1 Corinthians 1:18-29 For to those who are on the way to destruction, the story of the cross is nonsense, but to us who are to be saved, it means all the power of God.

Goodspeed⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹⁸ For to those who are on the way to destruction, the story of the cross is nonsense, but to us who are to be saved, it means all the power of God. ¹⁹ For the Scripture says, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And I will thwart the shrewdness of the shrewd!" ²⁰ Where now is your philosopher? Your scribe? Your reasoner of today? Has not God made a fool of the world's wisdom? ²¹ For since in God's providence the world with all its wisdom did not come to know God, God chose, through the folly of the gospel message, to save those who had faith in him. ²² For Jews insist upon miracles, and Greeks demand philosophy, ²³ but we proclaim a Christ who was crucified—an idea that is revolting to Jews and absurd to the heathen, ²⁴ but to those whom God has called, whether they are Jews or Greeks, a Christ who is God's power and God's wisdom. ²⁵ For God's folly is beyond the wisdom of men, and God's weakness is beyond their strength. ²⁶ For consider, brothers, what happened when God called you. Not many of you were what men call wise, not many of you were influential, not many were of high birth. ²⁷ But it was what the world calls foolish that God chose to put the wise to shame with, and it was what the world calls weak that God chose to shame its strength with, ²⁸ and it was what the world calls low and insignificant and unreal that God chose to nullify its realities, ²⁹ so that in his presence no human being might have anything to boast of.