1 Corinthians 1:18-24

18The message about the cross is nonsense to those who are being destroyed, but it is God’s power to us who are being saved.

19Scripture says, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise. I will reject the intelligence of intelligent people.”

20Where is the wise person? Where is the scholar? Where is the persuasive speaker of our time? Hasn’t God turned the wisdom of the world into nonsense?

21The world with its wisdom was unable to recognize God in terms of his own wisdom. So God decided to use the nonsense of the Good News we speak to save those who believe.

22Jews ask for miraculous signs, and Greeks look for wisdom,

23but our message is that Christ was crucified. This offends Jewish people and makes no sense to people who are not Jewish.

24But to those Jews and Greeks who are called, he is Christ, God’s power and God’s wisdom.