²⁰ Where is the wise person?^(A) Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age?^(B) Has not God made foolish^(C) the wisdom of the world?

²¹ For since in the wisdom of God the world^(A) through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save^(B) those who believe.^(C)

²⁷ But God chose^(A) the foolish^(B) 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^(A)—to nullify the things that are,

¹² What we have received is not the spirit^(A) of the world,^(B) but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.

¹⁹ For the wisdom of this world is foolishness^(A) in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness”^[a];^(B)

²² whether Paul or Apollos^(A) or Cephas^[a](B) or the world or life or death or the present or the future^(C)—all are yours,

¹³ when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage^(A) of the world—right up to this moment.

¹⁰ not at all meaning the people of this world^(A) who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world.

² Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world?^(A) And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases?