1 Corinthians 1:17–2:16

¹⁷For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not in wisdom of speech, lest the cross of Christ should be made void.

¹⁸For the word of the cross, to them indeed that perish, is foolishness: but to them that are saved, that is, to us, it is the power of God.

¹⁹For it is written: I will destroy the wisdom of the wise: and the prudence of the prudent I will reject.

²⁰Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

²¹For, seeing that in the wisdom of God, the world, by wisdom, knew not God, it pleased God, by the foolishness of our preaching, to save them that believe.

²²For both the Jews require signs: and the Greeks seek after wisdom.

²³But we preach Christ crucified: unto the Jews indeed a stumblingblock, and unto the Gentiles foolishness:

²⁴But unto them that are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God.

²⁵For the foolishness of God is wiser than men: and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

²⁶For see your vocation, brethren, that there are not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble.

²⁷But the foolish things of the world hath God chosen, that he may confound the wise: and the weak things of the world hath God chosen, that he may confound the strong.

²⁸And the base things of the world and the things that are contemptible, hath God chosen: and things that are not, that he might bring to nought things that are:

²⁹That no flesh should glory in his sight.

³⁰But of him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom and justice and sanctification and redemption:

³¹That, as it is written: He that glorieth may glory in the Lord.

Chapter 2

And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not in loftiness of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of Christ.

²For I judged not myself to know anything among you, but 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 was not in the persuasive words of human wisdom. but in shewing of the Spirit and power:

⁵That your faith might not stand on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.

⁶Howbeit we speak wisdom among the perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, neither of the princes of this world that come to nought.

⁷But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, a wisdom which is hidden, which God ordained before the world, unto our glory:

⁸Which none of the princes of this world knew. For if they had known it, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory.

⁹But, as it is written: That eye hath not seen, nor ear heard: neither hath it entered into the heart of man, what things God hath prepared for them that love him.

¹⁰But to us God hath revealed them by his Spirit. For the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

¹¹For what man knoweth the things of a man, but the spirit of a man that is in him? So the things also that are of God, no man knoweth, but the Spirit of God.

¹²Now, we have received not the spirit of this world, but the Spirit that is of God: that we may know the things that are given us from God.

¹³Which things also we speak: not in the learned words of human wisdom, but in the doctrine of the Spirit, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

¹⁴But the sensual man perceiveth not these things that are of the Spirit of God. For it is foolishness to him: and he cannot understand, because it is spiritually examined.

¹⁵But the spiritual man judgeth all things: and he himself is judged of no man.

¹⁶For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.