart of David his father had been.
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1 Corinthians 3:18-21
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you considers himself wise in this age, let him become a fool so as to become wise.(A) 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God, for it is written:(B)
“He catches the wise in their own ruses,”
20 and again:
“The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.”(C)
21 [a]So let no one boast about human beings, for everything belongs to you,(D)
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- 3:21–23 These verses pick up the line of thought of 1 Cor 1:10–13. If the Corinthians were genuinely wise (1 Cor 3:18–20), their perceptions would be reversed, and they would see everything in the world and all those with whom they exist in the church in their true relations with one another. Paul assigns all the persons involved in the theological universe a position on a scale: God, Christ, church members, church leaders. Read from top to bottom, the scale expresses ownership; read from bottom to top, the obligation to serve. This picture should be complemented by similar statements such as those in 1 Cor 8:6 and 1 Cor 15:20–28.
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.