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The Bible Study New Testament

1 Corinthians 1:21

For God. The Greek philosophers were some of the most intelligent men ever to live on this earth. With no tools but their own minds, they explored the limits of our creation and developed some startling concepts, over 2,000 years ago, that form the basis of our modern science. Yet with all their genius, they did not search out the True God (compare Acts 17:22-32)! By means of. It is by the "foolish message" of a crucified Savior that God saves those who believe.

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See also 1 Corinthians 1:21 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse 21. _FOR AFTER THAT IN THE WISDOM OF GOD_] Dr. Lightfoot observes, "That σοφια του θεου, _the wisdom of God_, is not to be understood of that wisdom which had God for its _author_, but that wis...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    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 the...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    2. CONTRASTS. CHAPTER 1:10-4). CHAPTER 1:10-31. _ 1. Divisions rebuked. (1 Corinthians 1:10)._ 2. The Cross of Christ, the Power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:17). The section which begins, after the in...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    1 CORINTHIANS 1:18 TO 1 CORINTHIANS 2:5. THE CROSS, FOLLY TO THE WORLD, IS THE POWER AND WISDOM OF GOD. Paul now explains and justifies 1 Corinthians 1:17_ b_, which to Greek readers must have soun

  • Barclay Daily Study Bible (NT)

    For the story of the Cross is foolishness to those who are on the way to destruction, but it is the power of God to those who are on the way to salvation. For it stands written, "I will wipe out the w...

  • Barclay Daily Study Bible (NT)

    AN APOSTOLIC INTRODUCTION (1 Corinthians 1:1-3)...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    AFTER THAT. since. KNEW. App-132. IT PLEASED GOD. God was well pleased. Greek. _eudokeo._ Occurs twenty-one times. Generally translated "pleased", "well pleased", "take pleasure". PREACHING. the th...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God_ We have here a contrast drawn between God's wisdom and that of man. Man's wisdom could but inquire and argue. God's wisdom had de...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    God's Message not intended to flatter the pride of man 18. _For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God_ Literally, TO THEM TH...

  • Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary

    ἘΠΕΙΔῊ ΓΆΡ. A.V. ‘for after that.’ But Winer, _Gr. Gram._ Pt III. § 53 (and Moulton’s note), says that ἐπειδή is not used of time in N. T. Translate therefore FOR SINCE. The meaning is that since huma...

  • Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary

    GOD’S MESSAGE NOT INTENDED TO FLATTER THE PRIDE OF MAN...

  • Charles Box Commentaries

    _THE PREACHING OF THE SON OF GOD 1 CORINTHIANS 1:18-24:_ The message of the cross and redemption by blood seems foolish to many that are lost. Satan lost the battle and sin was defeated by the death o...

  • Charles Rose Commentaries

    ΈΠΕΙΔΉ (G1894) ибо, следовательно, потому что. ΈΝ ΤΉ ΣΟΦΊΣΙ ΤΟΫ́ ΘΕΟΫ (G1722; G3588; G4678; G3588; G2316) в мудрости Бога. Предлог ΈΝ обозначает область действия или может передавать обстоятельства,...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    FOR AFTER THAT, IN THE WISDOM OF GOD— There is some difficulty in ascertaining the precise meaning of these words. Some understand it to be, "That since the world, _in the wisdom of God,_ that is to s...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    APPLEBURY'S COMMENTS _The Word of the Cross and the Wisdom of the World_ (18-31) _Text_ 1 Corinthians 1:18-31. For the word of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us who are save...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    BUTLER'S COMMENTS Unity Operates Through the Instrumentality of the Gospel (1 Corinthians 1:18-25) 18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    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. AFTER THAT - rather, whereas. IN THE WISDOM OF GOD...

  • Concordant Commentary on the New Testament by A. E. Knoch

    21 To this day the great, the noble, and the wise are a small minority among the true saints of God. It is a matter of extreme thankfulness that this is so. If high birth or wisdom or any other attain...

  • Darby's translation notes (1890)

    1:21 world (d-9) _ Kosmos_ , the usual word for world. see chs. 3.19; 6.2; Hebrews 9:1 . preaching (e-25) ' _ The_ preaching' gives a different sense from 'preaching.' Without the article it is the in...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    GREETING AND THANKSGIVING. PARTISANSHIP IN THE CHURCH St. Paul, after greeting the Church and giving thanks for its spiritual gifts, rebukes the preference for various teachers which was prevalent am...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    SERVANTS OF CHRIST 1 CORINTHIANS _HILDA BRIGHT_ ABOUT THIS LETTER CORINTH Corinth was an important city. It was on a very narrow section of land (called an ‘isthmus’) in the southern part of Gre...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    FOR. — This is an explanation and evidence of Low God made the wisdom of the world to be only “folly.” AFTER THAT (better, _inasmuch as_) is not here a note of time, but of causal relation. IN THE WI...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CHAPTER 4 THE FOOLISHNESS OF PREACHING In the preceding section of this Epistle Paul introduced the subject which was prominent in his thoughts as he wrote: the divided state of the Corinthian Churc...

  • Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

    § 4. THE TRUE POWER OF THE GOSPEL. To “preach the gospel” meant, above all, to proclaim the cross of Christ (1 Corinthians 1:17 b). In Cor [189] “the wisdom of the world” scouted this message as sheer...

  • Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

    ἐπειδὴ γάρ (_quoniam enim_, Cv [219]) introduces the _when_ and _how_ of God's stultifying the world's wisdom by the λόγος τοῦ σταύρου : “For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom...

  • Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

    The ἐπειδὴ of 1 Corinthians 1:21 and that of 1 Corinthians 1:22-25 are parl [218], the second restating and expanding the first (_cf._ the double ὅταν in 1 Corinthians 15:24, and in...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    THE CROSS GOD'S SAVING POWER 1 Corinthians 1:12 _ Apollos_ had gone straight from Ephesus to Corinth, Acts 19:1. A party gathered around him, especially attracted by his eloquence and intellectual br...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    The epistle is to the Church. Its messages are only for those who have been brought into fellowship with Jesus Christ. The character of the Church is indicated in the words, "sanctified in Christ Jesu...

  • Gary Hampton Commentaries

    The Foolishness of Preaching To those who are worldly minded, the preaching of the gospel is silly and absurd. To those who "are being saved" (footnote ASV) the gospel is mighty, like dynamite. The Gr...

  • Gary Hampton Commentaries

    Jesus Christ, Wisdom from God So, Paul said, not many of those who would be called wise, or powerful or noblemen followed Jesus. Most uprisings are successful because the upper crust leaders join and...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    (23) For after that in the (q) wisdom of God the (r) world by wisdom knew not God, (24) it pleased God by the (s) foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. (23) He shows that the pride of m...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    For seeing that in the wisdom of God, &c. That is, by the works of the divine wisdom, by the visible creatures of this world, and the effects of his providence, the world had not wisdom, or was not wi...

  • Godet's commentary on Luke, John, Romans, 1 Corinthians

    BODY OF THE EPISTLE. 1:10-15:58. I. The Parties in the Church of corinth. 1:10-4:21. EWALD has well stated the reason why the apostle puts this subject first, of all those he has to treat in his Ep...

  • Godet's commentary on Luke, John, Romans, 1 Corinthians

    “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.” The γάρ, _for_, does not signify, as Edwards thinks, t...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    (18) For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. (19) For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will brin...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    As usual, the introductory words (1 Corinthians 1:1-3) of the epistle give us no little intimation of that which is to follow. The apostle speaks of himself as such "called [to be] an apostle of Jesus...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    21._For since the world knew not. _The right order of things was assuredly this, that man, contemplating the wisdom of God in his works, by the light of the understanding furnished him by nature, migh...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    I will now turn back to take up the thread of the contents of this epistle from the beginning. Paul was an apostle by the will of God. That was his authority, however it might be with others. Moreover...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    FOR AFTER THAT IN THE WISDOM OF GOD,.... These words contain a reason proving the infatuation of men, with respect to "the wisdom of God"; by which may be meant either Christ, who is the wisdom of God...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    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. Ver. 21. _The world by wisdom_] Not the Jews by their d...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _The preaching of the cross_ The doctrine of the crucifixion of the Son of God, to expiate the sins of mankind, and procure salvation for such as should believe in him; _is to them that perish_ By obs...

  • Justin Edwards' Family Bible New Testament (1851)

    IN THE WISDOM OF GOD; after he in wisdom had suffered men to make the fullest experiments and show their utter insufficiency. THE FOOLISHNESS OF PREACHING; that which those who reject Christ regard a...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    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....

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    The foolishness of God wiser than men:...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    Paul writes here as "a called apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God." As such, it is the authoritative word of God he communicates, that which requires the subjection and obedience of all the Chu...

  • Mark Dunagan Commentaries

    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. 'For seeing' -'For sinc...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    17-25 Paul had been bred up in Jewish learning; but the plain preaching of a crucified Jesus, was more powerful than all the oratory and philosophy of the heathen world. This is the sum and substance...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    _For after that in the wisdom of God:_ some here, by _the wisdom of God, _ understand Jesus Christ, and make the sense thus: When he who is the Wisdom of God came and preached to the world. Others und...

  • McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries

    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. [Here Paul quotes Isaiah...

