Focused Passage

1 Corinthians 1:18-25

The Cross of Christ Against Boasting, Division, and Worldly Wisdom

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

18For 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; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”

20Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

21For 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.

22Jews demand signs and Greeks search for wisdom,

23but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,

24but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

25For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 18

Original words

ForγὰρG1063ConjunctiontheG3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularmessageλόγοςG3056Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine Singularof theτοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularcrossσταυροῦG4716Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularisἐστίνG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularfoolishnessμωρίαG3472Noun - Nominative Feminine Singularto those whoτοῖςG3588Article - Dative Masculine Plural-μὲνG3303Conjunctionare perishingἀπολλυμένοιςG622Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Dative Masculine PluralbutδὲG1161Conjunctionto us whoἡμῖνG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 1st Person Plural-τοῖςG3588Article - Dative Masculine Pluralare being savedσῳζομένοιςG4982Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Dative Masculine Pluralit isἐστινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular[the] powerδύναμιςG1411Noun - Nominative Feminine Singularof GodΘεοῦG2316Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Verse 19

Original words

ForγάρG1063Conjunctionit is writtenγέγραπταιG1125Verb - Perfect Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person SingularI will destroyἈπολῶG622Verb - Future Indicative Active - 1st Person SingulartheτὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine SingularwisdomσοφίανG4678Noun - Accusative Feminine Singularof theτῶνG3588Article - Genitive Masculine PluralwiseσοφῶνG4680Adjective - Genitive Masculine Plural-καὶG2532ConjunctiontheτὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine SingularintelligenceσύνεσινG4907Noun - Accusative Feminine Singularof theτῶνG3588Article - Genitive Masculine PluralintelligentσυνετῶνG4908Adjective - Genitive Masculine PluralI will frustrateἀθετήσωG114Verb - Future Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular

BSB notes

  • Isaiah 29:14 (see also LXX)
Verse 20

Original words

Where [is the]ΠοῦG4226Adverbwise [man]σοφόςG4680Adjective - Nominative Masculine SingularWhere [is]ποῦG4226Adverb[the] scribeγραμματεύςG1122Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularWhere [is]ποῦG4226Adverb[the] philosopherσυζητητὴςG4804Noun - Nominative Masculine Singularof thisτούτουG3778Demonstrative Pronoun - Genitive Masculine Singular-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularageαἰῶνοςG165Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular{Has} notοὐχὶG3780IntPrtcl-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularGodΘεὸςG2316Noun - Nominative Masculine Singularmade foolishἐμώρανενG3471Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingulartheτὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine SingularwisdomσοφίανG4678Noun - Accusative Feminine Singularof theτοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularworldκόσμουG2889Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Verse 21

Original words

ForγὰρG1063ConjunctionsinceἐπειδὴG1894ConjunctioninἐνG1722PrepositiontheτῇG3588Article - Dative Feminine SingularwisdomσοφίᾳG4678Noun - Dative Feminine Singular-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Singularof GodΘεοῦG2316Noun - Genitive Masculine SingulartheG3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularworldκόσμοςG2889Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularthroughδιὰG1223Preposition[its]τῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingularwisdomσοφίαςG4678Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular{did} notοὐκG3756AdverbknowἔγνωG1097Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular-τὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine Singular[Him]ΘεόνG2316Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularGodΘεὸςG2316Noun - Nominative Masculine Singularwas pleasedεὐδόκησενG2106Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularthroughδιὰG1223PrepositiontheτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingularfoolishnessμωρίαςG3472Noun - Genitive Feminine Singularof whatτοῦG3588Article - Genitive Neuter Singularwas preachedκηρύγματοςG2782Noun - Genitive Neuter Singularto saveσῶσαιG4982Verb - Aorist Infinitive Activethose whoτοὺςG3588Article - Accusative Masculine PluralbelieveπιστεύονταςG4100Verb - Present Participle Active - Accusative Masculine Plural
Verse 22

Original words

-ἘπειδὴG1894Conjunction-καὶG2532ConjunctionJewsἸουδαῖοιG2453Adjective - Nominative Masculine PluraldemandαἰτοῦσινG154Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluralsignsσημεῖαG4592Noun - Accusative Neuter PluralandκαὶG2532ConjunctionGreeksἝλληνεςG1672Noun - Nominative Masculine Pluralsearch forζητοῦσινG2212Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluralwisdomσοφίανG4678Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Verse 23

Original words

butδὲG1161ConjunctionweἡμεῖςG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person PluralpreachκηρύσσομενG2784Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person PluralChristΧριστὸνG5547Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularcrucifiedἐσταυρωμένονG4717Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Accusative Masculine Singulara stumbling blockσκάνδαλονG4625Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular-μὲνG3303Conjunctionto JewsἸουδαίοιςG2453Adjective - Dative Masculine PluralandδὲG1161ConjunctionfoolishnessμωρίανG3472Noun - Accusative Feminine Singularto GentilesἔθνεσινG1484Noun - Dative Neuter Plural

BSB notes

  • BYZ and TR to Greeks
Verse 24

Original words

butδὲG1161Conjunctionto thoseαὐτοῖςG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person PluralwhoτοῖςG3588Article - Dative Masculine Pluralare calledκλητοῖςG2822Adjective - Dative Masculine PluralbothτεG5037ConjunctionJewsἸουδαίοιςG2453Adjective - Dative Masculine PluralandκαὶG2532ConjunctionGreeksἝλλησινG1672Noun - Dative Masculine PluralChristΧριστὸνG5547Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular[the] powerδύναμινG1411Noun - Accusative Feminine Singularof GodΘεοῦG2316Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularandκαὶG2532Conjunction[the] wisdomσοφίανG4678Noun - Accusative Feminine Singularof GodΘεοῦG2316Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Verse 25

Original words

ForὍτιG3754ConjunctiontheτὸG3588Article - Nominative Neuter SingularfoolishnessμωρὸνG3474Adjective - Nominative Neuter Singular-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Singularof GodΘεοῦG2316Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularisἐστίνG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularwiserσοφώτερονG4680Adjective - Nominative Neuter Singular - Comparative-τῶνG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Pluralthan man’s [wisdom]ἀνθρώπωνG444Noun - Genitive Masculine PluralandκαὶG2532ConjunctiontheτὸG3588Article - Nominative Neuter SingularweaknessἀσθενὲςG772Adjective - Nominative Neuter Singular-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Singularof GodΘεοῦG2316Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular[is] strongerἰσχυρότερονG2478Adjective - Nominative Neuter Singular - Comparative-τῶνG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Pluralthan man’s [strength]ἀνθρώπωνG444Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural

BSB notes

  • Literally than men; twice in this verse

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.