1 Korintus 1:18-20

The Message of the Cross

1:18 For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1:19 For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will thwart the cleverness of the intelligent.” ¹  1:20 Where is the wise man? Where is the expert in the Mosaic law? ²  Where is the debater of this age? Has God not made the wisdom of the world foolish?

1 Korintus 2:14

2:14 The unbeliever ³  does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him. And he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

1 Korintus 3:18-19

3:18 Guard against self-deception, each of you. ⁴  If someone among you thinks he is wise in this age, let him become foolish so that he can become wise. 3:19 For the wisdom of this age is foolishness with God. As it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness.” ⁵ 

[1:19]  ¹ sn A quotation from Isa 29:14.

[1:20]  ² tn Grk “the scribe.” The traditional rendering of γραμματεύς (grammateu") as “scribe” does not communicate much to the modern English reader, for whom the term might mean “professional copyist,” if it means anything at all. The people referred to here were recognized experts in the law of Moses and in traditional laws and regulations. Thus “expert in the Mosaic law” comes closer to the meaning for the modern reader.

[2:14]  ³ tn Grk “natural person.” Cf. BDAG 1100 s.v. ψυχικός a, “an unspiritual pers., one who merely functions bodily, without being touched by the Spirit of God.”

[3:18]  ⁴ tn Grk “let no one deceive himself.”

[3:19]  ⁵ sn A quotation from Job 5:13.