that no flesh should glory in His presence.
Parallel translations
- WEB that no flesh should boast before God.
- KJV That no flesh should glory in his presence.
- BSB so that no one may boast 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 then is the boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith.
- Eph 2:9not of works, that no one would boast.
- Jer 9:23Yahweh says, “Don’t let the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might. Don’t let the rich man glory in his riches.
- 1 Cor 1:31that, according as it is written, “He who boasts, let him boast in the Lord.”
- 1 Cor 4:7For who makes you different? And what do you have that you didn’t receive? But if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?
- Rom 3:19Now we know that whatever things the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may be brought under the judgment of God.
- Rom 15:17I have therefore my boasting in Christ Jesus in things pertaining to God.
- 1 Cor 5:6Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole lump?
- Isa 10:15Should an ax brag against him who chops with it? Should a saw exalt itself above him who saws with it? As if a rod should lift those who lift it up, or as if a staff should lift up someone who is not wood.
- Rom 4:2For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not toward God.
- Ps 49:6Those who trust in their wealth, and boast 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.