Christ Crucified Is God’s Power and Wisdom

¹⁸ For the message of the cross is foolishness^(A) to those who are perishing,^(B) but to us who are being saved^(C) it is the power of God.^{(D) 19} For it is written:

²⁰ Where is the wise person?^(F) Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age?^(G) Has not God made foolish^(H) the wisdom of the world? ²¹ For since in the wisdom of God the world^(I) through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save^(J) those who believe.^{(K) 22} Jews demand signs^(L) and Greeks look for wisdom, ²³ but we preach Christ crucified:^(M) a stumbling block^(N) to Jews and foolishness^(O) to Gentiles, ²⁴ but to those whom God has called,^(P) both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God^(Q) and the wisdom of God.^{(R) 25} For the foolishness^(S) of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness^(T) of God is stronger than human strength.

¹⁰ these are the things God has revealed^(A) to us by his Spirit.^(B)

The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. ¹¹ For who knows a person’s thoughts^(C) except their own spirit^(D) within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. ¹² What we have received is not the spirit^(E) of the world,^(F) but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. ¹³ This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom^(G) but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.^{[a] 14} The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God^(H) but considers them foolishness,^(I) and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. ¹⁵ The person with the Spirit^(J) makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, ¹⁶ for,

But we have the mind of Christ.^(L)