1 Corinthians 1:17–2:16

¹⁷For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not in wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made void. ¹⁸For the word of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us who are saved it is the power of God. ¹⁹For it is written,

I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,

And the discernment of the discerning will I bring to nought.

²⁰Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? ²¹For seeing that in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom knew not God, it was God’s good pleasure through the foolishness of the preaching to save them that believe. ²²Seeing that Jews ask for signs, and Greeks seek after wisdom: ²³but we preach Christ crucified, unto Jews a stumblingblock, and unto Gentiles foolishness; ²⁴but unto them that are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. ²⁵Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

²⁶For behold your calling, brethren, that not many wise after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: ²⁷but God chose the foolish things of the world, that he might put to shame them that are wise; and God chose the weak things of the world, that he might put to shame the things that are strong; ²⁸and the base things of the world, and the things that are despised, did God choose, yea and the things that are not, that he might bring to nought the things that are: ²⁹that no flesh should glory before God. ³⁰But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who was made unto us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption: ³¹that, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

2And I, brethren, when I came unto you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. ²For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. ³And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. ⁴And my speech and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: ⁵that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

⁶We speak wisdom, however, among them that are fullgrown: yet a wisdom not of this world, nor of the rulers of this world, who are coming to nought: ⁷but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, even the wisdom that hath been hidden, which God foreordained before the worlds unto our glory: ⁸which none of the rulers of this world hath known: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory: ⁹but as it is written,

Things which eye saw not, and ear heard not,

And which entered not into the heart of man,

Whatsoever things God prepared for them that love him.

¹⁰But unto us God revealed them through the Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. ¹¹For who among men knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of the man, which is in him? even so the things of God none knoweth, save the Spirit of God. ¹²But we received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is from God; that we might know the things that were freely given to us of God. ¹³Which things also we speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Spirit teacheth; combining spiritual things with spiritual words. ¹⁴Now the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him; and he cannot know them, because they are spiritually judged. ¹⁵But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, and he himself is judged of no man. ¹⁶For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he should instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.