that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
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.
- BSB so that your faith would not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.
- 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 4:7But we have this treasure in clay vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves.
- 2 Cor 12:9He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me.
- 2 Cor 6:7in the word of truth, in the power of God; by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,
- 1 Cor 1:17For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Good News — not in wisdom of words, so that the cross of Christ wouldn’t be made void.
- Acts 16:14A certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, one who worshiped God, heard us; whose heart the Lord opened to listen to the things which were spoken by Paul.
- 1 Cor 3:6I planted. Apollos watered. But God gave the increase.
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.