1 Corinthians 1:15–31

¹⁵No one can say, then, that you were baptized as my disciples. ^16*(Oh yes, I also baptized Stephanas and his family; but I can’t remember whether I baptized anyone else.) ¹⁷Christ did not send me to baptize. He sent me to tell the Good News, and to tell it without using the language of human wisdom, in order to make sure that Christ’s death on the cross is not robbed of its power.

Christ the Power and the Wisdom of God

¹⁸For the message about Christ’s death on the cross is nonsense to those who are being lost; but for us who are being saved it is God’s power. ^19*The scripture says:

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and

set aside the understanding of the scholars.”

^20*So then, where does that leave the wise? or the scholars? or the skilful debaters of this world? God has shown that this world’s wisdom is foolishness!

²¹For God in his wisdom made it impossible for people to know him by means of their own wisdom. Instead, by means of the so-called “foolish” message we preach, God decided to save those who believe. ²²Jews want miracles for proof, and Greeks look for wisdom. ²³As for us, we proclaim the crucified Christ, a message that is offensive to the Jews and nonsense to the Gentiles; ²⁴but for those whom God has called, both Jews and Gentiles, this message is Christ, who is the power of God and the wisdom of God. ²⁵For what seems to be God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and what seems to be God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.

²⁶Now remember what you were, my brothers and sisters, when God called you. From the human point of view few of you were wise or powerful or of high social standing. ²⁷God purposely chose what the world considers nonsense in order to shame the wise, and he chose what the world considers weak in order to shame the powerful. ²⁸He chose what the world looks down on and despises, and thinks is nothing, in order to destroy what the world thinks is important. ²⁹This means that no one can boast in God’s presence. ³⁰But God has brought you into union with Christ Jesus, and God has made Christ to be our wisdom. By him we are put right with God; we become God’s holy people and are set free. ^31*So then, as the scripture says, “Whoever wants to boast must boast of what the Lord has done.”