Christ the Wisdom and Power of God

18 For the word of the cross is (A)folly to (B)those who are perishing, but to us (C)who are being saved it is (D)the power of God. 19 For it is written,

(E)“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
    and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”

20 (F)Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? (G)Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 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[a] to save those who believe. 22 For (H)Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ (I)crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ (J)the power of God and (K)the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 1:21 Or the folly of preaching

18 For gar the ho message logos · ho of the ho cross stauros is eimi foolishness mōria to those ho who are perishing apollymi, but de to ho us hēmeis who are being saved sōzō it is eimi the power dynamis of God theos. 19 For gar it is written graphō, “ I will destroy apollymi the ho wisdom sophia of the ho wise sophos, and kai the ho shrewdness synesis of the ho intelligent synetos I will thwart atheteō.” 20 Where pou is the wise sophos person ? Where pou is the scholar grammateus? Where pou is the brilliant syzētētēs debater of ho this houtos age aiōn? Has not ouchi God theos made foolish mōrainō · ho the ho wisdom sophia of the ho world kosmos? 21 For gar since epeidē in en the ho wisdom sophia of ho God theos the ho world kosmos did not ou come to know ginōskō God theos through dia · ho wisdom sophia, · ho God theos was pleased eudokeō · ho through dia the ho foolishness mōria of ho what we preach kērygma to save sōzō those ho who believe pisteuō. 22 For epeidē · kai Jews Ioudaios demand aiteō signs sēmeion and kai Greeks Hellēn are looking for zēteō wisdom sophia, 23 but de we hēmeis preach kēryssō Christ Christos crucified stauroō, a stumbling block skandalon to Jews Ioudaios and de foolishness mōria to Gentiles ethnos. 24 Yet de to those autos who ho are called klētos, both te Jews Ioudaios and kai Greeks Hellēn, Christ Christos is the power dynamis of God theos and kai the wisdom sophia of God theos. 25 For hoti the ho foolishness mōros of ho God theos is eimi wiser sophos than the wisdom of ho men anthrōpos, and kai the ho weakness asthenēs of ho God theos is stronger ischuros than the strength of ho men anthrōpos.

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