1 Corinthians 1:17

1:17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel – and not with clever speech, so that the cross of Christ would not become useless. ¹ 

1 Corinthians 1:20

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 Corinthians 1:30

1:30 He is the reason you have a relationship with Christ Jesus, ³  who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption,

1 Corinthians 2:1

2:1 When I came ⁴  to you, brothers and sisters, ⁵  I did not come with superior eloquence or wisdom as I proclaimed the testimony ⁶  of God.

1 Corinthians 2:7

2:7 Instead we speak the wisdom of God, hidden in a mystery, that God determined before the ages for our glory.

1 Corinthians 3:19

3:19 For the wisdom of this age is foolishness with God. As it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness.” ⁷ 

[1:17]  ¹ tn Grk “would not be emptied.”

[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.

[1:30]  ³ tn Grk “of him you are in Christ Jesus.”

[2:1]  ⁴ tn Grk “and I, when I came.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, κἀγώ (kagw) has not been translated here.

[2:1]  ⁵ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:10.

[2:1]  ⁶ tc ‡ A few important mss (Ì^46vid א* A C pc as well as some versions and fathers) read μυστήριον (musthrion, “mystery”) instead of μαρτύριον (marturion, “testimony”). But the latter has wider ms support (א² B D F G Ψ 33 1739 1881 Ï and some versions), though not quite as impressive. μαρτύριον may have been changed by scribes in anticipation of Paul’s words in 2:7, or conversely, μυστήριον may have been changed to conform to 1:6. Transcriptionally, since “the mystery of God/Christ” is a well-worn expression in the corpus Paulinum (1 Cor 2:7; 4:1; Eph 3:4; Col 2:2; 4:3), while “testimony of Christ” occurs in Paul only once (1 Cor 1:6, though “testimony of the Lord” appears in 2 Tim 1:8), and “testimony of God” never, it is likely that scribes changed the text to the more usual expression. A decision is difficult in this instance, but a slight preference should be given to μαρτύριον.

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