⁷ He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and desired to hear God’s message.^(A)

¹⁹ For it is written:

²⁰ Where is the philosopher?^[b] Where is the scholar? Where is the debater of this age?^(B) Hasn’t God made the world’s wisdom foolish? ²¹ For since, in God’s wisdom, the world did not know God through wisdom, God was pleased to save those who believe through the foolishness of the message preached. ²² For the Jews ask for signs^(C) and the Greeks seek wisdom, ²³ but we preach Christ crucified,^(D) a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles.^{[c] 24} Yet to those who are called,^(E) both Jews and Greeks, Christ is God’s power and God’s wisdom, ²⁵ because God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.

Boasting Only in the Lord

²⁶ Brothers, consider your calling: Not many are wise from a human perspective,^[d] not many powerful,^(F) not many of noble birth. ²⁷ Instead, God has chosen^(G) what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong.

¹⁹ For the wisdom of this world is foolishness^(A) with God, since it is written:^(B) He catches the wise in their craftiness;^{(C)[a] 20} and again, The Lord knows that the reasonings^(D) of the wise are meaningless.^(E)[b]