1 Corinthians 1:15-31
Read 1 Corinthians 1 in full →15so that no one would say you were baptized 1in my name. 16Now I did baptize also the ahousehold of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any other. 17aFor Christ did not send me to baptize, but to proclaim the gospel, bnot in wisdom of word, so that the cross of Christ will not be made empty.
Christ the Power and Wisdom of God
18For the word of the cross is afoolishness to bthose who 1are perishing, but to us who 2are being saved, it is cthe power of God. 19For it is written, “aI will destroy the wisdom of the wise,And the cleverness of the clever I will set aside.”
20aWhere is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of bthis age? Has not God cmade foolish the wisdom of dthe world? 21For since, in the wisdom of God, athe world through its wisdom did not come to know God, bGod was well-pleased, through the cfoolishness of the 1message preached, to dsave those who believe. 22For indeed aJews ask for 1signs and Greeks search for wisdom, 23but we preach 1,aChrist crucified, bto Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles cfoolishness, 24but to those who are athe called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ bthe power of God and cthe wisdom of God. 25Because the afoolishness of God is wiser than men, and bthe weakness of God is stronger than men.
26For 1consider your acalling, brothers, that there were bnot many wise according to 2the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble. 27But aGod has chosen the foolish things of bthe world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of cthe world to shame the things which are strong, 28and the base things of athe world and the despised God has chosen, bthe things that are not, so that He may cabolish the things that are, 29so that ano flesh may boast before God. 30But by His doing you are in aChrist Jesus, who became to us bwisdom from God, 1and crighteousness and dsanctification, and eredemption, 31so that, just as it is written, “aLet him who boasts, boast in the 1Lord.”