so that your faith would not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.
Parallel translations
- WEB that your faith wouldn’t stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
- KJV That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
- NKJV that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
- NASB so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of mankind, but on the power of God.
- NLT I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power 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
The purpose was that their faith would rest on God's power, not human wisdom. A faith built on human cleverness would be unstable; faith grounded in God endures.
Overview
Paul reveals his deliberate strategy: by avoiding showy wisdom, he ensured their faith stood on God's power. Faith founded on a persuasive speaker could collapse when a more persuasive one appeared, which is exactly what fueled Corinth's factions. True saving faith rests on God himself, the only sure foundation.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- 2 Cor 4:7Now we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this surpassingly great power is from God and not from us.
- 2 Cor 12:9But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me.
- 2 Cor 6:7in truthful speech and in the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left;
- 1 Cor 1:17For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with words of wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
- Acts 16:14Among those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.
- 1 Cor 3:6I planted the seed and Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.
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 2:5 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.