1 Corinthians 1:21

1 Corinthians 1:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
• New International Version (NIV)For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.
• English Standard Version (ESV)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 to save those who believe.
• New King James Version (NKJV)For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.

Context of 1 Corinthians 1:21

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? The 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.

1 Corinthians 1:21 word by word

ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐν τῇ σοφίᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ οὐκ ἔγνω ὁ κόσμος διὰ τῆς σοφίας τὸν θεόν, εὐδόκησεν ὁ θεὸς διὰ τῆς μωρίας τοῦ κηρύγματος σῶσαι τοὺς πιστεύοντας·Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Forγάρgar · forG1063
• after thatἐπειδήepeidē · sinceG1894
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• the wisdomὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the wisdomσοφίαsophia · wisdomG4678
• of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• the worldκόσμοςkosmos · worldG2889
• byδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
• knewγινώσκωginōskō · to knowG1097
• notοὐou · noG3756
• it pleasedεὐδοκέωeudokeō · to delightG2106
• the foolishnessμωρίαmōria · foolishnessG3472
• of preachingκήρυγμαkērugma · preachingG2782
• to saveσῴζωsōzō · to saveG4982
• that believeπιστεύωpisteuō · to trust (in)G4100

Cross-references for 1 Corinthians 1:21

• 1 Corinthians 1:24But to those Jews and Greeks who are called, he is Christ, God’s power and God’s wisdom.
• Daniel 2:20He said, “Praise God’s name from everlasting to everlasting because he is wise and powerful.
• Romans 11:33God’s riches, wisdom, and knowledge are so deep that it is impossible to explain his decisions or to understand his ways.
• Ephesians 3:10He did this so that now, through the church, he could let the rulers and authorities in heaven know his infinite wisdom.
• Matthew 11:25At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for hiding these things from wise and intelligent people and revealing them to little children.
• Luke 10:21In that hour the Holy Spirit filled Jesus with joy. Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for hiding these things from wise and intelligent people and revealing them to little children. Yes, Father, this is what pleased you.
• Romans 1:20From the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly observed in what he made. As a result, people have no excuse.
• 1 Corinthians 1:18The message about the cross is nonsense to those who are being destroyed, but it is God’s power to us who are being saved.

Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 1:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21For after that in the wisdom of God - Dr. Lightfoot observes, "That , the wisdom of God, is not to be understood of that wisdom which had God for its author, but that wisdom which had God for its object. There was, among the heathen, , wisdom about natural things, that is, philosophy; and , wisdom about God; that is, divinity. But the world in its divinity could not, by wisdom, know God." The plain meaning of this verse is, that the wise men of the world…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21For after that - ̓̀ epeidēSince, or seeing that it is true that the world by wisdom knew not God. After all the experience of the world it was ascertained that human beings would never by their own wisdom come to the true knowledge of God, and it pleased him to devise another plan for salvation. In the wisdom of God - This phrase is susceptible of two interpretations: (1) The first makes it refer to “the wisdom of God” evinced in the works of creation…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 17-25Verses 17-25 Paul had been bred up in Jewish learning; but the plain preaching of a crucified Jesus, was more powerful than all the oratory and philosophy of the heathen world. This is the sum and substance of the gospel. Christ crucified is the foundation of all our hopes, the fountain of all our joys. And by his death we live. The preaching of salvation for lost sinners by the sufferings and death of the Son of God, if explained and faithfully applied…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21Human wisdom alone does not lead people to truly know God. This understanding comes only through the message of the cross. The world sees this message as foolish, but it saves those who believe (see Matthew 11:25).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2121. after that--rather, "whereas." in the wisdom of God--in the wise arrangement of God. world by wisdom--rather, "by its wisdom," or "its philosophy" (Joh 1:10; Ro 1:28). knew not God--whatever other knowledge it attained (Ac 17:23, 27). The deistic theory that man can by the light of nature discover his duty to God, is disproved by the fact that man has never discovered it without revelation. All the stars and moon cannot make it day; that is the…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Corinthians 1:21

• Blindness
• Boasting
• Faith
• Gospel
• Philosophy
• Preaching
• Reasoning
• Salvation
• Wisdom

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Wisdom of God
• Confirm
• Corinthians, First Epistle to the
• Cross
• Disputer
• Foolishness
• Household
• Join

Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings