1 Corinthians 1:18-2:16

New International Version

Christ Crucified Is God’s Power and Wisdom

¹⁸ For the message of the cross is foolishness^(A) to those who are perishing,^(B) but to us who are being saved^(C) it is the power of God.^{(D) 19} For it is written:

²⁰ Where is the wise person?^(F) Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age?^(G) Has not God made foolish^(H) the wisdom of the world? ²¹ For since in the wisdom of God the world^(I) through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save^(J) those who believe.^{(K) 22} Jews demand signs^(L) and Greeks look for wisdom, ²³ but we preach Christ crucified:^(M) a stumbling block^(N) to Jews and foolishness^(O) to Gentiles, ²⁴ but to those whom God has called,^(P) both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God^(Q) and the wisdom of God.^{(R) 25} For the foolishness^(S) of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness^(T) of God is stronger than human strength.

²⁶ Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called.^(U) Not many of you were wise^(V) by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. ²⁷ But God chose^(W) the foolish^(X) things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. ²⁸ God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not^(Y)—to nullify the things that are, ²⁹ so that no one may boast before him.^{(Z) 30} It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus,^(AA) who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness,^(AB) holiness^(AC) and redemption.^{(AD) 31} Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”^[b](AE)

2 And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom^(AF) as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.^{[c] 2} For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.^{(AG) 3} I came to you^(AH) in weakness^(AI) with great fear and trembling.^{(AJ) 4} My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words,^(AK) but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,^{(AL) 5} so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.^(AM)

God’s Wisdom Revealed by the Spirit

⁶ We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature,^(AN) but not the wisdom of this age^(AO) or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.^{(AP) 7} No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery^(AQ) that has been hidden^(AR) and that God destined for our glory before time began. ⁸ None of the rulers of this age^(AS) understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.^{(AT) 9} However, as it is written:

¹⁰ these are the things God has revealed^(AV) to us by his Spirit.^(AW)

The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. ¹¹ For who knows a person’s thoughts^(AX) except their own spirit^(AY) within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. ¹² What we have received is not the spirit^(AZ) of the world,^(BA) but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. ¹³ This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom^(BB) but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.^{[e] 14} The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God^(BC) but considers them foolishness,^(BD) and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. ¹⁵ The person with the Spirit^(BE) makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, ¹⁶ for,

But we have the mind of Christ.^(BG)