1 Corinthians 1:15–31

¹⁵so that no one can say you were baptized in my name. ¹⁶I did, in fact, baptize the household^ab of Stephanas;^ac beyond that, I don’t recall if I baptized anyone else. ¹⁷For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with eloquent wisdom, so that the cross^ad of Christ will not be emptied of its effect.

CHRIST THE POWER AND WISDOM OF GOD

¹⁸For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but it is the power of God to us who are being saved.^{ae 19}For it is written,

I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,

and I will set aside the intelligence of the intelligent.^Caf

²⁰Where is the one who is wise? Where is the teacher of the law?^D Where is the debater of this age?^ag Hasn’t God made the world’s wisdom foolish? ²¹For since, in God’s wisdom, the world did not know God through wisdom, God was pleased to save those who believe through the foolishness of what is preached. ²²For the Jews ask for signs^ah and the Greeks seek wisdom, ²³but we preach Christ crucified,^ai a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles.^{A 24}Yet to those who are called,^aj both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God, ²⁵because God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.

BOASTING ONLY IN THE LORD

²⁶Brothers and sisters, consider your calling: Not many were wise from a human perspective,^B not many powerful,^ak not many of noble birth. ²⁷Instead, God has chosen^al what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong. ²⁸God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the world^am—what is viewed as nothing—to bring to nothing what is viewed as something, ²⁹so that no one^C may boast in his presence.^{an 30}It is from him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became wisdom from God for us—our righteousness,^ao sanctification,^ap and redemption^{aq 31}—in order that, as it is written:^a Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.^Db