1 Corinthians 1:20
Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
Original Language Analysis
τοῦ
G3588
τοῦ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
7 of 18
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
αἰῶνος
world
G165
αἰῶνος
world
Strong's:
G165
Word #:
8 of 18
properly, an age; by extension, perpetuity (also past); by implication, the world; specially (jewish) a messianic period (present or future)
ἐμώρανεν
hath
G3471
ἐμώρανεν
hath
Strong's:
G3471
Word #:
11 of 18
to become insipid; figuratively, to make (passively, act) as a simpleton
ὁ
G3588
ὁ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
12 of 18
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
θεὸς
God
G2316
θεὸς
God
Strong's:
G2316
Word #:
13 of 18
a deity, especially (with g3588) the supreme divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; exceedingly (by hebraism)
τὴν
G3588
τὴν
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
14 of 18
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
τοῦ
G3588
τοῦ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
16 of 18
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
Cross References
Romans 1:22Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,Job 12:17He leadeth counsellors away spoiled, and maketh the judges fools.1 Corinthians 1:19For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.1 Corinthians 3:19For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.Isaiah 33:18Thine heart shall meditate terror. Where is the scribe? where is the receiver? where is he that counted the towers?Isaiah 44:25That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish;Job 12:24He taketh away the heart of the chief of the people of the earth, and causeth them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way.
Historical Context
Paul confronts the three major intellectual traditions of his world: Greek philosophy (Plato, Aristotle, the Stoics, Epicureans), Jewish Torah scholarship (Pharisees, scribes), and Roman rhetoric (sophists, orators). All three claimed to offer wisdom and truth. Yet none produced salvation. The cross confounded all three: Greeks found it foolish, Jews found it scandalous (v. 23), and rhetoricians couldn't package it attractively. God's wisdom bypassed them all.
Questions for Reflection
- How does the gospel confound not just one intellectual tradition but all human attempts to reach God by wisdom?
- What are the modern equivalents of "the wise, the scribe, the disputer"—and how does the cross silence them?
- In what ways do we rely on worldly wisdom (credentials, sophistication, intellectual achievement) rather than the gospel?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? (pou sophos, pou grammateus, pou syzētētēs tou aiōnos toutou, ποῦ σοφός, ποῦ γραμματεύς, ποῦ συζητητὴς τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου)—Paul issues a triumphant taunt, echoing Isaiah 33:18. The wise (sophos, σοφός) represents Greek philosophers. The scribe (grammateus, γραμματεύς) represents Jewish Torah experts. The disputer (syzētētēs, συζητητής, "debater, skillful arguer") represents sophists and rhetoricians. Where are they now? Silent, confounded, unable to produce salvation.
Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? (ouchi emōranen ho theos tēn sophian tou kosmou, οὐχὶ ἐμώρανεν ὁ θεὸς τὴν σοφίαν τοῦ κόσμου)—The verb mōrainō (μωραίνω, "to make foolish") is related to mōria ("foolishness"). God turned the tables: the world calls the cross foolish, but God reveals worldly wisdom as the true foolishness. The wisdom of this world (sophia tou kosmou, σοφία τοῦ κόσμου) is human wisdom operating in rebellion against God, cut off from divine revelation.