Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, arrived in Ephesus. ¹  He was an eloquent speaker, ²  well-versed ³  in the scriptures.

Then Moses said to the Lord, ¹  “O ²  my Lord, ³  I am not an eloquent man, ⁴  neither in the past ⁵  nor since you have spoken to your servant, for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” ⁶ 

Excessive ¹  speech ²  is not becoming for a fool; ³  how much less are lies ⁴  for a ruler! ⁵ 

captains of groups of fifty, the respected citizens, ¹  advisers and those skilled in magical arts, ²  and those who know incantations.

For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel – and not with clever speech, so that the cross of Christ would not become useless. ¹ 

When I came ¹  to you, brothers and sisters, ²  I did not come with superior eloquence or wisdom as I proclaimed the testimony ³  of God.

To discern ¹  the meaning of ²  a proverb and a parable, ³  the sayings of the wise ⁴  and their ⁵  riddles. ⁶ 

The mind that acts rashly will possess discernment ¹  and the tongue that stutters will speak with ease and clarity.

Then I said, “O sovereign Lord! They are saying of me, ‘Does he not simply speak in eloquent figures of speech?’”

You who boast in the law dishonor God by transgressing the law!

For you were made rich ¹  in every way in him, in all your speech and in every kind of knowledge ²  –

They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not understand what they are saying or the things they insist on so confidently. ¹ 

When they saw the boldness ¹  of Peter and John, and discovered ²  that they were uneducated ³  and ordinary ⁴  men, they were amazed and recognized these men had been with Jesus.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but I do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

And even if I am unskilled ¹  in speaking, yet I am certainly not so in knowledge. Indeed, we have made this plain to you in everything in every way.

One of his attendants replied, ¹  “I have seen a son of Jesse in Bethlehem ²  who knows how to play the lyre. He is a brave warrior ³  and is articulate ⁴  and handsome, ⁵  for the Lord is with him.”