1 Corinthians 3:18 BSB

1 Corinthians 3:18

Let no one deceive himself. If any of you thinks he is wise in this age, he should become a fool, so that he may become wise.

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

Let no man deceive himself. If any man thinketh that he is wise among you in this world, let him become a fool, that he may become wise.

KJV

Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.

⋯

Commentary

2 voices

Cyprian

Treatise IX. On the Advantage of Patience (258)

Philosophers also profess that they pursue this virtue; but in their case the patience is as false as their wisdom also is. For whence can he be either wise or patient, who has neither known the wisdom nor the patience of God? since He Himself warns us, and says of those who seem to themselves to be wise in this world, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will reprove the understanding of the prudent."

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

He must be sensible of his own ignorance, and lament it; he must distrust his own understanding, and not lean on it. To have a high opinion of our wisdom is but to flatter ourselves, and self-flattery is the very next step to self-deceit. The way to true wisdom is to sink our opinion of our own to a due level, and be willing to be taught of God.

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible (1832)

If any man among you seemeth to be wise - Ει τις δοκει σοφος ειναι· If any pretend or affect to be wise. This seems to refer to some individual in the Church of Corinth, who had been very troublesome to its peace and unity: probably Diotrephes (see on 1Co 1:14 (note)) or some one of a similar spirit, who wished to have the pre-eminence, and thought himself wiser than seven men that could render a reason. Every Christian Church has less or more of these.

Voices on this verse

loading…

Original language & word study

19 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
Μηδεὶς	Mēdeis	No one	G3367 →
ἑαυτὸν	he'auton	himself	G1438 →
ἐξαπατάτω·	exapatatō	should deceive;	G1818 →
εἴ	ei	if	G1487 →
τις	tis	anyone	G5100 →
δοκεῖ	dokei	thinks [himself]	G1380 →
σοφὸς	sophos	wise	G4680 →
εἶναι	einai	to be	G1511 →
ἐν	en	among	G1722 →
ὑμῖν	humin	you	G4771 →
ἐν	en	in	G1722 →
τῷ	tō	<the>	G3588 →
αἰῶνι	aiōni	age	G165 →
τούτῳ,	toutō	this,	G3778 →
μωρὸς	mōros	foolish	G3474 →
γενέσθω	genesthō	he should become	G1096 →
ἵνα	ina	so that	G2443 →
γένηται	genētai	he may become	G1096 →
σοφός.	sophos	wise.	G4680 →

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
Proverbs 3:5
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;
leads to
- Psalms 37:5
  Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will do it.
- Jeremiah 17:7–8
  But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him.
- Proverbs 28:26
  He who trusts in himself is a fool, but one who walks in wisdom will be safe.
- Psalms 37:3
  Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.
- Psalms 62:8
  Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts before Him. God is our refuge. Selah
Through
Galatians 6:3
If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
leads to
- Proverbs 26:12
  Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
  Reached by 2 independent paths from here.
- 1 Corinthians 8:2
  The one who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know.
- Romans 12:3
  For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but think of yourself with sober judgment, according to the measure…

Featured studies on this passage

Walks through 1 Corinthians 3

Fire

Open the study →

Walks through 1 Corinthians 3

The Intermediate State

Between death and resurrection, Scripture says the Christian dead are both with Christ and asleep — set the passages side by side and see how they resolve.

Open the study →

Walks through 1 Corinthians 3

The Judgment Seat of Christ | MannaFest

Open the study →

Nebuchadnezzar's Dream of the Composite Statue (Ars moriendi manuscript) — Unknown illuminator

Walks through 1 Corinthians 3

Gold, Silver, Bronze & Iron

Open the study →

Moses and Aaron Appear before Pharaoh — engraving by Gustave Doré

Walks through 1 Corinthians 3

The Tabernacle

A floor plan of the gospel. Eight furniture pieces, three concentric zones, one veil torn the moment Christ died. Among the most architecturally complete typological structures in Scripture.

Open the study →

Walks through 1 Corinthians 3

The Tree

Open the study →

About 1 Corinthians

The Crucifixion — 'Christ crucified' (1 Cor 2:2) — Gustave Doré (engraving, public domain)

1 Corinthians: the study guide →Read chapter 3 →The featured study →

Continue: 1 Corinthians 3 →

01Commentary

The record, by era

Voices on this verse

02Original language & word study

03The walk

Where the connections lead

04Related verses

05Featured studies on this passage

06About 1 Corinthians

The record, by era

Where the connections lead

Commentary

Original language & word study

The walk

Related verses

Featured studies on this passage

About 1 Corinthians