25 who destroys the omens of the false prophets
and makes fools of diviners;
who confounds the wise
and makes their knowledge foolishness;(A)

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The wise will be put to shame;
they will be dismayed and snared.
They have rejected the word of the Lord,
so what wisdom do they really have?

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

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19 For it is written:

I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and I will set aside the understanding of the experts.(A)[a]

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.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 1:19 Is 29:14
  2. 1 Corinthians 1:20 Or wise
  3. 1 Corinthians 1:23 Other mss read Greeks
  4. 1 Corinthians 1:26 Lit wise according to the flesh

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]

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