  • NT Verse References in the Ante-Nicene Fathers

    Clement of Alexandria Stromata Book I And if you ask the cause of their seeming wisdom, he will say, "because of the blindness of their heart; "since "in the wisdom of God," that is, as proclaimed by...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    1 Corinthians 1:21 For G1063 since G1894 in G1722 wisdom G4678 God G2316 world G2889 through G1223 wisdom G4

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    CHRIST CRUCIFIED FOR US AND THE NEW BIRTH THROUGH THE SPIRIT ARE THE TWO CENTRAL FOUNDATIONS OF CHRISTIANITY (1:10-4:21). Paul begins this section by revealing his concern that the Corinthians are in...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    ‘Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has God not made foolish the wisdom of the world? For seeing that in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not...

  • Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary on the NT (4 vols)

    1 Corinthians 1:21. FOR SEEING THAT IN THE WISDOM OF GOD THE WORLD BY WISDOM KNEW NOT GOD. Full time and swing He gave it, to try what it could do for humanity, before disclosing His own sovereign rem...

  • Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary on the NT (4 vols)

    SUMMARY. ‘I beseech you, study unity. Instead of this, I hear ye are ranging yourselves into schools and parties, each contending for its favourite preacher as if your salvation hung upon him. Thus is...

  • Robertson's Word Pictures of the New Testament

    SEEING THAT (επειδη). Since (επε and δη) with explanatory γαρ.THROUGH ITS WISDOM (δια της σοφιας). Article here as possessive. The two wisdoms contrasted.KNEW NOT GOD (ουκ εγνω). Failed to know,...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    1 Corinthians 1:21 I. What was the preaching referred to in the text? The word might fairly be rendered "the truth preached," for St. Paul is not thinking of the action and process of announcement, bu...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    1, 2. _Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth,_ -Note the humility of Paul in associating with hi...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    I am going to speak about the testimony of the apostle Peter concerning his Lord, but we will first read together part of the writings of his «beloved brother Paul,» that we may see how these eminent...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    1. _Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,_ This brother had been put to great shame. He was beaten before the judgment-seat, if you remembe...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Christians' position in grace. The unspiritual condition of the Corinthian saints. Danger of following human leaders and exulting in human wisdom. CHARACTERS: God, Jesus, Paul, Sosthenes, A...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    1 Corinthians 1:1. _Paul, called to be an apostle._ It was proper to mention this, else he would have had no title to address his letter to the Corinthians, and the catholic church, or saints in gener...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel._ PAUL’S PREACHING I. It exalted the Cross of Christ as the central element of the gospel. The apostle does not teach that truths associat...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise._ TRUE WISDOM The discovery of what is true, and the practice of that which is good, are the two most important objects of philosophy. (_Vol...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God._ WISDOM AND SALVATION I. Paul meant that men had tried to know God in His wisdom, not in His righteousness, not in His love, an...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 1 CORINTHIANS 1:10 Divisions over Christian Preachers. The Corinthians’ pride has led them to value appearance and powerful speaking over the genuine work of the Spirit....

  • The Great Commentary of Cornelius à Lapide

    RANSLATED AND EDITED BY W. F. COBB, D.D. EDINBURGH: JOHN GRANT 31 George IV. Bridge 1908 SAINT PAUL'S FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS EDITORS PREFACE In translating the Comments of Cornelius...

  • The Great Commentary of Cornelius à Lapide

    _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._ Mark the phrase, "in the wisdom of God," God shows His...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    _CRITICAL NOTES_ 1 Corinthians 1:19.— Isaiah 29:14 (nearly as LXX.), and a free imitation of Isaiah 30:18. FOR.—Sustains the _general drift_ of...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION The oldest superscription was probably, "To the Corinthians, the first (Πρὸς Κορινθίους πρώτη)." This is found in א, A, B, C, D. 1 CORINTHIANS 1:1 _The_ _greeting. _An opening salutati...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Let's turn to I Corinthians, chapter 1. Paul introduces himself as the writer with Sosthenes in the first verse. Paul, called an apostle (1 Corinthians 1:1) Notice the words to be are in italics. Th...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Corinthians 1:18; 1 Corinthians 1:24; Daniel 2:20; Ephesians 3:10;...

  • Vincent's Word Studies in the New Testament (4 Volume Set)

    After that [ε π ε ι δ η]. Rev., correctly, seeing that. By wisdom [δ ι α τ η ς σ ο φ ι α ς]. Better, as Rev., giving the force of the article, "through its wisdom." Preaching [κ η ρ υ γ μ α τ ο ς]....

  • Wells of Living Water Commentary

    THE CHURCH OF GOD AT CORINTH 1 Corinthians 1:1 INTRODUCTORY WORDS We propose taking several studies from the First Epistle to the Corinthians. There will be much to consider here which should help...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    For since in the wisdom of God — According to his wise disposals, leaving them to make the trial. The world — Whether Jewish or gentile, by all its boasted wisdom knew not God — Though the whole creat...

  • William Burkitt's Expository Notes

    Observe here, 1. That the frame of this world, or the work of creation, is here called THE WISDOM OF GOD; the name of the cause is given to the effect, because divine wisdom shines so clearly forth in...

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Old Testament