1 Corinthians 1:26

1 Corinthians 1:26 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
• New International Version (NIV)Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.
• English Standard Version (ESV)For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.
• New King James Version (NKJV)For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.

Context of 1 Corinthians 1:26

24but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25For the foolishness of God is wiser than mankind, and the weakness of God is stronger than mankind. For consider your calling, brothers and sisters, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; 27but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, 28and the insignificant things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are,

1 Corinthians 1:26 word by word

Βλέπετε γὰρ τὴν κλῆσιν ὑμῶν, ἀδελφοί, ὅτι οὐ πολλοὶ σοφοὶ κατὰ σάρκα, οὐ πολλοὶ δυνατοί, οὐ πολλοὶ εὐγενεῖς,Read the interlinear

• considerβλέπωblepō · to seeG991
• callingκλῆσιςklēsis · callingG2821
• brothersἀδελφόςadelphos · brotherG80
• not manyπολύςpolus polos · muchG4183
• wiseσοφόςsophos · wiseG4680
• accordingκατάkata · according toG2596
• the fleshσάρξsarx · fleshG4561
• mightyδυνατόςdunatos · ableG1415

Cross-references for 1 Corinthians 1:26

• 1 Corinthians 1:20Where is the wise person? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has God not made foolish the wisdom of the world?
• 1 Corinthians 2:3I also was with you in weakness and fear, and in great trembling,
• 1 Corinthians 3:18Take care that no one deceives himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise.
• Zephaniah 3:12But I will leave among you A humble and lowly people, And they will take refuge in the name of the Lord.
• Matthew 11:25At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent, and have revealed them to infants.
• Luke 10:21At that very time He rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit, and said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for doing so was well pleasing in Your sight.
• John 7:47The Pharisees then replied to them, “You have not been led astray too, have you?
• James 3:13Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.
• Luke 1:3it seemed fitting to me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in an orderly sequence, most excellent Theophilus;
• Luke 18:24And Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!
• John 4:46Therefore He came again to Cana of Galilee, where He had made the water into wine. And there was a royal official whose son was sick at Capernaum.
• John 19:38Now after these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear of the Jews, requested of Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So he came and took away His body.
• Acts 13:7who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God.
• Acts 17:34But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
• Philippians 4:22All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household.
• James 1:9Now the brother or sister of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position;

Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 1:26

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 26Ye see your calling - . The state of grace and blessedness to which ye are invited. I think, , etc., should be read in the imperative: Take heed to, or consider your calling, brethren; that (̔ ) not many of you are wise after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble: men is not in the original, and Paul seems to allude to the Corinthian believers in particular. This seems to have been said in opposition to the high and worldly notions of the Jews, who…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 26For ye see your calling - You know the general character and condition of those who are Christians among you, that they have not been generally taken from the wise, the rich, and the learned, but from humble life. The design of the apostle here is, to show that the gospel did not depend for its success on human wisdom. His argument is, that “in fact” those who were blessed by it had not been of the elevated ranks of life mainly, but that God had shown his…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 26-31Verses 26-31 God did not choose philosophers, nor orators, nor statesmen, nor men of wealth, and power, and interest in the world, to publish the gospel of grace and peace. He best judges what men and what measures serve the purposes of his glory. Though not many noble are usually called by Divine grace, there have been some such in every age, who have not been ashamed of the gospel of Christ; and persons of every rank stand in need of pardoning grace…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 26Socially and culturally, most Corinthian Christians were ordinary people. Few were among the elite (compare Matthew 11:25). Only a few Christians, such as Erastus, the city treasurer in Corinth (see Romans 16:23), were wealthy or high born (compare James 2:5).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2626. ye see--rather, from the prominence of the verb in the Greek, "see" or "consider" (imperative) [Alford from Vulgate and Irenæus]. your calling ... are called--Instead of the words in italics, supplied by English Version, supply, "were your callers." What Paul is dwelling on (compare 1Co 1:27, 28) is the weakness of the instrumentality which the Lord employed to convert the world [Hinds and Whately; so Anselm]. However, English Version accords well…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Corinthians 1:26

• Agency
• Boasting
• Power
• Predestination
• Reasoning
• Righteous
• Wisdom

In the dictionaries

• Wise men
• Confirm
• Corinthians, First Epistle to the
• Cross
• Disputer
• Foolishness
• Household
• Join
• Preach
• Revelation of Christ

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