1 Corinthians 1:17-20

New Catholic Bible

¹⁷The Message of the Cross and Human Wisdom.^[a] For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel—and to do so without words of human wisdom lest the cross of Christ be devoid of its meaning. ¹⁸Indeed, the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. ¹⁹For it is written,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the understanding of the learned I will bring to naught.”^[b]

²⁰Where now are the wise ones? Where are the men of learning? Where are the debaters of this present age? Has God not shown the wisdom of the world to be foolish?

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Footnotes

1 Corinthians 1:17 The most beautiful construction of the human spirit cannot by itself bring salvation to the human race. This section does not oppose faith and philosophy to one another. It affirms above all that people are saved not by an intellectual theory but by God’s intervention in Jesus Christ. Faith does not consist in an ideology.
1 Corinthians 1:19 The citation is from Isa 29:14, where the Lord denounces the “wise” for their policy of seeking an alliance with Egypt against King Sennacherib of Assyria. The wise: the 6th-century B.C. Athenian statesman Aristedes remarked that every street in Corinth had its own so-called wise man, who claimed to have a solution to all the problems of the world.

1 Corinthians 1:17-20

King James Version

¹⁷For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

¹⁸For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

¹⁹For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

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?

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1 Corinthians 1:17-20

New International Version

¹⁷For Christ did not send me to baptize,^(A) but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom^(B) and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

Christ Crucified Is God’s Power and Wisdom

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

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”^[a]^(G)

²⁰Where is the wise person?^(H) Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age?^(I) Has not God made foolish^(J) the wisdom of the world?

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