Logos Bible Study

1 Corinthians 1:18–25

New International Version (2011)Other versions

English

Arabic

Czech

French

German

Greek

Hungarian

Italian

Korean

Latin

Portuguese

Russian

Simplified Chinese

Spanish

Traditional Chinese

Christ Crucified Is God’s Power and Wisdom

18For the message of the cross is foolishnessh to those who are perishing,i but to us who are being savedj it is the power of God.k 19For it is written:

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;

the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”cl

20Where is the wise person?m Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age?n Has not God made foolisho the wisdom of the world? 21For since in the wisdom of God the worldp through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to saveq those who believe.r 22Jews demand signss and Greeks look for wisdom, 23but we preach Christ crucified:t a stumbling blocku to Jews and foolishnessv to Gentiles, 24but to those whom God has called,w both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of Godx and the wisdom of God.y 25For the foolishnessz of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weaknessa of God is stronger than human strength.

Read in Logos
1 Corinthians 1:18: For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Footnotes

  1. cIsaiah 29:14

Cross references

  1. hver 21, 23, 25; 1 Co 2:14
  2. i2 Co 2:15; 4:3; 2 Th 2:10
  3. jAc 2:47
  4. kver 24; Ro 1:16
  5. lIsa 29:14
  6. mIsa 19:11, 12
  7. n1 Co 2:6, 8; 3:18; 2 Co 4:4; Gal 1:4
  8. over 27; Job 12:17; Isa 44:25; Jer 8:9; Ro 1:22; 1 Co 3:18, 19
  9. pver 27, 28; 1 Co 6:2; 11:32
  10. qSee Ro 11:14
  11. rSee Ro 3:22
  12. sSee Mt 12:38; See Jn 2:11; See 4:48
  13. t1 Co 2:2; Gal 3:1
  14. uSee Lk 2:34
  15. vSee ver 18
  16. wSee Ro 8:28
  17. xver 18; Ro 1:16
  18. yver 30; See Col 2:3
  19. zSee ver 18
  20. a2 Co 13:4

Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica, Inc.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,

and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”

Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

Copyright 2001 Crossway Bibles

CSBChristian Standard Bible

For 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. For it is written,

I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,

and I will set aside the intelligence of the intelligent.

Where is the one who is wise? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the debater of this age? Hasn’t God made the world’s wisdom foolish? For 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. For the Jews ask for signs and the Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles. Yet to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God, because God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.

Copyright 2017 Holman Bible Publishers

NLTNew Living Translation

The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. As the Scriptures say,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise

and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.”

So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom. So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense.

But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,

and the intelligence of the intelligent I will confound.”

Where is the wise person? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom did not know God, God was pleased through the foolishness of preaching to save those who believe. For indeed, Jews ask for sign miracles and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a cause for stumbling, but to the Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

Copyright 2012 Lexham Press

KJV 1900King James Version

For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

Public Domain