1 Corinthians 1:21 BSB

1 Corinthians 1:21

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.

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

For seeing that in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom knew not God, it was God’s good pleasure through the foolishness of the preaching to save them that believe.

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.

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Commentary

2 voices

Athanasius of Alexandria

296–373

On the Incarnation of the Word 15 (373)

Given that men had rejected the contemplation of God and were looking for him in nature and in the material world, making gods for themselves out of mortal men and demons, the loving and general Savior of all, the Word of God, took to himself a body and walked about like a man, in order to meet the senses halfway, so that those who think that God is corporeal might perceive the truth by observing what the Lord accomplishes in his body, and through him recognize the Father.

The record, by era

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

Albert Barnes

1798–1870

Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)

For after that - ἐπειδὴ epeidē. Since, 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.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

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 prerogative of the sun. Nor can nature's highest gifts make the moral day arise; that is the office of Christ.

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

27 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
ἐπειδὴ	epeidē	Since	G1894 →
γὰρ	gar	for	G1063 →
ἐν	en	in	G1722 →
τῇ	tēa	the	G3588 →
σοφίᾳ	sophia	wisdom	G4678 →
τοῦ	tou	<the>	G3588 →
θεοῦ	theou	of God	G2316 →
οὐκ	ouk	not	G3756 →
ἔγνω	egnō	knew	G1097 →
ὁ	ho	the	G3588 →
κόσμος	kosmos	world	G2889 →
διὰ	dia	through	G1223 →
τῆς	tēs	the	G3588 →
σοφίας	sophias	wisdom	G4678 →
τὸν	ton	<the>	G3588 →
θεόν,	theon	God,	G2316 →
εὐδόκησεν	eudokēsen	was pleased	G2106 →
ὁ	ho	<the>	G3588 →
θεὸς	theos	God	G2316 →
διὰ	dia	through	G1223 →
τῆς	tēs	the	G3588 →
μωρίας	mōrias	foolishness	G3472 →
τοῦ	tou	of the	G3588 →
κηρύγματος	kērugmatos	proclamation	G2782 →
σῶσαι	sōsai	to save	G4982 →
τοὺς	tous	those	G3588 →
πιστεύοντας·	pisteuontas	believing;	G4100 →

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

The walk

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
Matthew 11:25
At that time Jesus declared, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.
leads to
- Matthew 21:16
  “Do You hear what these children are saying?” they asked. “Yes,” Jesus answered. “Have you never read: ‘From the mouths of children and infants You have ordained praise’?”
- Psalms 8:2
  From the mouths of children and infants You have ordained praise on account of Your adversaries, to silence the enemy and avenger.
- Matthew 16:17
  Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by My Father in heaven.
- Luke 10:21–24
  At that time Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and declared, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them…
Through
1 Corinthians 1:24
but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
leads to
- 1 Corinthians 1:30
  It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God: our righteousness, holiness, and redemption.
- Colossians 2:3
  in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Through
Ephesians 3:10
His purpose was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,
leads to
- 1 Peter 1:12
  It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, when they foretold the things now announced by those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from…
- Ephesians 6:12
  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.