That no flesh should glory in his presence.
Parallel translations
- WEB that no flesh should boast before God.
- BSB so that no one may boast in His presence.
- NKJV that no flesh should glory in His presence.
- NASB so that no human may boast before God.
- NLT As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God's purpose in all this is that no human being may boast before Him. Salvation by grace removes every ground for pride.
Overview
Paul states the goal of God's choosing the lowly: to silence all human boasting in His presence. Since salvation rests entirely on God's grace and not human merit, no one can claim credit. This humbling truth is meant to redirect the divided, proud Corinthians toward glorying in God alone.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Rom 3:27Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.
- Eph 2:9Not of works, lest any man should boast.
- Jer 9:23Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:
- 1 Cor 1:31That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
- 1 Cor 4:7For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?
- Rom 3:19Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
- Rom 15:17I have therefore whereof I may glory through Jesus Christ in those things which pertain to God.
- 1 Cor 5:6Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
- Isa 10:15Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood.
- Rom 4:2For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
- Ps 49:6They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches;
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Christ crucified is the wisdom and power of God; he is our Passover sacrificed for us, the firstfruits of resurrection, the foundation on which everything is built.
How 1 Corinthians 1:29 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.