Bible Verses About Religious Zeal

For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.

They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual blessings, they are obligated to minister to them with material blessings.

So after I have completed this service and have safely delivered this bounty to them, I will set off to Spain by way of you.

I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.

Now I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.

Pray that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints there,

so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed.

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.

but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,

When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.

For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling.

My message and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,

Among the mature, however, we speak a message of wisdom—but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.

No, we speak of the mysterious and hidden wisdom of God, which He destined for our glory before time began.

And 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.

Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual, but as worldly—as infants in Christ.

I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for solid food. In fact, you are still not ready,

What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, as the Lord has assigned to each his role.

I planted the seed and Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.

So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.

So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.

Now it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.

I care very little, however, if I am judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself.

My conscience is clear, but that does not vindicate me. It is the Lord who judges me.