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1 Corinthians 1:19

Made Simple — Modern English Translation

Translated by Verse Made Simple Editorial
KJV ORIGINAL
For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE

Because it's already been written: 'I'm going to tear down the wisdom that the 'smart' people are so proud of, and I'll make all their clever understanding completely useless.'

⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE

God's about to humble everyone who thinks they've got it all figured out.

📚 Historical Context

In the first century AD, the city of Corinth was a thriving center of Greek culture that highly valued philosophy, rhetoric, and human wisdom, which influenced the early Christian church there. Paul, writing to address divisions among the Corinthians who were aligning with different human leaders, quotes from Isaiah 29:14 in the Old Testament to show that God deliberately undermines worldly wisdom to reveal His superior plan. This sets the stage for Paul's argument that the gospel's message of the cross appears foolish to the world but is actually God's powerful truth.

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